Let's Get Political!

[Kyvr]

I know it’s a touchy subject, especially for Canadians. Comedian Dave Chappelle had a point when he said that people would much rather talk about their favourite sexual positions, than about the person they voted for in the last election. 

What I’m hoping for is a civil, productive discussion about our views on Canadian politics (crosses fingers). What party do you support? What problems do you have with the Canadian parties? Who did you vote for in the last federal or provincial election? What do you think should be Canada’s political priorities?  You don’t need to answer these questions if you don’t want to, you can only answer those your comfortable with, or don’t answer any at all and go on a personal (but civil) rant.

Here is my take on things:

What party do you support?
 By severe default, the Conservatives. I am not a registered voter (of any party), nor have I ever contributed to a party.

What problems do I have with the Canadian parties?

Conservatives: Basically the “social conservative” part, the part that wants to ban gay marriages and give way to religious fundamentalism. Stephen Harper is more social conservative than I’d like him to be, but at least he is smart enough to rein it in to be an effective leader. He has made some intelligent and interesting moves. He has screwed up as well, but as it stands, he has screwed up less than any other party has in power. If the party was dominated more by “fiscal conservatives”- the ones that don’t care how you live your life as long as you are contributing economically to the country, I would be much happier.

Liberals: Because of the years of scandals, missed opportunities and inaction, I cannot trust the Liberals to do any job they are elected into. It’s hard not to see the Liberals as aloof, pompous, and arrogant when they refer to themselves as Canada’s “natural party.” They had a long run federally (over a decade), and, for the most part, they just collected our money and sat on it. They screwed up following the Kyoto Accord, and destroyed my confidence in them with the Sponsorship Scandal. Their current federal leader, Stephane Dion, has done nothing to convince me he can be an effective leader. He cannot even control his own party (the Liberals in Quebec hate him). His answer to fixing the environment, the Green Shift, is (surprise) a huge tax that will take money away for vague purposes (such plans have gotten them is trouble in the past). Ontario’s premier, Dalton McGinty, gets more of my ire. He is the lying, do-nothing, blame-everything-on-some else stereotypical politician. He has introduced a Health Tax when he promised not to make any new taxes, and then cut health services (and still has not revealed how the money generated by the Health Tax has gone into the health system after four years).  He promised to close down the coal-firing plants in Ontario- four times, and has broken that promise three times. He promised to install scrubbers on the coal-plants, but broke that promise because it would not have any impact on emissions- but it would help the people with asthma and other aliments to breathe better (but, hey, screw them right?). The worse thing about McGinty is that he does nothing. He collects money, and does nothing, sitting on a huge mountain of surplus cash, and lets everything rot. Even worse: He was elected back into power with a majority government (but not because he did anything special, just because John Tory, the Conservative provincial leader, screwed up the election by bringing up funding for religious schools).

NDP: Canada’s third party is too socialist for my tastes. They believe in spending a lot of money, running huge deficits, to leave to (and I’m quoting their now federal leader Jack Layton on this) “future generations to deal with.” They believe in spending a lot of money for social causes, which is fine, except that money (even government money) is not endless and has to come from somewhere. When Bob Rae (now a Liberal) was the NDP premier of Ontario, he put the province into a huge debt in only four years, and had nothing to show for it, except a bunch of government jobs that had to be cut anyway.

Bloc: I know this might anger some people, but I can’t respect a party that is trying to separate from the country. Sometimes I really wonder why they are allowed to be a federal party at all, when their whole cause is to not be part of the federal level at all.

Green: This party has some promise; they actually have fiscally conservative ideas (which I like) for the economy. Their only problems are that they are still viewed as a one-issue party, and (for some stupid reason) they have thrown their lot in with the Liberals. They should have stayed neutral, tried to work with all the parties, and shown they could work with anyone.

