First of all. I grew up and live 15 miles from the US. My sister is married to an American and my niece is American.
You mention the “bullying of the US” against other nations while at the same time advocate the US, not the world or a coalition or something, enforcing environmental, labor and human rights rules upon China.
Yes, the US has bullied countries in the past, are you claiming there is ZERO evidence of this? But A) so what and B) any other nation in the same position of relative power would be worse and I have said this on this forum before. Maybe if the average person was open to negative history of their own nation they would better understand the feelings of the citizens of other nations. A bit of insight, ask any Canadian about the Avro Arrow. If they know anything they will probably say (rightly or wrongly is irrelevant for its the feelings that matter) that the US twisted the arms of Canada into scrapping the worlds most advanced fighter in order to protect the auto pact between Canada and the US. Therefore all our most gifted aerospace engineers became unemployed and moved to the US to help NASA land an American on the moon. So although bitter at the US for this, we still love Americans. Fact or fiction? If the average American reading this doesn’t investigate this for 5 minutes then look in the mirror when you ask yourself why some people have a negative opinion of Americans.
Not debating that. Just that it is yet another thread to make USA look bad. From a Canadian. Do they just sit around searching the internet for topics to slight the US, or is bashing the US some means at making another nation look better?
Its no more designed to make the US look bad as discussing weather in the US.
I don’t know that they give the reasons why, but it says here that Obama is considered right of center, or even right wing, when it comes to European politics. That said, it is likely that politically Europeans choose Obama because, while still too far to the right for them, he is more to the left than Mitt Romney. Similar to the situation that many conservative Americans would vote for Romney because while he is not conservative enough for many, he is much more conservative than the president. With only two choices it becomes the lesser of two evils mindset.
LHoffman, I would agree with you on that. Canada’s Conservative party has moved to the right since the very right wing Reform party merged with the much weaker historic conservative party the Progressive Conservatives (why anyone would have an oxymoron as their name is beyond me but its historic!). This rightward shift places them just slightly to the right of the American Democratic party. I see somebody gave you a thumbs down for saying this, I find that strange. It seems to me to be factual and free of opinion much like stating 2+2=4.
the Progressive Conservatives (why anyone would have an oxymoron as their name is beyond me but its historic!).
Hahaha… yeah, that is really odd.
I see somebody gave you a thumbs down for saying this, I find that strange. It seems to me to be factual and free of opinion much like stating 2+2=4. I hope you don’t feel I am slandering the US by daring to mention the US by name as some seem to feel I am. Perhaps i ought to speak in code, assign an alias for the US in order exist here……
I did not even notice that they did… but yes, I was trying to simply be factual and not throw my opinion in there. Certainly I could just start spewing my political guts, but that is not what this thread or these forums are about. I try to limit how much of my political opinion comes out. Though I will not shy away on principles.
Since you asked, and for the record, no, I do not feel as though you are slandering the US or in any way trying to demean Americans and their policies. I have not read all of the posts on this thread, but enough to realize that such is not your goal. I believe your sincerity in support for the US, why would any Canadian not want the US to prosper and be strong? (That is my thought) I would consider myself a patriotic American, and I can take a punch if someone really wants to give it. I can also deal them back in the American way. I have seen some people on these forums who really are more-or-less USA haters. Their loss.
To my fellow Americans here: good; defend our country when it is necessary, but don’t be too quick to get offended. The Canadians are our good friends and ally and the few I have met here (MMCrunch, Canuck and Garg) all seem to love the US in their own way. No need to make enemies over nothing.
Although, I really love hockey, so maybe I am a traitor.
If anything IL, you seem to HATE Canadians
NO. I ‘hate’ people who feel the best way to make their nation look better by slighting other nations in threads. How bout not constantly bring up threads that indirectly or directly make the US look the lessor? If the only way to love Canada to make it’s neighbor look bad?
…but don’t be too quick to get offended
Then don’t be so quick to make another “US is failing at this or that thread”
How is this thread designed to make the US look bad? Its a force of nature that some nations rise in relative strength compared to others.
