Political Posts

[DooDiligence]

49 minutes ago, LC said:

Did I mention we can walk and chew gum, all at the same time? 

 

Building a strong western hemisphere is a top priority. And we are doing that, of course.

 

But let's not forget our friends and enemies across the Atlantic. Why have friends and enemies, you say? Seems complicated...and you're right! Let's just have enemies. So we'll abandon support for almost all of our longstanding European allies, lob a bunch of threats and tariffs at them, and damage any chance of productive partnership as a united front against China and Russia. 

 

 

 

Why stop there. Don't we hate the peasants? I mean really, they're revolting aren't they. Hey, I got an idea. Let's make it harder for them to get storm info. I know a guy.

 

 

[DooDiligence]

Wouldn't want to hurt Shitler's delicate feelings.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6606515/2025/09/06/us-open-2025-donald-trump-broadcast-restrictions-censorship/

[LC]

2 hours ago, DooDiligence said:

Why stop there. Don't we hate the peasants? I mean really, they're revolting aren't they. Hey, I got an idea. Let's make it harder for them to get storm info. I know a guy.

All part of Zucky's $600B AI spend. That's how much Trumpy wants him to spend, right? 700B? 800? How about a zillion!

[Parsad]

9 hours ago, TB said:

Glad to hear things are good but the news articles paint a different story

 

https://www.hindustudentscouncil.org/public-statement-in-regards-to-hinduphobic-attacks-in-surrey-and-brampton-canada/

 

 

 

 

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2024013-eng.htm

 

As you can see, while hate crimes have increased over the last 11 years, they are no where near the numbers being stated in the previous article you posted.  You're talking about 11 incidents per 100,000 population over a year!

 

Also, the article above is about a specific hate crime at a temple...that doesn't mean we have hate crimes going on left, right and center.  

 

The articles you post are like the stupid stories that were saying Los Angeles was a war zone and riots were happening everywhere, which wasn't even remotely close to the truth.

 

Try visiting a place in person and then seeing for yourself how safe or unsafe a city feels.  Cheers!

[Parsad]

8 hours ago, RichardGibbons said:

 

I think this is not at all accurate. The consensus view is certainly that immigration is a major factor in housing unaffordability (though not the only factor). For that matter, immigration is seen as a major factor in the decline of Canada's social systems, wages, and employment levels.

That said, I would agree that left-wing politicians strongly claim that it's related to speculation, foreign buyers, and AirBNBs. Largely I think that's because most politicians thrive on hate, and for left wing politicians, that means brewing hate against groups where they can justify new taxes.

 

It's certain that Canada's more racist than it was a decade ago, and two decades ago. That's the consequence of politicians focusing on identity politics and hate. The primary difference between the right and the left is the groups that they target for hate.

 

In terms of not really seeing it in real life, I think that's natural. The media and public commentary are so focused on certain narratives that it's impossible to express counter-narratives in public without massive negative personal consequences.  So, you'll end up with a "silent minority" group that disagrees with the narratives, but won't express it in public.  There's more of this whispering than I've ever seen before in my life. And that's how we get people like Trump elected, even voted for by many minorities who were supposed to be lock-ins for the Democrats.

 

Immigration had some effect in the last few years when Trudeau increased the number of immigrant visas, but housing prices have been a huge problem in major cities for over 20 years.  So blaming it on immigration is silly.

 

In Vancouver, the primary problem is that we have limited room for development...you go up or you go out to the Fraser Valley, since we have two natural borders (mountains, ocean) and an artificial border (USA).  Prices were exacerbated by speculation, rental stock being used as AirBNB's, foreign buyers (especially Chinese) and increased immigration.  But to say that immigration is the consensus reason is incorrect...that has been one of the drivers only really in the last few years.

 

Also, I've lived my whole life in Vancouver and travel all over Canada.  Canada is by no means significantly more racist.  If any additional animosity between races has appeared, it's because of the same sort of political divide and policy beliefs that exist in the U.S. rearing its ugly head in Canada to a lesser degree.  