Who did I vote for in the last federal and provincial election?
As you can guess, I voted Conservative in both elections. I’m not a big fan of them, and if any of the other parties start shaping up and presenting ideas I like, I’ll go with them next time, but so far, there are no takers.

What do I think should be Canada’s political priorities?
Accountability: On all levels, in every party, in every government job, there is a severe lack of accountability when something goes wrong. The voting public is not stupid, it realizes that no one is perfect and makes mistakes- but it seems all political leaders want to do is project this false image that they are infallible and (groan) morally superior. Admit to your mistakes, fix them the best you can, than continue running the country. If they put as much energy they did covering up mistakes and scandals, clouding over facts, and encouraging exaggerated rumours and lies, into actually running the country or province, imagine what could be done.

[Benjamin]

Oh, geez...
I've already been cleaning up messes from other furs these past few weeks...
Just a warning to all furs that choose to get involved in political debates.... please keep it civil. I can't stress this enough. People take their politics more personally than their underwear, so topics like this can become flammable all too easily. Be sure to exercise some form of tact when addressing this topic.
 
There're two topics that all too often end in a flame war... and they're religion and politics. Sad to say, but hardly anyone is prepared to have a proper conversation on either of those topics. It usually ends up with sand being thrown around the ol' sandbox.
 
Needless to say, I'll be keeping a close eye on this topic, and I won't hesitate to shut it down at the first sign of trouble.
 
Benjamin

[Aaeden]

My personal response? We've come a long way from the way politics used to be, and it's not anything good.

'Parties' are being run the same way 'religions' are, and it was never the way things started out. It used to be that a person with good ideas and a good head for the way things should be managed would work damn hard to bring their ideas out, pushing to have their opinions seen and heard, and then using the fervor to implement the changes that they've worked so hard to create. Now it's accountability and hiding from it. The groups are groups because they slap a general statement on their actions and say "This is what we represent!", which I think is utter bullshit, for the most part.

I'm a liberal at heart. Not because I vote for the Liberals, or because I put support into their group, but because I stand for the generic label that has been applied to liberals by the liberals. Try to put me in a group? Forget it. I am me.

I believe that the money of the people should go to the people. I believe that the government should be a responsible entity entrusted with the well-being of the common public, but at the same time, not a tool of the public to get what they want. I think there should be some measure of strict rules in place, and at the same time, I think the government should be accepting of a wide variety of opinions and methods of doing things. This involves a lot of work, and typically involves confusing the majority, which any of the current governments prefer to do behind closed doors.

The government as it stands has become a very tainted career path. The people who used to walk up to the world and say "I think we're doing this wrong, and this is how I think we can fix it!" are still around, but they have no interest in getting involved with an ineffective government. That's why they show up as activists and people labeled by the government as 'radicals'.

That's just my take though.

[Kyvr]

I can totally understand your feelings about the parties Aaeden. A specific problem I see with them is that individual members of parties are too often forced into towing the party line in Parliament. I hate to say this, but it's actually better in the U.S.A where House Representatives can actually defy their party, and vote along the lines their public voters (who voted them into the job) want to. In Canada, there is no incentive for our MPs to defy their party. In fact, if they did, they would be kicked out and forced to become an Independent. At least in the U.S.A, you are voting for a person who actually lives in the same state you do. While it's not perfect, in this case, we Canadians could learn a little from a crazy, gun-toting Southern partners. 

[Senri]

umm, well, i just got my right to vote in the mail yesterday... umm, how about i just say the liberals? i have no idea what they have as a plan to anything, but i hear they did a good job in the past. dont quote me though.

[PyroVulpes]

umm, how about i just say the liberals? i have no idea what they have as a plan to anything, but i hear they did a good job in the past. dont quote me though.

Too bad, I'm quoting you anyways! However, I just wanted to say that you shouldn't just toss your vote to someone because you "heard they did a good job once before". Do a bit of research to make sure you're voting for a party you actually agree with (In theory, anyways. We all know parties don't usually live up to their promises). I know I will be sometime before the next election, since as of right now I only know who I'm NOT going to vote for.

