JohnRich 4 #26 October 11, 2005 QuoteThe real question is really would anyone notice if the two countries did merge? Yeah, the Canadians would have lower taxes and more guns - a good deal for them. And the Americans would have... um... er... what? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #27 October 11, 2005 QuoteQuoteThe real question is really would anyone notice if the two countries did merge? We'd notice the higher murder rate (bringing the thread back on topic). Just changing the name of where you live would make you start killing people? How does that work? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #28 October 11, 2005 Quote>If we wanted it, we'd take it, and you would be helpless to stop us. It would probably go almost as smoothly as our liberations of Iraq and Vietnam! Nah, the Canadians aren't allowed to own guns like the Iraqii's and Viet Cong. It'd be a cakewalk. We could hit them by surprise during hockey season playoffs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #29 October 11, 2005 QuoteWhat would you rather have coming into your country? Illegal marijuana, or illegal guns? No country really has a choice. They're both coming whether you like it or not. Laws don't stop smuggling. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ReBirth 0 #30 October 11, 2005 QuoteQuoteWhat would you rather have coming into your country? Illegal marijuana, or illegal guns? You don't really have a choice. They're both coming whether you like it or not. Mmmm, not quite. No one is smuggling guns from Canada to the US. And no one is smuggling pot from the US into Canada. I agree with you on the whole registration thing. But I can sympathize with a nation that is geting inundated with illegal guns (and would be no matter what their gun laws were) since they are bordered by us. It is TOO damn easy for criminals to buy guns in the US. The laws exist to stop them, but they aren't enforced properly. That's a problem for us that we export to Canada. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,132 #31 October 11, 2005 >Nah, the Canadians aren't allowed to own guns like the Iraqii's and Viet Cong. So? They'd take a lesson from the Iraqis and start building snowmobile bombs. They'd be decapitating US contractors with hockey sticks on national TV. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #32 October 12, 2005 Quote Nah, the Canadians aren't allowed to own guns like the Iraqii's and Viet Cong. It'd be a cakewalk. We could hit them by surprise during hockey season playoffs. Who said we don't own guns? Haven't you been watching your Michael Moore films? Of course we have guns; we just don't use them on each other all the time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #33 October 12, 2005 wow, just wow it's Canada and the US - anyone who thinks there is major cultural differences here has really got a chip on their shoulder ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,175 #34 October 12, 2005 Quotewow, just wow it's Canada and the US - anyone who thinks there is major cultural differences here has really got a chip on their shoulder One might argue that one country having a homicide rate consistently more than double the other represents a significant cultural difference.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IanHarrop 43 #35 October 12, 2005 Quotewow, just wow it's Canada and the US - anyone who thinks there is major cultural differences here has really got a chip on their shoulder Spoken like a true oppresser Quote One might argue that one country having a homicide rate consistently more than double the other represents a significant cultural difference. According to this site the homicide rate is more like quadruple. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_cap"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #36 October 12, 2005 Compared to say, Indian verses Chinese cultural differences, you are right. But the differences are there and growing. Have you been to Vancouver? They really do smoke pot on the street and the police don't care. The cops raid grow ops and don't press charges. Private medicine is illegal (unless you have a permit to grow medical pot). Suggesting teaching creationism in schools will invoke outright laughter from even the politicians. When GWB visited here early last year he reportedly said to Prime Minister Martin, "Are you telling me that if you stand up and tell the Canadian people that the missile shield is essential for their safety, they still won't go along with it?" I think this represents a very real cultural difference. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #37 October 12, 2005 QuoteOne might argue that one country having a homicide rate consistently more than double the other represents a significant cultural difference. Have you picked out your house in Alberta yet? I understand that the land will be worth quite a bit in a couple hundred years when the earth warms up. And I suspect a good tequila import business is already thriving. One might argue that homicides are primarily in highly urban, population dense regions. You know, the concentrated centers of left wing thought and policies? I wouldn't argue that, but one might. One might argue, that the cultural differences 'within' large countries has more significant variation than the cultural variation 'between' two of these countries. Even in very different cultures (East vs west) I traveled in, I've seen this to be true. One might argue that. One might even argue that urban people in any country are more similar to each other than they are to the rural folk in their same country. But that's just nuts, I suppose. One might offer that's hard for some if they tend to live based on political generalizations. All hail our Canadian overlords ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #38 October 12, 2005 QuoteCompared to say, Indian verses Chinese cultural differences, you are right. But the differences are there and growing. Have you been to Vancouver? They really do smoke pot on the street and the police don't care. The cops raid grow ops and don't press charges. Private medicine is illegal (unless you have a permit to grow medical pot). Suggesting teaching creationism in schools will invoke outright laughter from even the politicians. When GWB visited here early last year he reportedly said to Prime Minister Martin, "Are you telling me that if you stand up and tell the Canadian people that the missile shield is essential for their safety, they still won't go along with it?" I think this represents a very real cultural difference. Laws come and go, these are pretty minor when you sit down, face to face, to dinner with a family from either country. And how do your examples differ from 50% of our population's leanings? It takes all kinds and you likely have a large divergence of thought within Canada as well to parallel anything we got. Sorry, but I just can't agree with all you guys crying about how this country or that country is so special. It's just people and we're all pretty much the same. Edit: Do guys just ignore that I'm giggin just as much on JohnRich's statements as the rest of you? Or is it easier to just assume something else? ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GTAVercetti 0 #39 October 12, 2005 QuoteQuoteCompared to say, Indian verses Chinese cultural differences, you are right. But the differences are there and growing. Have you been to Vancouver? They really do smoke pot on the street and the police don't care. The cops raid grow ops and don't press charges. Private medicine is illegal (unless you have a permit to grow medical pot). Suggesting teaching creationism in schools will invoke outright laughter from even the politicians. When GWB visited here early last year he reportedly said to Prime Minister Martin, "Are you telling me that if you stand up and tell the Canadian people that the missile shield is essential for their safety, they still won't go along with it?" I think this represents a very real cultural difference. Laws come and go, these are pretty minor when you sit down, face to face, to dinner with a family from either country. And how do your examples differ from 50% of our population's leanings? It takes all kinds and you likely have a large divergence of thought within Canada as well to parallel anything we got. Sorry, but I just can't agree with all you guys crying about how this country or that country is so special. It's just people and we're all pretty much the same. Edit: Do guys just ignore that I'm giggin just as much on JohnRich's statements as the rest of you? Or is it easier to just assume something else? Don't worry. I got it. Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IanHarrop 43 #40 October 12, 2005 First... we ignore nothing... nothing... In all honesty there are really not that many differences. The big one for me is the American tendency to resort to violence to solve problems much sooner than Canadians. Its not just in international affairs (There really were WMD, oops forgot that wasn't the reason for going - history got re-written on that one - sort of an Orwellian thing), but also at the personal level (witness the higher murder rate). In the USA might is right. We can argue that at the person to person level the differences aren't there, but at the society level they are."Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #41 October 12, 2005 QuoteIn all honesty there are really not that many differences. The big one for me is the American tendency to resort to violence to solve problems much sooner than Canadians. Its not just in international affairs (There really were WMD, oops forgot that wasn't the reason for going - history got re-written on that one - sort of an Orwellian thing), but also at the personal level (witness the higher murder rate). Now there's a reach. With the murders centered in the drug trade, with felons killing felons, I'm hesistant to extend that to the general population. why are soccer hooligans a British creation rather than an American one? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Channman 2 #42 October 12, 2005 Hey, just say ya'lls flying ducks here in Houston at the air show. They were pretty and flew nice and level, that was about it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ReBirth 0 #43 October 12, 2005 Quotewhy are soccer hooligans a British creation rather than an American one? Have you ever watched soccer? I'd be pissed too if I had to sit through that! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IanHarrop 43 #44 October 12, 2005 Quotewhy are soccer football hooligans a British creation rather than an American one? Fixed it for ya Now to answer your question: you'd get upset as a spectator too if un-protected players were taking cheap shots - but American (and Canadian) football players that wear all those pads and armour simply aren't as tough as those over in Britian. "Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IanHarrop 43 #45 October 12, 2005 QuoteHey, just say ya'lls flying ducks here in Houston at the air show. They were pretty and flew nice and level, that was about it. They're tasty too! Hmmmmmmmmmm... goosey "Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #46 October 12, 2005 Quote Have you ever watched soccer? I'd be pissed too if I had to sit through that! Those guys are pissed (in the alcohol sense) before they enter the stadium. actually, the same is true of American football fans (esp at venues where alcohol is not sold, limited it to the pregame tailgate), but strangely enough the 'violence prone Americans' don't tend to go nuts. Returning me to my point - I don't think the typical American is any more prone to fighting than anyone else. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IanHarrop 43 #47 October 12, 2005 Quote Returning me to my point - I don't think the typical American is any more prone to fighting than anyone else. If we limit it to fighting, your probably close. If we include killing - you Americans make many countries look like amateurs. "Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #48 October 12, 2005 QuoteQuoteQuoteWhat would you rather have coming into your country? Illegal marijuana, or illegal guns? You don't really have a choice. They're both coming whether you like it or not. Mmmm, not quite. No one is smuggling guns from Canada to the US. And no one is smuggling pot from the US into Canada. Where the supply is sufficient to meet the demand, smuggling is not necessary. But where supply is less than demand, no laws will stop the smuggling that will occur to satisfy the demand. QuoteIt is TOO damn easy for criminals to buy guns in the US. The laws exist to stop them, but they aren't enforced properly. See the above statement about supply, demand and efficacy of laws. Every gun sold at every gun shop is personally approved by the FBI. However, no laws can control black markets. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #49 October 12, 2005 Quoteone country having a homicide rate consistently more than double the other represents a significant cultural difference. Weren't you paying attention in the "Bill Bennett" thread? If it wasn't for black crime, the U.S. homicide rate would be cut in half. That means that white Americans commit murder at about the same rate as Canada. Thus, the significant cultural difference is with black Americans. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #50 October 12, 2005 Quotewow, just wow it's Canada and the US - anyone who thinks there is major cultural differences here has really got a chip on their shoulder Well, about half of the replies here are tongue in cheek fun. So you have to be careful how you interpret a message. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
