Should Canada Become a Neutral Country?

[Toro]

Some of us are working to create the circumstance to remove this "paycheque" obstacle

Theft is illegal, you know...

 

[Toro]

That's nice. Some of us are not. And that's the problem. We can't survive with only a few of the cyclinders fireing. We can't even produce what we need. Hell by April we'd be rank with the scurvy and rickets.

Why would individuals even want to produce what they need?

There's a reason why mankind has relentlessly worked his lot away from a subsistence existence.

 

[Toro]

I'm surprised to see Blackleaf would support Britain coming to the aid of Canada. He doesn't seem to respect the country much in its-self but respects the past and ties Canada and Britain have together.

If the US invaded Canada, the whole world would be in an uproar I'm sure. I don't know about Australia coming to the aid of Canada but yet I'm not 100% sure of the responsibilities of being part of the Commonwealth.

Of course America isn't going to invade Canada.

Half of America doesn't even know which side of the border Canada is on.

 

[Unforgiven]

Why would individuals even want to produce what they need?

There's a reason why mankind has relentlessly worked his lot away from a subsistence existence.

Stay with the tour big fella.

 

[Toro]

Stay with the tour big fella.

You're being opaque. Do you mean as a society, the planet or as individuals?

 

[damngrumpy]

No this country should never join the club of the faint of heart, our history tells us that we will stand up when the chips are really down and we are true to our word whether or not we all agree.
A nation that becomes neutral must forever depend on others to defend it and in the end the whole position of being neutral is indefensible

 

[Northboy]

Yeah what if we as a country manufactured goods from our own resources rather than ship them to other countries and buy the goods back?

Unfortunatly we just aren't that bright.

Stay tuned....We just might surprise you.

 

[Northboy]

If you want this country to be neutral fine..but then don't get upset when we have no say in the world and no one cares to listen. Canadians get very upset when the U.S. ignores us (seems that it generally what they want?)

If you stand up for nothing, if you never draw a line in the sand, you will be ignored...who has ever cared what the Swiss think?

A true statement..

So, neutrality is not a viable option for our land.

Then who should be our guide as we are still a young nation after all....

 

[Northboy]

Trust me, the US doesn't want to "annex" Canada. At least not so long as Quebec is part of the deal.
Sure, we'll take your oil and your water, but the rest of you pacifist tokers can stay with the Queen.

You can share our oil.....As long as we control your electricity...

I'm surprised you don't want Quebec...They're so much like you, seeing as though you share a French philosophical platform..


Sorry, I don't know how to make the purple work....

 

[Northboy]

That's nice. Some of us are not. And that's the problem. We can't survive with only a few of the cyclinders fireing. We can't even produce what we need. Hell by April we'd be rank with the scurvy and rickets.

It's not that we couldn't it's that we won't. We recycle yet have way more garbage than we can deal with. We have been at that for a long time now.
While we see examples, and I don't doubt that it would increase quite a bit should there be a disruption of this sort of economy, there would be so may people crushed by it, we'd turn back to the old ways long before we got half going.

This is why fear works on us so well. We're happy to accept the status quo if it provides enough of our little addictions to us.

Excellent point...

It always has and will come down to a matter of national will....

We would obviously need an pivotal event...

How about this one...

I attended a public meeting a few nights ago and an energy planner attached to the government actually stood up and announced that, while the US government estimates it to happen in 2037, our calculations estimate it is happening right now....Peak Oil....

It was lost on most of the room, but not me...

 

[Northboy]

Theft is illegal, you know...

Ah, but Goodwill isn't....yet....

 

[Northboy]

What a terrible idea.

Canada is a Western nation - culturally, historically, politically and economically. Canada has benefited enormously by being apart of the western alliance. To suggest we should become a "neutral" nation is merely a leftist flight of fancy.

And lets not forget that "neutral" nations during WWII continued to do business with the Nazis right until the end.

Besides "fair trade" is a code word for protectionism, a bad thing for a country so reliant on trade.

I seem to remeber stories of industrialists of American descent also playing both ends against the middle...Who was that guy, oh, yeah, Prescott Bush...

