The US Presidency 2020

[Weinie]

I find it interesting, and disconcerting, that when I logged in today there are two pages that deal with the US presidency and election that had almost forty comments in the last two days, yet a Canadian Liberal minority gov't 2019 page has 13 total in the same timeframe.

Why the morbid fascination about the US process/personalities? ( yes I get the NATO, neighbour, largest trading partner blah,blah,blah, so please don't bore me with that as a rationale.)

If some of you put as much effort into kvetching/straightening out/holding accountable our own efforts and processes in Canada, we would be further ahead. Hell, why stop there, go whole hog on Putin in Russia. He is listening, right?

After all, why should we bother doing all that critical thinking and tricky self-analysis and taking steps to fix a situation if we can just take the blame off our own shoulders and deflect it on someone or something else?

Blaming other people removes the inhibitions that justify our actions to ourselves to remove our brains natural inhibitions that are there to prevent us from behaving poorly toward others. It means we can build a thought pattern that allows us to act in a way that our moral compass would normally prevent.

I have watched the stream of anti-American rhetoric, both identity and policy based, from Canadians, some influential, some influenced, for nigh onto 40 years. It still sickens me.

 

[mariomike]

I have watched the stream of anti-American rhetoric, both identity and policy based, from Canadians, some influential, some influenced, for nigh onto 40 years. It still sickens me.

If being critical of Trump is "anti-American", is being critical of Trudeau anti-Canadian?

Incidentally, my wife is American. 

If "The US Presidency 2020" sickens you, why read it?

 

[Donald H]

I find it interesting, and disconcerting, that when I logged in today there are two pages that deal with the US presidency and election that had almost forty comments in the last two days, yet a Canadian Liberal minority gov't 2019 page has 13 total in the same timeframe.

Why the morbid fascination about the US process/personalities? ( yes I get the NATO, neighbour, largest trading partner blah,blah,blah, so please don't bore me with that as a rationale.)

If some of you put as much effort into kvetching/straightening out/holding accountable our own efforts and processes in Canada, we would be further ahead. Hell, why stop there, go whole hog on Putin in Russia. He is listening, right?

After all, why should we bother doing all that critical thinking and tricky self-analysis and taking steps to fix a situation if we can just take the blame off our own shoulders and deflect it on someone or something else?

Blaming other people removes the inhibitions that justify our actions to ourselves to remove our brains natural inhibitions that are there to prevent us from behaving poorly toward others. It means we can build a thought pattern that allows us to act in a way that our moral compass would normally prevent.

I have watched the stream of anti-American rhetoric, both identity and policy based, from Canadians, some influential, some influenced, for nigh onto 40 years. It still sickens me.

The problem likely is Weinie, there's a lot messed up in the US now under their Trump regime and not nearly as much in Canada. Canada is doing very well you know and has been proclaimed the #1 country in the world for 3 or 4 years running on quality of life.

Up until 19 that is but I don't know about 2020? The US is way down the ladder in that respect. Personally, I've had a lot to say on the Canada political threads, but not so much as nitpiicking as with defending our status quo and government. The issue on Silver trying to get CEWS money has ran off the tracks over there now so we're in need of a new one with some legs. Any ideas?

:cheers:

 

[brihard]

I find it interesting, and disconcerting, that when I logged in today there are two pages that deal with the US presidency and election that had almost forty comments in the last two days, yet a Canadian Liberal minority gov't 2019 page has 13 total in the same timeframe.

Why the morbid fascination about the US process/personalities? ( yes I get the NATO, neighbour, largest trading partner blah,blah,blah, so please don't bore me with that as a rationale.)

If some of you put as much effort into kvetching/straightening out/holding accountable our own efforts and processes in Canada, we would be further ahead. Hell, why stop there, go whole hog on Putin in Russia. He is listening, right?

After all, why should we bother doing all that critical thinking and tricky self-analysis and taking steps to fix a situation if we can just take the blame off our own shoulders and deflect it on someone or something else?

