monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

@McGentrix,

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You may know that Americans tend to have a sense of pride. Especially those of us that actually love our country.

But there's nothing unique about America in this. It's broadly true. Ask an Australian or a Frenchman or a Brit, etc.

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Well, that's not we need. What we need are American Solutions for American people, by American people.

Why? If the US auto industry suddenly decided to forget all the things they've learned from the Japanese regarding design and production of cars and trucks, the industry would collapse or shrink dramatically. Your best film-makers and actors laud foreign producers and artists for the models set elsewhere and acknowledge that US film is better because of such borrowings. Your civil law is British, a borrowing. The men who wrote your constitution and bill of rights were all students of European enlightenment thinkers. Your technical and medical sphere regularly gain from the work in other countries. Etc.

Quote:

The ACA, as it stands, is a failure. So, in that fact it could be considered quite Canadian.

This isn't the first time a Canadian has heard a conservative American who's never lived here and who (trust me in this) doesn't actually know what he's talking about, explain to the Canadian that we don't understand the system we use constantly. It's no small puzzle how such claims manage to escape out into the open.

We probably better end off there. I think the bridges are washed out.

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@georgeob1,

One must also consider the possibility that Canadian health care is less vulnerable to criticism. I'm not well enough informed to make that call, but we have to consider that as one possibility.

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@georgeob1,

Quote:

I think it is interesting that the incidence of Canadians criticizing our health care (and other) systems appears to be far greater than that of Americans criticizing theirs.

Definitely not true in my case. But not just my case - the experience of Canadians I know in travels/holidays down south reflects this as the rule and not the exception. Indeed, there's something of an industry in US right wing media which criticizes Canadian health care (which is why it is so common for consumers of these media to hold the opinions I mentioned in the post just above). There's nothing comparable in media up here.

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perhaps Canadians are just a bit more nosey and intrusive. Hard to tell.

Of course, I lived there for a decade, so have been an actual consumer in both systems. And few Canadians are as interested in the US as I am. For me, there's a real moral issue involved in a modern and wealthy nation deciding to simply omit care for millions. I find it immensely cruel. Is that my business? The answer to that depends on how one thinks about morality. Is America morally justified in moving militarily in other nations so as to ameliorate suffering? I think it often is.

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@blatham,

I suspect that MsGentrix would acknowledge that his wisecrack about the (obvious) failure of ACA being quite Canadian, as an unwarranted and offensive intrusion, going beyond his likely direct knowledge. The choices Canadians make for themselves are simply that - their choices - and are frankly none of our business as long as they do us no serious harm (and they don't).

I believe the U.S./Canadian population ratios are on the order of about 9:1. My strong impression is that the incidence of unwelcome hectoring by Canadians here about U.S. practices very far exceeds what would be implied by that ratio, by the equally unwelcome hectoring of Canadians here by Americans.

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Let me add a relevant anecdote. My twin brother and his wife just got back from a holiday in Palm Springs. I might have mentioned earlier how they had been sitting in a hot tube with an American couple who patiently explained how many people around the Clintons had died mysteriously and two were found with the blood drained from their bodies.

But that's not the anecdote I'm referring to. In this one, a fellow at the gym was, again very patiently, explaining to my brother and another Canadian how we up here were so socialistic because we were always listening to MSNBC. As it happens, MSNBC isn't delivered to our house. Neither family has ever watched it. In fact, I don't know any Canadian where I've worked, in my home town, or where I lived in Vancouver who knows of MSNBC. Truly. If any US news feed, it is CNN and then only where some huge story arises like 9/11. And that's a temporary thing.

So the question presents itself pretty quickly - where the **** is that dude getting his information from and how is it that he's so certain he's right when exactly the opposite is the case? Is this dude unusual? No. After a decade down there and thousands of conversations, I can attest quite honestly that he isn't.

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@blatham,

Well I wasn't in that hot tube and don't know what was said.

My coments should be taken as a reference of the incidence of such things on these threads. I believe they are accurate.

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@georgeob1,

Quote:

My strong impression is that the incidence of unwelcome hectoring by Canadians here about U.S. practices very far exceeds what would be implied by that ratio, by the equally unwelcome hectoring of Canadians here by Americans.

Sorry, but that isn't going to end. It's not just that we are the US's largest trading partner (with all that entails) it is that the US footprint in the world is enormous and that has consequences for many in the world, a situation of great asymmetry which will only result in others being "nosy". And it surely isn't as if the US doesn't muck about up here.

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@georgeob1,

Quote:

Well I wasn't in that hot tube and don't know what was said.

How convenient for you.

