Canadian Concern about Virulent American Nationalism from Terrorism

Walter, thank you for taking time to share your perspectives.   Sadly, we have the 9/11 catastrophe that continues to haunt folks here.  Twice as many Americans died on 9/11 than at Pearl Harbor in 1941.  So, it is reasonable to know who is here.  Canada has done a good job, to date, except for the recent killing at the tomb of the unknowns in Ottawa, and the FLQ crisis of 1971, in keeping track of potential terrorism.  My view is, they are over here, because we are over there.  I grew up in a family with classic American Isolationist roots.  We will do business with you, but we want no foreign entanglements as George Washington advised in his now-forgotten Farewell Address.  Our oil wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus the Zionist lobby here, have embroiled us in the affairs of others, when there is oil in Alberta. 

What we are seeing is a return to "tribalism" and end of the Enlightenment's hope for a cosmopolitan world.  I just finished reading Robert Kagan's book The Return of History and the End of Dreams, published in 2009,  in which Kagan, who works for the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, argues this point.  I think it is safe to say that recent events in Europe align with Kagan's prediction, futuristic forecasting.  Of course, the mass media engages in drama to sell advertising, and this, in turn, leads to demagoguery, as you observe.  I want to be fair, but fear, fear of terrorism, can, and, sadly, is undermining fair, because terrorism is real and creates real fear, its goal.  There, those are my thoughts.  Hopefully the USA will return to its Isolationist roots and stop sowing the seeds of our own destruction.  Take care, and thank you for your honest sharing, again.  Paul   

Canada - National Election - October 2015 - Canadian Viewpoint

Hi Paul,

If the "new conservatives" inspired by Rove and American wedge issue politics are out of power, we the people will win. If whoever forms the new government can start to address the country as a whole rather than special interest groups, we will be on a better course.

Maybe Canadians have become more engaged through the transparent lies they have been fed in this campaign, but I fear that as usual the majority of Canadian follow American 'snews' more than Canadian and as a result know more about Trump and are victims of American fear-mongering and militaristic attitudes.

My vote was easy since there is a strong local candidate whom I know well and respect both in terms of ability and character.

Our political system does need an overhaul. The PMO has evolved into a centralized seat of power that has no real checks if there is a majority in the House. Traditions of Parliament are ignored- omnibus bills like in the USA, the PM acting like a president rather than allowing the G.-G to perform the functions of a head of state. The Senate has become a reward system for party hacks rather than a chamber of 'sober' second thought, the kind of thinking we need desperately.

We, like the rest of western civilization (Gandhi's quip applies: western civilization, a good idea, if had ever been tried) have lost our way and become stupid since we now actually behave as though 'its only about the economy, stupid."

If you add in the atavistic tendencies of the religious right we have a recipe for global disaster.

Globally there are tectonic shifts  occurring that we cannot control- the rise and decline of nations, depletion of resources...........and few political leaders understand them and fewer can communicate them given our 10 second attention spans.

I'm hoping that our election has scrabbled the pieces enough so that we can start creating a new message for our society. What that will be and how it will work its way into action, I can only guess. I'm hoping we look at ourselves honestly and redress some of the real harm we have done in our past and build on the human and natural wealth we have already built.

Cheers,

walter

Why Canada Must Be Free From American Trends

Sharon, thank you for putting safety at the top of your "laundry list" for this case study.  Here in Wisconsin, right here in Dane County where I live, we had the entire De Forest, Wisconsin school system shut down because two students were planning a pipe bomb and gun attack.  One of the kids overheard them planning; the police were able to trace the bomb threat phone calls to their cell phones.  It is disgusting that we have come to this in America.  I would "throw the book" at them in adult court, e.g. terrorist charges, to make them a warning example for others who think it is cute to do this.  Dr. Rux