 

I remember when my grandmother would walk me home from kindergarten and she would be wearing a sari.  The high school kids from Kits High School would yell at her and me, telling her "Go back to India, Paki!"  That happened at least once a week!  That hasn't happened to a single member of my family in well over 30 years, including my grandmother who passed away a few years ago.  So as a minority, and my family and friends are visible ones, racism while slightly elevated, is far, far lower than it was historically!

 

Cheers!

[Parsad]

4 hours ago, cubsfan said:

 

Yup, the real adversary for the USA is China. They've a strong desire to kill our citizens with drugs and have been amazingly successful. They'll use their Belt & Road initiative to control other countries - South & Central America as much as possible - it's been very effective- and the US needs to be prepared for more.

 

We'll get control of the Panama Canal again, the Arctic and invest a lot more resources into the western hemisphere.

 

Have you ever been to China?  Government policy might be one thing, but the citizens of China are no different than you or me...except for your adoption of Trump's cult of personality and probably the same for those that support Xi! 

 

They have zero interest in destroying the U.S. or getting American's hooked on drugs.  Their primary goal is the same as most people...making a decent income, living a comfortable life, having food on the table and a roof over their head, good education, good health, being safe at home and in their country, and spending time with their family and friends.  The destruction of the U.S. is the last thing on their mind!  Cheer!

[Parsad]

3 hours ago, LC said:

 

Yeah we really need to strengthen our hemisphere.

 

A great start would be building a huge wall between us and our neighbors to the south, and then let's spend 150B to pay a bunch of proud-boys wannabes to abduct millions of our southern neighbors from their homes and ship them to prisons in totally random countries.

 

But we're America - we can walk and chew gum. So while we're at it, let's piss off our neighbors to the north with a barrage of threats, tariffs, and a lies about drug smuggling.

 

As the coup de grace let's try a little light espionage - maybe our spies could do a totally crap job of covertly fomenting independence movements with our "good friends" in Greenland. 

 

Surely this will build a strong western hemisphere.

 

LOL!  Cheers!

[whiskybravo]

4 hours ago, LC said:

 

Yeah we really need to strengthen our hemisphere.

 

A great start would be building a huge wall between us and our neighbors to the south, and then let's spend 150B to pay a bunch of proud-boys wannabes to abduct millions of our southern neighbors from their homes and ship them to prisons in totally random countries.

 

But we're America - we can walk and chew gum. So while we're at it, let's piss off our neighbors to the north with a barrage of threats, tariffs, and a lies about drug smuggling.

 

As the coup de grace let's try a little light espionage - maybe our spies could do a totally crap job of covertly fomenting independence movements with our "good friends" in Greenland. 

 

Surely this will build a strong western hemisphere.

 

Appreciate the sarcasm and fair enough, plenty of recent actions haven’t exactly built hemispheric trust.  But I’m not proposing isolationism or muscle-flexing nationalism. I’m genuinely wondering if, given global shifts (China’s rise, fractured alliances, supply chain fragility), there’s a case for a hemisphere-first approach, economic, security, infrastructure, etc.

Not as a walling-off from the world, but as a pivot to more regional resilience.

I agree that outright isolationism has rarely ended well. History is full of examples where walling off a country economically or diplomatically has led to stagnation or decline.

 

I’m not advocating for a return to isolationism in the 1930s sense. What I’m exploring is whether the post-WWII model of deep global integration, open markets, expansive security guarantees, trust-based trade, is still viable in a world where key actors no longer play by those same rules.

 

The idea behind a “Fortress North America” approach isn’t to cut off trade or cooperation, but to prioritize strategic self-sufficiency, regional resilience, and defensive depth not because global engagement is inherently bad, but because the terms of engagement have shifted.

 

It may not be about retreating from the world, but about engaging it from a more secure, consolidated position.

[DooDiligence]

1 hour ago, LC said:

All part of Zucky's $600B AI spend. That's how much Trumpy wants him to spend, right? 700B? 800? How about a zillion!

 

Dude will probably get a special dispensation to put whatever number he wants into SEC filings (scuse me, whatever the Mar a Lago Molester wants). Looks like tech 10K's and Q's could become works of fiction soon. Contract law gonna get interesting too. Whatcha wanna bet the age of consent starts dropping over the next few years?

 

Just noticed this today.

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/

 

Getting quite concerning if you weigh more than a duck.