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@blatham,

blatham wrote:

Sorry, but that isn't going to end. It's not just that we are the US's largest trading partner (with all that entails) it is that the US footprint in the world is enormous and that has consequences for many in the world, a situation of great asymmetry which will only result in others being "nosy". And it surely isn't as if the US doesn't muck about up here.

You are indeed correct about trade. Canada is a very large net importer with respect to the rest of the world, but enjoys a huge trade surplus with the United States, mostly from the export of minerals, timber and petroleum from its well developed extraction industries. The result is Canada enjoys a very large net trade surplus. In many cases this is facilitated by unwise (in my view) environmental restrictions in this country which restrict domestic production. Trump may well change that.

As to the nosey comments of others - it is their right to comment , just as it is ours to mock and ignore them. I find the argument that, as a result of the supposed pervasivenss of imaginary American power, we should surrender some aspect of our sovereignty to others. to be laughable and specious. I see no evidence to suggest that, were our situations reversed, we would see what you suggest from Canada. The fact is we have no rights in the domestic affairs of others and they have none in ours. Restraint and basic politeness remain important attributes, and my impression is that, despite long-standing popular images in Europe particularly, Americans are generally more polite and restrained than our many critics. Hypocrisy is a near universal trait.

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@georgeob1,

All you need to do is review this thread, it's amply apparent that Americans mock and insult other Americans if they even suspect the other is one note off from complete agreement. The notion that we are more polite than other nations is laughable, you are aware that Donald Trump has just been elected.....you can't possibly think that Trump is a shining example of grace, intelligence or sophistication??? It's your business if you think Trump is the best the Republican Party can scrounge up, but please don't pretend you think by lying about that clown you can convince others they have misjudged him. He's on a victory tour and still isn't outlining his hopes for the American people. All he can do is preen and cackle that he beat Hillary.....and he's sore that she received 2.5 million more votes than he.

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@georgeob1,

georgeob1 wrote:

.I find the argument that, as a result of the supposed pervasivenss of imaginary American power, we should surrender some aspect of our sovereignty to others. to be laughable and specious.

Yeah, what George said, Hoser.

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@glitterbag,

That was a fairly rambling and disorganized regurgitation, so it's a bit hard to respond. I believe a review of these threads amply confirms all my observations. That stuff isn't entirelyt absent from all U.S. posters but the observable ratio is indeed as I described it, Wou are simply wrong,

I believe that Trump is far superior to the alternatives in the recent election: I made no claims about "shining examples" - That is merely your fantasy. He isn't a clown and I haven't lied about him. The fact is he has put forward an outline of needed action that is visibly gaining more traction and support among Americans daily. To be sure there are many intractable detractors, such as yourself, who steadfastly resist new information and the evidence of unfolding events. That is your right, and I have no expectation of changing it. You can continue to stew in your own unsavory juices, but I don't recommend it.

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@blatham,

How many black people do you know or for that matter anyone who walks around with absolutely no ID whatsoever?

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@Debra Law,

I for one can't wait to start wearing my jack boots and goose-stepping around town and use my hobnails to grind lefties into the dirt...Heil Donald!

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@blatham,

blatham wrote:

Oh, so it is that socialist Canada thing spilling across the border where there ain't a fence but ought to be a fence.

Now there's a good ******* idea!

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@georgeob1,

Quote:

Well I wasn't in that hot tube and don't know what was said.
My coments should be taken as a reference of the incidence of such things on these threads. I believe they are accurate.

Come on georgeob, can't you take Bernie's word about it? You know Bernie. Address the issues and stop playing cat and mouse. There's a big wide world out there and the people in it are, obviously not demonstrated on the "incidence of such things on these threads."

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@i800gtplay,

My stance was that I didn't care who was elected as long as it wasn't that duplicitous, traitorous, unindicted criminal Billary, head of the Clinton crime family.

As for Tump...when you have more money in you pocket as a result of his presidency we'll both be happy.

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http://pamelageller.com/2016/12/wisconsin-recount-update-trump-extends-lead.html/

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@Lola,

I was very specific about my reference to what occurs on these threads, and I believe the evidence connfirms my observations. That Bernie says it isn't so doesn't change any of that. I'm not evading any meaningful responses here.

I do know and like Bernie, but recognize that he has been getting away with a con here for a long time. I'm a bit weary of it, but know that he's a big boy and can surely take a moderate dose of what he's been putting out here for as long as I can remember.

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@georgeob1,

Georgeob, I'm happy for you. I truly am, it will be so exciting for you and your clan to bask in the glow of your self approval. Me, I'm just going to watch the aggrieved (such as yourself) celebrate this national embarrassment while this great nation I served becomes a footnote, frankly a joke.

And trust me on this, any wanker who tweets during an SNL skit complaining about a parody is a clown, a major clown.

1 Reply

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