When American politics looks so much better
Thank you to my workplace which encouraged us all to go watch the inauguration of US President Obama. That was cool.
It's odd because most Canadians have this arrogant and very tiresome superiority complex to Americans. Yet now, now that it's President Obama, Canadians are all over the inauguration. It's like: We were part of this!
Meanwhile, we have a moralistic nutjob as Prime Minister and the most idiotic coalition of three parties, NONE of which the Canadian public resoundingly endorsed [well, maybe the Bloc Quebecois got many votes in Quebec - I can't remember, but as they don't run anywhere except Quebec and their goal is to separate from Canada, it's kind of silly that they are supposed to be part of a national coalition). And our parliament has been prorogued while the whole mess simmers down. The only upside is that all of us in Canada learned what "prorogued" meant.
There is no voice of the people here! My parliamentary representative is a well-respected politician in her own right, and also is the wife of the leader of the NDP [socialist] party. I sent an email to the party office stating [as one of her consituents]: No to Stephen Harper, but no to the Coalition. In the body of my email I noted that although I hadn't voted for Harper, I was not in support of the Coalition and wanted the chance to vote. Not to just have them overthrow the minority government and assume power.
The whole spin of the Coalition was that 64% -or something like that - of the Canadian population didn't vote for Stephen Harper. Yes, agreed, but I CERTAINLY didn't vote for the Coalition. Holy crap, faced with that freak show on the ballot, I would have voted for the Marxist Lennonist party. Anyhow, my email was pretty clear.
Now, I know that staff for an MP have no time to individually respond to constituent emails, but apparently they can't read either. I got back a form letter thanking me for my support of the coalition. It then went on to tell me to attend a rally for said Coalition, and listed every single online poll about the Coalition, and encouraged me to click the links and vote in support of the Coalition.
Yes... I could clearly see how this Coalition was going to be the voice of the people...
You know, many Americans were considering moving to Canada during the last of the Bush era. Can I go to the States now?
9 comments:
Wow. I have never heard that perspective before. And I must say your post made me realize I know very little about the Canadian party system. I've been to Parlaiment a few times, but that's it... I am relatively ignorant about the underpinnings.
And of course you can come here anytime. We're happy to have neighbors from the north come down... just try not to bring any more winter with you!!! ;)
Well, y'all wanted to remain a Commonwealth, so the hot Governor General benched y'all! Had y'all been truly independent of her Majesty's reach, y'all might've gotten a new Prime Minister.
It is an exciting time for Canadian politics. At the very least, people are taking notice and perhaps deciding what to do. Perhaps it's time to change the old institutions of gov't to match the will of the people.
Feel Free to visit us; but mind you, our health care plans (and our manners) need a lot of work!
The Bloc is not there to separate, though the rest of Canada seems to believe so. The Bloc is there to protect Quebec's interests and I even voted for them last time. Any separatist action will come from within the provincial government, not from federal government.
I'll take anything but the monster we have now.
I just know we can't afford another 300 million dollar election. The officials need to start working for us so they should pull their heads out of their asses.
*Plots to invade and conquer Canada--just as soon as the ice melts*
Susan: Most Canadians don't know much about our own parliamentary system (myself included)
Eros: Our GG is indeed hot. And yet so cool! She responded to the request of our current [psycho] Prime Minister though.
Torn: You're absolutely right about the Bloc. Sorry about that. It's funny, but I would have voted Bloc too if they ran in Ontario as a 'where do you stand' quiz had me completely alligned with Gilles Duceppe. I still don't want the coalition though. I don't trust Layton at all. He'd do anything to gain power. Too bad because I used to have respect for him.
Rox: It amounts to $10 per person. I would happily pay $10 for my vote! But yeah, it's only discouraging because the outcome will likely be the same as the last.
Eros: That gives you about a couple of weeks in August to invade us.
You don't want to move here. The free healthcare alone has me wanting to head north even after the monkey has left the building.
Hell, if you don't move, at least come down and visit. (East Coast, DC area).
Christine: Welcome! Well, there are ups and downs to our healthcare system. In many ways, it doesn't work. Look to Europe for better models.
Stewie: I have always wanted to see the Library of Congress
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