steven harper likes to piss on hopes and dreams

[Phoenix Goliathane]

Okay, so, I put in the disclaimer about me being American because - to be honest - I'm not all that familiar with parliaments! From what I read (back when Canada's Parliament got prorogued a few years back), the organization isn't MUCH different (at least for Canada...the ******** that is Israel makes me want to hide under the covers)...it's just that the balance of power is different.

So that's where the lame joke that I started off with came in.

Anyway.

I'll admit, I KIND of stepped in it with my wording of Bloc Quebecois' standing. What I meant, though, is that BQ's major focus is Quebec, and it doesn't have much reach outside that province, right?

I'm surprised about the balance, though - especially with the opposition parties. I had that TOTALLY wrong. (And s**t, I forgot - when was the last election, three years ago? I think I might have been more accurate pre-proroguing.)

I MAY NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT CANADIAN CIVICS BUT AT LEAST I'M WILLING TO LEARN (even if I bloviate in the process)

Also, pardon me for forgetting that parties have to be whipped into shape. (There was a very long and unpleasant period where Republicans marched in lockstep - if the highest ranking Republican said "jump," they'd say "how high?" Democrats are like herding cats and basically always have been. Nowadays, Republicans are rebelling because the establishment just isn't EXTREEEEEEEEEEEME enough.

I don't know if a vote of no confidence would work, though - it'd require at least some Tories to vote against themselves. And the Tories have a majority - voting against themselves would be self-defeating! lol

With Europe, I'm not too in on domestic issues in Germany and France. What I do know about the debt crisis is (and this is going to veer into parody) is basically that Europe had the means to prevent things from snowballing...it's just that Germany and other strong economies were extremely reticent to commit to any aggressive maneuvers to shore up weaker economies (for good reason), and generally there was a lot of waffling and half measures.

Or, basically, the EU is the Articles of Confederation.

Quote:

Also, I don't agree at all that US politicians are more individual, unless "individual" means "I'll say this to get elected, but once I'm in offfice--Screw all of you!" (as, iirc, the European joke about American politics goes)..

That's why I said "supposedly!" lol

If I recall, I think several of our Founding Fathers wanted no part of political parties, hence the way our system is designed with Congress and such. As I recall, our Constitution doesn't even acknowledge political parties.

Contrast this to a lot of European countries (or even Egypt), where you'd vote for a slate of candidates.

There's a lot of weirdness with US politics - for example, the fact that Democrats in the South can sometimes be more conservative than Republicans in the North (even if Dems are the nominal liberal party and Republicans are the nominal conservative party currently). Regional variation can mean more than party variation - take Mitt Romney. Part of the reason why his Republican competitors are demonizing him is because he's from Massachusetts (a very leftist state), and ran on platforms that suited the state (I actually think gay marriage was legalized in MA when he was governor, and MA's healthcare law was the basis for Obamacare). Right now, the parties are homogenizing (to our detriment, I think), so this is less true than it was 20 years ago. But before, it wouldn't be unheard of for what's now considered a solidly liberal state (like my own - New Jersey) to swing Republican (I think we swung for Reagan in '84, and before that we were red as often as we were blue). Likewise, Texas was dominated by Democrats until the Southern Strategy.  

[Death Pop]

How important is marriage when one man in another country can determine that you are no longer married, without meeting you?


*Rolls eyes* The concept of marriage is getting stretched thinner and thinner. I've been engaged for a few years but as far as I'M concerned we're married. We do the s**t that married people do, we just don't have a piece of paper saying "hey, guess what? a stranger has stated that these two are stuck together until either divorce or death!" and our taxes have stayed the same. *Shrug* I feel terrible for all the gay couples out there that just want a "normal" relationship but...


normal relationship is a bit of a silly term.  

[The Undead Suitor]

Death Pop

How important is marriage when one man in another country can determine that you are no longer married, without meeting you?


*Rolls eyes* The concept of marriage is getting stretched thinner and thinner. I've been engaged for a few years but as far as I'M concerned we're married. We do the s**t that married people do, we just don't have a piece of paper saying "hey, guess what? a stranger has stated that these two are stuck together until either divorce or death!" and our taxes have stayed the same. *Shrug* I feel terrible for all the gay couples out there that just want a "normal" relationship but...


normal relationship is a bit of a silly term.

well, there's also like, employee benefits for 'spouses' including s**t like insurance and the right to have work leave when a spouses family dies, and visiting places like hospitals that are restricted to "immediate family"

I mean, I'm not going to pretend to understand the obnoxious complications of the status of marriage and revolving rights in the U.S. since I pay absolutely ******** all attention to it save for what I just googled


its a silly term that has more red tape than a christmas themed UPS store.  

[Death Pop]

The Undead Suitor

Death Pop

How important is marriage when one man in another country can determine that you are no longer married, without meeting you?


