IntenseDebate - Rob Shift

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - What motivated you to ... · 0 replies · +1 points

The Conservatives support fiscal freedom (or, I guess, different fiscal freedom), and the NDP supports more social freedom (or, perhaps, different social freedom).

Anyway, the short answer is: I believe that you'll find that not everyone necessarily votes for what is best for their wallet because they have other priorities.

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - What motivated you to ... · 0 replies · +1 points

Do you believe that any of the leaders of political parties are not 'focused and serious' about doing 'a good job for the whole of Canada'? I think you very much underestimate the folks that hold different political beliefs than you.

Also, you didn't answer my question. Can you please define 'common sense'?

I have a theory about the use of the phrase in politics. I believe that politicians get away with using 'common sense' to describe their platforms, and never have to actually define them. People vote for them because, well, the phrase 'common sense' means the same thing to everyone: 'what I think everyone else should think'. Which works out pretty damn well for a politician.

The challenge is that when you actually define what it is that you think everyone else should think (i.e. common sense), it tends to be different from person to person. Of course, it never gets that far, and politicians don't ever have to articulate their platform, which means they can't be called out on their promises (because they didn't make any), but they still get to appeal to everyone who thinks that their own common sense should rule the world.

It's a marvelous scam. I wish I had thought of it.

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - What motivated you to ... · 3 replies · +1 points

Can you please define 'common sense'? I've always been curious what that means with regard to a politician.

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - What motivated you to ... · 0 replies · -2 points

Mr. Kenney receives 80% of the vote, so it doesn't matter who I vote for. Plus, and I'll address this to his office, I really dislike receiving patronizing responses to six month old inquiries. Next time, rather than responding only when an election is called, I would prefer that you just didn't bother.

With regard to the poll: A mixture of spite and novelty. Next time I think I might leave a drawing on my ballot. Or, maybe I'll mark an 'X' next to all of the incorrect answers (are there any correct answers?). Maybe rank them in order of preference (how do I rank them when they're all an equal waste of time?)

A friend of mine who immigrated from China once told me a story about a Chinese election. Someone walked up to him and told him to vote. He responded that he had no idea who either candidate was so he didn't know who to vote for. He was told that it didn't matter who he voted for, just that he voted. And so he voted... For the guy who had a similar name as him.

Which, if you think about it, is basically the same process a great many Canadians go through every election.

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Alternate realities · 0 replies · +4 points

Funny, you would think that - living in Alberta - I'd be used to the opinion that democracy means shutting up and supporting the will of the majority. But I guess I just have a contrarian nature, and think that one of the core tenets of democracy means being able to 'whine about it' and 'curse the stupid proles' to my heart's content.

Please forgive me kind sir, I didn't know that my role was to keep my mouth shut, my head down, and paying my taxes like a good little citizen.

Back on topic, I truly don't understand why people would be against a system that better reflects the will of the people. It just doesn't make sense to me. My understanding is that there were several reasons for the way the vote went, many of them having little or nothing to do with the actual electoral system, but that could just be AV supporters complaining about a better campaign by AV opponents.

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - What motivated you to ... · 0 replies · +3 points

Or, its a very expensive excersize that may or may not have any real impact on crime rates (which have been falling for the last 15-20 years), but will cost a very significant amount of money, and will infringe on numerous individual rights.

For example: The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Alternate realities · 3 replies · 0 points

The warm-and-fuzzies? Do you mean democracy? Yes, it is too bad that Britain voted against the opportunity to make a better political system.

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Alternate realities · 0 replies · 0 points

Or, it forces political parties to be more moderate in order to appeal to a broader audience.

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Alternate realities · 7 replies · +4 points

The idea of Alternative Voting is to get what a majority of people would be happy with, rather than people voting against what they don't want, or a minority of people electing a dictatorship over the majority.

There are some great AV advocacy videos coming out of Britain at the moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm5IBhrq_PU

12 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Conservative MP says g... · 0 replies · +1 points

I'm basically going to spend the next 4 to 8 years wondering when the social conservatism that represents the majority base of this party, is going to leak through into other matters of substance.

Such as a crime bill that grants law enforcement the ability to inspect your Internet traffic without a warrant?

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

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