What the West Wants Next

[Mowich]

Stephen Harper's goal: Transform Canada | Full Comment | National Post

Rock on Stephen Harper! :smile:

(Thought we needed more Conservative threads too, mentalfloss).

 

[DurkaDurka]

You westerners realize he's a transplanted Toronto native, right?

As long as Harper keeps the social conservative whackos at bay, I can live with his term.

 

[petros]

What will Chairman Harper do if the cavity creeps attack Toothopolis? Does he have enough gel?

As long as Harper keeps the social conservative whackos at bay, I can live with his term.

Canada's Economic Action Plan

Bu Yong Xie!

 

[Mowich]

You westerners realize he's a transplanted Toronto native, right?

As long as Harper keeps the social conservative whackos at bay, I can live with his term.

I do, Durka..........but he was pretty quick to understand the alienation that many Westerner's felt and quick to embrace the ideology of my hero Preston Manning. For that I always give him high marks.

 

[wulfie68]

You westerners realize he's a transplanted Toronto native, right?

As long as Harper keeps the social conservative whackos at bay, I can live with his term.

He may have been born in Hogtown, but he is representing what Albertans want (we don't want most of the social conservative whackos in charge of anything either, because a) they tend to waste too much money on witch hunts and b) we don't want other peoples' beliefs shoved down our throats... which ironically had more to do Alberta's opposition to the whole Gay Marriage thing, a decade ago, than any over-riding fundy Christian influences).

I thought the article on whole was an interesting read, if a little longer than necessary. I think it hit some truths, definately for Alberta, if not the other western provinces.

...More importantly, to understand the Prime Minister, it’s necessary to understand that he looks upon the wheat board, Kyoto, the gun registry and an unelected, unaccountable Senate not merely as individual irritants to the West. To him, these are symptoms of a much larger offence: the growth of a powerful and intrusive centralized federal government.

A meddlesome Ottawa has historically been more objectionable west of Ontario simply because Ottawa has historically tended to privilege central Canadian interests over smaller provinces. But decades of brooding over the National Energy Program, distorted equalization formulas and other plagues of Western alienation, have convinced Western conservatives, including Mr. Harper, that the problem is a structural one; that, before now, national governments have sought to overpower the provinces in the federal arrangement, using transfers and law as carrot and stick to entice and, where necessary, demand obedience to national priorities.

This is what most Albertans believe when you get down to the core. I think this is a big part of why no other parties have been able to make inroads either federally or provincially as the left-leaning parties belief in large, centralized gov't and massive social spending is directly at odds with the vast majority of the province. Its a set of beliefs that is, in some very significant ways more in-line with an American mindset than that of a lot of Eastern (or at least central) Canadians... and part of the reason why I wonder about the long term feasibility of the nation at times: can there be a stable, long term relationship when the value sets are almost directly opposite each other?

 

[petros]

He' is just continuing what Trudeau and his front man Strong(still the Beijing go to guy) started 31 years ago and picked up by Mulroney in 87 when the saloon doors of the Wild West were kicked open to the Far East. Chretien, Martin and through Goodale have done their part and now it's in Chairman Steve's hands.

Brief History of Canada's Pacific Gateway | Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

I've been following the progress for years. It's a massive project requiring a lot of money and lot of people and it takes a lot time.

The east and north will see their chunk soon after EFTA is signed too.

Get ready for immigration like there was at the turn of the last century.

The railroad barons are still at it.... may as well call it he Asia Pacific Bill Gatesway.

http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/con...-northern-gateway-pipeline-or-railway-or-both

Now all Europe has to do is crash so we can get another surge of Bolsheviks who are strong enough to toss bags of grain into sea cans to be loaded onto one of Martin's ships delivered to a robot port on Gate's CN.

 

[DurkaDurka]

This is what most Albertans believe when you get down to the core. I think this is a big part of why no other parties have been able to make inroads either federally or provincially as the left-leaning parties belief in large, centralized gov't and massive social spending is directly at odds with the vast majority of the province. Its a set of beliefs that is, in some very significant ways more in-line with an American mindset than that of a lot of Eastern (or at least central) Canadians... and part of the reason why I wonder about the long term feasibility of the nation at times: can there be a stable, long term relationship when the value sets are almost directly opposite each other?

I was born in Calgary, I left far too early though to be affected by the things you speak about. I can empathize with some of the west's grievances though.

It's so easy and often lazy though to say the central/east is like this and the west is like that. The country is dynamic, beliefs, values and governments change. I don't think the political differences in this country necessarily mean it's doomed, the US operates similarly, consider the contrasts between Massachusetts & Texas for example.

 

[petros]

It's a long boring drive to from WPG to the next civilized region in the east.

 

[wulfie68]

It's so easy and often lazy though to say the central/east is like this and the west is like that.

There's merit in what you're trying to say, but when we talk about politics beyond our personal beliefs, its what we are left with. And while the generalizations don't speak to every nuance and exception, quite often they can still be valid.

The country is dynamic, beliefs, values and governments change. I don't think the political differences in this country necessarily mean it's doomed, the US operates similarly, consider the contrasts between Massachusetts & Texas for example.

A big difference in the US is that though the political divides are as deep, the divisions aren't as regionalized as they are in Canada. Yes there are red states and blue states and there are some states that don't like each other going back to their inception but the ideological divides cross state lines whereas in Canada they seem to be defined, at least in part, and in some cases exacerbated by provincial boundaries. That also doesn't mean that beliefs/values are static but much of the time regional interests mean they aren't and don't become universal.