Proposed Alliance/Pc party

[cowman]

Strawboss: Hey it would be a pretty boring world if one of us stated something and we all just nodded our heads in agreement! A variety of opinion is what makes the world go around. And I can see value in some of what you say but still disagee, right? So go to it, it livens up this forum!
Wilagro: Realize that Doug Christie is a politician and a free speech advocate. So he uses rhetoric and might overstate some things. I have heard him speak and he is pretty good! The main stream media has tried to portray him as a Nazi or something because he represents some pretty bad old boys in court! But he does believe that someone has to do it! Someone has to stand up for free speech and for the rights of everyone, not just the politically correct!
I did not know he was trying to post here!!! Now he would make this site rock and roll without a doubt!
You should also realize that the WCC(Christies Independence Party) was once a force in Alberta...actually elected one MLA in Olds/Didsbury! They held rallies all over Alberta and they were packed! The amazing thing was the attendance...not wild eyed radicals but a solid number of respected businessmen and farmers. For a variety of reasons the WCC dropped the ball and have become a pretty weak party, mostly in B.C. I am pretty sure they are never going to amount to much and Christie is pretty much a voice crying in the wilderness.

[ivbinconned]

Cristie has always been like a lightning rod, drawing a vicious responce from liberal, phoney federalist and left wing types!

I think I flushed a couple out here...what fun.

Notice how the critics attack...never addressing the substance of the comments. Just name calling etc. Well... sticks and stones....

I hope this was a short enough post...some have short attention spans.

Enjoy your coffee....

[wilagro]

If you want to be conned by Doug Christie that is your business. I am neither left-wing or particularly federalist. I believe in responsible private enterprise otherwise I wouldn't be farming.

Hows that for free speech?

[ivbinconned]

wilagrow; a con artist always has some big payoff coming to them, otherwise they wouldn't attempt the con.

Please explain what reward Cristie has personally gained by advocating Western Canadian Independance for the past 25 years.

Seems to me that if he was driven by personal gain he would have climbed on to some other political band wagon!!

And please tell us...do you really think that the west has not had any legitimate grevinces with regard to treatment in CONfederation.

[StrawBoss]

ivbinconned--Liberal phony federalist and left wing type is name calling--- saying someone comments are garbage is addressing the substance of the comments.

[cowman]

Wilagro: I like how you describe your belief in "responsible free enterprize". I think that is a pretty fair description of a small C conservative. I'd have to join you on that one!
We all have our own perception of how we see the world and that is our right! Hopefully we also have the right to stand up and express that perception? Dismissing the others views as garbage or to portray them as idiots is not the way to go. Trying to understand anothers viewpoint can be difficult. You don't have to agree with them, you can even challenge their view, but it doesn't have to degenerate into the tactics of the schoolyard.

[ivbinconned]

I guess that dismissing some one elses views and words as "crap" or "garbage" with out the slightest attempt to counter with intelligent debate must feel real good.

It completely eliminates the need to think.

[cakadu]

Believe it or not, there are some commonalities in this thread. Many of the parties have been around for a while and have witnessed much political ado over the years.

Another commonality is the feeling that there is a need for change and recognizing that what we have had up to now, hasn't been working for all of us the way it could be.

It appears to me that there is some agreement that new leadership and new ways of doing things are the order of business for a better future for all Canadians.

How we get there is another story. I agree with Cowman that we don't need to all agree with one another even though we should try and understand the other persons point of view. Understanding does NOT mean agreement.

I for one believe that out of debate - with the personal kept out of it - grow the answers that will help to build a better tomorrow. It wouldn't be a very interesting nor forward thinking or moving world if we all agreed.

Apathy is what hurts us a lot - each election we hear of numbers going down in terms of voter turnout. When was the last time we had more than 60% vote? From a political standpoint one of the few things that bothers me is when people point out what the politicians are doing wrong and they never voted -whether it be in the municipal, provincial or federal elections.

I also believe that along with the statements about what the problems are have to come solutions. My mom always told me that one must be careful with finger pointing because there are always 3 pointing back at you.

How can we ensure that positive change occurs?

[cowman]

You are totally right about the apathy thing Linda. We are better than the USA but it is still pretty sad. Municipal elections seem to be the worst and yet they affect our lives in a big way. The lack of political parties in the municipal elections should give us a better choice of candidate and yet it doesn't. We tend to either get two people running in a district or one declared by acclamation!
In Alberta most of us don't really get a choice provincially or federally! Only at the party nomination level. I mean if you are the PC rep at the provincial level you are in. At the federal level if you are Reform/Alliance you are in. The ones who can't stomach those candidates vote the protest vote...liberal, NDP, Rhinosorous or various radical parties that come and go! Well I'm getting tired of voting the protest vote!
So provincial and federal politics are in fact a wash, but not municipal politics! Because there actually is a chance for change and responsible government at that level! Those county politicians are where the rubber meets the road(literally!) and they seem to be the most effective! If your road is bad you just give your councillor a call and things happen! If you call your MLA or MP you get a form letter thanking you for your concern, there working like beavers etc.etc. You know the old kiss off?