aMong A certain demoGrAphic group in the States, Canadians are just another socialist country – not much more than that.
To moderates and liberals in the States, I think we admire Canada in the same way that we admire other countries that are Social Democracies, more or less.
If it weren’t for your weather … 
You are a moderator here. Speech is an action. Are you moderating peoples views or words? Why have board rules at all if we don’t moderate speech?
If I keep my views to myself, then sure. We don’t judge people for their thoughts and beliefs, but we do for actions and words.
No kidding. And he seems to have a tenuous grasp on what he can do with the Bank of Canada. I guess he supposes that as PM, he will have King-like powers.
And I agree with you about his general scumminess and populist tendencies. If he gets in, he’ll cause as much damage as he possibly can, and promote more divisions in the country. It’s what he does.
Agreed. And I"m afraid that the next Conservative leader is going to stand strongly for "let’s pit Canadians against each other, and break shit. " Because that’s much easier than governing, encouraging unity and building things.
Because if we don’t, the entertainment value of this place is reduced and people stop using it. We aren’t saving lives here.
That actually doesn’t appear to be Poilevre’s thing; his main points appear to be
Points 1 and 2 are positions, at least. I don’t think number 1 is well thought out and I don’t think he has the attitude to fix number 2 (which would require a lot of political skill to work things out with the provinces, and Poilevre just doesn’t have the capital) but they’re things that capture attention.
Now of course this is what he’s saying running for the leadership. Were he elected leader, he and his party then have to come up with a platform to contest a general election in a few years, and that’s a totally different bag of worms. The issues won’t even be the same.
I have the feeling that the solution will have something to do with a tip line encouraging the public to turn in anyone who appears “foreign looking” and who owns a house.
And I also have the feeling that the platform for an upcoming election might be “We hate Trudeau, and so should you.” Same as the last two elections.
Only this time, it might work.
That’s exactly it. I couldn’t agree. My fear is that people will listen to his nonsense and be like “he gets us.” And people will be saying “but it doesn’t make sense!” And it won’t matter. It is Bill Clinton’s “I feel your pain.” That was HUGE. People like to feel like they being heard, and Trudeau (right or wrong) I think is coming across as being ummm…out of touch (sorry I write while thinking).
(By the way, I hope you took my previous reply in the joking manner it was intended)
If he gets in, then I hope it will be single term like Trump. Let the CPC trash the joint a little to vent the anger of the far-right and then maybe we can get back to a governing party. Even if it is sigh the Liberals.
I don’t know if I can take 4 years of the house of commons debates consisting of :
“Protect the sacred unborn”
and
“Capital punishment for criminals”
and
“Tip line for foreign looking people who cook funny things”
With a side dish of:
“Let’s eliminate consumer and environmental protections because foreign owned corporations know best!”
The problem with Canada, arguably, is that we usually have good reasons for wanting a change in government. We don’t always have people who would do better. We often have people who have been in government for many decades and are experienced at politics but without broad expertise. They are often supported anyway, regardless of who they are or what they’ve accomplished.
Poilievre is a smart, aggressive guy who is easily underestimated. Whether he believes everything he says is open to question. The vocal minority of Canadians is smaller than its silent majority, some of whom might not want to chance it. Probably most do not follow through on all that his ideas imply. Some are weaker ideas, but probably he campaigns right then moves more centrally? Who knows who would win? Divided party. Leadership race ensures it will probably remain so. PP knows how to sell sizzle.
But that’s just it. I don’t want sizzle from my PM regardless of party. I want substance. I want a plan. I’m as frustrated as many Canadians. I’m quitting my research job because the pay is so pitiful that I figure I may as well be a broke musician as be a broke scientist. Inflation is chipping away at the value of my hard earned RRSP/TFSAs. Climate change is going to (not literally) set the world on fire. Fascism is on the rise seemingly all over the world. So, I get it. It is enticing for somebody to say “I hear you.” But I want somebody to say “I hear you and this is how we’re going to address it.” And there is nobody who is doing that, which as we’re all saying is the perfect way to have the populist win because at least he “cares” about the little guy. I’ve honestly considered running for office. But I would never win because I’m too honest. I don’t have enough scum in my soul.
So far it’s the federal Liberals blaming foreigners.
Poilevre wants to without federal money from cities that continue to refuse to allow new housing to be built. The Constitutional and political problems with this approach should be rather obvious. Solving a multi-tiered problem doesn’t start with getting into a giant pissing match with all the other tiers.
One thing for sure. If ANY politician tells me that they are going to “fix” the housing crisis, I am going to look very very hard at the specific details of the solution(S) they are proposing.
Because it’s an incredibly complex problem with many players, that is not amenable to simple solutions.
Damned if I know how to fix it. Or even where to start.
Part of the problem is expectations. Not everyone can live everywhere. An endless commute along a highway until you reach somewhere affordable is slightly bonkers.
There need to be more houses. They need to be smaller and denser. They need to incentivize building smaller houses more quickly using newer technologies. People need to be able to accept smaller housing, perhaps by planning communities better. Incentivize buying a first home and provide credits. Reduce some restrictions on building in return for building more affordable homes. Encourage people to live further from established cities. Build ten new cities, one in each province, dedicated to gambling, decadence, sin, sun and shopping. Call each of these “nerve centres” Las Vagus.
Gee. What a shock. PP holds bitcoin. Certainly that could not be a reason why he promoted bitcoin and would want to prevent the Bank of Canada from making its own digital currency
(You have to imagine that said in a dry, sarcastic, nearly robotic way)
Here’s the problem with that: they’re houses. They’re not high-rise condos.
Now, before you get upset, hear me out. Some years ago, on another message board, there was a poster who now lived in Toronto, but who was originally from Hong Kong or Shanghai or Singapore, or someplace in Asia that had a lot of residential skyscrapers. He criticized Toronto constantly, for not expropriating and clearing residential areas in North Toronto, East York, Parkdale, Riverdale, and so on, and replacing all those single-family homes with thirty-storey condos, just like back in Asia. He could not understand that Toronto’s residential areas with single-family homes are what gives Toronto its charm. Does anybody really want the Beaches to be nothing but skyscraper condos?
You may have a solution, with smaller and denser houses. I can comment on that later, but it’s late.
I do have to remark on your comment that, “Call each of these ‘nerve centres’ Las Vagus.” I saw what you did there.
An article relevant to the discussion at hand.
There are probably creative ways of combining skyscrapers with housing. Rent may be excessive, especially in cities and where there is limited supply, but most people can live in apartments already and this is not their main concern. It is the expectation one can work hard and buy a desired house in a pleasant location. Though people vary, some like skyscrapers, they are likely only a small part of a complex solution. But lots of people, not all neurons, would like to live in a branch of Vagus.
Except that a lot of that also applied in the last election in 2021, and even with a much better O’Toole running instead of PP, the CPC wasn’t able to significantly impact the Liberal government.
The next election probably won’t be for three or four years, which is an eternity in today’s politics. A few years of watching PP shit the bed as party leader probably won’t help his chances.
And how well did that work out for O’Toole?
The essential problem with this plan is, it basically pisses of everyone. The people who voted for him in the leadership race feel betrayed, “I voted for CanaTrump, not some commie sympathizer!” The people who are looking to vote in the general election look at him and say, “Well, fuck, who is this guy? He said lots of crazy shit in the leadership race, but now he’s walking that back. What does he really believe? Do I really want to roll the dice on that because of Trudeau’s socks?”