I wonder where the Canadians are going to illegally immigrate to ... beware polar bears, hehehe.

LOL, sorry BoobzTwo but thats like saying that Australians will immigrate to the outback.   Polar bears are Canadian except the few in Alaska that keep trying to migrate to Canada. Canadians go to Cuba   where we thaw out.

Cuba might not be a bad place to sit out the nuclear winter as they WILL have one of the best health care systems to survive ... unless some capitalist pig decides to target practice, Cuba being such a threat to the USA USG and all. We can bring all the polar bears and a few kangaroos for company.

It's funny how many Americans cross into Canada to go to Cuba  .

I also had to laugh at a bartender in Cuba who guessed very quickly that I was Canadian. How did you guess that? I asked. He said "your polite". I realize it was probably a sly way to get more tips though.

I never had the pleasure of going to Cuba. I did take some time out to travel a bit in the Philippines (and Scotland (Edinburgh and Glasgow), Australia (Perth), Mexico and Canada). Tour busses went to the usual places … and I used the local transport and went elsewhere, go figure. The further I got from direct western influence well it was like night and day. The people I met and talked to were of all surprises normal human beings, go figure. For the most part, that pretty much applies here in America too … one just has to get away from the Megalopolises … and the politics that pervades everything in our daily lives.

Cuba was fantastic, nothing at all like its portrayed in the media. People are super friendly. Loads of old classic cars because of no new US imports. Granted its been along time, things do change.

Funny that, huh? Nobody is stopping the rest of the world from trading with Cuba, yet somehow it's the US's fault they can't get new cars, lol. It is rough when a country can't get one of those lopsided trade deals (not in the USA's favor) from Uncle Sam. Well at least we can see how the rest of the world steps up to help "poor Cuba". Perhaps the rest of the world isn't as stuiped as the US. BTW did you stay in one of those foreigner only hotels? The ones that locals either are not allowed to stay at or could never afford it? Yep, plenty of lovely third world countries out there.

You are well off your rocker to think Cuba is 3rd world just because they dont buy a new American car every year. Lots and lots of new vehicles (OK mostly ladas) but also tons of old classics, they rust away real quick in Canada so I see a difference. The one I did own I had to buy parts from texas.

 No that was Jamaica. It was recommended that we not leave the resort which was like a high class prison with big walls and barbed wire. Granted there was lots of strikes at the time.

If I want to see 3rd world I just cross the border into Buffalo NY 

Not sure where you concluded I believe Cuba is 3rd world because they can't buy a new US car. What I did say is where are the German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean cars, or other products and investments in Cuba for that matter? Some folks like to blame the US embargo for the condition Cuba is in. So where is the rest of the world? Why is the US expected to be the one to "dig deep" in its pocket. You didn't address that, so I'll help you: There is no profit to be had in Cuba, and the rest of the world knows it. They can only roll so many cigars. Of course the Cuban gov. loves those tourist dollars. They buy the foreign currency from the businesses and makes money selling their own currency back to the people, at a profit of course. There's always the black market though.

So how many Cubans you met had the opportunity to travel to Canada (or anywhere)? How well traveled a nations average person is a pretty fair indicator of their status. Of course I don't count a raft to Florida as "travel". I also don't expect most Cuban fall under the term "average" by industrialized nations standards. 

Yeah, the gov is now putting up signs along the US southern border that it is unsafe to go there. I heard that about Jamaica, but I've no desire to go there. Been to Cuba a few times, but that was beautiful Guantanamo Bay. Safe, sound and very pleasant. If I ever have to go to prison, that's were I'd choose to go. 

Sure, wait a few more years it will even be worse, The US is rapidly becoming a third world country. Many people arriving here had no desire to fix where they came from, yet don't hesitate to bring the same problems with them. They don't integrate, they want the rules changed to make them special or protected. Wrap that together with a large segment of the population that have no clue, or fail to realize that we cannot keep spending money we don't have. Yep, we'll soon see how the world helps the once most generous nation the planet has ever seen. I don't expect much.

