The Political Thread

[Trout]

Let's raise the minimum fighting age to never

Canadian.

Canada declined to fight in Iraq. I agreed with them then and I agree with them now.

[Ancient Otter]

Canada declined to fight in Iraq. I agreed with them then and I agree with them now.

What's the Canadian population's view on Afghanistan? Do they mention it much to you? I think people over on this side generally forget they are there with other NATO countries.

[Richmond Clements]

Let's raise the minimum fighting age to never.

I'm with the fish.

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Canada did decline to fight in Iraq but Canadian troops were deployed into the combat zone, in all services.

[Frank]

Canada did decline to fight in Iraq but Canadian troops were deployed into the combat zone, in all services.

Canadia also opted to sit out the capitalist gang bang that led to the collapse of Western capitalism in 2008, which is why we poached their money guy to replace Mervyn King at the Bank of England. We should just run every idea we have by the Canadians first - if they don't fancy getting involved, we just act like we never thought it was a good idea and just said it for a laugh.

[Trout]

I've never met a Canadian who thinks the conflict in Iraq was a good idea. Or many British people, come to think of it. But I have met lots of people who consider it a tragedy for all involved.

The attitude to Afghanistan here is interesting. It's much the same as in the UK - some in favour, some against - but the respect for the armed forces, in light of the risks they take, is much more vocal, and IMO much more widespread, even among opponents to the war. It's great, frankly.

There are many examples of tributes to serving soldiers and veterans, but my favourite is the poppy that veterans can get on their licence plate. There are designated spaces for veterans in car parks, with only the disabled spaces nearer to the doors of the shops, or whatever, and the poppy symbol gives them the right to park there.

And Sauchie is right. The recession never hit hard here. Some people have suffered but it's a fraction of what happened in the UK.

- Trout

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Do people respect the bays for people with disabilities over there, or has it jumped onto the slippery slope, to what it's like over here!

[Trout]

Do people respect the bays for people with disabilities over there

Yes, as far as I know. I didn't see a problem before I left the UK either.

[COMMANDO FORCES]

You'd be surprised at how often people use the bays at supermarkets and incidents happen. It all has to be logged, if it's reported.

[The Legendary Shark]

Mark Carney has mortgaged Canada's future by relying on the housing market instead of industry - so condos were built as factories closed. He kept Canada's economy looking good by manipulating interest rates, thereby encouraging massive foreign investment, much of it in increasingly fragile foreign currencies. Canada has yet to pay for Carney's work, as has the UK.
.
Still, at least he's handsome and charismatic - and in this superficial world that's all anyone needs to be a success, right?
.

[Ancient Otter]

Mark Carney has mortgaged Canada's future by relying on the housing market instead of industry - so condos were built as factories closed. He kept Canada's economy looking good by manipulating interest rates, thereby encouraging massive foreign investment, much of it in increasingly fragile foreign currencies. Canada has yet to pay for Carney's work, as has the UK.
.
Still, at least he's handsome and charismatic - and in this superficial world that's all anyone needs to be a success, right?
.

Canada is supposed to the largest supplier of oil (mostly from shale) to the U.S.A. which is a nice little earner for them.

[ZenArcade]

Well it has the second largest land area of any nation state in the world with a population of say 32 million. It has a plethora of resourced commensurate with it's size....it'd be pretty hard to drop the ball economically. I mean no disrespect to Canadians by this (like probably everyone else in Ireland, I have family in Canada and they extoll it to the heavens). Britian has a diminishingly smaller land area with double the population so economic comparisons are surley meaningless? Z

[JayzusB.Christ]

Let's raise the minimum fighting age to never.

I'm with the fish.

I'd like to see a global treaty that stipulates that anyone who instigates, helps in the organisation of, or votes for a war has to serve 12 months on the frontlines actively fighting it.  The over-45s could be snipers or spies or something.  Well, we can always fucking dream, can't we.

[ZenArcade]

Were that the case I'd doubt there'd be one more war! Sod the sniper part....let them march with everyone else. Z

[JayzusB.Christ]

Sod the sniper part....let them march with everyone else. Z

While we're dreaming - why the feck not.  They're usually happy enough to see the young get slaughtered for them; and ageism is a growing problem in the workplace - equal rights for all, I say.