JAJ

Many newspapers have columnists whose views are not in accordance with the overall editorial balance.

I'd agree the National Post is basically a conservative leaning newspaper (in a Canadian context) but to suggest it's a"way far right source" is not only incorrect, but perhaps something of an insult.


The phrases "right wing" and "left wing", together with the phrases "conservative" and "liberal" mean little or nothing unless placed in context.

How do you fit in libertarians on the traditional "right/left axis", to begin with?



Immigrants don't vote. Canadian citizens vote.

Perhaps many former immigrants in Toronto vote Liberal, but it's probably less likely among former immigrants in Alberta.

And I didn't think it was very "Canadian" for a person to feel obliged to vote for the party in power when they migrated.


Jeremy

dbd33

Where on the political spectrum would you put Mark Steyn ? How about Ann Coulter ?

dbd33

Doesn't Australia warehouse refugees on Pacific atolls and behind fences in the interior ?

dbd33

Hence my questions to Mr. Miller. I'd like him to provide that context.


Political scientists differentiate between left and right libertarians. The test here http://www.politicalcompass.org/ is quite fun and makes note of the difference.

It's a peculiar idea that someone ceases to be an immigrant by taking citizenship. I'm an immigrant, I'm not from or of Canada and a passport can't make me so.

JAJ

If you're a Canadian citizen then how on earth can you say you're "not of Canada". There is only one type of Canadian citizenship in existence.



Jeremy

Spongebob

Ann coulter is a loon of the far right, you certainly cant compare her to what we have in the conservative party of canada at the moment.

As for feeling obliged to vote liberal just because they where in power when I arrived, I dont think so.

Does that mean that the immigrants who arrived here under a conservative government should vote for them regardless ?

Andrew Miller

This is where your problem is. If you don't want to be Canadian or "of Canada" then why did you apply for citizenship and took the oath of allegiance in the first place?!!! Or you took the oath as a meaningless to you thing you had to do just to get Canadian passport?

Many of your posts indicate that you don't want to be a Canadian and you are fan of "advancing pro-Palestinian" and "non-Christian" agenda in Canada.

Overwhelming majority of us Canadians will disagree with you here. ***The only agenda that should be advanced in Canada is a Canadian agenda*** - not an American, Palestinian, Israeli, Chinese, Indian or whatever country, race or religion agenda. Agenda that has nothing to do with religion (of any denomination), with politics and matters of other nations, agenda that is not dividing Canadians on the lines of religion, country of origin, race or political views. If you want to advance pro-Palestinian agenda then the only places to do it is in Palestine and in United Nations, not in Canada. If it is not your view then you shouldn't immigrate to Canada and for sure not become a citizen by taking the oath of allegiance to The Queen and to Canada.

Of course you applied for Canadian citizenship simply to rip the benefits of Canadian passport, not to become a Canadian as you clearly stated yourself. As such in my opinion you shouldn't have any say in tomorrow's election.

Canadian citizenship and passport are for those who want to be Canadians, to be proud of being Canadians, to call Canada their home country, to respect and obey Canadian laws, those who honestly pledged their legions to Canada and Canadian values - not for those who come here to take advantage of our system, get Canadian passport they don't even respect and to advance other than Canadian agenda here. They should remain just PR forever (as long as they meet residency obligations of course) if they don't want to be Canadians.

dbd33

I have a Canadian passport but it doesn't define me, I'm English and I'll still be English no matter paperwork I'm carrying when I die. People move countries and flip-flop their citizenships all the time, it's doesn't mean much, perhaps they just want to get on the ski team.

dbd33

I was already British so there was nothing problematic in the oath. I took the passport because one should always take passports when they're offered. They may be useful one day.

That's a stretch. I just pointed out that there are many viewpoints not represented in the Canadian commercial media. The Palestinian cause is an obvious one but not one dear to my heart. I am anti-fundamentalist Christian but not more so than I am anti-Islamic fundamentalist, it's just that Islam isn't a threat to Canadian society, the fundies are.



Don't be silly, Canada is all about multi-culturalism. Anyway, where are you on Steyn and Coulter.

dbd33

I think she's to the left of Art Hanger.

dbd33

And, on consideration, I don't think Art Hanger is the most rabid of the Harpritic people. Cheryl Gallant seems to be utterly barking :

http://www.intheirownwords.ca/tories.html

Spongebob

I dont know a great deal about Art Hanger other than what I found on Wikepedia.

Can he top these quotes from Ann Coulter below ?

* "We know who the homicidal maniacs are. They are the ones cheering and dancing right now. We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war." - on the 9/11/01 attacks, in which her friend Barbara Olson was killed, from her syndicated column [21] September 13, 2001

* "The ethic of conservation is the explicit abnegation of man's dominion over the Earth. The lower species are here for our use. God said so: Go forth, be fruitful, multiply, and rape the planet—it's yours. That's our job: drilling, mining and stripping. Sweaters are the anti-Biblical view. Big gas-guzzling cars with phones and CD players and wet bars—that's the Biblical view."[22]

* "I have to say I'm all for public flogging. One type of criminal that a public humiliation might work particularly well with are the juvenile delinquents, a lot of whom consider it a badge of honor to be sent to juvenile detention. And it might not be such a cool thing in the 'hood to be flogged publicly."—MSNBC March 22, 1997

* "It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact. In fact, in every presidential election since 1950 - except Goldwater in '64—the Republican would have won, if only the men had voted."—[23] May 17, 2003

* "Liberals hate America, they hate flag-wavers, they hate abortion opponents, they hate all religions except Islam, post 9/11. Even Islamic terrorists don't hate America like liberals do. They don't have the energy. If they had that much energy, they'd have indoor plumbing by now."—(from Slander, pp. 5-6; published June 2002)

Andrew Miller

I don't care much about Steyn as he is more a humorist than political commentator - so, a lot of what he says should be taken as comment of a humorist.

Ann Coulter? Nice legs. Nothing else to comment on from Canadian perspective. From American perspective - quite often she has a point, although too radical and often too shallow for my taste, but I sometimes read what she has to say. A point that leftists and liberals wouldn't even consider to tolerate if it would be up to them.

dbd33

He's not as literate as she is, he doesn't make sentences, but his sound bites can be pretty far out. This for example, is wrong includes a gratuitous slur :

"Immigrants are choking welfare systems, contributing to high unemployment, and many cannot read."

it's even relevant to the topic of the Conservative view of immigrants.

dbd33

No wonder you don't think the National Post is a far right publication !