[Mobile Suit Bunny]

I support whoever actually delivers on their promise to get us new ships.

I found out long ago that politics is a great way to get into raging senseless debates with people you'd otherwise be friends with (or used to be friends with). Now, I'm in a job where I can be, and probably should be, blissfully apolitical and just be so shallow as to back the party that gives the navy the most money. It gets me into less arguments because my friends and family know exactly where I stand. Where they -can- get me going, thoughm is foreign policy. =P

[Rainbow Wally]

I don't vote so its all good...   And before anyone jumps on me saying "say what?" the reason I don't vote is because no matter who gets elected they still spend my hard earned tax dollars on stupid shit like their Vacations and other personal expenses, rather than put it where it needs to be.. Over the last 12 years i've been listening to Candidates begin there election campagins with promises that will in fact never be kept..

heres a joke for ya...
My son walked up to me and asked "daddy do all fairy tales begin with once apon a time" I looked at my son and said "No, they usually begin with If Elected I promise"

[Senri]

yup, i hear wht you're saying hun, I just havent put any thought into it, i have done some research on old plans for the conservatives, but as i said, they were old plans and i have no idea on recent stuffs ^^ in the past, the liberals have won most often right? before i actually vote i will do some research and debate stuffs, but until then i will just guess lol,
take care
Arctic

[Scani]

First of all: Based upon my conscience and my conscience alone, I consider myself most in line with the NDP's policy on a social and economic level; while I don't think meritocracy should be trivialized I also believe that the rich in our society have a duty to help out the poor. Poverty is generally not something that is wilfully chosen, and I believe there's a great deal of benefit (fiscal conservatives should take note) to utilizing human capital to the best of our ability and getting a prosperous economy in the process. That being said, the NDP has a reputation for promising to throw money at various issues with no plan to pay for it; a reputation that I think they need to quash if they stand any reasonable chance of getting elected.

Come to think of it, all of the parties right now are not exactly looking strong. I don't really go for the Conservatives, not being a social conservative (though I do take a few conservative points, such as preferring abortion alternatives such as adoption - no, I don't want to see it banned unlike various pro-life folks). The Liberals don't have a lot of potential (what were they thinking picking Stephane Dion?)... the Bloc is the Bloc... and the Green Party doesn't have any seats at the moment, though they should on merit. (I'm actually quite pleased about the fact that they're bringing environmental issues to the forefront - IMO issues like global warming are a definite reality and we can't be waffling into making it a political issue.)

[Drewdle]

*This post has been edited due to the fact that it's first revision was heavily influenced by the consumption of certain alcoholic beverages*

Politics is not an easy bag to grasp. On one hand, you cannot please everyone, no matter what you do, so no matter your stance as a politician, you're still going to be the subject of derision at the country's dinner tables, or the butt of many jokes in the Editorial section. On the other, how far is too far? It seems that we, as a country, have been more than willing to let our outrage at various goings-on slide, and not take any real action to change our course. The longer we do this, the more we are in danger of losing everything we hold dear.

