Meditations from the Centre

[happygrump]

Modern conservatism: What was once a proud and effective force for social progression and fiscal responsibility has morphed into a "take it or leave it" set of intolerant beliefs.

Homeland security: Trampling the rights of the many for the potential of arresting a few is the modus operandi of a fascist or totalitarian regime. The United States of America should not let itself fall into that trap, lest she lose her freedom she gained at such a terrible price.

Iraq's future: Only when the Iraqi peoples are in charge will a true flowering of their culture and nationhood blossom. The sooner the occupying forces leave, the better.

The National Lawyers Guild and MoveOn.org: Groups such as this need to maintain their pressure on the current Administration to keep the public aware of the potential, and real, trampling of rights by the State.

The ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union needs to be strong and vibrant in order to hold the current Administration's feet to the fire of freedom.

Lawsuit abuse: Today we have far too many lawyers working on personal injury claims, and far too few investigating corrupt businesses and government agencies.

Why patriotic Repubicans should leave the party: As they are pulled farther in by the fringe soothsayers and the fundamentalists of the Republican Party, they become gulled into believing that isolationism and fundamentalist Christian values are the only things that matter, and continue to ignore the fact that an entire world exists beyond the borders of the United States.

Our porous borders: This Federal reponsibility needs to be held to account, and not blame other nations for their own ineptitude.

Rousing the sleeping giant: The 9/11 attack on America... may eventually be seen as the turning point where America started to give up their individual freedoms in order to maintain some false sense of security against an Orwellian-style constant war against an unidentifiable enemy.

 

[langeweile]

Gawd, who comes up with this stuff??

More to the point, why do people believe it??

Just one point to ponder further: The reference to Islam and Iraq; Could not the same be said for all those that deny religous freedoms?

HMMMMMM

BTW it's center...not centre...

 

[langeweile]

We're going through a period where the pendulum has swung
as far as it can to the right.

It's a classic case of where a valid, legitimate response to the
excess of the left has swung so far to the right that it is now
exposing its own excesses. Excesses to the left only results
in a shift to the right revealing its own excesses.

Seldom are the two views counterbalanced in the center.

When the Ds controlled the legislature and the presidency their
excesses were blatantly obvious to those traveling the middle of
the road. Now that the Rs control the legislature and the presidency
their excesses are also blatantly obvious.

Those in the middle are never represented.

Your points are well-taken. But, when the pendulum starts swinging
to the left I'm sure you'll come up with equally valid criticism of their
position.

Don

Holy crap....this is the second time we agree today..I smell a conspiracy...

 

[happygrump]

Your points are well-taken. But, when the pendulum starts swinging to the left I'm sure you'll come up with equally valid criticism of their
position.

Don

I agree 100%, and yes, I'll be critical of the left too. I even left Ontario when Mr. Rae came to the Premier's chair. I'm an equal-opportunity critic!

 

[burlboy]

Centre?

Tell me, when you do home carpentry projects and you check your work with a level, Do you consider your work level when the bubble is on the left side of the sightglass?

 

[Guy Lafleuer]

HMMMMMM

BTW it's center...not centre...

If your using the Quenn's English, centre is correct. If your using a bastardized form of the English language, center is also correct.

Guy

 

[papasmerf]

Which dictionary are you using?
By your standards Shakespeare's written word would be considered
bastardized. What dictionary spells Queen as "Quenn".

I must be illiterate by your standards.

Don

Heck even I know it is queem

 

[happygrump]

Heck even I know it is queem

Nononono... you're thinking of "quim".

 

[Asterix]

Geez, what a bunch of loosers.

 

[Pete Graves]

Modern conservatism: What was once a proud and effective force for social progression and fiscal responsibility has morphed into a "take it or leave it" set of intolerant beliefs.

Homeland security: Trampling the rights of the many for the potential of arresting a few is the modus operandi of a fascist or totalitarian regime. The United States of America should not let itself fall into that trap, lest she lose her freedom she gained at such a terrible price.

Iraq's future: Only when the Iraqi peoples are in charge will a true flowering of their culture and nationhood blossom. The sooner the occupying forces leave, the better.

The National Lawyers Guild and MoveOn.org: Groups such as this need to maintain their pressure on the current Administration to keep the public aware of the potential, and real, trampling of rights by the State.

The ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union needs to be strong and vibrant in order to hold the current Administration's feet to the fire of freedom.

Lawsuit abuse: Today we have far too many lawyers working on personal injury claims, and far too few investigating corrupt businesses and government agencies.

Why patriotic Repubicans should leave the party: As they are pulled farther in by the fringe soothsayers and the fundamentalists of the Republican Party, they become gulled into believing that isolationism and fundamentalist Christian values are the only things that matter, and continue to ignore the fact that an entire world exists beyond the borders of the United States.

Our porous borders: This Federal reponsibility needs to be held to account, and not blame other nations for their own ineptitude.

Rousing the sleeping giant: The 9/11 attack on America... may eventually be seen as the turning point where America started to give up their individual freedoms in order to maintain some false sense of security against an Orwellian-style constant war against an unidentifiable enemy.

You don't really believe you're a centrist, do you?

 

[oldjones]

HMMMMMM

BTW it's center...not centre...

Which dictionary are you using?
By your standards Shakespeare's written word would be considered
bastardized. What dictionary spells Queen as "Quenn". *

I must be illiterate by your standards.

Don

In spite of Mr Webster's spelling reforms (so-called) which took hold only in the United States, the rest of the world continued to use the the standard English spellings popularly referred to as the Queen's English until the tsunami of Americanization unleashed by the world wide web and MicroSoft's spellcheck.

