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Tom Monto

Politics does not produce cut and dried rules

There are rules and then there are rules.


There has been much written about respect for authority in Canada and sometimes it is in the shape of comparison between this country and the U.S.


My view is that here is more trust between government and the people in Canada than in the States.


But at the same time that has be to be juxtaposed with these phenomena:


Canada did not bring in conscription in both world wars until the late stages. While right after Japan declared war on the U.S., the U.S. which had been staying out of the war for the previous two years, immediately brought in the draft. There would be no choice offered its citizens -- except those of course who wanted to and were able to get out of it because of enrollment in college or strings that could be pulled).


But Canada in WWI had one of the largest enlistment rates of any country. It is said that Canada alone of the Americas has in each small town or village a memorial to the local men that died in WWI. It death toll compared to its population base exceeded the U.S. losses in the Vietnam War.


Although the U.S.. authorities are quick to make rules and laws, the recent attack on the U.S. Capital and the ongoing anti-masking protests show that some/many U.S.-ians do not abide by laws. (The Capital had not been so damaged since British and Canadian soldiers captured Washington during the War of 1812. The damage caused by this force was retaliation for the way U.S. troops had formerly burnt down Moraviantown and early Toronto.)


Canadian authorities on the other hand have a softer approach. Laws to some degree are more guidelines.


Only now after repeated offences has the anti-COVID-precaution pastor been put in jail.

What he was doing was against the rules but the government did not immediately hurry to take action, hoping public unction would pull him into line. How different the government would have acted if the pastor had been Native or leftist is a different question.)


Perhaps this stems from the Canadians' old defence against bad laws -- just leaving the East and moving to the younger less-tamed West or leaving bad rule in a town or city and simply going out to the bush. Not a primeval forest, no blank slate -- but, land being affordably priced, it is actually possible for an embittered city resident to flee to a little spot of land bought outside human's artificial dictates.


Of course purchase of land is out of reach for many urban dwellers. They are trapped in cities, cities that are usually governed by those who care more for exotic recreation and novel infrastructure - new arena, gondolas, LRT lines running right through historic districts, inclined elevator - while not putting money into clearing snow and ice from the end of alleys or ensuring adequate homeless shelters or providing needed employment.

A city that would rather hire a large vacuum vehicle to drive on the sidewalk and suck up cigarette butts than hire unemployed men to sweep it up neatly and without rush and hassle with a broom and pan. providing employment where needed not to some factory worker far away removed form this city.


a city that has privatized its tax system at least in part by establishing business revitalization zones that impose levy (a tax by another name) on businesses that the city then enforces, with no democratic accountability. No properly unsupervised secret vote, no proper voting booth or even a proper announcement of the voting results (why no announcement? Because the organizers don't want people to know how few people actually vote in the BRZ elections.)


BRZs should be either voluntary, or properly democratic, or discontinued altogether, with the city taking over the things BRZs do just as the city used to.


Many people probably want to escape a city that does little to address pedestrian safety.

A man was killed at the corner of 101 and 82 Avenue and the city has done nothing to make the crossing safer, for example.


and what is up with the crossing on the east side of 91 St. and Whyte Avenue, does the city expect people to stand on the road way to await the walk signal to make the crossing or to stand way back on the sidewalk behind the service road. Come on.


And any good things the city builds are up for cancellation any time. It is frustrating that the city would tear down a perfectly good pedestrian bridge across the river for example.

You know that just when people start to get used to the scramble crossing at 105th and 82 Avenue you know the city will take it out.


Edmonton city elections

more than half the votes are disregarded.

we need proportional representation here just as much as at the provincial and federal levels.




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