My opinion on politics borders on communism. I am a proponent of free speech, and I do not believe any government to have the right to censor it's people or itself, but our "freedoms" are costing us dearly. You have the freedom, for example, to go down to your local Chevy/Ford/Dodge/Toyota whatever dealer, and pick out the biggest, shiniest 4WD monster you can afford. This, however, is a problem. Because so many people have done this and are still doing this despite the existence of gas at $1.40+ per litre, our government is about to enact a carbon tax that will hurt you even more than the current gas prices will. The problem is, it doesn't target the right audience. A carbon tax inflates the price of everything, because everything requires energy to either be shipped or to be manufactured. So now, instead of forcing people to give up their indulgent lifestyles, you've made buying groceries more difficult for the family with two kids that is surviving on one part time job and welfare and had no vehicle to begin with. That isn't smart, and it isn't fair to anyone in that position that they should pay for other people's ignorance. My "communist" approach would be to require a special license stating your business requirements to own a vehicles such as Hummers, dually diesel pickups, and the like. No license showing the need for such a vehicle, then no vehicle for you. Pick up a Prius and get over yourself. But there would be howls, nay screams, of outrage if this was made law. It would be an attack on our freedoms. My opinion is that if your freedoms impact the quality of life for others in your society, you shouldn't be free to make those choices, and that's that. I qualify as a low-income member of society, and yet I've gone out of my way to be planet-friendly, from buying fluorescent bulbs for my apartment, turning off my computers, and using stone-heaters in the winter, to owning a scooter as my primary form of transport. None of these choices have impacted others lives in any negative way, so of course I should be free to choose them. But if families can't afford to eat so that you can drive that honkin' 4x4, then the government needs to step in.

To be honest, I think the government should be more involved in all the steps required to keep human beings healthy, fed, and safe. There should be plenty of apartments, and most of them should be owned by the government directly to ensure a lack of rent gouging and unsafe conditions. The government should also actively be involved in promoting urban life, because the suburbs and their energy requirements, largely centered around commuting, are killing us. If energy continues to go where it's going, the suburbs will be abandoned ghost towns in twenty years, and everyone will be packing the cities again. We need to start investing in infrastructure now to handle this.

The government should be much less an overseer, and much more a do-er. Two more examples before I get off this soapbox: health care. Here we are sitting with billion dollar surpluses in the majority of our provincial governments and the federal government, and our health care system is being run on a shoestring so dangerous that we have people dying in waiting rooms. This is absolutely unacceptable. We should be building new hospitals, not new tanks. The government has a responsibility to ensure we have access to health care, and we can not let them off the hook for this. I am convinced that in a more socialist-thinking environment this would not be an issue. The other thing is retaining control of infrastructure, and nowhere else is this true than the US, and some of Canada. My specific example is BC Ferries. Ever since our crown corporation was sold, prices have gone up, safety has likely gotten worse (just look at the accident record since 2001 if you don't believe me), and an increasing focus has been placed on tourists, instead of their bread-and-butter: commuters. BC Ferries was supposed to be a service for the people of this province. Yes, we can open our doors to visitors, and I encourage them to do so, but when that comes at the expense (literally) of the residents of this province, I am unconvinced. If governments keep selling off their assets, soon they'll be nothing more than a tax agency, and what exactly are we getting for the huge taxes we pay if the government isn't directly involved in any aspect of our lives?

People should not be afraid of their governments, but they should force them to change, and bow to the will of the people, which right now is not being done. And nothing good will come of it if it continues.   

[Kyvr]

To be honest, I think the government should be more involved in all the steps required to keep human beings healthy, fed, and safe.

Please keep in mind this is meant to be a constructive critique 

I totally understand where you are coming from drewdlephone, and totally agree with the problems you have with government, but I have to disagree with you on how to handle them. But, hey, before I go into my rant, I just want to say that, at least your putting out ideas, and that's important. It's far better than many of the people who are in public service who usually don't have any original ideas at all, and just prefer the "throw-money-at-it-until-it-goes-away" approach" that never works 

I believe in a minimalist government. The government should never try to influence any of the decisions (lifestyle or consumer based) of their citizens, other than enacting laws. A license for drivers of big gas-guzzlers is interesting, but it way too controlling for my tastes. Let me point out, that because of the rising price of gas, that the market is changing, albeit slowly. 4 cylinder cars, the vehicles people used to laugh at for being so small and "weeny", are actually now in demand. The marketplace is changing, maybe at a slow pace, but it is happening. I totally agree with you that the idea of a carbon tax is ridiculous, and I believe the cap-and-trade solution is also faulty. Ultimately, if we want consumers to embrace Earth-friendly lifestyles, we have to make it more cheaper and attractive to them. We need to invest in the research and development of green technologies, with a focused, reward-style approach. Republican presidential candidate John McCain actually presented the interesting idea of a government-funded reward (millions of dollars), to be given to anyone who comes up with a marketable "green battery" that can replace motor engines and power homes. This creates a powerful incentives for researchers and inventors to start working (and investors to to invest in them), without going back to the "throw-money-at-some-company-that-promises-to-do-something-for-the-government" approach.