How bout LEAVE THE USA out of discussions. I don’t see threads about Canada falling behind some other country…its always the USA with you people…and nothing good. I am arguing that you only bring up USA and nobody else with the same three note tune.
IL, when I first came to this place I used your map and thanked you profusely. When there was a major issue between you and other people on this forum I stuck up for you in private. I will talk about anything I like and if you don’t like it take it up with David.
Canada has made many mistakes. Their treatment of natives was and is deplorable. We talk about how green we are yet produce more CO2 per capita than the US whom many Canadians so smugly feel superior too. That makes us hypocrites. We didn’t spend our fair share on defense and relied too much on the US protective umbrella. Canada is falling behind several countries in the world. We used to be part of the G7, we had close to the worlds #7 economy. Mexico has a larger economy and we used to make fun of the Peso……Oh woeith to us we haven’t even won a Stanley cup in well over a decade, Canada’s sport we claim? Even the US is starting to dominate our team sport and has a much much better collage hockey program than Canada. My god even my sister of all people moved to the US decades ago, my my so did my brother…all my siblings and all my nieces and nephews are Americans…
You want for me to make a thread titled “All the bad things Canada and Canadians have done”. I would gladly create such a thread if you would quit picking on myself in particular and Canadians in general. Perhaps you will show up in Oshawa this April and tell me in person what your problems are with me man, love to see you in person. I know when I see David again in person you will be a topic of conversation, best if you were there.
I forgive you IL for insulting me and hope your negativness is about to fade a way…
You want for me to make a thread titled “All the bad things Canada and Canadians have done”. I would gladly create such a thread if you would quit picking on myself in particular and Canadians in general. Perhaps you will show up in Oshawa this April and tell me in person what your problems are with me man, love to see you in person. I know when I see David again in person you will be a topic of conversation, best if you were there.
I said rather clearly that i see a pattern of Canadians bringing up threads where in some respect the US gets slammed or cast in a negative light. Just leave US out of it? I didn’t say make anti-Canadian threads, but pointed out that you don’t see other nations being constantly brought up in threads for the purpose of broadcasting past and present US "faults’.
It is a pattern and their is no denying it.
Canada is falling behind several countries in the world
And yet no threads on this, only US related ones.
and hope your negativeness is about to fade a way…
But defending against people taking shots at a country is somehow negative? I wish to only see these types of threads not be created. It does not matter which nation gets bashed, none of that should happen here. But it does.
And no i’m not picking on Canadians. Only saying the pattern shows that these threads mostly come from them. And BTW other people did complain about your thread. Did you read? (dinosaur)
IL, maybe you might be wrong about your feelings that I am anti-American. You made your allegation, fine. I defended myself, fine. If you feel you are so correct than create a poll with the Question “Is Malachi Anti-American”? shrugs
I said rather clearly that i see a pattern of Canadians bringing up threads where in some respect the US gets slammed or cast in a negative light.
IL, you claim that you are talking about Canadians in general but……IL, this is your quote about me specifically.
Not debating that. Just that it is yet another thread to make USA look bad. From a Canadian. Do they just sit around searching the internet for topics to slight the US, or is bashing the US some means at making another nation look better?
Your are talking about me as this is my thread, so this is personal between you and me. If you really did mean to say “Some Canadians harbour some anti-US sentiment” I would agree to that. But that is not me specifically.
As for Mr. dinosaur, he made false allegations much like you are. I asked him to back up his assertions with facts and he has not done so yet. I will remind you, lack of proof is never proof. Moreover, he was questioning my position on who should do the policing rather than the bias of my postings. If I read him wrong he has every opportunity to correct my interpretation of his post. Has anybody filed a complaint with me to a moderator was my point that you twisted into another unsubstantiated accusation against me.
You mention the "bullying of the US" against other nations while at the same time advocate the US, not the world or a coalition or something, enforcing environmental, labor and human rights rules upon China.Mr. dinosaur. You make false assertions and this sort of behaviour I find very disappointing. I ask you to cite ANYWHERE where I advocate that the US be the policeman of the world, if anything, it ought to take 5 minutes to find quotes from me where I say the opposite.
