[+Donny]

Originally Posted by Qingu

Come on, Donny, you know I didn't mean that all uneducated people are religious.

There is a huge republican bloc of low-income uneducated people who are highly religious--by that I mean "Christian." This is their main base, population-wise.

Yes, like I said, I know you didn't mean any offense and I'm not getting on you; I just am asking you to word it a bit better because it can be taken badly.

Don't worry about it.

[Grasshopper359]

Originally Posted by OneHope

Wow, I learned a lot from that post. I could definitly see it happening; an Albertan seperatist movement.

The ground has already been ploughed...

When it comes down to it, I think I support the ideology of the Liberals over the other two but on the other hand, I can't stand Paul Martin and the Liberal corruption. I think we need a new way to do politics.

We need the old Tories back...

Provincially though, its easier. I vote conservative.

Ontario's Conservatives are appealing to me. I tend to like their balance between fiscally conservative, and socially progressive. I support the Liberals' policies on Healthcare, non-aggressive foreign policy, financial aid for Western farmers and Eastern fishermen, student aid (although I think that post-secondary education should be universally accessible, in exchange for military or social service, such as countries like France and Germany have), and immigration.

We have to face the reality that without immigration, Canada's population would be rapidly declining, so we need new immigrants to support the economy - although the system needs some work. A few years ago I had the idea of doing what France does with the Foreign Legion, and offering citizenship in return for service. Now, given that a lot of new immigrants are coming from war-torn countries, and wouldn't want anything to do with the Army, we'd have to offer a social alternative, such as the Canadian Rangers, search and rescue services, nursing services, etc.

For example, doctors would be granted citizenship for four years of service in, say, Northern Ontario, where the home-grown docs don't want to go. Tradesmen could be employed by the Army in the field of their trade to meet recruiting defecits, serve four years, have their citizenship upon release, or choose to continue until retirement age and collect a pension. The world has a lot of talented and experienced people, doctors and engineers, who are coming to Canada and working on assembly lines or at Zeller's because the avenues aren't open for them to work in the field of their experience. It's not fair to them to have the skills and not be able to use them, and it's not fair to the rest of the country to have to suffer shortages because new immigrants have training and skills that are going to waste.

When I was coming back from France in the fall, in the taxi to Union Station to catch the train from Toronto to Quebec, I got into a conversation with the driver. As it turns out, he had been a civil engineer who spoke four languages fluently (Arabic, Farsi, German and English), and what was he doing? Driving a taxi. I find that to be an absolutely ridiculous waste of good talent and experience. Something has to give.

Once the CRAP (Conservative / Reform / Alliance Party) Experiment collapses (and I'm pretty sure that it will - the whole spearatist movement here in Quebec has for the most part, died), and the ground will be open for a new social-conservative party that, with the right leadership, could really make some positive changes in this country, and break the stagnation of Federal politics. The ideal leader, I think, would be socially progressive (supportive of Healthcare, farm / fishery subsidies, EI and immigration - which would apeal to Maritimers, Ontario and Quebec), fiscally conservative (smaller government, emphasis on economic growth, as opposed to social programmes. While the programmes would still exist, they would be less of a priority than with a Liberal government, in favour of lowering taxes, which tends to prompt economic growth, which would appeal to Albertans), bilingual, experienced in politics at the provincial level, unconnected to the old parties, young, dynamic, educated, and personable. Actually, Mario Dumont, from the Action Démocratique du Québec comes to mind.

And then the Liberals WILL be in trouble, because this new party would appeal to Canadians' sociality, while also appealing to their sense of being ripped off by the government's overspending and dishonesty.

There's a glimpse into the head of Kyle Giffin. Well, politically, anyway. An actual glimpse into everything that goes on in between my ears would probably scare most people. :rollyeyes: