tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post115202033743793000..comments2023-10-31T11:37:50.028-04:00Comments on on life & other inconveniences: Why I can’t read John Rickards’ blog anymoreSandra Ruttanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152649933097980022006-07-11T16:32:00.000-04:002006-07-11T16:32:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152649901406308262006-07-11T16:31:00.000-04:002006-07-11T16:31:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152140549248368872006-07-05T19:02:00.000-04:002006-07-05T19:02:00.000-04:00Sandra I hate people like that too. You say somet...Sandra I hate people like that too. You say something bad about the government and somehow you are anti-american. Bush is very good at using this to his advantage. He tries to push through some stupid legislation and people disagree with it and they end up being called anti-american. They try to confuse the issues by throwing around the anti-american lable and it drives me nuts. And Bill Cameron is right when he said "As far as I can tell, the only people who have representation in the U.S government are "people" whose last names are "Inc." or "Ltd."" Big business gets all the breaks while the rest of us get taken to the cleaners.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07592231080156766441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152065122954425082006-07-04T22:05:00.000-04:002006-07-04T22:05:00.000-04:00If I have one complaint with some Americans - I st...If I have one complaint with some Americans - I stress SOME - it's this. With some people, any comment about government shortcomings or things that could be done differently or problems in the US is taken as a broad, sweeping attack on the nation as a whole.<BR/><BR/>I've traveled extensively in the US. Not as much as I'd like, either. I have many friends who are Americans. So, when I point out something that I think could see some improvement, it isn't meant as an attack on the whole country. Hell, the lousy UK rail system is so frickin' annoying I have to call 10 phone numbers to book 4 tickets! Yet I love the UK. <BR/><BR/>I could go all night listing things about my own country that I'd like to see changed. It doesn't mean I don't love my country. It means that, in the same way a parent that really loves their child accepts them but still wants to help them improve so that they'll be the best person they can be, I want to see Canada do better, too. When people project a strong "we're perfect, how dare you criticize us" attitude, people see them as conceited, arrogant and unreproachable. And you know the saying - pride comes before a fall. In the same way good people are willing to look at themselves and address things that could be changed or improved, the citizens of a nation do the same for their country. If I didn't care about the US, I wouldn't waste breath commenting on it. I feel reluctant to say all I think sometimes, but there's room for growth, for improvement, in both of our countries.<BR/><BR/>Don't think the US is the only country that uses political pressure to get what it wants! Not for a second.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152064470027857662006-07-04T21:54:00.000-04:002006-07-04T21:54:00.000-04:00hehe Now, that's an interesting point, Sandra.I'v...hehe Now, that's an interesting point, Sandra.<BR/><BR/>I've often wondered about how others in the world view the U.S. Certainly, I can appreciate a few of the things that would vex other nations. That the U.S. has fits and rants about sanctions for nations developing nuclear weapons still has me wondering when a news agency will get the balls to ask a politician, "Don't you think the U.S. is being a little hypocritical about this considering we have nuclear weapons and there aren't any sanctions against us because of it?"Bill, the Wildcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137557955170758994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152062344135732382006-07-04T21:19:00.000-04:002006-07-04T21:19:00.000-04:00As far as I can tell, the only people who have rep...As far as I can tell, the only people who have representation in the U.S government are "people" whose last names are "Inc." or "Ltd."Bill Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04796321136771189464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152060615031181352006-07-04T20:50:00.000-04:002006-07-04T20:50:00.000-04:00So, can I be opposed to the US because I don't hav...So, can I be opposed to the US because I don't have gov't representation there?Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152060450013345532006-07-04T20:47:00.000-04:002006-07-04T20:47:00.000-04:00Lisa, an interesting point. Don't forget the main...Lisa, an interesting point. Don't forget the main issue was all that being imposed without representation, though.Bill, the Wildcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137557955170758994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152059165431418102006-07-04T20:26:00.000-04:002006-07-04T20:26:00.000-04:00"So even though you think you might have nothing t..."So even though you think you might have nothing to fear, in fact we have everything to fear because once stained with the criminal brush it will never wash out."<BR/><BR/>Well said Amra.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152052009134542972006-07-04T18:26:00.000-04:002006-07-04T18:26:00.000-04:00Times have changed, haven't they Lisa?!I think the...Times have changed, haven't they Lisa?!<BR/><BR/>I think the other issue, of course, is that some people here don't mind. I've heard more "we should join the US" sentiment in the past five years than in the preceding 30. But the Alberta separatists got quiet when Stephen Harper became PM, something for which I thank Mr. Harper for. I noticed they changed the "separation long overdue" sign on the highway to "more power for the provinces" though.