I suppose it is your right under free speech to nit pick everything I say and invade my threads with your bias. Have at it, I’m a big boy. However, you do that not in any capacity of authority here but merely as an angry biased person.
What would it look like if a foreigner actually liked and supported the people of the United States but thought a few of their policies should be changed to make the US an even better place? I suppose there would be some constructive critiques. Just saying “Everything is perfect and there is no room for improvement” is not really what you would want a true friend to be like would you? A good friend might actually tell you things you don’t want to hear but should. Now how do YOU react to this. You can get all pissy and defensive and beat your chest, or you could engage in polite debate with an open mind. The choice is ours to make. It seems to me that you have made the wrong choice IL, but that is YOUR choice.
US to become 'world’s biggest oil producer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20304848
I knew US energy production was going up but this still surprised me. So China will be the bad old oil importer and have to deal with all that that entails. The US being energy self sufficient ought to really adjust the current account balance, this bodes well for the future!
I saw that too… which really made me wonder how nobody saw this coming earlier.
This I got to see. Should be drilling more so we can get it faster. Not to much of shelling. Then we can export it to China for more money andkeep are gas prices at 4.00 a gallon. Then we can payback the money we owe China. I knew it would all work out. Man I was gettin worried. Phew
@SS:
The other countries wanted Obama for 2nd term because he 's too soft on foreign politics. MPO.
All these other nations who want to run our political system should be compelled to pay our taxes.
They got the desired representation. The POTUS should just send them the full bill.
If you feel you are so correct than create a poll with the Question “Is Malachi Anti-American”? shrugs
You got me wrong again. I wish that no nation be slighted at any point, by any thread. In the past i was partial to taking a p�ss of France, but that is wrong. People who post here might be French and not take kindly to nation bashing. I am against any nation bashing on these boards. “bashing” might even be considered ‘slighting’ as well.
“Is Malachi Anti-American”?
I would never create such a thread, that would be trolling.
If you really did mean to say “Some Canadians harbour some anti-US sentiment” I would agree to that.
I am only pointing out that the vast majority of these “comparisons” where USA is always shown to be the lessor in the analysis, comes from a thread made by Canadian. Fact. I am not specifically saying they are all or partially Anti-American, just pointing out the facts as i see them.
On the original topic:
I don’t think China is interested in “world position” in the same way as the United States.
China doesn’t seem to involve itself in the affair of other nations outside of trade, while the US has far broader strategic/humanitarian/economic interests in the outside world.
China reminds me of old Soviet Union. They make all sorts of territorial claims that are bogus out of general national paranoia because they are so isolated. China went the direction of the isolationists back in the interwar period for US. Eventually, the economic model will not sustain itself and growth will decline because they burned many bridges with competing nations and have little more than cheap labor to show for success. Invention wise, they just ripoff somebody else by taking ideas and calling it their own. They can’t even build aircraft carriers. Just a land power nothing more.
@Imperious:
China reminds me of old Soviet Union. They make all sorts of territorial claims that are bogus out of general national paranoia because they are so isolated. They can’t even build aircraft carriers. Just a land power nothing more.
That doesn’t make them benign.
No, they are not interested in world influence the same way that the US is. The US is truly politically and economically global at the present time. China is really only economically global right now. Politically, they are creeping outward in Asia. Not saying they would not like to be the global political influence that the US is, because given the chance I am sure they would take it. And with the way the world is going, China will be politically powerful by controlling the world’s money and manufacture. So it will just happen differently than it did for the US.
The China’s way of thinking is very differnt from any west country way. You must understand our cultures is so different and with different values that we don’t both act in the same way giving the same events.
China is strongly based on Confucianism. Even if they might claim to not be, Confucianesm culture is so radicated in them that it affects their politics.
They have a different view of the government than us. Apparently more than 90% of China’s population approves the government. Wich other western country can claim the same?
In the history of China, China itself never really expanded through war (exception: mongols), after Chna’s unification they mostly expanded through culture.