[whiskybravo]

25 minutes ago, Parsad said:

 

Have you ever been to China?  Government policy might be one thing, but the citizens of China are no different than you or me...except for your adoption of Trump's cult of personality and probably the same for those that support Xi! 

 

They have zero interest in destroying the U.S. or getting American's hooked on drugs.  Their primary goal is the same as most people...making a decent income, living a comfortable life, having food on the table and a roof over their head, good education, good health, being safe at home and in their country, and spending time with their family and friends.  The destruction of the U.S. is the last thing on their mind!  Cheer!

Fair points, and I absolutely agree.  The average Chinese citizen is not an enemy, and in many ways wants the same things as anyone else.  My concern is not with individuals, but with the strategic posture of the Chinese government and how the U.S. should respond to that in the long term.

 

Also, I’m not in any political cult.  Anyway Trump won’t be here forever (nor should he define the entirety of U.S. strategic thinking). What I’m trying to get at is whether recent global trends suggest a shift toward more hemispheric alignment is wise, not out of fear or isolationism, but out of realism. How do we adapt in a world where global institutions are weakening, and great powers are reasserting themselves in more competitive, even coercive, ways?

[RichardGibbons]

3 hours ago, Parsad said:

 

Immigration had some effect in the last few years when Trudeau increased the number of immigrant visas, but housing prices have been a huge problem in major cities for over 20 years.  So blaming it on immigration is silly.

 

In Vancouver, the primary problem is that we have limited room for development...you go up or you go out to the Fraser Valley, since we have two natural borders (mountains, ocean) and an artificial border (USA).  Prices were exacerbated by speculation, rental stock being used as AirBNB's, foreign buyers (especially Chinese) and increased immigration.  But to say that immigration is the consensus reason is incorrect...that has been one of the drivers only really in the last few years.

 

Also, I've lived my whole life in Vancouver and travel all over Canada.  Canada is by no means significantly more racist.  If any additional animosity between races has appeared, it's because of the same sort of political divide and policy beliefs that exist in the U.S. rearing its ugly head in Canada to a lesser degree.  

 

I remember when my grandmother would walk me home from kindergarten and she would be wearing a sari.  The high school kids from Kits High School would yell at her and me, telling her "Go back to India, Paki!"  That happened at least once a week!  That hasn't happened to a single member of my family in well over 30 years, including my grandmother who passed away a few years ago.  So as a minority, and my family and friends are visible ones, racism while slightly elevated, is far, far lower than it was historically!

 

Cheers!

 

I certainly remember hearing about immigration being a suspected cause of high Vancouver housing prices back in 2005. I didn't believe it then, but it's certainly a factor now.

I actually think the primary cause of high housing prices in Vancouver is government--adding massive fees, delays, bureaucracy. It's the usual thing where well-meaning people put in rules that basically break the system. But I think all the things you say have also contributed to the problem.

 

Canada is certainly more racist. Before about 20 years ago, I never had racism directed against me. In the last decade, my kids have had racism directed at them, and a significant percentage of my friends have had their careers negatively impacted by racism.  It's certainly far, far higher than it was historically. I'd guess that at least monthly I see racism directed toward people like me. It's all over the place.

 

I think a large part of the rise is that, historically, racism was seen as bad, a thing done by bad people--people were shamed by the left for racism. Now, the left has abandoned that position, and generally believes in things like Kendi's "the only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination", intersectionality, and grievance politics.  As a result, there is no moral high ground where racism is simply bad. As a result, racism on the right is justified by racism on the left, and racism on the left is justified by racism on the right.

 

Nobody actually sees racism as the absolute evil that it is, an evil that needs to be fought against and abolished. Instead, they basically all just want to argue that their brand of racism is good.

[changegonnacome]

10 hours ago, cubsfan said:

We'll get control of the Panama Canal again, the Arctic and invest a lot more resources into the western hemisphere.

 

What your describing of course is a diminution of the United States from a global hegemon to a greatly diminished regional one. Not alot to celebrate here...its like a billionaire trying to put a positive spin on becoming a millionaire again.

