[Taospark]

Psudo wrote:

poquas wrote:

All he has to do to be considered a raving success is to undo everything Bush did over the last eight years!

Then he's already failed. He's upholding the NSA wiretapping program. Thus, something Bush did is being kept, thus "everything Bush did" is not being undone.

The article points out that Holder was doing grunt work and finishing a case begun under a previous administration. I'm more interested in what the Justice Department will do to handle new cases than disclosure on a case that was apparently closed 4 years ago.

The last sentence in the article is actually more important, since it talks about extraordinary rendition. That means undoing over five decades of CIA secrecy about their policies and even their budget which has remained classified for many administrations now.

Also, for those who were watching the Obama visit to Canada, they might have noticed a little slip when Obama almost referred to Ottowa as Iowa. But then, Iowa is a nice place so that's not a bad thing.

[Jabrwock]

Quote:

It's rather ironic, of course, that a country as famously liberal as Canada would have a conservative government to greet the most left-wing president in modern US history.

I wonder how well it compares to Kennedy/Diefenbaker meets? Dief was quite a bit more conservative than Kennedy. Will there be competing fish stories?

[bootlegga]

CKASlacker wrote:

JJ wrote:

Australians are not Americans by nature of the fact that they live on an island nation very far from the American continent. Canadians are not Americans in spite of a geographic reality that says they should be.

Aussies have retained more of their British culture, seen in some obvious ways -- dinner/supper = "tea", driving on the left, rugby and cricket as popular sports, whereas Canadians certainly are more influenced by US culture. Certainly being an island has allowed Oz to retain more of its British roots, although oddly they came close to ditching their Commonwealth status when they voted against becoming a republic a few years back.

So maybe it's a sense of loyalty that keeps Canada in the Commonwealth, in spite of the fact that we're quite American in much of our culture, whereas Aussies are more "British" despite arguably being more independent.

I think a big part of Canada gravitating towards the US was our virtual abandonment by the UK after WW1. Areas where the UK was number 1, like trade , foreign investment, even defence, quickly shifted to the US. But the UK kept a large presence in Asia; like Singapore, Hong Kong, Ceylon and of course, Australia and New Zealand.

[fire_i]

mtbr wrote:

fire_i wrote:

We could say our current government is closer to the methods of the former Bush administration (ironically), but I don't think we really could ever say we're further on the right until the day the Cons get a majority running a decidedly right-wing platform, if it happens.

yeah..that ole hidden agenda will come out

Excuse me?

[Les-R]

I dunno about anyone else, but I know when I personally make 'Obammessiah' cracks it's as a dig on his supporters more than on the man himself.

[Kjorteo]

Which makes sense, really, since thinking he's the second coming of Christ is clearly the only reason anyone would have supported him over John McCain after eight years of Bush.

[Les-R]

Not that everyone who voted for Obama didn't have sound reasons for doing so, just that the most vocal Obama supporters seem to come off as a bit.. well... Shallow.

"OMG-OMG, Hope-and-Change Hope-and-Change, Woo!"

[Kjorteo]

The most vocal anything supporters come off as crazy. That's a problem with being vocal.

[CanadianJeff]

fire_i wrote:

mtbr wrote:

fire_i wrote:

We could say our current government is closer to the methods of the former Bush administration (ironically), but I don't think we really could ever say we're further on the right until the day the Cons get a majority running a decidedly right-wing platform, if it happens.

yeah..that ole hidden agenda will come out

Excuse me?

He's making reference to the "Hidden Agenda" campaign the liberals ran against Harper 2 elections ago. They were basically putting out adds that suggested Harper would enact all sorts of bills like banning abortion, reversing the gay marriage decision, etc. Of course it was all just false political spin and it was designed to make people afraid to vote conservative if they were moderate conservatives.

It was wrong of the liberal party and was one of the reasons I didn't vote for them. Thankfully I see the party under Iggy moving in a new direction.

[GenericHito]

Kjorteo wrote:

Which makes sense, really, since thinking he's the second coming of Christ is clearly the only reason anyone would have supported him over John McCain after eight years of Bush.

