Recently I stumbled into a few online discussions with people whose ideals were on the opposite sides of the political spectrum from mine. These discussions, and the fact that I’ve been splitting and stacking firewood for days (lots of physical work – not much mental tasking), allowed me the opportunity to ponder my own principles in terms of those presented by the challengers. So ponder I did.
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My first online chat managed to go three whole exchanges with Obamaisantecrist before Godwin’s law kicked in:
Obamaisantecrist – Were gonna use are guns afor Obummer takes them somene needs to tak control over the cuntry befor its to late.
Me – Instead of overthrowing the government and destroying your way of life wouldn’t it make more sense to wait two years and then simply vote in a new government?
Obamaisantecrist – Your stupid if you think that WE will wate for libtards like you to rig the vots again. WE HAFTA PROTECT ARE RIGTS AGAINST NAZIS AND LIBS.
Me – I don’t live in your country, but even if I did, I wouldn’t have a clue on how to go about rigging vots. (Whatever they are.)
Obamaisantecrist – YOU MUST COME FROM A COMMIE CUNTRY IF YOU DONT EVEN NO WHAT VOTS ARE. BURN IN HELL NAZI FUCK
Me – (This is three minutes of my life I will never get back.)
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Luckily I also had a few of other debates with people who weren’t so…what’s the word I’m looking for… intolerant…fanatical…in need of a dictionary? Mostly the discussions revolved around the new insurance system they are rolling out in the States, Obamacare; the welfare system and how people are taking advantage of it; and the rights of the American people to cheap oil, no matter how it is obtained.
That’s when I started thinking, “Wow Canada sure doesn’t suck.” Even though we have our problems, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a new government get voted in, I am so happy and grateful that I live here and not south of the border. To begin with, us Canukians have no idea how lucky we are to have had Tommy Douglas, John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson on our side. They may not have been perfect human beings, but they had a vision and the drive to help implement our Medicare system.
“I felt that no boy should have to depend either for his leg or his life upon the ability of his parents to raise enough money to bring a first-class surgeon to his bedside,”- Tommy Douglas, 1982
Based on these discussions, to me, it looks like the States are filled with people who are more than willing to cut off their nose to spite their face. They cannot see past their limited ideologies in order to support a system which doesn’t completely comply with their beliefs. In other words, if you won’t play by my rules I’m going to take my football and go home. I know that here in Canadastan we also have people who have passionate ideologies, but I’m pretty sure they would pick socialized medicine over having to take out a second mortgage to pay for their medical insurance like our southern neighbours.
Some of my other discussions, à la internet, revolved around the Welfare and Unemployment systems; I found these to be quite disturbing. Apparently the idea is that the majority of people on welfare and unemployment want to be on Welfare and/or Unemployment. Besides their nefarious plans to put their countrymen into financial difficulties by ruining the country, they also use their ill-gotten gains to buy luxury items such as vast quantities of pop. And the government (which shouldn’t be allowed to interfere with their medical system) must set guidelines, and put policing in place, to ensure that these people are in fact poor AND are then forced to buy approved products (like Brussels Sprouts – okay no one actually suggested Brussels Sprouts but I know they were thinking it). My suggestion of giving people education so they can help themselves is a very bad idea because that costs money.
Also God is very unhappy about women and their reproductive systems. Apparently they shouldn’t have access to birth control, abortions, or welfare because…well I’m not exactly sure why but it is important that women don’t have a say over their own bodies. I’m assuming that carting around twelve children, going homeless, or being forced into criminal activities are all okay because alternatives weren’t forthcoming. I also put forth an argument citing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, but apparently stating that is like invoking Nazis. It’s like Godwin’s Law 2.0.
The most disturbing discussion I had was with one person who said that the American people had the right to use whatever force necessary to take any and all resources, in any country in the world, whenever they wanted. Because, apparently, that is the payment required from the world, to the American people, for the privilege of living on the same planet as them. The idea is that because of American ingenuity the world would not enjoy the technological advantages it has now. So quid pro quo, the world owed them the life style they’ve become accustomed to. This reasoning came from a person who was able to put together coherent sentences, outwardly seemed to be lucid, and was definitely educated beyond a grade three level. S/he had no qualms about the fact that 4.4% of the world’s population was using up 30% of the world’s resources. I guess it’s the price the world has to pay to live in proximity to such greatness.
Have I mentioned how much Canada doesn’t suck? Because I really mean it.
Image Credit
“Canada Day cupcake” by beaumontpete. flickr.com. Some rights reserved.
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Awesome commentary, Gab. It only takes looking south to see how lucky we are. Now, if we could only get young people to vote….
I love it Gab!! So many people loosely say – well it is 2014 – we are educated, sophisticated…etc – and then we are reminded that it does not matter what century we are in – we still have a long way to go! The politics of our neighbors continues to amaze me and the scary thinking of citizens helps me understand how hate crimes and war are still happening in our world.
The really scary thing is that when you speak to some people they think that they are being totally reasonable. “Of course it is okay to cut people off welfare if they don’t think, act, and believe the same as I want them to.” Zero tolerance for people who are different is the scariest thing in the world.