 

"You dont miss your water till your well runs dry" -  but one day @cubsfan you'll rue the reality that the US no longer dominates and controls Europe the way it did, that our Asian partners (Japan/Korea/Australia) are getting awfully close to China and dont quite take our suggestions the way they did and Africa, if it ever emerges into a continent of strategic and economic importance that we lost that too to the Chinese. Trump likes to say that the world was ripping us off...the world says "hold my beer".....cause the GDP data says otherwise. That some US towns and cities descended into a fentanyl poverty hell is a failure of domestic policy rather than the worlds fault. The one area of conservatism I most greatly admire is its deep commitment to personal responsibility & accountability. When I see this version of the GOP under Trump running around blaming everyone except ourselves for our own problems I laugh. Its so very liberal of him/them to be the victim of somebody else rather than the author one's own fortunes and misfortunes.

 

This global retreat, this shrinking of the American Empire is for what?....a lousy few hundred billion in tariff revenue and some marginal troop deployment costs saved......when some relatively small tax increases/spending cuts could have achieved the same thing instead.....Trump is IMO burning the furniture to stay warm.....that rarely works out well in the long term. Its not all his fault successive administrations have got us here.....his remedy however is as radical as it is stupid.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2025 by changegonnacome

[Parsad]

2 hours ago, RichardGibbons said:

 

I certainly remember hearing about immigration being a suspected cause of high Vancouver housing prices back in 2005. I didn't believe it then, but it's certainly a factor now.

I actually think the primary cause of high housing prices in Vancouver is government--adding massive fees, delays, bureaucracy. It's the usual thing where well-meaning people put in rules that basically break the system. But I think all the things you say have also contributed to the problem.

 

Canada is certainly more racist. Before about 20 years ago, I never had racism directed against me. In the last decade, my kids have had racism directed at them, and a significant percentage of my friends have had their careers negatively impacted by racism.  It's certainly far, far higher than it was historically. I'd guess that at least monthly I see racism directed toward people like me. It's all over the place.

 

I think a large part of the rise is that, historically, racism was seen as bad, a thing done by bad people--people were shamed by the left for racism. Now, the left has abandoned that position, and generally believes in things like Kendi's "the only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination", intersectionality, and grievance politics.  As a result, there is no moral high ground where racism is simply bad. As a result, racism on the right is justified by racism on the left, and racism on the left is justified by racism on the right.

 

Nobody actually sees racism as the absolute evil that it is, an evil that needs to be fought against and abolished. Instead, they basically all just want to argue that their brand of racism is good.

 

My group of friends are extremely diverse...much of my family is now extremely diverse as well.  Very few of us today experience the type of racism that we faced when we were younger.  The one area that I will say where racism has risen in the last couple of years and it's not just in Canada, but there has been a significant rise in hate crimes against Jewish people.  Primarily since October 7th. 

 

I can't speak for your experience or your families, but I have a ton of Caucasian friends from various backgrounds...they too have not experienced any more racism compared to past years.  So I'm not sure why your experiences vary so widely from ours. 

 

There is certainly more road rage today on the streets, and I would imagine at times that race is one of the things that gets brought up when two people are quarreling from their vehicles.  Frankly, I don't know how many road rage incidents I've experienced in the last 5 years, but race never came up...it's the usual middle finger, fuck you and the last one was a hilarious one where the guy was pretending to do fellatio!  I gave him the finger, but when he started doing that I just started cracking up and laughing at him!  I'm sure he was trying to tell me "Blow me!", but it came off more like he was doing it to someone else...and I just couldn't stop laughing! 

 

Cheers! 

[Castanza]

19 hours ago, dwy000 said:

When you practically admitted to being in a cult by having no independent opinion after supporting a Trump policy that completely was opposed to your just stated view?

Have you just started watching politics? Both political parties have had pockets of cult like behavior since Obama took office. 
 

@Spekulatius Renaming of institutions is on track as well as tearing down historical monuments imo. Dual party system is beginning to flex it’s disadvantages.

[cubsfan]

10 hours ago, Parsad said:

 

Have you ever been to China?  Government policy might be one thing, but the citizens of China are no different than you or me...except for your adoption of Trump's cult of personality and probably the same for those that support Xi! 