For the health care system, I too share your dismay of how governments (both federal and provincial, and, at least in my case, municipal) are reporting record surpluses (which, despite what they say is not a good thing), yet our hospitals and health system are deteriorating and services are being cut. My idea might make you a little uncomfortable: I say privatize all the hospitals, doctors, and clinics. That's right, privatize the whole of them, get the government out of the hospital running business (which it does a horrible job of). Then take all the money that is invested into hospitals and health care facilities each year (which would be billions), and use to give every Canadian citizen the most extensive, most kick-ass health coverage. Essentially, the government becomes the people's health insurance (which would screw health insurance companies- but for some reason I don't have a problem with that  ). The government would still have a regulatory body that would enforce health code regulations and codes, but that is it. Hospitals, clinics, and doctors would now have to compete (on a small, healthy level) for your business. Don't like the doctor you go to? Go to another one. These days (at least in Ontario) if you have a doctor, no matter how much they suck, you have to keep them, because of the doctor shortage. Privatizing the hospitals and clinics would encourage them to hire as many good doctors as possible to placate the demand for service, unlike how it is now, where the bureaucrats running the hospitals don't give a dam about stressed out doctors, overfilled hospitals, and under staffed clinics-as long as they get their big, huge pay check at the end of the day, which comes no matter how much of a horrible job they can do, because the government is powerless to fire them. At least in a privatized setting, their is a better chance that a person who does a bad job actually loses their job (it will still happen, but at least then you can switch to a hospital that does not have crappy service  ).

I agree with you drewdlephone that people should not be afraid of their governments. I think that the main problem is that most people are apathetic- they just don't see how anything they do will make a difference. I can understand that dismay, but the start to the road to recovery is doing things like this: discussing different solutions to the many problems that our otherwise great country has, and considering all the options, no matter how crazy they may seem  Keep on posting!

[Amorphous]

Re: gas-guzzlers. I had an idea a couple years back: why not just tax the pants off them? It would generate revenue for the government to fund research into new means of power generation or what have you, and discourage thrifty consumers from spending the money on vehicles are unquestionably environmentally unsound. A 100% tax on new vehicles above a certain engine size does not, strictly speaking, prevent the average consumer from buying, it just makes it terrible uncomfortable.

Anyway.

I am totally in agreement in regards to the status of the health-care system in Canada (and Alberta especially; my mom's a nurse, she could talk for hours about what needs to be fixed). It's a shambles. It's shameful that we originally fostered public health care in North America, and yet our system is overfull, over worked, and under staffed. The current controversy here is over the Stelmach government's decision to dissolve the nine provincial health regions in favour of one huge centrally administrated entity. That in and of itself might not be a bad thing; harmonising the operation of the various regions could lead to increased efficiency and better delivery of service. However, the persons put in charge of the new operations all have ties to private medicine firms; the new Alberta Health Services Board is headed up by Charlotte Robb, formerly CEO of Dynalife Diagnostics, a private medical laboratory. From SEE:

Friends of Medicare (FOM)...says the decision to centralize the health boards is not about good governance. Rather, by keeping the healthcare system disrupted and in disarray, the government is opening it up so that corporate business can take over. “I think there is an ulterior plan, and that is to privatize,” says Ted Woynillowicz, [head of FoM Calgary]

There's a problem with Albertan, and Canadian health care, but selling it to the highest bidder is not the solution either. Throwing money at it blindly is no salve, but American-style private health care is certainly worse. I can't speak for the other provinces, but it's not like Alberta is wanting for money for public projects. They could be spending it on research, consulting with experts and people within the health care field, as how best to approach fixing the system. Simply handing it entire to private corporations is no better an approach than flooding it with cash.

