Two firefighters dead after being shot while responding to house fire

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

The only thing he is honestly serious about is trolling and riling people up.

I don't believe he's trolling, I believe he honestly believes his own errr stuff.

Comparing the United States to Afghanistan is utter ######ation at its best.

Nobody denies that the U.S. has problems, pretty well every country in the Western world has serious problems, whether economic, Social or whatever. But their problems are a far cry from countries like Afghanistan or the other countries that he mentioned. So with his statement he pretty much trolled himself.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Hey Iginla, you forgot corrupt political system.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Iginla

Oh, great. They've finally decided people selling their homes to pay for cancer treatment might not be such a good idea.

America in my eyes is on the same level as Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries living in the stone age.

Cuba FFS has some sort of universal health care program. America is a disgrace to the planet. That's my view and it it isn't changing any time soon.

Fine, dont watch our football, baseball, or our movies, food, drinks, don't think about our beaches in Florida, Texas, Cali, only watch the Canadian hockey teams even when they're playing American teams.

America sucks.... Sure....

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Iginla

Americans hate gays - check

Americans have no universal health care plan - check

areas with extreme poverty (mostly in African American neighborhoods) - check

Gun laws that are an embarassment - check



You couldn't pay me to live in this dirt hole of a country. Sure there are some states that are nice, if you have money, but that still doesn't make it a nice country. A disgraceful country, it really is.

hyperbole much?

I don't hate gays

What about medicare?

Canada doesn't have any poor areas?

gun laws? oh right so Switzerland must be an awful place to live.


So by your standards every yank is like this, that's like saying all Canadians like to say Eh every other word, and live in igloos because it's cold and frozen all year round.

Jesus H. Christ

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

You are saying that a country is a dirt hole because of slavery that happened 150 years ago? No one is saying that America is perfect - but if your rationale is based on slavery from 150 years ago it feels like you are taking a piss, seriously, no one can be that stupid.

Also, shockingly enough, much like some Americans, some Canadians, Swedes, Mexicans, Chinese and Australians also hate homosexuals - shockingly enough being a bigot isn't determined by geographical or political boundaries. Are you honestly serious though in your personal assessment?

He hates us because of his persumed ideas of Americans just like some idiots hate Gay people because their presumed ideas of the gay lifestyle.

Pot meet kettle.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

...which are both also 100% about religion.

Racism and xenophobia do not have to include religion in their reasons. There are plenty of examples otherwise.

Religion is pretty divisive, but humans have found plenty of reasons to hate each other and be scared of each other.

I have a few friends in Norway and got some of their reactions over after the killings. While near everyone deplored the actions of Breviek of course, there is an underground conservative conversation about immigrants and especially Islamic immigrants. Some pretty ugly stuff being said.

Now we can all imagine comments like that cause we've heard equally ignorant stuff in the US and Canada. However, it sticks a little bit more there because unlike the US and Canada which are and always have been immigrant nations, it's a lot easier (rightly or wrongly) to argue Norway being for Norwegians. They have a much longer history, and for lack of a better word 'claim' to their land and keeping it how they want to keep it, even if that includes draconian immigration policies and racism against certain groups of people and immigrants.

For the record I believe strongly in universal human rights and dismiss many of their arguments on moral grounds and the simple fact that it's a global world now and we're going to have to learn to get along with each other anyway. But it is a bit of a different conversation there, and different mood there, because of where they are coming from.

I guess that doesn't really have much to do with whether or not religion was part of the equation, but it's an interesting look anyway.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by pylon

Do not forget about all the freedom and piece of mind we enjoy because of the US and their Military might right next door to us. I may disagree with a lot of the US's policies, but be careful.... we don't exist as is without them.

Not that i entirely disagree but, Australia's military strength is about equal to Canada's yet exist without a big brother next door protecting them.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Not that i entirely disagree but, Australia's military strength is about equal to Canada's yet exist without a big brother next door protecting them.

I'm not starting a war with a country founded by convicts..

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Originally Posted by pylon

I may disagree with a lot of the US's policies, but be careful.... we don't exist as is without them.

Balderdash!

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Not that i entirely disagree but, Australia's military strength is about equal to Canada's yet exist without a big brother next door protecting them.

Well given history Australia exists because of the Americans intervention in WWII...

[PIMking]

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by PIMking

After they were done profiting on it and watching the rest of the allies fight the good fight for about 3 years prior in both wars... :/ .

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Daradon

After they were done profiting on it and watching the rest of the allies fight the good fight for about 3 years prior in both wars... :/ .

Yeah so what? we made money then were smart enough to come in on the winning side and kick some ass... LOL

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Not that i entirely disagree but, Australia's military strength is about equal to Canada's yet exist without a big brother next door protecting them.

Completely different military scenarios

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by PIMking

I'm not starting a war with a country founded by convicts..