 

They have zero interest in destroying the U.S. or getting American's hooked on drugs.  Their primary goal is the same as most people...making a decent income, living a comfortable life, having food on the table and a roof over their head, good education, good health, being safe at home and in their country, and spending time with their family and friends.  The destruction of the U.S. is the last thing on their mind!  Cheer!

 

No issue with the population. Unfortunately, for them, they live under a very totalitarian government. President Xi and his communist party are the issue.

[cubsfan]

4 hours ago, changegonnacome said:

 

What your describing of course is a diminution of the United States from a global hegemon to a greatly diminished regional one. Not alot to celebrate here...its like a billionaire trying to put a positive spin on becoming a millionaire again.

 

"You dont miss your water till your well runs dry" -  but one day @cubsfan you'll rue the reality that the US no longer dominates and controls Europe the way it did, that our Asian partners (Japan/Korea/Australia) are getting awfully close to China and dont quite take our suggestions the way they did and Africa, if it ever emerges into a continent of strategic and economic importance that we lost that too to the Chinese. Trump likes to say that the world was ripping us off...the world says "hold my beer".....cause the GDP data says otherwise. That some US towns and cities descended into a fentanyl poverty hell is a failure of domestic policy rather than the worlds fault. The one area of conservatism I most greatly admire is its deep commitment to personal responsibility & accountability. When I see this version of the GOP under Trump running around blaming everyone except ourselves for our own problems I laugh. Its so very liberal of him/them to be the victim of somebody else rather than the author one's own fortunes and misfortunes.

 

This global retreat, this shrinking of the American Empire is for what?....a lousy few hundred billion in tariff revenue and some marginal troop deployment costs saved......when some relatively small tax increases/spending cuts could have achieved the same thing instead.....Trump is IMO burning the furniture to stay warm.....that rarely works out well in the long term. Its not all his fault successive administrations have got us here.....his remedy however is as radical as it is stupid.

 

You always have such interesting viewpoints, many which I agree with.

 

The relationship with Europe needs a reset. Europe has 500M people vs our 300M. Europe has vast wealth, same as USA. In no sense, does Europe want to let their huge investments in social service go. That's the rub. Europe needs to take $500B and put it toward defense, Fortress Europe - and not depend on the USA. This is not post-WWII rebuilding, where the USA is the only one standing anymore.

Europe has enacted suicide policies - like NO fossil fuels which further impoverishes it's own citizens. Europe is killing itself economically with illegal immigration. Being a good ally, does not mean the USA pouring billions into defense of Europe, while our own citizens are ignored.  OF course, the drug problem is a home-made USA problem - which is exactly why Trump attacks it at the economic source (Mexico & China). Sealed borders, tariffs, ejecting gangs and a missile into a cartel here and there will go a long long way to controlling the problem. Bringing jobs back will do even more.

 

I see the problem far more differently than you.

[cubsfan]

10 hours ago, whiskybravo said:

The idea behind a “Fortress North America” approach isn’t to cut off trade or cooperation, but to prioritize strategic self-sufficiency, regional resilience, and defensive depth not because global engagement is inherently bad, but because the terms of engagement have shifted.

 

It may not be about retreating from the world, but about engaging it from a more secure, consolidated position.

 

I don't think you could have termed the shift to MAGA foreign policy any better than that.

 

Serve your citizens, America first style. 

[whiskybravo]

2 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

 

I don't think you could have termed the shift to MAGA foreign policy any better than that.

 

Serve your citizens, America first style. 

A book that has always stuck with me is Paul Kennedy’s The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (1987).  Hegemony follows economic strength.  Now China is on the rise.

 

Over time hegemonic powers like Spain, France, and Britain didn’t collapse because they turned inward, but because of imperial overreach, when global military and political commitments outpaced their underlying economic strength. 

 

That’s not an argument for isolationism.  It’s a case for strategic prioritization. We shouldn’t conflate stepping back from global overextension with disengagement or weakness.

 

The U.S. might be approaching a point where recalibrating toward a more consolidated Western Hemisphere, in energy, supply chains, defense, and trade represents not retreat, but prudence. In an era of shifting global power and eroding institutions, strategic consolidation could be a foundation for long-term resilience.