They had the power to subdue many small states in Asia but they never did. They did indeed grow more paranoid after what the west did with them in the last 200 years (they were humiliated).
The point of the tread is that China will probably never race against anyone for world influence. But they will fof sure defende their influence around their area.
I sincerely wish Mao never existed, but if these communist are helping China affirming real indipendence from the west, I guess it is for their best.
They have a different view of the government than us. Apparently more than 90% of China’s population approves the government. Wich other western country can claim the same?
What authoritative states do not have high approval numbers from their citizens? When dissent can land you in prison, a camp or dead, most people would decide to approve of their government. In contrast, most western nations are true democratic republics… not the misnomer that is a “people’s republic” or “democratic people’s republic”.
They have a different view of the government than us. Apparently more than 90% of China’s population approves the government. Wich other western country can claim the same?
What authoritative states do not have high approval numbers from their citizens? When dissent can land you in prison, a camp or dead, most people would decide to approve of their government. In contrast, most western nations are true democratic republics… not the misnomer that is a “people’s republic” or “democratic people’s republic”.
There’s a difference thou’.
You’re judging it by western standards. Let me explain why it’s not just a matter of authoritative states with high (forced) approval when we talk about China.
Chinese people thinks of the governement in a different philosophical (and religious) way.
To them, the state is not just a “representative of a country”. To them, the state is like the head of a family. To them the Government is respected like it was your “daddy”. Also, in China respect for your family comes before any indivual desire. They have a GREAT respect to their parents, in a “religious” way. You can say that they pose the same respect to their parents that a western religious person pose for Christ. They’re -devote- to it.
At the base to the confucianesm there is a BIG respect for the State (Government), and the believe that all the decisions made by the head of the state are for the greater good. The same religion that gives them so much “trust power” is also the same religious that supports revolts.
In confucianism, the emperor/state is believed to have a “contract” with the gods that give them autority to reign. BUT this contract can be revocated at any time, if the people thinks that the emperor(government) is not working for the benefit of the people.
Let’s also remember that China was the FIRST PLACE in the world that believe in People’s Sovereignity. This happened in 220BC. At that time we still had Roman Republic (Then Empire), Aristocracy and such.
In China, from the 220BC even a farmer had the right to become a minister, an emperor! He just had to study, focus hard, and win statal exams.
The west (and then the rest of the world) was very late to the “people soveiregnity” idea, as late as 1789 (if you think on a larger scale, it was very recent).
If you ask 1000 Chineses, even outside of their country, 900 of them will tell you they approve their government.
If you like to get more information on the differences of cultures and kill some old clichés, I advice you to read a work issued by the USA government to the Anthropologist “Ruth Benedict” to depict the real differencies between USA and JAPAN during ww2. (And it’s very similar to what I said about the Chineses).
I agree with Noll’s impression of how the Chinese view their government. I would be unwise to think the Chinese only support their government due to fear, that they are really ready to overthrow a government that might turn militaristic under the right circumstances.
They really due view government as ‘Daddy’ whereas many in the US arm themselves against the government and some try to starve government into near nothingness. Not passing any judgement but you have to look at some of the positive results they get if any lessons can be learned.
China does lack much in the way of innovation. The US has significant advantages in the philosophy of their nations makeup and how it came into existence. You don’t get Apple, Facebook and the innovation of the US. Because the US does not fear the questioning of authority, young kids with great ideas can leap frog older generations.
On the other hand, could it possibly be that China does derive some benefit from what their government does do? If one can suspend their complete belief that all things government are evil then if lessons can be drawn, they might be if an open mind exists.
On the US energy production explosion, an interesting article from the Canadian point of view.
Selling oil to Asia critical: Minister
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/11/15/20358056.html
From wired magazine, another related article on the explosion of US energy production and its impact on green energy.
Abundant Natural Gas and Oil Are Putting the Kibosh on Clean Energy
http://www.wired.com/business/2012/08/mf_naturalgas/
When I was looking for the former link I stumbled across this article and it seems to touch on all the points recently brought up. Lots of reading……no wonder my mornings always take so long!
Why the Clean Tech Boom Went Bust