*Rolls eyes* The concept of marriage is getting stretched thinner and thinner. I've been engaged for a few years but as far as I'M concerned we're married. We do the s**t that married people do, we just don't have a piece of paper saying "hey, guess what? a stranger has stated that these two are stuck together until either divorce or death!" and our taxes have stayed the same. *Shrug* I feel terrible for all the gay couples out there that just want a "normal" relationship but...


normal relationship is a bit of a silly term.

well, there's also like, employee benefits for 'spouses' including s**t like insurance and the right to have work leave when a spouses family dies, and visiting places like hospitals that are restricted to "immediate family"

I mean, I'm not going to pretend to understand the obnoxious complications of the status of marriage and revolving rights in the U.S. since I pay absolutely ******** all attention to it save for what I just googled


its a silly term that has more red tape than a christmas themed UPS store.

Oh, yeah there are other perks to marriage...but over all... I don't get the gigantic deal. I should just make a wedding cake and say it's our reception, lol. People didn't have a problem having relationships and marriages before the super stong-hold of churches and rituals took over people did they? I imagine back in the old days of paganism and polytheism people still had marriages. So I don't get that weird dire need to have a man in a church tell you the s**t that you and your man/woman of choice have already decided on....and then some papers re-iterating that. It's just weird.


MY relationship of 3-4 years is more stable than either of my mother's marriages were. : /

Like I said, I feel for the couple who keep getting jerked around and one day they can get married, the next day they can't....then they worry that what they thought was a legal marriage may be taken away. But at the same time, had I ended up with a woman instead of this dude playing on the DS over near me.... I wouldn't have been too moved over the current events anyways because marriage is something I take lightly. Despite that ever-lasting engagement I'm part of. *Snort*  

[Jayce Reinhardt]

Death Pop

The Undead Suitor

Death Pop

How important is marriage when one man in another country can determine that you are no longer married, without meeting you?


*Rolls eyes* The concept of marriage is getting stretched thinner and thinner. I've been engaged for a few years but as far as I'M concerned we're married. We do the s**t that married people do, we just don't have a piece of paper saying "hey, guess what? a stranger has stated that these two are stuck together until either divorce or death!" and our taxes have stayed the same. *Shrug* I feel terrible for all the gay couples out there that just want a "normal" relationship but...


normal relationship is a bit of a silly term.

well, there's also like, employee benefits for 'spouses' including s**t like insurance and the right to have work leave when a spouses family dies, and visiting places like hospitals that are restricted to "immediate family"

I mean, I'm not going to pretend to understand the obnoxious complications of the status of marriage and revolving rights in the U.S. since I pay absolutely ******** all attention to it save for what I just googled


its a silly term that has more red tape than a christmas themed UPS store.

Oh, yeah there are other perks to marriage...but over all... I don't get the gigantic deal. I should just make a wedding cake and say it's our reception, lol. People didn't have a problem having relationships and marriages before the super stong-hold of churches and rituals took over people did they? I imagine back in the old days of paganism and polytheism people still had marriages. So I don't get that weird dire need to have a man in a church tell you the s**t that you and your man/woman of choice have already decided on....and then some papers re-iterating that. It's just weird.


MY relationship of 3-4 years is more stable than either of my mother's marriages were. : /

Like I said, I feel for the couple who keep getting jerked around and one day they can get married, the next day they can't....then they worry that what they thought was a legal marriage may be taken away. But at the same time, had I ended up with a woman instead of this dude playing on the DS over near me.... I wouldn't have been too moved over the current events anyways because marriage is something I take lightly. Despite that ever-lasting engagement I'm part of. *Snort*

In a way I can relate, many people do not take marriage seriously (thinks of ex) however it would be nice to get some actually equality.

I don't know why some people can't just appreciate we are all different.
But apparently we are so important/threatening to aging closested white males that they have to make laws dividing us from "heterosexuals"

Though even if I did fall in love with someone(Like a jackass), I'd be too off the idea of Marriage honestly. Just having the choice to would be lovely however.  

[Phoenix Goliathane]

Death Pop

The Undead Suitor

Death Pop

How important is marriage when one man in another country can determine that you are no longer married, without meeting you?


*Rolls eyes* The concept of marriage is getting stretched thinner and thinner. I've been engaged for a few years but as far as I'M concerned we're married. We do the s**t that married people do, we just don't have a piece of paper saying "hey, guess what? a stranger has stated that these two are stuck together until either divorce or death!" and our taxes have stayed the same. *Shrug* I feel terrible for all the gay couples out there that just want a "normal" relationship but...


normal relationship is a bit of a silly term.

well, there's also like, employee benefits for 'spouses' including s**t like insurance and the right to have work leave when a spouses family dies, and visiting places like hospitals that are restricted to "immediate family"

I mean, I'm not going to pretend to understand the obnoxious complications of the status of marriage and revolving rights in the U.S. since I pay absolutely ******** all attention to it save for what I just googled


its a silly term that has more red tape than a christmas themed UPS store.