Blaming other people removes the inhibitions that justify our actions to ourselves to remove our brains natural inhibitions that are there to prevent us from behaving poorly toward others. It means we can build a thought pattern that allows us to act in a way that our moral compass would normally prevent.

I have watched the stream of anti-American rhetoric, both identity and policy based, from Canadians, some influential, some influenced, for nigh onto 40 years. It still sickens me.

Speaking only for myself, there are professional constraints at play in commenting on Canadian political matters that aren't in place for US politics. I suspect I'm not the only one on here who exercises a bit of caution on that.

 

[Weinie]

If being critical of Trump is "anti-American", is being critical of Trudeau anti-Canadian?

Incidentally, my wife is American. 

If "The US Presidency 2020" sickens you, why read it?

Your wife is American, my mother was American. Are we equal now in bona-fides for non-partisan commentary?

Anti-American rhetoric is rampant across all strata and mediums in Canada, not just on this platform. I cannot avoid it without turning my computer, TV, and ears off. As I said, it is easy to deflect and compare, but much more difficult to tackle the systemic problems here. Donald Trump still has a Congress and Senate to provide checks and balances, can we say the same here? I would suggest we get our own house in order, before casting stones.

Does anybody really think that a different White House in January will result in substantive changes to the Canada/US relationship? If you do, you are dreaming in technicolor. The US, regardless of administration, regards us paternally, benignly, favourably, or contemptuously, based on Canada's position on a myriad of issues, both domestic and international. The average American actually thinks favourably of Canada, and spends little to no time considering us. They certainly don't spend any real amount of grey matter trashing our policies or leadership.

Speaking only for myself, there are professional constraints at play in commenting on Canadian political matters that aren't in place for US politics. I suspect I'm not the only one on here who exercises a bit of caution on that.

Some are happy to fling poo towards those whom they have no direct link with, but exercise caution towards those who can have significant impact on them and their family?  I get it. I personally exercise that professional constraint across a much broader spectrum.

 

[mariomike]

Anti-American rhetoric is rampant across all strata and mediums in Canada, not just on this platform.

Anti-American, or anti-Trump?

If being critical of Trump is "anti-American", is being critical of Trudeau anti-Canadian?

 

[Jarnhamar]

[quote author=Weinie] Donald Trump still has a Congress and Senate to provide checks and balances, can we say the same here? I would suggest we get our own house in order, before casting stones.
[/quote]

I sure bet Trump is jealous of Trudeau's ability to shut down the government and avoid any sort of investigations of wrong doing.

 

[brihard]

Some are happy to fling poo towards those whom they have no direct link with, but exercise caution towards those who can have significant impact on them and their family?  I get it. I personally exercise that professional constraint across a much broader spectrum.

Some fling poo; others (loudly) take issue with concrete leadership or policy choices that have a tangible impact on our country and economy, or who they think are representative of larger failings in how politics are conducted. Some do both.

And, yes- some people have to be very cautious in weighing in on domestic politics to avoid professional or potentially legal jeopardy.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Many Canadians are a strangely insecure people.  It isn't enough to simply be confident about things we do well and measure ourselves against our own set targets; there is a widespread compulsive need to engage in dick-measuring against the US.  I rarely hear, or read, anyone making a point about how we do "X" better than the British, or French, or any other nation.

 

[dimsum]

Many Canadians are a strangely insecure people.  It isn't enough to simply be confident about things we do well and measure ourselves against our own set targets; there is a widespread compulsive need to engage in dick-measuring against the US.  I rarely hear, or read, anyone making a point about how we do "X" better than the British, or French, or any other nation.

That may be because of a few things:

a) We are both relatively similar-sized and similar-aged countries
b) Our cultures are relatively alike (more so N-S rather than E-W)
c) You don't "keep up with the Joneses" three states over, you look at the ones across the street.