The authoritative dictionary is, of course, the Oxford English Dictionary, which points out that Shakespeare (who couldn't even spell his own name consistently) used "center" as did most folks up until Dr. Johnson plumped for "centre" in his Dictionary, from which time it became standard.

Since Canada's—this is a Canadian board you're touristing at—monarch is that very Queen, it should amaze only visiting provincials that we spell it "centre". The well-bred would "…do as the Romans", when visiting. And BTW, like the majority of users of English around the world, we end the alphabet (your Mr Webster tried and failed to have it spelled "alfabet") at "zed". Try it, like saying ciaou* in Italy, it's sorta fun.

Pace quibblers. Of course language evolves, and one day these will be quaintly local archaisms, but I'm not the one playing language police in this thread. Or perhaps, langeweille you imagine you can suppress all other differences between our societies and still find the open attitudes and SPs you say you enjoy. I say, vive la différence while you can.

*Spelling authority: Cliff's notes

 

[langeweile]

In spite of Mr Webster's spelling reforms (so-called) which took hold only in the United States, the rest of the world continued to use the the standard English spellings popularly referred to as the Queen's English until the tsunami of Americanization unleashed by the world wide web and MicroSoft's spellcheck.

The authoritative dictionary is, of course, the Oxford English Dictionary, which points out that Shakespeare (who couldn't even spell his own name consistently) used "center" as did most folks up until Dr. Johnson plumped for "centre" in his Dictionary, from which time it became standard.

Since Canada's—this is a Canadian board you're touristing at—monarch is that very Queen, it should amaze only visiting provincials that we spell it "centre". The well-bred would "…do as the Romans", when visiting. And BTW, like the majority of users of English around the world, we end the alphabet (your Mr Webster tried and failed to have it spelled "alfabet") at "zed". Try it, like saying ciaou* in Italy, it's sorta fun.

Pace quibblers. Of course language evolves, and one day these will be quaintly local archaisms, but I'm not the one playing language police in this thread. Or perhaps, langeweille you imagine you can suppress all other differences between our societies and still find the open attitudes and SPs you say you enjoy. I say, vive la différence while you can.

*Spelling authority: Cliff's notes

Thats the problem with you Canadians, you are just to uptight. A non aspiring British trade.
it was one of those tongue and cheek comments...geez you guys are way to serious.

 

[langeweile]

Canada is colony of England?
.
I'm going to have to go back to school and study my history again.
So, Canada's still a colony. Damn. I must be wrong, though.

Don

When was the last time you seen a Canadian Dollar?

Canada still spends several million dollars a year to maintain the expenses of a representative of the Queen!!

 

[langeweile]

Here DQ a free history lesson.

http://fav.ipedia.com/governor_general_of_canada.html

 

[langeweile]

Thanks, langeweile. I wasn't aware of that.

No worries..this took me by surprise as well. It's strange that a strong and sovereign country hasn't cut it's ties completely..I wonder why?

Out of tradition? Out of the need for indentification? Don't know. The funny thing is, that all Canadians I have talked to, don't know either??? Go figure..

 

[someone]

When was the last time you seen a Canadian Dollar?

Canada still spends several million dollars a year to maintain the expenses of a representative of the Queen!!

Technically the GG is the represenatative of the Queen of Canada and not the Queen of the UK (sort of like the same person being chairman of the board of different firms). Anyway, the money would still have to be spent whether the GG was represenative of the Queen or head of state under another name. Many countries have symbolic heads of state.

 

[oldjones]

Canada is colony of England?
.
I'm going to have to go back to school and study my history again.
So, Canada's still a colony. Damn. I must be wrong, though.

Don

Oh Don you know so little about us. We've been an independant Dominion under the Crown—that'd be the general term used in poli. sci.—since 1867; the Statute of Wesminster 1931 was the formal renunciation by Britain of any final vestiges of sovereignty over the independent countries of the Commonwealth, and Trudeau's patriation* of the Constitution in 1982 tidied up the loose ends (at the expense of yet more Quebec resentment).

*With you etymological bent, you might find it amusing to consider why that was "patriation", a Canadian neologism that's stuck, and not "repatriation".

 

[oldjones]

Thats the problem with you Canadians, you are just to uptight. A non aspiring British trade.
it was one of those tongue and cheek comments...geez you guys are way to serious.

Well since you're not too uptight, you won't be offended if I point out your spelling above's no example.

Might I suggest that those who are so sensitive to "anti-americanism" should probably think two or six times before assuming that their Canadian hosts will see any good nature in their nationalist, "tongue in cheek" sallies.

It's what smilies are for isn't it? ;-)

 

[oldjones]

No worries..this took me by surprise as well. It's strange that a strong and sovereign country hasn't cut it's ties completely..I wonder why?

Out of tradition? Out of the need for indentification? Don't know. The funny thing is, that all Canadians I have talked to, don't know either??? Go figure..

Obviously talking to the wrong folks, again. 45,000 hits on "Canada, monarchist". Check out one or two, maybe get some actual info. instead of speculations like Don's.

 

[langeweile]

Obviously talking to the wrong folks, again. 45,000 hits on "Canada, monarchist". Check out one or two, maybe get some actual info. instead of speculations like Don's.

I haven't met one Canadian yet, that is in agreement with supporting the Governor General.
In general i don't care what traditions you chose to observe. As an outsider I find your love of the monarchy a bit strange.

Between paying millions of dollars for the GG, the traditional court uniforns and the guy from parliament, all dressed up..sorry that looks and sounds just a bit odd to me....but hell to each his own.