WesWorld

...which is to say I voted at an advance poll* in the Canadian federal election. First time in about fourteen years that I've done so. I've been caught moving by two elections, and the other times I was living in ridings where the outcomes were foregone conclusions.

But here I am in a genuinely contested riding, and I'm genuinely fed up with the incumbents, so there I was, casting my vote in a meeting room in an old folk's home...will it make a difference? Dunno. But at least I can complain about the outcome with a clear conscience.



*because I'll be in Wes' rain-deluged Vancouver during the actual election.

I feel your pain Jason, my own riding seems to be somewhat contested but in favor of the guys I don't want in power (NDP) and likely won't get in power.

That being said it won't change my own vote.

Congrats on your own advanced vote!

Election results look a change in the government, but still with a minority. That should make for another frustrating year or two for us bureaucrats before the Conservative government eventualy falls.

Happy to see, for the moment at least, that the Conservatives are leading in my own riding. What about you, Wes? Any other Canucks on the board?

I'm happy even despite the minority govt. Martin has announced he'll step down as leader so the Liberals will not be thinking about another election in years time till they find a replacement. If we all didn't have the guts to head into this election I doubt they will push for another one.

Theres always a chance of a co-allition but 'm not holding my breath.

Between Martin's decision not to lead into the next election, and what I hear about the Liberals being low on funds, perhaps they won't be keen to force an election for a little while yet.

We'll see about coalitions. I suspect the Conservatives will survive one issue at a time, getting support from one party one time, and another part the next time.

Looks like my guy's won by about 260 votes. Pretty close - makes me happier that I bothered.

As I predicted, I'm likely the only poor sod on my block to vote conservative, the NDP seem to have a solid lead.

So Wes wants radical change, what are your views on Stephen Harper?

Cheers,

My view? Honestly? I don't know. I like that he seems to have some focus, and has apparently restored unity in his party after all the leadership and policy conventions of the past years - I think this offers potential for a good leader. I like that he doesn't appear to be tainted by scandal. I like that he favors better relations with the USA - while I don't necessarily care for everything the USA does, they're about the best neighbours Canada could ask for, and it's stupid to unnecessarily antagonize our largest trading partner.

If he disappoints, well - the Liberal's next leader will have a chance to impress me in a few years.

I'm on the same page as Rocky. Last election I was abit concerned about Harper as the only info I had last election was what the Liberals were spouting out.

This year is quite different, I'm more informed but 2 elections in 18 months will do that.

I'm not 100% sold on harper but I'm 100% sold on the idea of kicking Martin out and given the results so were many others.

Martin quite simply got nothing done in reguards to the softwood lumber dispute which he treated as an all out war. You wont win a trade war with a neighbour whos responcible for 80% of your own imports.

Martin also wanted to ban legally owned handguns when all the stats from other countrys points to the notion that this leads to an increase in gun crimes and after loads of cash have been dumped into a gun registry program which is now far over budget.
He also found multiple ways to slap war vets in the face and use scare tactics to skew the facts on why Harper considered putting troops in major city's.

Here in vancouver we have been expecting a major earthquake and with troops in Alberta being the closest help (thanks to Liberal cutbacks) we can expect a New Orleans senario x5 untill they can traverse the multiull colapsed bridges, downed powerlines and various other dangers common to earthquakes before they can restore law and order.

Sounds like a rant but to me its a legitimate concern.

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Martin also wanted to ban legally owned handguns when all the stats from other countrys points to the notion that this leads to an increase in gun crimes and after loads of cash have been dumped into a gun registry program which is now far over budget.

The state of Florida has more gun deaths than the rest of the developed world combined. Guns are bad. Period.

I've no idea how the Canadian government works (or doesn't) so I wont comment.

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Originally posted by Red Admiral

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Martin also wanted to ban legally owned handguns when all the stats from other countrys points to the notion that this leads to an increase in gun crimes and after loads of cash have been dumped into a gun registry program which is now far over budget.

The state of Florida has more gun deaths than the rest of the developed world combined. Guns are bad. Period.

I've no idea how the Canadian government works (or doesn't) so I wont comment.

I have some what contradictry opinion on firearm ownership rights.
First banning all guns all together or going the way of Switzerland every ablebody man hase to have a assault rifle.
Today in poland firing range is one of the subiect in oure schools

As with nearly all man made items, a handgun is a tool. The use of that tool is generally figured out by the user of that tool. Any tool can be used as a weapon if the user wants to do such a thing. I managed to put a nice rip in my thumb with a screwdriver that slipped off what I was working on, so I know that tools can cause pain and even death if either handled incorrectly, or deliberately for said purpose. Yet I've yet to kill anyone with a handgun in the nearly 18 years I've used them. Check your records. Were there more deaths to weapons by percentage of the population before or after there were gun restrictions and overcrowding in the inner cities, or before when every family had a gun of some kind in the house and the children were taught how to use it and respect it?

