canadian identity

[fleudian]

so here's a tough question for all of youse: to what point should the canadian government favorise the developement of a unique national identity?

this totally isn't for my final social studies essay tomorrow that i have no ideas for...

not at all.

anyone wanna help me out?

[evman150]

I am unfamiliar with the verb "to favorise".

[fleudian]

why you hit me with hammer?

is not nice.

it's favorise in french :P

[JiriHrdina]

Can you explain the term though... not sure specifically what it means.

[CaramonLS]

Pretty sure he just means "favor".

[BlackArcher101]

favor it over what?

[Clarkey]

Write about the 'firewall letter' and how you think Canada should allow Alberta to separate from the rest of Canada. Include that the federal government should give all remaining power it holds to the provinces. Argue against the government's false notion of a national Canadian identity. This paper will really mean crap all in the grand scheme of things, write something controversial. Use quotes from Tom Flanagan, Preston Manning, Dave Rutherford, and Ezra Levant (look this stuff up on google/wikipedia). And don't forget to capitalize at the beginning of sentences.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Pretty sure he just means "favor".

yeah but what does that mean in the context of the question? Does it mean fund to make it happen? To what extent?

[Phaneuf3]

none. the government shouldn't be wasting its time and our money trying to impose some artificial canadian identity that they cook up over in ottawa. if the citizens don't develop an identity as canadians for ourselves, on our own and with no organization we really didn't have one in the first place and don't deserve it.

also, in a country as large as canada, i don't think its appropriate to try to achieve a truely national identity. regional/provincial ones are more fitting imho. with all the different identities: greasy pot smoking hippies, oil tycoon rednecks, farmers, lying theiving politicians, lazy poutine eating frenchmen, and crazy gibberish speaking fishermen - trying to force them all into one identity is like the whole square peg round hole problem.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

crazy gibberish speaking fishermen

lard tunderin' jebus b'y, we don't talk gibberish outs here. I'll tell ya what's on the go tanite, but depends did jeet yet, cause da bingo haal gots da carned beef and cabbage ons special.

(I could go on all day, but I won't)

I'd say if you wanted an indentity potrayed you'd have to follow common themes, like politess, liberalism (comparitive internationally), peaceful, hockey loving, progressive, etc. This doesn't encorporate everyone, but atleast the majority and they are themes to be proud of.

But as listed above the nation is so vast that you can't have one overarching "this is what it is to be Canadian" as it just won't work. Part of being Canadian is that I can be drastically different from these fine folks in Alberta but we still have that connection to our nationality.

[Phaneuf3]

while that's true that it certainly wouldn't hurt to have a national identity based on values held by (most) canadians, i don't believe the government should have any part in trying to establish it. if we can't carve one out for ourselves simply through our daily actions, etc we don't and therefore shouldn't have an identity.

edit: and i've never seen anyone type out newfie before - good on ya!

[Otto-matic]

I smell the old question for tomorrows homework here

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

edit: and i've never seen anyone type out newfie before - good on ya!

technically Cape Bretonese, but both languages are really close

edit: I believe "jeet yet" is a Cape Breton term, but the Newfs here might correct me on that

[Flame On]

Originally Posted by fotze

Well your teacher is probably quite left wing, so it is probably a good idea to say the government should spare no expense pumping the Canadian identity. Throw in a bunch of Canadian patriotic rah-rah bullcrap sprinkled with some anti-american sentiment and you should get a good mark.

Well as you can see, the posters here are predominantly right wing.
So you'll probably be advised to unify through lowering pollution and environmental standards, attend Chruch several times a week, give massive subsidies to the oil industry at the expense of all have not groups and generally worship at the freemarket alter.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Flame On

Well as you can see, the posters here are predominantly right wing.
So you'll probably be advised to unify through lowering pollution and environmental standards, attend Chruch several times a week, give massive subsidies to the oil industry at the expense of all have not groups and generally worship at the freemarket alter.

Unbelievable. Or we could all keep paying into a healthcare system that is one of the worst in the world.

[MarchHare]

Unbelievable. Or we could all keep paying into a healthcare system that is one of the worst in the world.

And by what standard of measurement, exactly, does Canada have one of the worst health care systems in the world?

[Flame On]

Originally Posted by peter12

Unbelievable. Or we could all keep paying into a healthcare system that is one of the worst in the world.

I was joking around obviously. Although I'd love to see a shred of evidence as to where you got Canada's health ranking.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Flame On

I was joking around obviously. Although I'd love to see a shred of evidence as to where you got Canada's health ranking.

Haha sorry, my sense of humour isn't great on Monday morning.

As for the healthcare, I hold in my hands a study from September 2005 that has Canada ranked 3rd in ependitures, yet 24/27 in doctors per capita and we rank in the bottom third in terms of advanced medical technology (MRIs, CT scanners etc...). We wait 17.7 weeks on average for specialized treatments. We rank 22/27 in the percentage of life expectancy we can live in full health, 20/27 in infant mortality, 12/27 in prenatal mortality...

I could keep parroting these numbers off for another page or so.

[ken0042]

I see. So there's now only 27 countries in the world?
[/sarcasm]

You said one of the worst in the world, not out of the top 27 countries.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I see. So there's now only 27 countries in the world?
[/sarcasm]

You said one of the worst in the world, not out of the top 27 countries.

Oh sorry fellas. I should have said western world. Though I thought you might have drawn that conclusion by yourself.