I believe Canadians generally think differently from Americans, James.They certainly act more tolerantly of others. And I'm the guy who offers near-apologia here for how the US is turning: a majority of Americans voted against what the president-elect is proposing. I praise a majority who voted from their hearts and not their pockets nor pie-in-the-sky.
Living in Canada's industrial heartland and financial centre, you as businessman and entrepreneur, we both know Canada has more skin in the game than most countries, with $2-billion daily crossing the border every day in trade, their best customer, neighbour and constant ally (except flat no to what became the Iraq tragedy).
We are friends with different notions of governance who may have shared similar sentiments on grounds of not Canadian values when your party veered toward race-baiting to save itself during the federal election a year ago. The current front runners for your party leadership are sailing close to that repudiated line. You back Trumpism; I do not.
Although you were right and I was wrong in predicting his ascension, I am clearly on the side of a majority of Americans who want something different than they're getting for their country. Bit of a stretch to put anti-American resentment on that, James.
King there are a number of thoughts here so forgive me if i don't get to them all.
I was appalled by the mean spirited, secretive and vision-less incarnation of the Harper government in it's last several years. Rudderless and controlled by know nothing 20-somethings in the PMO. Harper should have either stepped up and led or should have resigned two years earlier.
However, and it's a big however, his careful stewardship of our finances and economy right up to the end were enough for me to continue to support him. Because Trudeau and his sunny ways are spending my grandchildren's' money without a care in the world, just like his father did. Trudeau is full of it.....just another politician....and swing voters from either the left or right who decided to vote for him based on his vow to "do politics different" are finding out what an incompetent fraud he is.
Much like America is a big country with diverse viewpoints, so is Canada. Our population may be much smaller but we are still driven by our regional interests and experiences. You and I included. I have little interest in being part of a country where one of the most populous provinces votes in a corrupt and incompetent government time and again.
I used to be able to say that and everyone would know I was speaking of Quebec. Sadly, it now applies to Ontario as well. We are that much further ahead of the Americans on the "dependent on the government" vote and that's a sad thing. What made my nation great is going away, replaced by the personal greed, jealousy and laziness of the typical socialist dependent. It is ironic to me that the rugged individualism you wistfully write about with regard to Newfoundlanders or those Nova Scotians from your youth, is being lost precisely because of people like you and the policies you advocate for and support.
I truly think people should be voting with an eye to both their pocketbooks AND pie in the sky. But their hearts? Nope! Don't vote with that. A careful management of my money combined with big dreams we can aspire to. You, on the other hand, would have us take an ever increasing amount of hard earned money from an ever decreasing segment of the population and increasingly give it to those who feel it's the state's responsibility to look after them. I think of those people as thieves.
Race baiting? Canadian values? It's not the Canada I grew up in, that my father and uncles and aunts and grandparents fought on behalf of, to support or excuse honour killings and the subjugation of women under the cover of religious beliefs. We never had a national debate about multiculturalism. It was imposed on us. We have been tricked into accepting a Supreme Court that constitutionally now sets out our laws. And it is populated by radicals. As the designers of our constitution, Trudeau and Lalonde, wanted.
I actually back parliamentary democracy for our country, not the current hash Trudeau made of it. I back the voice of the citizens being heard, not the volume being turned down by the elites while they tell us how to behave.
My party, during the previous government, actually tried to do something to fix the abhorrent Indian Act, an act that keeps 600 plus reservations effectively under mob rule with our money while those with their hands deepest in the till, the chiefs and their families, lobby against any change that truly benefits their people. The Liberals immediately rolled it back. Saying my party veered into race baiting is much like the Democrats talking about how they freed the slaves and fought against the KKK. You can say it (and the media does) but it's not true.
I could go on but I don't want to bore my American friends anymore than I have. But in keeping with the original topic of this thread, what we are seeing elsewhere, with Brexit, with Trump, in other countries in Europe and coming to Canada soon, is a realization that the current leadership has been narrow minded and self interested and has presided over the diminishment of those countries, not their betterment.
Despite Obama's rhetoric in 2006-2008 the country he currently presides over is a diminished country and as President he has to wear that.