"Fair Trade" in the context of the writer is exactly as it was meant....Fair bilateral trade to benefit both parties, I'm sure the readers of this post know that the writer has no hidden agenda, other than their welfare in mind....

 

[Northboy]

No this country should never join the club of the faint of heart, our history tells us that we will stand up when the chips are really down and we are true to our word whether or not we all agree.
A nation that becomes neutral must forever depend on others to defend it and in the end the whole position of being neutral is indefensible

Wisdom here...

Good on you..

 

[Toro]

"Fair Trade" in the context of the writer is exactly as it was meant....Fair bilateral trade to benefit both parties, I'm sure the readers of this post know that the writer has no hidden agenda, other than their welfare in mind....

Which writer? You?

If it is you, than if you are interested in people's welfare, then you should be promoting "free" not "fair" trade.

"Fair trade" is a protectionist term promoted by the nationalistic right who propagate the out-dated and discredited philosophy of mercantilism (as Pangloss reminded me), while the idealistic left use it as an ideological Trojan horse that incorrectly views corporations and capitalism as a bane to humanity and attempts to restrict their actions. However, both philosophies are essentially the same in that they establish legal barriers that benefit the few at the expense of the welfare of the many.

Protectionism is the establishment of privilege of the few over the many, and those who promote it fail to understand or see the widespread costs it entails.

 

[Zzarchov]

With our resources and our know how, wouldn't Canada be better off being a neutral country dedicated to healing the World, trading freely and strategically for the betterment of all man?

Cleaning water

Promoting bilateral fair trade

lifting the fortunes of those less fortunate

You know, we could do it....

Then we wouldn't be neutral. Switzerland is a neutral country, China is a Neutral country.

Neutral means you aren't a good nation, that is its definition. You ignore morality. True, you also aren't a bad nation, you don't try and harm people. But you also don't try and help people.

If you want to be a morally good country, you have to be willing to stand up for the underdog, and interpose yourself between violence and its victim.

 

[Northboy]

Which writer? You?

If it is you, than if you are interested in people's welfare, then you should be promoting "free" not "fair" trade.

"Fair trade" is a protectionist term promoted by the nationalistic right who propagate the out-dated and discredited philosophy of mercantilism (as Pangloss reminded me), while the idealistic left use it as an ideological Trojan horse that incorrectly views corporations and capitalism as a bane to humanity and attempts to restrict their actions. However, both philosophies are essentially the same in that they establish legal barriers that benefit the few at the expense of the welfare of the many.

Protectionism is the establishment of privilege of the few over the many, and those who promote it fail to understand or see the widespread costs it entails.

That may be the current definition, but "fair trade" has over the centuries been linked to goodwill..
fair trade with all...The economic concepts that I practise, which guide my words, are the development of the circumstance that allows the individual to reach his/her aspirations...Frame it any way you want from your world view, but that is the writer's perception of his world, and leads to his statement "fair trade"...

 

[Northboy]

Then we wouldn't be neutral. Switzerland is a neutral country, China is a Neutral country.

Neutral means you aren't a good nation, that is its definition. You ignore morality. True, you also aren't a bad nation, you don't try and harm people. But you also don't try and help people.

If you want to be a morally good country, you have to be willing to stand up for the underdog, and interpose yourself between violence and its victim.

Excellent points...

I started this thread, but notice, I didn't express an opinion...

But reading the responses makes me proud to be Canadian.....

 

[Pangloss]

The U.S. annexes Canada - does anyone really think anyone in the world would care, especially after most of Canada jumps into bed with our "glorious liberators"?

The thought fills me with horror - but I also think it would never happen. Mexico will be taken first.

Pangloss

 

[Phil B]

The U.S. annexes Canada - does anyone really think anyone in the world would care, especially after most of Canada jumps into bed with our "glorious liberators"?

The thought fills me with horror - but I also think it would never happen. Mexico will be taken first.

Pangloss

I was under the impression certain Southern states already think Mexico is invading...

 

[Toro]

lol

Considering that the US hasn't been at war with Mexico and Canada for 150 or so years, I think its more than a little paranoid to talk about "annexation."