Since I'm unwilling to prove that the Obama worshiper caricature exist in large numbers and isn't born from some satirical straw man, I'm not going to tell you why I think those people, who may or may not exist, are mistaken.

I would like to say, however, that I side heavily with JJ on the matter.

[kenmore]

mtbr wrote:

JJ wrote:

I think it would cause an enormous identity crisis unlike anything the country has ever seen before. And that's why I think some pundits, like the one I made a thread about a while ago, have already restored to describing Obama as a right-winger, because that's the only way to keep the Canadian identity narrative working properly.

But I don't think it'll last long. I suspect Harper will lose the next election, and the Liberals will be restored and all will be well.

all will be well

is Iggy going to save the world economy? I thought that was the Obamasiah's job.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/ ... ficit.html

Hope Iggy can help Alberta and the dirty oil patch. Once harper sucks up to Obama and says " yes Mr. President, I agree it is dirty oil" we will stop production of sucking oil out of mud immediately",Albertans can go f themselves Mr. President"
gees I miss George wya.."

[ziggy]

kenmore wrote:

mtbr wrote:

JJ wrote:

I think it would cause an enormous identity crisis unlike anything the country has ever seen before. And that's why I think some pundits, like the one I made a thread about a while ago, have already restored to describing Obama as a right-winger, because that's the only way to keep the Canadian identity narrative working properly.

But I don't think it'll last long. I suspect Harper will lose the next election, and the Liberals will be restored and all will be well.

all will be well

is Iggy going to save the world economy? I thought that was the Obamasiah's job.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/ ... ficit.html

Hope Iggy can help Alberta and the dirty oil patch. Once harper sucks up to Obama and says " yes Mr. President, I agree it is dirty oil" we will stop production of sucking oil out of mud immediately",Albertans can go f themselves Mr. President"
gees I miss George wya.."

Wow! More sheer ignorance about one of the most regulated industries in Canada.Maybe you can explain how this is "dirty oil" compared to any other oil producing province or country in the world.

Or is it just a phrase you picked up on that fit's your agenda?

We will wait for your responce,maybe take it to one of the many threads on the topic so you can look like an ignorant fool but at least have some company and not muddy up this one with your hate Alberta campaign.

[mtbr]

kenmore wrote:

mtbr wrote:

JJ wrote:

I think it would cause an enormous identity crisis unlike anything the country has ever seen before. And that's why I think some pundits, like the one I made a thread about a while ago, have already restored to describing Obama as a right-winger, because that's the only way to keep the Canadian identity narrative working properly.

But I don't think it'll last long. I suspect Harper will lose the next election, and the Liberals will be restored and all will be well.

all will be well

is Iggy going to save the world economy? I thought that was the Obamasiah's job.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/ ... ficit.html

Hope Iggy can help Alberta and the dirty oil patch. Once harper sucks up to Obama and says " yes Mr. President, I agree it is dirty oil" we will stop production of sucking oil out of mud immediately",Albertans can go f themselves Mr. President"
gees I miss George wya.."

deficit not DEBT like Ontario and your Separatist home Quebec.

beats the hell out of this

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... tory/Front

"Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty faces a bleak future for his province, as economist forecasts a shocking $13-billion deficit for the next fiscal year"

[Psudo]

GenericHito: It might comfort you to know Kjorteo is being extremely sarcastic in that quote.

[fire_i]

CanadianJeff wrote:

He's making reference to the "Hidden Agenda" campaign the liberals ran against Harper 2 elections ago. They were basically putting out adds that suggested Harper would enact all sorts of bills like banning abortion, reversing the gay marriage decision, etc. Of course it was all just false political spin and it was designed to make people afraid to vote conservative if they were moderate conservatives.

It was wrong of the liberal party and was one of the reasons I didn't vote for them. Thankfully I see the party under Iggy moving in a new direction.

Ah, I see.

Well, I'll take time to clarify my point then : in my post, the "if it happens" part doesn't only apply to the part about the Cons being elected running a decidedly right-wing platform... it also applies to the part about them *running on said platform at all*. Both seems unlikely, so it seems equally unlikely to me Canada will, politically, be further on the right than the US until a long time still.