Trudeau announces Amira Elghawaby as Canada's first representative to combat Islamophobia

[The_Foxer]

Maybe that’s just me, as I’m not religious, and a coincidence, but are those that’re Jewish just really casual about it in Canada and don’t need to advertise the fact, or is that just a Prairies thing?

I'm honestly not sure - My best friend growing up was jewish and his family included me in a lot of the jewish festivals etc so i never really thought "wow i just met a jewish person' or anything when i met someone else, it was kind of like no big deal. I absolutely have met people who identified as jewish, But to be honest now that i think about it I believe that as a group they probably do downplay it a fair bit. I've never recalled any bringing it to anyone's attention particularly.

Mind you - given their history i guess you can't blame them if they have a tendency to keep their faith on the down-low

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I'm sure a lot of it is just normal variation in devotion. There's daily Mass attendees and "Christmas and Easter" Catholics. I've known Muslims who go to mosque two or three times a year (and some who don't go at all, but still call themselves Muslims). Certainly calling yourself this or that will get you as much shit from within the group as from outside (though probably not a train ride to a lovely suburb of Munich).

The problems arise when others adopt some form of "X are by definition evil, inhuman, lesser beings." "Wokeness" is taking the laudable principle of people should be treated equally (which does not mean identically) without regard to their membership in this or that group, and being performative and annoying about it.

 

[Taxslave2]

Knowing how turdOWE operates, doing the exact opposite of what he says, maybe this new minister is to spread islamophobia? I can't think of a better way.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Knowing how turdOWE operates, doing the exact opposite of what he says, maybe this new minister is to spread islamophobia? I can't think of a better way.

I can. Elect Tories.

(Sorry, couldn't help it. I'll go back to being reasonable.)

 

[Taxslave2]

Explain why we only have these problems with Liberal governments.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Explain why we only have these problems with Liberal governments.

Because you only choose to see them when there are Liberal governments.

Hope that helped.

 

[Taxslave2]

Because you only choose to see them when there are Liberal governments.

Hope that helped.

Wrong.

 

[The_Foxer]

Knowing how turdOWE operates, doing the exact opposite of what he says, maybe this new minister is to spread islamophobia? I can't think of a better way.

LOL - well by intent or accident i'm afraid that will be the outcome.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

LOL - well by intent or accident i'm afraid that will be the outcome.

The perpetual dilemma. . . evil, or just a fucking idiot?

It's the ancient rule "Never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence."

 

[The_Foxer]

Because you only choose to see them when there are Liberal governments.

Hope that helped.

I'll ignore the us for right now, but in Canada the periods where racism has been at it's lowest and division has been at its lowest has always been during Tory gov'ts going back at least 90 years.

Remember - it was the liberals who Interned the Japanese in ww2 and stole their property, liberals who made residential schools manditory (they weren't in john a's day), liberals who ignored the first official reports of abuse in the res school system (looking at you laurier) and who presided over many other abuses - and the libs weren't in favour of letting the jews fleeing hitler come here either. It was the liberals who went to court to see if there was any way around gay marriage.

Historically racial and geographic and political tensions severely nose dive under the conservatives. National unity goes up, and police reports of hate crimes go down.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I'll ignore the us for right now

I recommend that for standing policy!

 

[The_Foxer]

The perpetual dilemma. . . evil, or just a fucking idiot?

It's the ancient rule "Never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence."

I'd agree with that saying overall but there's a third catagory here - apathy.

He wants the political out come that follows being seen as a 'special friend' to the followers of islam. So his goal isn't evil in that regard. He probably knows that will cause divisions, but he doesn't care.

 

[The_Foxer]

I recommend that for standing policy!

LOL now now - the US has much to teach us. After all, the best way to learn is from mistakes. (zing! )

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I'll ignore the us for right now, but in Canada the periods where racism has been at it's lowest and division has been at its lowest has always been during Tory gov'ts going back at least 90 years.

Remember - it was the liberals who Interned the Japanese in ww2 and stole their property, liberals who made residential schools manditory (they weren't in john a's day), liberals who ignored the first official reports of abuse in the res school system (looking at you laurier) and who presided over many other abuses - and the libs weren't in favour of letting the jews fleeing hitler come here either. It was the liberals who went to court to see if there was any way around gay marriage.

Historically racial and geographic and political tensions severely nose dive under the conservatives. National unity goes up, and police reports of hate crimes go down.

It's hard to separate Canada and the U.S. So much of what you concern yourself with are U.S. issues.

No, that's not a criticism. It's hardly surprising, considering the size, economy, culture, and proximity of the U.S. to Canada.

However, I will point out that down hereabouts some folk like to say "the Klan was all Democrats!" and ignore the fact that both the Democratic and the Republican parties underwent considerable, major policy changes in the 60s.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

LOL now now - the US has much to teach us. After all, the best way to learn is from mistakes. (zing! )

I'd love to argue that, but. . . I'm not sure how.

In all seriousness, I have to say that Canada, even considering its own mistakes and smaller "footprint" in the world, has done a better job than the U.S., overall, in providing all its people with peace, prosperity, and opportunity.

Not letting Canada off the hook for its various fuckups, just saying it gets a better overall grade.

 

[Ron in Regina]

I'd love to argue that, but. . . I'm not sure how.

As a nation (not a colony) the US has been around longer that Canada and has had more time? That’s where I would start.

LOL now now - the US has much to teach us. After all, the best way to learn is from mistakes. (zing! )

The two countries are so much more similar than different, that it would be dumb to not try to learn from each other’s mistakes. On that note, though they aren’t the same, but just very similar…so a US issue is not necessarily a Canadian issue and vice versa.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

As a nation (not a colony) the US has been around longer that Canada and has had more time? That’s where I would start.

The two countries are so much more similar than different, that it would be dumb to not try to learn from each other’s mistakes. On that note, though they aren’t the same, but just very similar…so a US issue is not necessarily a Canadian issue and vice versa.

We steal all your best actors and comedians.

In our defense, we steal a lot of your worst ones, too.

 

[The_Foxer]

We steal all your best actors and comedians.

In our defense, we steal a lot of your worst ones, too.

Sometimes they're the same people (Looking at you Shatner!)

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Sometimes they're the same people (Looking at you Shatner!)

I was distressed that Ryan Reynolds destroyed Green Lantern as a movie subject forever (forever = six months. It's a Hollywood thing).

Then I got to thinking maybe he did us a favor.

'Scuse me, "favour."

 

[The_Foxer]

In all seriousness, I have to say that Canada, even considering its own mistakes and smaller "footprint" in the world, has done a better job than the U.S., overall, in providing all its people with peace, prosperity, and opportunity.

there are reasons for that tho, that have little to do with the nature of the people. And a couple that do have to do with the nature of the people.

The first is that despite having a similar geography we have and always have had a tiny fraction of the people. It's MUCH easier to get along with your neighbors when you have to walk 4 miles to find one. There's a lot less pressure when there's no competition for resources.

Canada was born after the times of slavery for the most part. That means we have the first nations issues, but not the black issues the us faces and the problems that came with it. Or at least not to anywhere near the same degree. We did have the irish issues but, pffft, y'know.... eff those guys

And to that end Canada's population in the early days was more homogenous. And that does make it easier as well. SUre - we had areas of strong chinese population and the first nations and such but basically it was down to only a few and not many of those. America had a wider diversity and that makes things harder.

And we had the benefit of coming along at a time of higher technology. We build our first railroad within a few years of becoming a country - trains and rails as we know them today weren't even a thing when the first US cities were built. It makes a difference.