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152051787412116092006-07-04T18:23:00.000-04:002006-07-04T18:23:00.000-04:00It's strange to me to see the U.S. government beha...It's strange to me to see the U.S. government behaving so intrusively. After all, this is a country that had a revolution over taxes on tea and having to buy stamps. In the 1770s, Americans thought THAT was a government abuse of power.Lisa Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16273391238820872246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152051222180450382006-07-04T18:13:00.000-04:002006-07-04T18:13:00.000-04:00It's okay Boy Kim. They aren't monitoring yet!Wel...It's okay Boy Kim. They aren't monitoring yet!<BR/><BR/>Well, Andrea, I wonder how long before the CIA is monitoring my blog?! LOL! Might have to scrap those BoucherCon plans after all!<BR/><BR/>Bill, it's interesting you're able to walk that fine line. I can understand those "logical steps" - it's where they draw the line to stop it from getting out of hand that concerns me.<BR/><BR/>It's also funny to think of paying people through my taxes to spy on...ME! Like I'm so important. Not.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152045191208717542006-07-04T16:33:00.000-04:002006-07-04T16:33:00.000-04:00As far as monitoring Internet activity, I don't kn...As far as monitoring Internet activity, I don't know that I'm entirely opposed to that. My only reservations are: 1-How do you pick where and when to focus on an individual? 2-The aforementioned worry of what happens if a government I don't approve of gets its hands on these privileges?<BR/><BR/>For one book I was writing, I researched online about nuclear missiles and missile silos, so I certainly would have reason to worry about this kind of monitoring. Yes, my reasons for this research were benign, but how is a so-called government watch dog to know the difference?<BR/><BR/>I can say I didn't oppose the recent controversy of the CIA going into bank records as a means to "follow the money" to terrorists. That struck me as a rather logical step.Bill, the Wildcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137557955170758994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152044642053606232006-07-04T16:24:00.000-04:002006-07-04T16:24:00.000-04:00Warrent, they need a fricking warrent! No no no t...Warrent, they need a fricking warrent! No no no they shouldn't have unfettered access to what we do online...that's our business. That's like good old George W. accessing our phone records...hello what's up with that? Like another poster said I'm not afraid of the terrorist...my government right now terrifies me. They want to take away every freedom I have. It may be for "good reasons" but in the end they will use it for bad reasons or for any reason they want to. Give them too much rope and they will strangle us. And don't get me started on George W. he is an imecile, an ass, a scary person and how he every became president boggles my mind. Oh wait he controlled all the electronic voting machines so he could win...oh wait did I say that out loud? And just think about the fact that he has his finger on the button for nuclear weapons...just inspires confidence don't it?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07592231080156766441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152044523847754422006-07-04T16:22:00.000-04:002006-07-04T16:22:00.000-04:00And I was going to get you a "if you're Canadian, ...And I was going to get you a "if you're Canadian, show me your beaver" t shirt with tracking software in it.<BR/><BR/>Then you went and mentioned Walmart.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152037504681848312006-07-04T14:25:00.000-04:002006-07-04T14:25:00.000-04:00Online monitoring laws are daft anyway since legit...Online monitoring laws are daft anyway since legitimate monitoring for criminal cunning (paedophiles et al) is already doable and Joe Hacker/Spammer is going to be smart enough to either cloak their IP or originate all their stuff from an ISP well outside Canada/USA/wherever. John Q Doingnothing is going to be the only person further affected by it.<BR/><BR/>But hey, people still shop at Walmart. Now there's some scary monitoring stuff.John Rickardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01229977761672883485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152035092152505462006-07-04T13:44:00.000-04:002006-07-04T13:44:00.000-04:00OMG, we really are twins Bill! I'm the exact same...OMG, we really are twins Bill! I'm the exact same, a moderate voice of reason able to listen and consider without ever jumping to a conclusion, never feel the need to shoot off my mouth about my opinion and am always diplomatic.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152034732606096512006-07-04T13:38:00.000-04:002006-07-04T13:38:00.000-04:00I am shy and retiring and I have no opinions.I am shy and retiring and I have no opinions.Bill Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04796321136771189464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152034138088739472006-07-04T13:28:00.000-04:002006-07-04T13:28:00.000-04:00Trace, you're right - total invasion.Bill, tell us...Trace, you're right - total invasion.<BR/><BR/>Bill, tell us what you really think! LOL!<BR/><BR/>Mindy, we have to work on that. Maybe we should compile a list of x-rated phrases for you to work into a Lala story.<BR/><BR/>Call it artistic growth...Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152033933343009062006-07-04T13:25:00.000-04:002006-07-04T13:25:00.000-04:00When I'm not in 'social mode', I'm so quiet (nobod...When I'm not in 'social mode', I'm so quiet (nobody believes it, but it's true) that I think my neighbors would be shocked to find out I talk online at all. I don't talk about anything much interesting at my blog, anyway. Those government types would be disappointed. I don't even have people googling in for unusual sex acts.Mindy Tarquinihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02970872751327021013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152030031733530282006-07-04T12:20:00.000-04:002006-07-04T12:20:00.000-04:00In my view, civil liberties should trump fear. And...In my view, civil liberties should trump fear. And it's become something of a cliché, but when we give in to our fear, the terrorists win.