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Off Topic Politics & World Issues
101

[quote]hueyOT wrote:
that’s another topic altogether, but if you wanna get into it, i definitely do have a big problem with native reserves. they need to be abolished eventually and integrate.
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Wow, that’s pretty harsh. I’m not sure how the legalisms run in Canada, but in the U.S. you would be talking about sovereign nations, treaties between sovereign nations, and like that there. But I guess you’re no respecter of mere legalisms.

Well try this then. Their lands were quickly enough taken from them. It seems to me we can wait patiently for the treaties to expire. Let’s see, what was the wording on that treaty again? “Until the Sun grows cold and the heavens dark” wasn’t it?

To put it in more practical terms, you’re talking about where all your real-estate comes from. How much is all the real estate in Canada worth, do you wonder? Would you like to throw every single land title in Canada into question?

102

[quote]endgamer711 wrote:
hueyOT wrote:
that’s another topic altogether, but if you wanna get into it, i definitely do have a big problem with native reserves. they need to be abolished eventually and integrate.

Wow, that’s pretty harsh. I’m not sure how the legalisms run in Canada, but in the U.S. you would be talking about sovereign nations, treaties between sovereign nations, and like that there. But I guess you’re no respecter of mere legalisms.

Well try this then. Their lands were quickly enough taken from them. It seems to me we can wait patiently for the treaties to expire. Let’s see, what was the wording on that treaty again? “Until the Sun grows cold and the heavens dark” wasn’t it?

To put it in more practical terms, you’re talking about where all your real-estate comes from. How much is all the real estate in Canada worth, do you wonder? Would you like to throw every single land title in Canada into question?[/quote]

I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying here… I’m not familiar with the treaties regarding indigenous peoples of Canada(I probably should familiarize myself with them!)…

But as I was saying, it’s a whole other topic altogether, but what I CAN tell you is that our current policies regarding Natives in Canada is not doing right by them or by the rest of Canada.

Simply put, they need to be given opportunities to integrate equal to those opportunities of other Canadians. Join society, get a job, or suffer the consequences like any other loser. Y’know? But they must be truly offered equal opportunities.

But the idea of them being able to ‘maintain their culture’ on isolated reservations is a joke.

103

[quote]pookie wrote:
hueyOT wrote:
keep in mind that the supreme court has already determined that unilateral provincial separation from canada is unconstitutional. think of all the federal investment that’s already gone into quebec . quebec can’t just walk away and say ‘see ya later’.

Well, I’m sure the US war of independence was also deemed illegal by the British Crown. It didn’t stop them.

If I remember correctly, the decision also stated that Canada could not ignore the will of the people from a majority referendum. So even if the final result wasn’t total separation, it would surely bring about various adjustments to the current arrangements.

And it’s not about renouncing all responsibilities and starting fresh from zero. Stuff like the debt and various services (roads, postal service, etc.) would have to be split adequately.

Note that while you use the term “separatist,” I think the better term is “independentist.” I wouldn’t mind keeping Quebec in Canada if the federal government keeps itself from meddling in what should be provincial jurisdictions.

Right now we have a bunch of fights over various policies with then end result usually being that the federal government suspends planned transfers. We have this situation with monies earmarked for tuition and school programs; the same thing with money that was earmarked for the Kyoto accord initiative, etc.

Many provinces are running a deficit or at best a very tight budget (Alberta excepted), while the federal government has been amassing billions in surplus for quite some years now. We pay a lot of taxes and it’d be nice if the money was either put to use, or left in my pocket. I have no desire to line Ottawa’s coffers.

I also wouldn’t mind giving the same latitude to all the other provinces. The federal government should concern itself with those spheres that really require a national attention. Most of the governing should be done at the provincial levels.

Separation is simply the most radical solution to repatriate the various governing powers into which Ottawa has inserted itself over the years.

Note that our current premier, Stephen Harper, was himself quite active for a time in Alberta’s separatist movement.

[/quote]

To refocus this discussion, I want to make it clear that I have zero opposition to strong provincial powers. I don’t like the idea of a lot of power being vested at the federal level. That being said, my only beefs are: discriminatory language laws in Quebec and French being held at the status of a national official language.

That’s it, that’s all.

104

[quote]disciplined wrote:
Simply put, they need to be given opportunities to integrate equal to those opportunities of other Canadians. Join society, get a job, or suffer the consequences like any other loser.
[/quote]
Well you’re not hueyOT, but you’re talking two different things there. An opportunity to integrate is not the same thing as being forced to integrate. Very catchy though, “equal opportunity to suffer the consequences” indeed.

Equal opportunity, sure. Force them to integrate? The destiny of their culture? Not for you to decide, white eyes.