It's election day here in Quebec, time to ponder all things political...

So I was wondering, place of origin notwithstanding, where do you situate yourselves in the political spectrum -- this being far left to far right, with all the shades in the middle.

Personnally, I put myself somewhere at center left. Howz about you?

I've always been a PLQ type of person.... but this election... I'd like a minoirity PQ gov.. get the benefits of the PQ, without the dreaded referendum talks...

So you're more like smack in the Center of the spectrum, or do you lean on one side?

i'm pro-canada, that's a given (seing how I come from a country that has seen 25 years of cival war because of ethnic separations).... The problem is that I'm just not too crazy about some of the political decison charest has taken in the last 4 years, and definitely against some of the changes he's trying to implement...

so I guess that puts me smack in the middle.... problem is the middle is a BAD place to be nowadays... they're all clowns.. so I guess a minority gov will keep everyone in line, while not allowing them to change everything around

quote:

Originally posted by salibas007:
i'm pro-canada, that's a given (seing how I come from a country that has seen 25 years of cival war because of ethnic separations)....

Interesting. And what country is that?

This said, I am a Separatist -- the first time I voted was when I said "Yes" in the 1980 referendum. In a sense, like you, it has to do with my origins : I am a 13th genration "pure wool" French-Canadian.

However, I do not think the situation could ever degenerate into a bloody civil-war-.like conflict. It is simply not, historically, in our nature to be violent in that way. I mean, the only times deaths were generated by the independance thing were in 1837 (the Patriot rebellion, which aimed at democratic reform) and during the events of 1970 (2 or 3 deaths, if I remember correctly).

So, no, this problem does not cross my mind.

Vive le Québec libre!

quote:

Originally posted by salibas007:
so I guess that puts me smack in the middle.... problem is the middle is a BAD place to be nowadays... they're all clowns.. so I guess a minority gov will keep everyone in line, while not allowing them to change everything around

That is a logical way to look at it...

the coutry is Lebanon.

and no, I don't think civil war would explode if Quebec seperates.. but I beleive in strength by unity... how will ever compete with the US, EU, russia and china ??? I very much beleive in a Quebec within Canada (but with our own distinct personality).

if all the efforts and the money spent on trying to separate us was spent on differenciating us, I think we'd all be winners

Is Don Cherry running for office? Seriosly though I should pay more attention to Canadian politics than I do, especially since I get CBC. I'd be willing to wager all of you know much more about American politics than I do yours. Anyways have fun voting. Long live Grapes.

quote:

Originally posted by salibas007:
the coutry is Lebanon.

and no, I don't think civil war would explode if Quebec seperates.. but I beleive in strength by unity... how will ever compete with the US, EU, russia and china ??? I very much beleive in a Quebec within Canada (but with our own distinct personality).

An independant Quebec does not mean closing ourselves off to the rest of the world. It just means redefinig our relationship with the rest of Canada and the world. And, yes, I would prefer to find a solution within the Canadian confederation, but all our efforts in this sense have failed as soon as it came to recognizing our distinctivness -- remember Lake Meech.

Strength in unity? Nice concept, but there just is no true Canadian unity and I don't have to drive very far west to feel that. We are two solitudes.

quote:

Originally posted by salibas007:
if all the efforts and the money spent on trying to separate us was spent on differenciating us, I think we'd all be winners

The line between those two things as become very murky, but I gemerally tend to agree, if it were a perfect world.

you have a point there.... life isn't perfect, and this country is also far from it...

man am I confused... I think I'll probably abstain from voting... i know it will not make any difference, but at least I'll know I haven't ecouraged any of the clowns... or maybe I'll vote for the green party I guess I'll see how I'll feel tonight

quote:

Originally posted by sarctonpsu:
Is Don Cherry running for office?

I think he's the political advisor for all 3 major parties...

I don't get why seperation is so opposed by a lot of people. If there's the will in Quebec, I think there should be a will in the rest of Canada. No offense, but the threat of seperation has given Quebec more power in national politics than they ever should have had.