If you can't guess from that wee rant, I've got something of a leftist slant. I'm a social liberal in favour of whatever fiscal policies will have the best overall outcome for the public. If that means more taxes, I'm a relatively affluent white kid. Lay it on me.

[Drewdle]

To be honest, I think the government should be more involved in all the steps required to keep human beings healthy, fed, and safe.

Please keep in mind this is meant to be a constructive critique 

I totally understand where you are coming from drewdlephone, and totally agree with the problems you have with government, but I have to disagree with you on how to handle them. But, hey, before I go into my rant, I just want to say that, at least your putting out ideas, and that's important. It's far better than many of the people who are in public service who usually don't have any original ideas at all, and just prefer the "throw-money-at-it-until-it-goes-away" approach" that never works 

I believe in a minimalist government. The government should never try to influence any of the decisions (lifestyle or consumer based) of their citizens, other than enacting laws. A license for drivers of big gas-guzzlers is interesting, but it way too controlling for my tastes. Let me point out, that because of the rising price of gas, that the market is changing, albeit slowly. 4 cylinder cars, the vehicles people used to laugh at for being so small and "weeny", are actually now in demand. The marketplace is changing, maybe at a slow pace, but it is happening. I totally agree with you that the idea of a carbon tax is ridiculous, and I believe the cap-and-trade solution is also faulty. Ultimately, if we want consumers to embrace Earth-friendly lifestyles, we have to make it more cheaper and attractive to them. We need to invest in the research and development of green technologies, with a focused, reward-style approach. Republican presidential candidate John McCain actually presented the interesting idea of a government-funded reward (millions of dollars), to be given to anyone who comes up with a marketable "green battery" that can replace motor engines and power homes. This creates a powerful incentives for researchers and inventors to start working (and investors to to invest in them), without going back to the "throw-money-at-some-company-that-promises-to-do-something-for-the-government" approach.

For the health care system, I too share your dismay of how governments (both federal and provincial, and, at least in my case, municipal) are reporting record surpluses (which, despite what they say is not a good thing), yet our hospitals and health system are deteriorating and services are being cut. My idea might make you a little uncomfortable: I say privatize all the hospitals, doctors, and clinics. That's right, privatize the whole of them, get the government out of the hospital running business (which it does a horrible job of). Then take all the money that is invested into hospitals and health care facilities each year (which would be billions), and use to give every Canadian citizen the most extensive, most kick-ass health coverage. Essentially, the government becomes the people's health insurance (which would screw health insurance companies- but for some reason I don't have a problem with that  ). The government would still have a regulatory body that would enforce health code regulations and codes, but that is it. Hospitals, clinics, and doctors would now have to compete (on a small, healthy level) for your business. Don't like the doctor you go to? Go to another one. These days (at least in Ontario) if you have a doctor, no matter how much they suck, you have to keep them, because of the doctor shortage. Privatizing the hospitals and clinics would encourage them to hire as many good doctors as possible to placate the demand for service, unlike how it is now, where the bureaucrats running the hospitals don't give a dam about stressed out doctors, overfilled hospitals, and under staffed clinics-as long as they get their big, huge pay check at the end of the day, which comes no matter how much of a horrible job they can do, because the government is powerless to fire them. At least in a privatized setting, their is a better chance that a person who does a bad job actually loses their job (it will still happen, but at least then you can switch to a hospital that does not have crappy service  ).

I agree with you drewdlephone that people should not be afraid of their governments. I think that the main problem is that most people are apathetic- they just don't see how anything they do will make a difference. I can understand that dismay, but the start to the road to recovery is doing things like this: discussing different solutions to the many problems that our otherwise great country has, and considering all the options, no matter how crazy they may seem  Keep on posting!

