gowlerk

As long as America remains united there will be no enemy able to attack it with ground forces. Your only real enemy is the potential one that could come from within. Canada's greatest potential for invasion obviously comes from the south, but unless fundamentalist first take over the US and then decide that God has given it a new "Manifest Destiny" this is extremely unlikely as there would be very little to gain and a huge problem of defending the new largely empty territory. Canada has had both Liberal and Conservative governments lately. Neither has seen it to be a wise or needed action to enlarge the military at this time. We are a democracy with proportional representation in our parliament. Not so much in our Senate, but it is largely powerless anyway.

Who is going to inherit the Earth? America? On the list of the world's 50 largest defense contractors US corporations occupy 19 spots including the 5 top ones. You spend money like a drunken sailor, or more like a power mad politician. Yet you consistently come home with your tail between your legs. You start wars that you can not end pissing away resources that your hard working people keep shoveling into the furnace of corrupt greed. All the time sitting on enough WMD to attract the other side's attention with each of you parking missile submarines in hiding places so that both of you can be certain of each other's destruction. The meek will indeed inherit what is left of the Earth after your foolish pride ruins your part of it, and most likely my part as well.

As long as you don't go full Keith on Putler the missiles will stay siloed. And if they do come out we will get hammered just because we are so near to you. History teaches a very different lesson from the one you are trying to preach.

Done. Starting April 1st as long as you are fully 2 dose vaccinated you no longer need to be tested. Welcome back.

I am a little embarrassed. Slovenia and Portugal are even smarter. We need to sharpen our pencils apparently. Canada will do what needs to be done when it needs doing like we always have. Other than annoying the likes of Brent and possibly Keith and now you I can see no downsides to the Canadian way. Not one single Canadian has died of embarrassment that I am aware of. Meanwhile the neighbour with the shiny expensive toys keeps sending young people in uniform to places they have no business being then coming home in a few years licking their wounds and grieving their losses. Embarrassed? Me? You're kidding right?

FIFY

Geography matters. We are a huge area with a small population. Most of the nation is not defensible but also not vulnerable. And we are pretty sure the US is not coming for us militarily because our relationship with you is in no way threatening leaving neither side with little to gain but lots to lose in any military conflict. You already have access to any of our resources you need as long as you have the greenbacks to pay. And we are happy to sell them to you and buy most of the manufactured goods we need from you or the Canadian companies here that you own. It has been a very long time since there was any reason for us to seriously fear your mighty power. Our whole economy is basically based on being a branch operation of corporate America. We are not trying to dominate the world so we don't spend like we want to. You are welcome to apply to move here if you feel we have too many advantages. I hope you like snow as much as you like semi tropical islands though.

Yes, an opthamologist is an MD., but an optometrist is not. But really what I am saying relates to the situation here. Our medicare does not cover dentistry, or glasses, or prescriptions outside of hospital care. Although there are programs in different provinces that do cover these things to some degree. Cataract surgery would be an insured item, but Lasik is not.

It has nothing to do with the patients. Dentist and optician are part of different systems from the rest of healthcare.

Once you get over your national fascination with chest thumping and loud bleating perhaps you will change your spending priorities to be more in line with the rest of the civilized world. In the meantime I would advise you not to hold your breath waiting for us to follow you down the path of letting weapons manufacturers buy your government. And we will try our best not to openly laugh in your faces for your folly.

The English Bill of Rights granted the right to bear arms for self defense. I'm not sure what happened over the years but that was slowly watered down until the situation today is that firearms are highly regulated there. The UK does not have a Constitution and it's Parliament is all powerful.There are no permanent rights there, all are subject to the will or whim of the politicians of the day. This is why libel laws are so different and the press needs to fear being sued by powerful people if they feel insulted. Overall the US system is far superior to the weak tea of the historically important but barely relevant English Bill of Rights. Since this thread is about Canada I'll add that we also have a Bill of Rights that was ineffective and in 1985 was largely superseded by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms which the courts have interpreted in ways that most would regard as quite liberal. It is part of our Constitution and difficult to amend. However it does contain a provision to allow laws to over ride it for limited but renewable periods of up to five years. Our system was clearly influenced by out desire to enjoy more of the rights found in the large neighbour to the south, but avoiding some of its pitfalls. A typical Canadian compromise.

Make love, not war! Now I know how Keith feels when everyone is trying to make him feel guilty and embarrassed about his country!!!!! (Exclamation marks are for you know who!)

You are just lucky to have us between you and Russia acting as a missile cushion.

It's actually up to you guys to decide that you want perks bad enough to vote for them. We didn't actually ask you to throw so much of your money at defense contractors. But at least you can say "mission accomplished" once in a while. I'll see about asking Justin to help out the next time he drops in for coffee. You have much nicer highways than us. I enjoy them a lot. I guess that's kind of a perk.

That is more or less what I was implying. Have you sent that tax payment yet?

I can assure you that I pay a higher rate than you do. But there are certain perks included in the deal. Trudeau has announced an increase in spending. Up from playground level all the way to streetgang. Gonna buy some of them Boeings I hear.

The BEST part of the bargain is what you people spend on keeping your nukes all fresh and glowing hot. That forces the Russians to do the same to keep up and there is no way they can afford it. So the rest of their forces make do eating dirt.

I don't think so. It is quite the conundrum. It sure points the way for other nations as well. If you have nukes no one will dare touch you as long as you don't use them. And if you use them there is no telling where it will lead. Maybe to a new more level playing field as the world rebuilds from scratch

More from this idiot: Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of the warm-up acts for former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in her state over the weekend. "We're gonna drill oil right here in the USA. And you know what, Pete Buttigieg can take his electric vehicles and his bicycles, and he and his husband can stay out of our girls' bathrooms."

When women were not allowed to vote was there a legal definition of a man?

There likely isn't one. It has never been needed.

The foundation of liberalism is democracy. The USA had a close call recently with its democracy being threatened. Enough Rs refused to succumb, but it was uncomfortably close. As long as leaders are chosen by election and elections are true opportunities to "throw the bums out" liberalism will thrive because it is what the people want everywhere. There is far more to liberalism than social policy and wealth distribution although those are the aspects of it that conservatives oppose. The term "liberal democracy" does not necessarily mean governed by liberals. It means dictators will not be tolerated. There are no true democracies that are not liberal, even when a more conservative party holds power.

You don't see religious freedom and the contents of your beloved Bill of Rights as liberal?

Edited now sorry. I need to spend more time proof reading.

I have observed that you are very sensitive to criticism of you country. No one, and least of all I expects you or any other American to feel guilty. This "you are either with us or against us" business is bullshit. America has made plenty of errors and because of its size and power these errors have caused substantial harm to many. I have also noted that you often have no answer for this criticism except to accuse others of being anti-American. Many Americans can acknowledge faults and not feel insulted. Does that make them liberal? Is that what you think liberalism is? I've got news for you. America was founded on liberalism and is the world leader of liberalism. Hard for some to believe and even harder for some to stomach.