Blair's sinister campaign to undermine the Queen

Just the Facts

House Member
Oct 15, 2004
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SW Ontario
As a writer, there is no future for an unpublished author in Canada.

There's lots of self-publishing sites available. From what I understand, they do a good job. Modern technology makes it economically feasable to fire off a copy of a book as it's ordered. I'd be very excited about this if I was an author. Apparently for retailers like Amazon, maybe Chapters types as well, I'm not sure, as long as you have as few as five titles or something like that available they will put you in their database as a publisher/supplier and list your titles. You just need ISBN numbers, which is no big deal. If you don't have five books just get together with someone and presto, you're off to the races.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
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In the bush near Sudbury
There's lots of self-publishing sites available. From what I understand, they do a good job. Modern technology makes it economically feasable to fire off a copy of a book as it's ordered. I'd be very excited about this if I was an author. Apparently for retailers like Amazon, maybe Chapters types as well, I'm not sure, as long as you have as few as five titles or something like that available they will put you in their database as a publisher/supplier and list your titles. You just need ISBN numbers, which is no big deal. If you don't have five books just get together with someone and presto, you're off to the races.

Thanks.... Tried the "vanity press" thing and ended up with a lot of books and a huge bill. Guess what everyone got for birthdays and Christmas for the next few years. HCmBC! deserves more respect as it is a little known part of history. I thought about the Stephen King approach: online, chapter-by-chapter and pay as you go, but allow me my dreams. A lot of this work is with Hollywood in mind....
He Called me BABY KILLER! ISBN 978-0-9737756-0-4

Wolf
 

Toro

Senate Member
May 24, 2005
5,468
109
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Florida, Hurricane Central
The monarchy is an antiquated system.

It is one based on class structure, where what matters is your status conferred by birth.

And most Canadians, I think, have only a very weak allegiance to the Queen, at best.

Seriously, would anyone care deeply if the Queen were no longer the head of state for Canada? Its a nice link to history, but most Canadians don't have much connection to Britain.
 

Outta here

Senate Member
Jul 8, 2005
6,778
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Edmonton AB
Seriously, would anyone care deeply if the Queen were no longer the head of state for Canada? Its a nice link to history, but most Canadians don't have much connection to Britain.

I can't and won't even try to speak on behalf of all Canadians, but I don't have any personal sense of allegiance to the Queen. But I do respect the fact that for many of my fellow Canadians, this figure head represents something they value. I don't have to share their values to respect them.

I can say that some aspects of the monarchy she represents are of value to me - mainly as a connection to our history. Since she doesn't actually exercise any influence over our country, I rather feel like we are honouring her more out of respect for our roots rather than according her any serious authority over our country. To many though, their connection to history is no small thing.

Were the Queen ever actually attempt to use her 'Head of State' powers and try to dissolve our parliament, I'm not sure Canada would actually put up with that.... I suspect that might become the defining moment when we collectively decide NOT to identify ourselves as her subjects - figurative or not.
 

s_lone

Council Member
Feb 16, 2005
2,233
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Montreal
I'm Canadian and I don't give a damn about the Queen. I totally agree with ITNs view of monarchy.

I do NOT believe in monarchy, plain and simple. It's in total contradiction with the fundamental concepts of democracy.
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
21,155
149
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I've yet to see a system that's perfect. The last 7 years in the US shows what elected dictators can do. I haven't seen the Queen abuse her power. I'm not saying she/they can't or won't, but abuse can occur in any system. I'd say the UK, Canada and the US are pretty lucky to have what they have. Differences, warts and all, between them.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
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The monarchy is an antiquated system.

It is one based on class structure, where what matters is your status conferred by birth.

And most Canadians, I think, have only a very weak allegiance to the Queen, at best.

Seriously, would anyone care deeply if the Queen were no longer the head of state for Canada? Its a nice link to history, but most Canadians don't have much connection to Britain.

It doesn't seem to work much better to have elected officials either though. Note who's running the US right now, and tell me the presidency isn't decided according a status conferred by birth. A monarchy working in conjunction with elected officials, so that no one has all the power, seems preferable to letting any one single elite run our countries.
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
21,155
149
63
It's interesting to see the difference between parliament and congress. Congress is pretty congeneal. In congress if someone says something anything near unkind it gets talked about for weeks in the press. In Canada (and UK) it's a full scale parliamentary riot "Mr Speaker, tell him to shove it up his @#^$%^..", and no one blinks an eye.
 

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
33
48
The Evil Empire
It doesn't seem to work much better to have elected officials either though. Note who's running the US right now, and tell me the presidency isn't decided according a status conferred by birth. A monarchy working in conjunction with elected officials, so that no one has all the power, seems preferable to letting any one single elite run our countries.

Would you kindly elaborate on that? :smile:
 

Zzarchov

House Member
Aug 28, 2006
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Because im lazy, my text is in blue.

Since Karrie made a comment, I feel obliged to give detail to my reponse.