I think you'll find that an educated population that respects the tools it owns or uses will have less deaths to handguns. Partly due to less accidents, and partly due to the fact that those that wish to do harm with one will be more fearful of returning fire from the lawful, yet vigilant citizens.

I hope Canada will be able to put its nation in order to the liking of those present here.

I don't object to the control of guns (or, at least, handguns) through the gun registry; what I do object to is the ten digit price tag that came with it.

Yeah, that is kind of a high price to take something away from the population some would say. But then in some states south of your border the term "gun control" means holding it with both hands.

I'm not for legal everything (though there are times I've wanted an RPG-7, it seems every Palastinian has one, how come I don't?....to blow up those crazy drivers that cut in and out of traffic at 90+ mph....either on the freeway or on the backstreets.) but in the United States we have the Bill of Rights for a reason, to keep a check on the powers of our own governement. Even Thomas Jefferson said that a nation needs a revolution ever so often. I suppose we are overdue? But if this polarization continues, the United States will probably have one before too long. I just hope its a quiet social revolution or a shift in the two party systems rather than another civil war...this one east verse west rather than north verse south.

Everyone should have their own nuclear bomb. Now it's a mental health issue.

In an age where people take less responsibility for their actions guns make it easier to do something irresponsible.

So it looks like Canada will start doing 'anglo-sphere' things now?

Cheers,

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The state of Florida has more gun deaths than the rest of the developed world combined.

'Fraid the facts don't support that. Florida crime has dropped more than 36% since right-to-carry was passed, and here's the actual death stats:

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Statistics on homicide and traffic fatalities from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention web site show that the U.S. homicide rate in 2002 was 4.11 per 100,000 people while the motor vehicle traffic death rate was 15.3 per 100,000 people. Florida's 2002 statistics were even better: 4.00 per 100,000 for homicide and .16 per 100,000 for accidental firearm deaths compared to .26 for the U.S. as a whole. By comparison, Florida's traffic accident death rate was about 19 per 100,000 -- significantly above the national average.

See here, here, here, andhere, then if you still think "guns are bad, period" I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree.

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In an age where people take less responsibility for their actions guns make it easier to do something irresponsible.

Then we should make people take responsibility, instead of teaching them they're responsble for nothing.

[/rant]

Well there is always the Falconist Party...heh. Some of their things sound great, while others scare the hell out of me. The one I like involves the concept of returning to expansionism....but into space, not here on Earth. It might not be a good party, but its the only one I've seen so far that even puts forward anything towards a space program in their platform.

Again with the Jefferson....he envisioned the United States as an expansionistic agrarian nation. At this point we are niether. While I don't know about going back to an agrarian state, the people of today need something to look forward too....a hope, a dream, a frontier. We have none right now. People look forward to seeing what's happening on TV and if they managed to survive the drive home from work. Others have nothing to look foward to at all. These are the ones that have nothing to loose. They are the most dangerous it seems. What the United States need, and perhaps several of the other civilized nations of the world, is a frontier. Someplace to go to live, to explore, or as a Japanese author said, "to live a man's life in freedom". I think I'd like that world. A world where we have something to live for rather than just more politics and wars over wars fought generations past over rocks.

I may not be what some would call a "right-wing nut job" but I agree with Swampy on this issue. But then I don't really fit into any party these days.

I'm trying to imagine what presidental races would be like with six roughly equal parties trying to get our votes. I don't think the average American could handle it. So many vote straight party line as it is now without thinking.

Lets go to Mars, cause it's too hard to fix the problems on Earth.

Cheers,

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I'm trying to imagine what presidental races would be like with six roughly equal parties trying to get our votes. I don't think the average American could handle it.

Nah, just let the judiciary decide ; )

The question is, what causes the problems on Earth today? The answer to me is that there are too many people, and not enough for them to look forward to in life. Corperate existance is not really much of a life, and the inner city seems to be getting to the point of self destruction. It shows when society raises actors, sports players, and rappers as the cream of life to emmunlate, and a shooting in the inner city is business as usual.
In the age of discovery and a little before there were two answers to that problem: Get people out of the home country to explore or settle eleswhere, or start a major war and clear out the dregs by shipping them off to get killed. I rather we did the former to the later...like some think we do presently.