Hey Sam, I’m sticking this in the IMHO to get your humble opinion.
Seriously, I am just plain curious what makes you tick? You’re a Canadian citizen but one of the most vocal right wing political supporters on these boards. You think Sarah Palin is the greatest thing since sliced bread with a recent example herealthough there were a lot more ergrarious examples during her campaign for President. You toe the line on right wing Republican economic views (eg only targeted tax cuts do any economic good and anything else is for all intents and purposes channeling Marx already) although better argued than most.
I guess I scratch my head the most as you can’t vote down here and don’t seem like you have a direct dog in this fight, yet remain perhaps the most outspoken tighty righty on these boards. Just doesn’t make any sense.
So, whilst this may end up in the kindler and gentler pit, why don’t we at least start it out here?
I am not Sam, but a couple of things - [ul][li]Vice-President, not President.[*]There is a middle ground between thinking someone is the greatest thing since sliced bread and the sort of mindless, knee-jerk hatred directed at Sarah Palin.[/ul]I suspect unless you see the difference, it will be difficult or impossible to figure out the motivation and worldview behind it.[/li]
Regards,
Shodan
Believe it or not, there are political parties in other countries supporting lower taxes. The issue is not unique to the United States.
As for Sarah Palin, it hardly seems unusual for non-Americans to be familiar with prominent American politicians. We saw plenty of non-American love for Obama. Does it really surprise you that somebody, somewhere feels the reverse?
I’m not sure I understand what China Guy is getting at?
Is he suggesting that, as a Canadian, Sam has no business offering opinions on U.S. politics? If so, fine… but I trust China Guy would tell all the OTHER non-Yanks to shut up about American politics, too.
Or is he suggesting that, as a Canadian, Sam is not allowed to be a conservative? That only Americans are allowed to embrace right-wing values?
Perhaps the question is “why the very much higher level of interest in the politics of a nation of which a person is not a citizen than is normally expected or encountered.”
He seems to be asking why SS is so invested in US politics. My guess at that (this is IMHO) is that US politics affects most of the rest of the world, thus affects, to some degree, north of the border viewpoints.
I don’t agree with many of Sam’s views, but I do appreciate that he’s paying attention. I have trouble myself keeping up with Canadian politics and which Stephen/Stefan is in charge.
I find Sam Stone’s posts to be among the best on this board. They’re almost always well argued, nuanced, and pragmatic. Frankly, one of the indicators I use to determine if someone is merely a partisan is if the poster mocks or dismisses Sam’s posts without responding to the arguments. Admittedly, it helps that his views are pretty similar to my own but he is far more adept at advocating them than I would be.
Kudos to you, Sam, for raising the level of discourse on these boards.
It shouldn’t be a surprise, but many Canadians share Sam’s views. Of course, it is equally true that many don’t. The range of possible viewpoints on the spectrum is well-represented here, and Canadians are free to express their views as they please. Frankly, I think it would be a little odd if Sam, and other Canadians, didn’t have an opinion of some sort–it would be as if they intentionally hid away from all media.
Canada may be a little unusual, owing to its geographical placement and small population.
Canadians are quite well-informed about American politics and news in general. American TV signals spill over the border and are part of everyone’s basic cable or satellite package. American magazines are on every newsstand (it’s simply not cost-effective to publish Canadian editions of popular periodicals, as is done for other parts of the world), and American newspapers are available in same-day editions on newsstands in larger cities. I once stayed in a Calgary hotel, and in addition to a well-known Canadian newspaper being delivered to my room daily, I received that day’s edition of the Wall Street Journal. No idea why, except that demonstrates how accessible US news is up here.
Canadians also like to keep themselves well-informed about US politics and current affairs, since they so often have the result of affecting us in some way. Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau summed it up nicely when he said that living next to the United States was a little like sharing a bed with an elephant–no matter how friendly and even-tempered the elephant is, one is affected by every twitch and grunt.
I’ll leave Sam to answer the OP as he pleases, but I wanted to put a little perspective on why Canadians seem to know so much about the US, and usually have opinions on American affairs.
In terms of Sam’s politics, while not speaking for him, because it’s up to him to do that, I’ll say that while Canadian politics do skew left of American politics, there are plenty of Canadians who are conservative by American standards, especially in Alberta, where I believe Sam is from. So, I join others in not really understanding your confusion.
About 3 years ago, I visited Taboo Resort in Ontario for a couple of nights with my future ex-wife. I decided to play golf one day and I was put into a group with 3 wealthy Canadian businessmen. While I’m by no means wealthy, they probably assumed I was since Taboo is very expensive. Once they found out that I’m American, they couldn’t stop talking about how great the US is and how they admired George Bush. Until then, almost every Canadian I met was basically very left-wing (especially since I only meet Canadians from southeast Ontario). I decided to simply nod my head to their Bush accolades. The course was difficult enough without having to deal with a 3 vs. 1 political debate throughout the round.
As a lefty, I have to ask: what real world do you live in? Sam is the best conservative debater on the Boards by a mile, and perhaps the best regardless of political persuasion… he’s also very reasonable.
I consider Sam one of the most thoughtful and sane guys here, even when I disagree with him. What conceivable relevance is the fact that he’s Canadian? The OP is just being dumb.
For one, idealogies and political ideals aren’t limited to a certain country. He can take part in debates to argue those ideals, even if he has no direct say in the matter.
Also, as other Canadians have pointed out, US politics affects the rest of the world, but Canada in particular. We keep track of American politics because we want to know how it affects us (see also: NAFTA). I’ve always cared about American politics, even before I lived here, because your policies have such a large effect on us.
I agree with you and I disagree with him most of the time. I’ve got no problems with him at all (with the exception that, if I recall correctly - and I may not - he says he can play Guitar Hero on Expert and I don’t think that’s physically possible so he must be lying).
As ElvisL1ves has noted, this is really damnation by faint praise. I know people say this of him, and for the life of me I don’t know why. Perhaps because he doesn’t swear?
I don’t think I’ve ever once found a post by him informative. Over the last 8 years, his role has been to mindlessly parrot Republican talking points. His forte appears to be Republican economics, and he spared no uptick in the Dow to come here to tell us how great the Bush economy was. Evidence at the time suggested that it was the weakest, flattest recovery in history, and it sure didn’t have the outcome that Sam promised, but nevertheless his offerings were routinely greeted with the mindless plaudits of the ideologically like-minded.
Now, in the other pit thread, he’s had to resort to outright lies to defend Sarah Palin.
Still, if he’s the best that the conservatives have to offer…