[SharperDingaan]

On 9/6/2025 at 2:22 PM, RichardGibbons said:

I think this is not at all accurate. The consensus view is certainly that immigration is a major factor in housing affordability (though not the only factor). For that matter, immigration is seen as a major factor in the decline of Canada's social systems, wages, and employment levels.

 

Toronto and Vancouver built thousands of one BR condo's in a big way, that were sold to investors as AirB&B 'starters'; 50%+ of many an entire new build condo tower. Zero/minimal build of 2-3 BR units that new families could actually afford to live in; if you needed the space you had to move to the burbs and pay the commuting/time costs to get to your job. OK if you could primarily work from home .... not so much anymore with return to office mandates. 

 

Thanks to Trump, today it's a different world. Greatly expanded family housing pushed in a big way, pre-fabrication vs custom to reduce build time, reassignment of the laid-off workers (Trump policies) to both build that new housing, and Canada's new infrastructure. Ongoing changes in immigration policy to find the necessary workers, and build the housing they need to live in.

 

We all know the immigrant story ... but it is not just about mom/dad, it is also about the future opportunities that their older kids can participate in. When you have the social/geographic space, there are more moose than people, and Canada's near-north/north is being opened up, the opportunities for the young and open minded are almost limitless. Enjoy your freedoms and do! , vs just watch what others do .... 

• Not too many people get to ...... dart a garbage polar bear into temporary slumber, check the teeth and health, transport the sleeping bear out of town in a net suspended under a helicopter, then wake it up at the destination! Great job for a young vet! lots of opportunity for bears to wake up early, and VERY unique!
• Great job for young pilots too! Two tons of wide awake and very pissed bear in a net, dangling under your helicopter, that knows how to climb 
• Ain't doing any of this in Europe or the southern US .... boring as sh1te! 

Europe, and much of the southern US, has its immigration issues largely 'cause there isn't the social/geographic space; stay in your lane, know your place, live only in certain places, do as you're told, and follow the rules that others have imposed on you. Hardly surprising there is resistance.

 

SD

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2025 by SharperDingaan

[cubsfan]

21 minutes ago, whiskybravo said:

A book that has always stuck with me is Paul Kennedy’s The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (1987).  Hegemony follows economic strength.  Now China is on the rise.

 

Over time hegemonic powers like Spain, France, and Britain didn’t collapse because they turned inward, but because of imperial overreach, when global military and political commitments outpaced their underlying economic strength. 

 

That’s not an argument for isolationism.  It’s a case for strategic prioritization. We shouldn’t conflate stepping back from global overextension with disengagement or weakness.

 

The U.S. might be approaching a point where recalibrating toward a more consolidated Western Hemisphere, in energy, supply chains, defense, and trade represents not retreat, but prudence. In an era of shifting global power and eroding institutions, strategic consolidation could be a foundation for long-term resilience.

 

Yes, and it's easy to see that our forays into Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc have been fruitless. The US can be tremendously strong without trying to police the world. The empires you mention are excellent examples.

[DooDiligence]

Funny thing about predictions. Sometimes they come true. Stolen valor.

 

[DooDiligence]

I know it's fake, but really, isn't it just another prediction?

 

 

[DooDiligence]

Governor welcomes Martin Luther King Jr. commissions to Little Rock

 

 

Shoulda brought her good podium.

 

.

Edited September 7, 2025 by DooDiligence

[RichardGibbons]

11 hours ago, Parsad said:

I can't speak for your experience or your families, but I have a ton of Caucasian friends from various backgrounds...they too have not experienced any more racism compared to past years.  So I'm not sure why your experiences vary so widely from ours. 

 

Thinking about it, the reason it is likely different is because I have two kids who are university age, and many of my friends work at various universities. At this point, I think universities are the most reliably racist places in Canada, so that's probably why I have been seeing it so much recently.

 

It could also be that most of your friends are progressives--progressives generally believe that certain types of racism are good. So, that type of racism is likely completely invisible to them. (Though when you say your friends are diverse, I suspect you probably mean diverse politically, too, which is why I think my first hypothesis is more likely.)

[RichardGibbons]

I guess another factor is I have family who work in resource extraction, so the NDP's racist policies in those areas also have a disproportionate impact on people close to me. If most of your friends are city-dwellers, you likely wouldn't see that, either.