I don't blame you for not wanting to invade Canada. We beat you once already.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

I don't blame you for not wanting to invade Canada. We beat you once already.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by nik-

I like Americans, but in general I think they have a problem questioning themselves and get overly defensive and illogical when someone doesn't think the US is the greatest country in the world. I think part of the problem is a lack of education about other countries. When you realize you're not that special, I think you start acting more reasonable. This goes for people and countries.

Agree.

To me it is the education, and the attitude that prevents them from questioning themselves. Over time, their people will come back to earth. They kind of have this brash arrogance but it doesn't ever really seem like it's coming from that person. It always sounds like it's this brainwashed recycled line that their parents or teacher or movie told them.

I was in Vegas recently talking to some chick about the States, and I was treading very carefully about the topic. She was blabbing about how they were the greatest or some ####. I didn't want to insult her, but I just don't think she really understood a lot about the world outside of the U.S.. In general, I never thought firing up a debate about all that plagues her country was a very sensible thing to do, and I thought about how I would feel if a stranger came to Canada and did so.

I remember hearing a stat once, that Americans tend to travel within their country, whereas Canadians tended to visit outside their country. Americans obviously have a lot more to see in their country, but I think travelling is uncomfortable for the average American, raised in what they believed to be the best country in the world and then landing in a place where your faced with the reality that maybe that just isn't completely true.

In my career I have worked for Americans and been friends with many Americans. People are people.

But I'm not sure what's worse, listening to an American drone on about having the best country in the world, or listening to a Canadian act superior, telling the Americans their country sucks (when it doesn't in the least) and by extension behaving very un-Canadian. If we could somehow deport Iginla I'd vote "yes", as his attitude and demeanour in this thread are very unbecoming of what a Canadian is and should be. The reason a person can differentiate themselves as a Canadian, is because you're not supposed to act like an #######. What I find myself able to feel proud about as a Canadian, you just took all those characteristics and #### all over them, and then lit the #### rag on fire, probably with a Canadian flag. Maybe grow up, realize there are no hard and fast truths about anything, and that the problems facing all countries, the U.S. not exclusively, are complex and historically borne.

All of this not to mention the fact that if you get off while kicking a friend when they're down, you're not doing yourself or anybody else any favours, you're basically just a ######bag. Whoops broke my own rule, I guess that's a hard and fast truth.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by PIMking

Yeah so what? we made money then were smart enough to come in on the winning side and kick some ass... LOL

I know your a good guy and don't mean anything by that, but you have to realize that is highly insulting to your allies what you say there jokingly and what unfortunately too many Americans say repeatedly to Brits and Europeans when talking about WW1 and 2.

These 2 wars utterly devastated a whole continent 2 times in 40 years. The loss of life and effect on its people, economies and societies is beyond comprehension. The fact so many nations recovered and are now modern world powers in EU is a testament to all the west, its resilience and help from the US.

There was a lot of bitterness by Europeans regarding the US in ww2 staying out until it was finally attacked, which Britain said was inevitable from the beginning. The amount of lives saved if they had joined the fight from the beginning could have been staggering. Again I play in what ifs here.

Its like the mocking of French we often do here, like any nation on earth could have stopped the onslaught of the Germany juggernaut in either world wars. Calling them cowards, lazy, and other nasty things is commonplace. While the French resistance and people suffered for all those years under a nasty nazi rule.

Ughh anyhow way off topic, just something that really GRINDS MY GEARS

Also probably why Canada is so loved in EU for our contributions in the wars, we went in to fight, we suffered and you never hear Canadians bragging to EU friends about how we kicked so much butt, like this was some game. Bragging about winning a world war is to me incredibly childish and immature, this was a utterly horrendous time in our history and a dark stain on humanity, being boastful and arrogant about that is shameful.

I have had my criticisms about the US but I am far from being anti US, I just feel so sad that this great nation has fallen so far, the politics, the religious right, the society which is so much about ignoring the poor, failing in education, failing in taking care of its children, and a host of other things which a wealthy nation like the US shouldn't be failing, but leading the way.

[nickerjones]

Originally Posted by Thor

There was a lot of bitterness by Europeans regarding the US in ww2 staying out until it was finally attacked, which Britain said was inevitable from the beginning. The amount of lives saved if they had joined the fight from the beginning could have been staggering. Again I play in what ifs here.

I agree with you. However I find it weird that the Europeans were bitter because we waited to get into the war until we were attacked and now Europeans aren't happy because we are "belligerent and war mongering and will go to war at the drop of a hat." ( so said a foreign exchange student I talked to a few months ago.)

[Thor]

Well you don't see the difference? WW2 was a world war where a massive Armies in the West and East mobilized to invade multiple nations threatening the existance of free people in the world.

Since then the only I would say necessary wars have been Korean, Balkans, and the 1st Gulf War.

I wouldn't call America a war monger, but its hard for people to not see them as a war faring nation when the US military is bigger than the next 20 countries combined, has over 500 bases all over the world.