I'm not saying that Im anti-quebec, I just think the national political picture is a little odd right now. The only problem I see with seperation is that if it goes well, other provinces (Alberta) may threaten the move as a power gesture.

quote:

Originally posted by kwijibo:
I don't get why seperation is so opposed by a lot of people. If there's the will in Quebec, I think there should be a will in the rest of Canada. No offense, but the threat of seperation has given Quebec more power in national politics than they ever should have had.

So true. But it has been a very effective tool for a population that would otherwise have been ignored by the "Anglo masters". It is interesting to note that, at the beginning of the 60s, French-Canadians were the poorest and less educated ethnic group in North-America, just a bit ahead of American Indians.

Times have changed in large part because of the threat of independance. Good or bad? A bit of both...

quote:

Originally posted by kwijibo:
I'm not saying that Im anti-quebec, I just think the national political picture is a little odd right now. The only problem I see with seperation is that if it goes well, other provinces (Alberta) may threaten the move as a power gesture.

Yup, I guess it's time to change the constitution...

quote:

how will ever compete with the US, EU, russia and china?

Canada is a country?

Can u tell me what spectrum www.canadadivided.com is?.
It is the only site ever to ban me.

Have you ever taken one of those political leaning tests online? I've taken several and always come out on the libertarian-right leaning quadrant.

That basically means I hate government's influence in our lives and despise taxes. I also think adults should be able to enjoy their life as they choose. As long as their actions don't impact others, of course!

Wouldn't life be great if the Libertarian party could actually exist, beyond a set of ideals. Just imagine a government run by a person that would like to cut government funding, programs, taxes, and interference in citizens' lives. Alas that will never happen, as there is no way you could convince a party to back someone that plans on eliminating the jobs of fellow politicians.

I and most reasonable people I know (both those who share my views and those who don't) agree with the characterization of my political views as a moderate democrat. Other terms i've used are "left of center" or a "pro-business democrat". Or to people like mikey i'm a kool-aid drinking pinko commie whose brain was transplanted with rosie o'donell's but thats indictive of how many on the far right characterize people who are not as out there as they are. Similarly those on the far left genrally group moderates like me with right-wing greedy selfish gas-guzzling "gov't for the corporations" fascists. So everyone's political spectrum can be relative, but i genrally vote for moderate dems (like bob casey the newly elected junior senator from PA, thank God i could not stand manondog wedidfindproofofWMD's Santorum for another minute) but would not be against voting for a centrist republican if the dem was way out in Nader-land or whatever. For the record, I think rosie has completely lost it and the things she has been saying lately are completely wrong and besides I never liked her in the first place so i hope no one ever mentions a post I made and her name in the same sentence ever again. And yes i voted for Kerry, not because I thought he was God incarnate but because I thought he was the best choice on the ballot and given the events of the past years that has become even more clear in my opinion. Would he have solved all problems? absolutely not, very few people if anyone ever would no matter what the office, but i think he would have made better choices and been more honest and ready to admit mistakes if he had made them which goes along way in the current climate (no inconvenient pun intended). Speaking of which i'm glad goracle isnt going to run because i think the world is best served with him as an environmental advocate, documentarian whatever you want to call what he is doing now rather than an elected official. That being said what has been going on in the White House lately is making me sick; abuses of the Patriot act with wiretapping, Speedy Gonzales lying about firing prosecutors etc just to scratch the surface. These wouldnt have been a big deal themselves but were addressed with blatant dishonesty to congress and the people followed by stubborn arrogance, which can only mean that either they are lying just for the fun of it or more likely there are more serious offences being covered-up which makes it much worse than Clinton lying about getting some head in the oval office (not that i think that was right by any means). Ok so i guess I can't talk about politics without venting a little I'll stop now

Freink, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Far right.

quote:

Originally posted by Pangea:
Far right.

I picture someone on the far right as someone operating gas chambers, lynching blacks and throwing dissenters from airplanes into the Atlantic.