Very interesting. I was trying to be as subjective as possible, but I guess you can tell that sometimes, I get a little personal about it. I can't help it; this is my country, after all. I'm a part of what goes on, so it bothers me that things are in the shape that they are. I have often considered the pros and cons of privatizing health care, but I don't feel that health is a privilege we should have to pay for, it's a right that should be provided for.

I love how this conversation is getting interesting and remaining civil. 

[crazyfur]

eww..do we have to??  Have u seen the trouble UK politicians got us into?? Cant we just use music instead?? (saw last nights Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela concert). They say the one place on earth Osama Bin Laden would be welcome is Britain..thats how great our politics are....

[Aurifer]

I'm a liberal, but I'd never vote liberal.
I'd have to do research, but NDP or Conservative sounds best.

Either way, I'd like things to be done better.

Basically, "As said above."

[Ayres]

Well I have been political as far back as I can remember.  Its weird I have always followed politics, even as a child.  First off I would like to say that my political ideas have changes and will probably continue to change.  I can't say that I am liberal, and I can't say that I am NDP. I'm kind of between the two.  I have also voted both ways in provincial and national elections.  Personally I have met several of my local members of parliment and I have to say..... Their douchebags!  I continue to vote though because I still want my say in what happens, and I figure I have no right to complane about anything unless I do vote.

[Aaeden]

Most people who are on the liberal end of the spectrum are more prone to feel divided between Liberal and NDP.

Liberal - Has a propensity to support good causes, but is still a little tight with funds. Also, they do tend to fuck up a lot.

NDP - Has a propensity to support good causes, but is a little LOOSE with funds. They tend to put us in debt.

You sort of want someone with enough awareness to keep the money in the bank, to a point, but also enough eagerness to support good causes to make everything work amazingly.

And all politicians are jerks. I think I said this before. The true leaders don't get involved in politics anymore because the gutter-trash that are politicians are people who want to be highly paid to do a service to the public, even if the service itself doesn't interest them.

[Kyvr]

Most people who are on the liberal end of the spectrum are more prone to feel divided between Liberal and NDP.

Liberal - Has a propensity to support good causes, but is still a little tight with funds. Also, they do tend to fuck up a lot.

NDP - Has a propensity to support good causes, but is a little LOOSE with funds. They tend to put us in debt.

You sort of want someone with enough awareness to keep the money in the bank, to a point, but also enough eagerness to support good causes to make everything work amazingly.

And all politicians are jerks. I think I said this before. The true leaders don't get involved in politics anymore because the gutter-trash that are politicians are people who want to be highly paid to do a service to the public, even if the service itself doesn't interest them.

The Left in this country is very fragmented at the moment. It's very interesting because of all the prominent Left-based issues that are at the fore-front right now (the environment, conflict in Afghanistan , etc.), but there is no one on the Left who seems to present themselves as a competent or popular leader. Stephan Dion is trying to unite the Left by making the Liberals more socialist, and copying the Green party's ideas, but he can't even keep his present party members united.

(Sigh) Is there ever going to be a centralist political party, or is that just not sexy enough? 

[Kyvr]

(Blows dust off old thread)

Ok Canadian Furries! Like it or not, we have a federal election coming up! 

I'm not going to rant who I'm voting for (save that for later  ), but I urge everyone of you to (at the very least) GO OUT AND VOTE!!!

But even more important is to do your research. Go out and find out what your friends and family think, read the party platforms, but most important of all, decide what is IMPORTANT FOR YOU!!!

That's right, be a little bit selfish: Start by asking yourself what YOU want done for YOU, and no one else, then branch off from there.

And for all those furs who are not of voting age: Still do your research, and become part of the process by engaging those who can vote!

Democracy might not be fun, but it's the best we got!