something I am grateful for today

[johncomic]

Canada, celebrating its 145th birthday today.

If I'm being ruthlessly honest, I'll admit that I am less proud of my country today than I have ever been before -- and I attribute this entirely to the [IMHO] un-Canada-like doings of our current federal administration -- but I am still grateful for all the good that comes of being able to live here. I pray that the aforesaid administration is only a bump in the road, and that the core of our national identity will endure.

Comments

[alisonebruce.livejournal.com]

"There is no monarch/emperor, and never has been one; it's a founding principle of the US that there is no hereditary aristocracy. You can't really have an empire without anybody who can play an emperor-like role."

Oxford Dictionary: 1. an extensive group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state

I won't argue direct control because I think we'll having a meeting of minds.

I won't argue about the subjugation of native peoples either because I completely agree with you.

And no, you can't have Banff. But I'll let you have Amanda Tapping. ;)

[alisonebruce.livejournal.com]

I meant: I DON'T think we'll have a meeting of minds. (Getting sleepy now.)

[ginsu.livejournal.com]

Oxford Dictionary: 1. an extensive group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state

To me, it comes down to national policy; America just hasn't got the juice to make other countries create new policy to suit itself.

America is more like Facebook (an organization that I loathe) in that it extends its tentacles in myriad overt and subtle ways and it can squeeze with more or less force. But it cannot dictate terms to other nations in the same way that Facebook cannot actually tell Amazon what to charge for a new Kindle, or the NY Times what it can and can't publish.

The other thing is that because political power is constantly changing hands in America, it's hard for empire-like growth and control to be maintained through consistent policies.

In recent history, the foreign policy Bush wanted is not remotely what Obama wants, so while America's military bases remain, what they are used to do is night-and-day different.

Contrast the Iraq War with Gaddhafi's ouster in Libya and you will see what I mean -- tyrants dethroned in both cases, but the cost in blood and money, to all parties concerned, was dramatically lower under Obama's influence.

If we invade Canada under Obama, I think the main thing we will steal is your healthcare system.

[alisonebruce.livejournal.com]

How about if we share the health care system? That's something I'd love to see exported to the US.

To be honest, these days I worry more about what Harper is doing than Obama. (And why would I stop being honest now?:))