<BR/><BR/>Ultimately, every time some so-called freedom-loving government enacts a law (or in the case of the Bush administration acts outside the law) to infringe upon the civil liberties of its citizens, a piece of the freedom so many claim to cherish dies. How long before it's simply gone, chipped away to nothing by fear?<BR/><BR/>I'm not afraid of terrorists. I'm afraid of those people who support their government spying on themselves and their fellow citizens, who support the destruction of civil liberties and human rights as a sop to their anxiety. And I'm angry at politicians who manipulate fear to gain power and destroy the rights of those whom they purport to lead. <BR/><BR/>If freedom is so precious, why are so many willing to sacrifice it?<BR/><BR/>In recent years, Ben Franklin has been given quite the workout, but if he has to be quoted ad infinitum until he is finally heard, then so be it: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."Bill Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04796321136771189464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152028019678115472006-07-04T11:46:00.000-04:002006-07-04T11:46:00.000-04:00Laugh away, James. I smirked when I typed it.The ...Laugh away, James. I smirked when I typed it.<BR/><BR/>The right to hold people without charges is serious, and don't start me on Guantanamo Bay either. Or... well, a few other things Bush has done.<BR/><BR/>That said, I guess the thing is that I understand the very real fears that people have. Some people actually want this. This was originally a Liberal government bill that died when the gov't did. I'm not sure I blame Stephen, personally, but rather the political pressures of the day. We're also under a lot of pressure from the US to tighten up our national security, and that doesn't get shrugged off lightly. Forget right and wrong when it comes to playing politics - the same people who want softwood lumber and mad cow and other trade disputes resolved are sometimes - I stress sometimes - willing to trade some of our rights and freedoms for the financial gain. It's all posturing, and a lot of the policy around terror bills and things like this is coming via pressure from Dubya.<BR/><BR/>Not that I want that to come off sounding anti-American. It's just that we don't make our decisions in a vaccuum, not anymore, if ever. But especially, external involvement in domestic laws has increased since 9/11. A lot of people are reported to still believe the 9/11 terrorists came from Canada, because it's more comfortable to believe that they couldn't have gotten in any other way than slipping across a border with insufficient protection. It's given rise to the Minute Men monitoring our borders on the US side, and there's a lot of finger pointing that goes on.<BR/><BR/>I'm not saying we're perfect, but there's a lot of pressure to just do stuff to make it look like we're fixing perceived problems when, frankly, our airport security has always been tighter than airport security in the US, for one thing. I've flow in and out of Minneapolis and Detroit, Houston, Chicago, to name a few places. Compared to Tunisia, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, London England, Japan... many other places I could mention, my experiences in the US were pretty lax, and that included flying in and out during the first Gulf War.<BR/><BR/>So, sometimes, people want to shut their eyes to the things in their own back yard and focus on shortcomings elsewhere because it's easier to deal with, but it's a real problem for us. We're already bad for not going to war in Iraq, and the government is trying to deal with international relations, unfortunately at the expense of the rights of our citizens.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152027935658437222006-07-04T11:45:00.000-04:002006-07-04T11:45:00.000-04:00It is a scary world out there. So many things disq...It is a scary world out there. So many things disquised as being for our own good, when really it's just a total invasion of privacy and control.Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Serieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12239533451929739327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152027096610209222006-07-04T11:31:00.000-04:002006-07-04T11:31:00.000-04:00"Ultimately, I have nothing to fear, because I’m n..."Ultimately, I have nothing to fear, because I’m not a criminal."<BR/><BR/>* Tries not to laugh mirthlessly *<BR/><BR/>This is a very thought-provoking post, Sandra, and something I could rant about for hours. Freedoms we used to take for granted are being slowly (and sometimes not so slowly) whittled away. Our government recently lost its attempt to have the right to detain suspects for ninety days without charge. That's right THREE MONTHS. WITHOUT CHARGE. Whatever happened to habeus corpus? Fortunately parliament threw the bill out. But less than half a year later, it's being debated again.<BR/><BR/>And don't even get me started about Guantanamo Bay and all the other illegal things being justified by the so-called 'war on terror'. Just WTF do the US administration think they're doing? As I recall, the Pilgrim Fathers came to America to escape religious persecution in Europe...<BR/><BR/>Two quotes: 'The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.' (Thomas Jefferson) - and I'd add that vigilance is up to each and every individual - it's not something a state can do. And:<BR/>'Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.' (Benjamin Franklin)<BR/><BR/>American politicians used to be quite bright.<BR/><BR/>I think we should all band together and agree that every day we will post or email at least one message each containing the words 'assassinate George W Bush' and see how well the internet monitors cope. I'm quite happy to add 'Stephen Harper' to that if it helps.JamesOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09332376784689207703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18499463.post-1152026304126925092006-07-04T11:18:00.000-04:002006-07-04T11:18:00.000-04:00Cheers Patrick! I'm not going to disagree with yo...Cheers Patrick! I'm not going to disagree with you.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.com