Thanks.
I do agree with you that its antiquated, but your first post implied merely mentioning the head of state was a waste of 1's and 0's. Even as an antiquated structure it is then MORE worthy of discussion based on the fact that to many it is a big deal if we KEEP an antiquated monarchy as our head of state. Discussing our head of state ,especially in regards to stripping of powers, wherever you stand on the issue, is very relevant and not a waste of 1's and 0's.


The US isn't the only country in the world with a Head of State, or haven't you noticed?

Yes I have, and the more power a head of state has in a country is the more likely it is to become a dictatorship. Most nations have not historically stayed democratic.

Unlike you? Real Power? You're clueless about the US political structure aren't you?

Not at all, the US president can unilaterally declare war for 60 days during which time he can end all life on earth. Seems pretty powerful to me doesn't it?


If you think the President has absolute power , what on earth do you think your Prime Minister has? VERY curious.

Much less on his own, with the support of the majority of his party he can be ousted tommorow. If the presidents cabinet thinks he should go..what happens again? Can he still airstrike France? Yes, he can. Because his power is truly unilateral.


A President is a redunancy in your form of government, not ours. And please elaborate how by having a President increases the chance of a dictatorship.

Look at the track record of every republic since the first one. Presidents are far more likely to become dictators (around the WHOLE world, America isn't special) than constitutional Monarchs, while it does happen (Nepal) it happens FAR less frequently. A unilateral head of state has no real use and any democratic country could function just as effectively without one. Get rid of your president and the congress and senate can still do any job he could with a quick rewrite. There is no need for a Veto (unless congress goes back and says no) combined with the sole power to declare war.

So now expressing an opinion of an antiquated form of government is referred to as trolling. I'll keep that in mind.

You didn't express an opinion on it. That would be valid discussion about it. You said that even talking about whether or not its an antiquated form of government, about discussing our own head of state is a "waste of 1's and 0's". Thats not an opinion on the matter, thats saying "don't talk about it". That it is considered by many to be antiquated makes it MORE worthy of 1's and 0's.

Sure, let's implement Direct Democracy and ostracize anyone we don't like.

Not at all, but you don't need a president, he doesnt' DO anything but create a potential problem as dozens of other dictatorships have shown. Basic internal controls any accountant will tell you, split powers and responsibilities. Its just a bad idea based on the antiquated idea that you need 1 man at the top.

That's your personal opinion, mine is a monarchy is undemocratic, archaic and just plain silly in the 21st century. But then again you lose your monarch and you become more......uhm....American..eh? :roll:

I don't see the need to be modern unless its effective. The monarchy serves as a good "Political Canary" because its shared.
 

Toro

Senate Member
May 24, 2005
5,468
109
63
Florida, Hurricane Central
It doesn't seem to work much better to have elected officials either though. Note who's running the US right now, and tell me the presidency isn't decided according a status conferred by birth. A monarchy working in conjunction with elected officials, so that no one has all the power, seems preferable to letting any one single elite run our countries.

C'mon Karrie, you know better than that.

In a monarchy, you are anointed to be the head of government by birth, by law.

In a republic, you are elected by the people.
 

Toro

Senate Member
May 24, 2005
5,468
109
63
Florida, Hurricane Central
It's interesting to see the difference between parliament and congress. Congress is pretty congeneal. In congress if someone says something anything near unkind it gets talked about for weeks in the press. In Canada (and UK) it's a full scale parliamentary riot "Mr Speaker, tell him to shove it up his @#^$%^..", and no one blinks an eye.

The republican system of government is far, far more democratic than the constitutional monarchy, especially in Canada where the Prime Minister wields enormous (relative) power, even when compared to the UK.

However, the application of the system of government in the US is probably worse, since money plays a bigger influence, and historically, it has been used to disenfranchise people for far longer.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
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Would you kindly elaborate on that? :smile:

It seems to me that having rich white men running your country, this one following in his father's footsteps in doing so, isn't any less class based, or any less a luck of draw by birth, than the monarchy. And frankly, it doesn't give your country any more reliable of a choice than the current electoral systems in place in Canada or Britain. Having an arbitrary, outdated hierarchical system working in conjunction with an equally arbitrary hierarchical system at least gives the people some hope that ONE of the elite in control of their country has a sensible head on their shoulders, and the best interests of their people in mind. At least with a monarchy, we know they aren't in the pocket of some election backers.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
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C'mon Karrie, you know better than that.

In a monarchy, you are anointed to be the head of government by birth, by law.

In a republic, you are elected by the people.

Who is elected by the people Toro? Who can afford to run for a presidency? Who can win these elections? Sorry, but you're not going to convince me it's not an elitist class based system.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
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In the bush near Sudbury
Personally, I believe that people who earn over $70 thousand a year should be prohibited from any elected office because they do not truly represent the majority of the population....

Wolf
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
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$70,000? I have an eight foot trench full of water and sewer sludge in my back yard. My carpet is trashed. I have an open wall in my living room... all my furniture is 4 years old or more. The only new, nice thing in my house is my laptop. And my husband wouldn't be able to run for office because we're too rich. lol. That's hilarious.