Oh, yeah there are other perks to marriage...but over all... I don't get the gigantic deal. I should just make a wedding cake and say it's our reception, lol. People didn't have a problem having relationships and marriages before the super stong-hold of churches and rituals took over people did they? I imagine back in the old days of paganism and polytheism people still had marriages. So I don't get that weird dire need to have a man in a church tell you the s**t that you and your man/woman of choice have already decided on....and then some papers re-iterating that. It's just weird.


MY relationship of 3-4 years is more stable than either of my mother's marriages were. : /

Like I said, I feel for the couple who keep getting jerked around and one day they can get married, the next day they can't....then they worry that what they thought was a legal marriage may be taken away. But at the same time, had I ended up with a woman instead of this dude playing on the DS over near me.... I wouldn't have been too moved over the current events anyways because marriage is something I take lightly. Despite that ever-lasting engagement I'm part of. *Snort*

Here's my take on it:

Marriage as an institution in and of itself isn't that important, you're right. Two of my friends are getting married in three months. They're moving together a little before that. While some people don't approve and pay lip service to not approving, it's generally accepted to do all the things that married couples do without actually being married.

The issue is, we still confer a lot of legal benefits upon married couples that we don't necessarily confer upon unmarried couples. I'm not going to make an emotional "love is LOOOOOOOOVE" argument - even if love is love, that's very subjective. However, the state is essentially discriminating against gay couples by refusing to recognize queer relationships to be as valid as straight ones.

Especially when marriage is such a fluid institution - think of Kim Kardashian, Sinead O'Connor, and Britney Spears - I find it blatantly patronizing to speak of marriage as this hallowed institution. (To be fair, the culture warriors want to revert laws so that marriage IS more of a forever thing. But that brings up its own issues.)

It's not so much that I want individuals to approve of my life choices - it would be nice, but for me that's not what this fight is about. I do, however, want the state to recognize all monogamous relationships between consenting adults as equally valid.  

[MrsrachaelSnape]

Hello Marletto

I don't get why people throw an angry s**t fit over gay marriage. JUST LET PEOPLE GET MARRIED. THIS ISN'T THAT HARD.

There should really be some kind of addition to gay marriage rights that states once it's passed, it can't be revoked.

Imagine if we suddenly decided that interracial couples could no longer marry. Maybe we need to present the issue like that to lawmakers. 'So you know there was a time when interracial couples couldn't marry. Should we just revoke that as well? Oh, you think revoking that's wrong and disgusting? How about that!'

The only reason they get so upset it because how they divine a marriage. I never saw the logic in that. Who cares why get in way of other people life and who they love.

Just because people have different views doesn't give a right to take one's right away. Marriage has changed over the years , such as Interracial marriage.Marriage had evolved so many times , why not again?

Also they should think of the economy. Think of all the weddings and the divorces later on 4laugh  

[Death Pop]

Phoenix Goliathane

Here's my take on it:

Marriage as an institution in and of itself isn't that important, you're right. Two of my friends are getting married in three months. They're moving together a little before that. While some people don't approve and pay lip service to not approving, it's generally accepted to do all the things that married couples do without actually being married.

The issue is, we still confer a lot of legal benefits upon married couples that we don't necessarily confer upon unmarried couples. I'm not going to make an emotional "love is LOOOOOOOOVE" argument - even if love is love, that's very subjective. However, the state is essentially discriminating against gay couples by refusing to recognize queer relationships to be as valid as straight ones.

Especially when marriage is such a fluid institution - think of Kim Kardashian, Sinead O'Connor, and Britney Spears - I find it blatantly patronizing to speak of marriage as this hallowed institution. (To be fair, the culture warriors want to revert laws so that marriage IS more of a forever thing. But that brings up its own issues.)

It's not so much that I want individuals to approve of my life choices - it would be nice, but for me that's not what this fight is about. I do, however, want the state to recognize all monogamous relationships between consenting adults as equally valid.

Very well put and expertly said. Wow....haha. Yes I agree with all of your points.  

[orsumo]

Ugh, this sort of bullshit is just so annoying.
There is a reason why in western society that the church is not in charge and this pretty much highlights that.  

[Sabin le Rose]

Harper will be the PM again for one simple reason.

He has caused the liberal party to implode.
Truedau isn't a douchebag who is going to cash in on his name.
Jack Layton is dead.
And his own party has nobody who knows how to stand on their own two feet without his permission. He built the conservative party around Harper.
Plus Canadians are gullible jackasses who vote for him because he promises to give families money all the while siphoning it from familys in ten other different ways.