 

[Weinie]

Many Canadians are a strangely insecure people.  It isn't enough to simply be confident about things we do well and measure ourselves against our own set targets; there is a widespread compulsive need to engage in dick-measuring against the US.  I rarely hear, or read, anyone making a point about how we do "X" better than the British, or French, or any other nation.

Yuuuuuuuuuuup.

 

[brihard]

Many Canadians are a strangely insecure people.  It isn't enough to simply be confident about things we do well and measure ourselves against our own set targets; there is a widespread compulsive need to engage in dick-measuring against the US.  I rarely hear, or read, anyone making a point about how we do "X" better than the British, or French, or any other nation.

When was the last time the leadership of those nations openly launched a trade war against some of our major industry?

 

[Weinie]

When was the last time the leadership of those nations openly launched a trade war against some of our major industry?

If you are talking aluminum tariffs, I see your bid and raise you the Canadian Dairy Industry.

 

[Brad Sallows]

My observation basically covers 40 years, not 40 months.  Regardless, a trade war has nothing to do with people coming over all smug because, for example, the EIU decided, by their arbitrary measure, that the US was no longer a "full democracy".  Even some people here couldn't resist a Nelson Muntz moment, and didn't spare a thought to ask how any sentient person could possibly describe the US as "less democratic" than Canada.

 

[Remius]

Many Canadians are a strangely insecure people.  It isn't enough to simply be confident about things we do well and measure ourselves against our own set targets; there is a widespread compulsive need to engage in dick-measuring against the US.  I rarely hear, or read, anyone making a point about how we do "X" better than the British, or French, or any other nation.

I noticed the same thing with New Zealanders vs Aussies.

I don’t think this is a uniquely Canadian thing.  Probably very similar to smaller countries punching above their weight class next to a similar big brother country.

 

[mariomike]

He said Ivanka would be a better prez than Kamala at a rally the other day,
https://www.google.com/search?q=ivanka+kamala&sxsrf=ALeKk01RH5mxrPgsOVXMs9kv_hC4KTXV4A:1598730246476&source=lnt&tbs=qdr:w&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj58rqjlsHrAhUETN8KHaoBCUAQpwV6BAgLEBw&biw=1280&bih=641#spf=1598730314442

If it's Ivanka vs Junior vs Eric at the '24 Republican primary, it might be worth tuning in for. 

 

[Xylric]

A friend in the US posted on Facebook asking how people were planning to vote. It was a fairly interesting cross section of responses, until one got to mine. Without clarifying that I am Canadian, I responded that I was praying not to have one this year.

Those who know I am Canadian were greatly amused, and those that did not predictably freaked out.

It was an interesting object lesson, to be certain.

 

[brihard]

A friend in the US posted on Facebook asking how people were planning to vote. It was a fairly interesting cross section of responses, until one got to mine. Without clarifying that I am Canadian, I responded that I was praying not to have one this year.

Those who know I am Canadian were greatly amused, and those that did not predictably freaked out.

It was an interesting object lesson, to be certain.

LOL, nicely done. Sometimes lobbing the smoke grenade can be fun.

 

[OceanBonfire]

Still spreading debunked conspiracy theories as well as hoaxes and more nonsenses without any logical or concrete evidences:

'Dark shadows' and 'thugs' in planes: Trump echoes old hoax in attack on Biden

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to repeat a months-old conspiracy theory from Facebook on Monday, claiming without evidence that "thugs" in "black uniforms" were being loaded into a plane to attack Republicans in Washington, D.C.

The president's unverified claim appeared to match a debunked story that went viral among Trump-supporting Facebook groups in early June. The story alleged that more than a dozen Antifa operatives in black clothing had been flown into Idaho to attack local businesses, although they never actually showed up.

...


https://globalnews.ca/news/7309385/donald-trump-dark-shadows-planes-conspiracy-theory/

 

[QV]

Still spreading debunked conspiracy theories as well as hoaxes and more nonsenses without any logical or concrete evidences:

In the US, they are investigating who is supporting, funding, coordinating, and communicating with the violent groups to sow unrest. It is quite possible POTUS has been back briefed on that.