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Culture War Roundup for the week of March 17, 2025

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One thing that annoys me a lot is that I don’t even think Poilievre was slow to denounce the tariffs or other Trump policies (I recall seeing articles about him denouncing them the day they were announced) - I feel like the internet (generously aided by what was probably an advertising blitz for Carney) decided to ignore it.

One thing that happens in Canadian politics is that as a conservative, you do not have any of the leeway granted to a LPC or NDP candidate. Most donations to the LPC are close to the donation limit, and they facilitate the largest transfer of wealth out of the middle class? Well obviously the CPC is the party of neo-feudalism and big business. LPC candidate literally raised from birth to be prime minister with a multi-million trust fund while the CPC candidate was adopted and raised by a middle class family? Clearly the CPC candidate is the elitist.

It’s really frustrating how little people seem to react to the facts on their own. Someone who votes for Carney because he doesn’t care for Poilievre is infinitely more palatable to me than someone who votes for Carney because Poilievre is secretly in the pocket of big business.

One thing that happens in Canadian politics is that as a Reformer, you do not have any of the leeway granted to a Big City Interest candidate

Don't think I have to say anything more than that, really. There are no checks and balances to prevent them from screwing up the rest of the country like there are in the US, which is why this divide is permanent in a way it really isn't there. It's the same problem all one-party states suffer from.

It’s really frustrating how little people seem to react to the facts on their own.

At this point I don't think there's any compromise.

Canada is hardly a one-party state. Sure, the Liberals have been in charge for almost ten years, but before that the Conservatives were similarly in charge for almost ten years.

But I agree that Canada just doesn't have the same checks and balances as the US, either for offices or for individuals. The only thing keeping a PM from being in office for life is that eventually something bad will happen that they'll have to take the blame for. I do wonder how much that's uniquely Canadian vs just being a feature of parliamentary systems.

I do wonder how much that's uniquely Canadian vs just being a feature of parliamentary systems.

Uniquely Canadian is an oxymoron. Also, this is a design feature of Parliamentary systems.

Canada is hardly a one-party state.

Canada in 2006 was not as harshly divided urban/rural as it is now. The ultimate problem is that one specific hyper-urbanized area is able to dominate Canadian politics to the detriment of everyone else, so if it votes as a bloc (and it does far more often than not) for any variety of reasons there aren't any moderating factors (no law, no bill of rights[1], no separation of powers) to slow them down.

Actually, that's another design feature of Parliamentary systems, since the entire reason that system exists is to let London do exactly that to the rest of England. You don't vote for an MP and who they are is irrelevant (again by design- wouldn't want individual members being accountable to the public or anything); you vote for a party and that's it.

[1] Before you say "but the Charter", I will remind you of Section 1, which exists to nullify the entire thing and make it more of a polite suggestion than anything that can be used to defend oneself against government overreach.

Could you elaborate on this ? Do you mean the GTA ?

25% of Canada's population lives inside of Greater Toronto and Greater Montreal. Ofc they get to decide regional and national outcomes.

  • Greater Toronto controls Ontario.
  • Greater Montreal controls Quebec
  • BC / Vancouver are wild cards
  • Greater Montreal + Greater Toronto control national politics because they have more people than all the remaining provinces combined (Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland)

For all intents and purposes, the nation of Canada is one consequential urban corridor containing 50% of its population (Quebec City -> Toronto). The remaining Russia sized mass doesn't get a say, because it is the minority. That is how it should be. For comparison, the Boston - NYC - Philly - Baltimore - DC corridor only contains 14% of Americans.

the nation of Canada is one consequential urban corridor containing 50% of its population (Quebec City -> Toronto)

Which is why it should be its own country. They have very little in common with those outside there and everything they do is destructive to those outside of it.

That is how it should be.