# Is Canada a free country or is it not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 6, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506 "2013-02-06T18:12:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Lurker\_Above](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Lurker\_Above](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lurker_Above)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/21 "2013-02-06T21:35:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Dunno about BC, but in Ontario you don’t really have just strip clubs any more; most are full out whorehouses. Since prostitution was effectively decriminalized, almost all offer sex acts as part of the menu. O.o you mean the strip clubs are even **skeezier** than they were back in '99? [QUOTE=Leaffan] Higher taxes [/QUOTE] I’m pretty sure that depends on the state/province you look at. I’m pretty sure that Alberta at least is lower than some states. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/22 "2013-02-06T21:37:42Z")
Another freedom metric, the FreeExistence [Gun Rights Index](http://www.freeexistence.org/gunindex.html), has Canada tied for 154th. Canada is a free country, but less free than the United States in several matters, and more free in others (same-sex marriage, for one). ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/23 "2013-02-06T21:48:58Z")
And has Canada at 4th for property rights while the US is 19th, and we don’t even have those explicitly laid out in the Charter. Weird series of “freedom” scores - freedom from taxation is a thing? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/24 "2013-02-06T21:58:42Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Canada allows stripper to go totally nude. Much more liberty than the US. Also, they allow their citizens to talk funny. Come now, all they have is a single word (eh?). Compared to the US, they’re way ahead. Unless you’re talking about some of them using a French accent, of course… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/25 "2013-02-06T22:02:58Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No pennies! !!! So, how do Canadian merchants make change in increments of less than five cents? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/26 "2013-02-06T22:05:20Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Unless you’re talking about some of them using a French accent, of course… :dubious: N.B.: There are no French-Canadians who actually speak French. That is, if you believe the French-French on that point. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/27 "2013-02-06T22:07:13Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > !!! So, how do Canadian merchants make change in increments of less than five cents? Prices are now to be rounded up or down. That said I’m still getting 4 cents back on my lunch. > **[Ottawa plans to kill the penny](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=646712)** > > In other coin-related news, the Federal government has announced that it will end production of the Canadian one-cent coin starting in fall 2012. Prices will be rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cents. Link from the CBC. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/28 "2013-02-06T22:08:57Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Come now, all they have is a single word (eh?). Compared to the US, they’re way ahead. > > Unless you’re talking about some of them using a French accent, of course… :dubious: Have you ever heard Newfies talk to each other? [Rick Mercer and Former Premier Danny Williams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFWnvMqtVu4), [Mark Critch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqLuIXwsLDw) - Mark really gets into it here, some parts are unintelligible. To be fair to the Newfs this goes the same for most rural east coasters (I can barely understand Capers myself) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/29 "2013-02-06T22:11:36Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > When I was in Canada, the strippers wouldn’t take tips. They actually turned them down! > > This was in BC. > > Crazy!! When I was in Vancouver in the 90s they took tips. Uh… so I’ve been told. :o ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/30 "2013-02-06T22:12:19Z")
Just wanted it noted for the record that Atlanta has full nudity and liquor in the same building. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/31 "2013-02-06T22:20:07Z")
Yeah, but I usually remember to draw the shades. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/32 "2013-02-06T22:20:30Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Just wanted it noted for the record that Atlanta has full nudity and liquor in the same building. “Just an ol’ sweet song . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/33 "2013-02-06T22:20:35Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > !!! So, how do Canadian merchants make change in increments of less than five cents? They do it the same way US merchants make change in increments of less than one cent. (If you live in an area with a sales tax, the tax will almost never come out to a whole number of cents. The tax due on a $4.99 thing in my county is 34.93 cents, but people just pay 35 cents in tax and nobody complains or even notices.) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/34 "2013-02-06T22:23:17Z")
Canada has been steadily moving up in various ‘freedom’ rankings over the past decade, while the U.S. has been moving steadily down. Canada’s government is now smaller than the U.S.'s as a percentage of GDP, and our taxes are less progressive. Alberta is ranked the most economically free region in North America now, due to our reasonable business regulations, strong protection of property rights and a lack of a provincial sales tax among other things. If you consider the deficit to be an implicit tax (and you should), then Canada has lower overall taxes as well. Our pension system is also fully-funded. Canada is less free when it comes to owning a handgun - you can easily buy them, but you have to jump through a lot of hoops to get them registered, and there’s no such thing as concealed carry here unless you’re on a very small list of acceptable professions. However, I believe we’re soon going to be more free when it comes to long guns since we abandoned our long gun registry. You no longer have to register a rifle in Canada - you just need to pass a safety course and a background check to get a firearms acquisition license, then you can buy as many guns as you want. In addition, we do not ban ‘assault weapons’ here. I was just at Cabelas a couple of weeks ago, and they had an extensive collection of AR-15 derivatives, AK-74’s, etc. Canada is also more free when it comes to drugs, and we don’t lock up people for years for simple possession. And while much has been made of our ‘human rights commissions’ squashing free speech, I’d gladly take that over the U.S.'s increasingly byzantine regulatory structure and the crooked politics and crony capitalism that seems to be everywhere these days. Also, our government doesn’t tend to kill its citizens without due process. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/35 "2013-02-06T22:26:57Z")
I wonder if there’s something similar to Godwin’s Law only involving strippers rather than Nazis. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/36 "2013-02-06T22:27:03Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Canada has been steadily moving up in various ‘freedom’ rankings over the past decade, while the U.S. has been moving steadily down. > > Canada’s government is now smaller than the U.S.'s as a percentage of GDP, and **our taxes are less progressive.** What bullshit kind of “‘freedom’ rankings” would count **that** as an **improvement?!** ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/37 "2013-02-06T22:28:10Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > > [@Sicks Ate](#): > > > > Misssouri, for example. Try finding an open strip club in MO within 2 hours’ drive of Kansas anymore. > > There are some around here somewhere, Connecticut I think. But they can’t serve liquor or some other such restriction. Wow, your car must really be fast. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/38 "2013-02-06T22:35:06Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What bullshit kind of “‘freedom’ rankings” would count **that** as an **improvement?!** The kind that compare the relative freedom to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal bread, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/39 "2013-02-06T22:48:41Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Strippers working on **salary?!** Is Canada up north or on Mars?! Do the strippers have 3 boobs? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506/40 "2013-02-06T22:59:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > When I was in Canada, the strippers wouldn’t take tips. They actually turned them down! > > This was in BC. > > Crazy!! Well, where do you think they were going to put them? :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-canada-a-free-country-or-is-it-not/649506.md?page=3)