Interesting thoughts about Cuba. But I guess going on vacation for a few days constitutes a good understanding of how great Cuba really is. What I can't help but figure out is why so many Cubans risk life and limb to cross the waters between Cuba and Florida to become US residents since everyone who goes to Cuba on vacation says that Cuba is great and all.

I have friends from Cuba, my mother in laws husband is Cuban. His son came from Cuba a few years ago thru one of those lottery things that allow Cuban citizens to get visas and leave the country. Neither one had anything good to say about Cuba besides enjoying being around their families and friends. Life in Cuba was tough for them and life in the US is more than a blessing but something they don't plan on letting go any time soon.

You can fool yourself into believing there is nothing wrong with Cuba when you stay in nice hotels and you have foreign currency to spend there. I dare anyone who talks this way to stay in Cuba for a long period of time, several months, and live the way Cubans do, in poverty, under Cuban rule and then tell me if you still think the same way about Cuba.

I am Puerto Rican because of my parents. I like visiting the country for vacation, but living there sucks. Everything in PR is just like the US, except for wages. Everything cost the same there as it does here but you have less money to spend. No thanks, I'm OK with the US.

Most Canadians welcome people from all over the world, Americans are no different. I say any American that wants to be a Canadian, come on over and don't forget to trade in your hand guns for a hockey stick on the way. 

LOL, I finally found the whole email being spread. http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/06/17/liberals-sneaking-into-canada/

I am pretty sure Red Greenfield is Red Green, Canadian Comedy show host.

LOL yes you can bring your hunting rifle, we are real big on hunting (not each other) and fishing (not for war). No you dont need to be packing when you leave your house. There are some gang problems in the big cities like every big city. Most people I know dont lock there doors even at night or when they leave the house. Kids walk to school on there own without armed escort.I know, it's like a fairy tail. Almost a million in the tri-city area where I live. Biggest stories here are all the marijuana grow ops  . Canadians love there Ganga, and beer.

Edit: French is big in Quebec and parts of Nova Scotia. Quebec is very protective of there language as they rightly don't want to see it disappear. For English you must learn to add "eh" at the end of most sentences though. It comes quickly. For some reason we all have an uncle named Bob. "Bob's yur uncle eh". I have never heard a Canadian use this but every American I meet seems to think that's how we greet each other. Go figure.

I have been looking for some reliable information on al- al-Qaeda and bin-Laden and the CIA ... and I think this is a very reputable place to start. This is a 6 series video (~10 min ea.) … and it is well worth watching … anyone interested in accurate facts IMO.

Ahhhh Noooo, dont post that here. US military computers are now calculating that al Qaeda are crossing Canadian Borders. Some printout somewhere will be handed to the President that we have proof of terrorists crossing into Canada. I  am heading outside to start on my bunker. 

"Mr President, a group of terrorists known as beavers has claimed responsibility for the attack on american citizens in Canada. They put the gory attack on the networks into...     a    beer commercial. Should we raise the alert level?". 

"Yes Mr President, the beavers are communists in cooperation with al Qaeda who plan on using a series of 6 Classic Car Bombs with some unknown explosive code named Ganga".

Update:

"Mr President, we have captured an enemy combatant in Canada".

"How could you tell?"

"He had a high power rifle and he was not wearing a military uniform. After we put his testicles in a vice he admitted to manufacturing Ganga and kept calling to his leader 'UFUKINIDIOT'." "We are hearing the name UFUKINIDIOT a lot when dealing with these Canadian terrorist. We found UFUKINIDIOT in a online chat giving attack orders to his troops" 

"Which online chat?"

"Command and Conquer game chat sir"

"Ingenious." "Did we ever think of that?"

"No sir."

"There group is tough to infiltrate. We keep sending in assets disguised as Canadians and keep trying their code phrase "Bobs yur Uncle" but they quickly laugh at us and take us to some bar to get us inebriated enough to spill our secrets. Sir, our men just can't handle that Canadian beer and end up spilling their guts all over the place. It's horrible."

"We also have had to kill a few assets because they were indoctrinated".

"How could you tell"?

"When they come back and speak, they are adding 'eh' to the end of some of the sentences. A clear indication of brain washing".

"OMG thats what the North Koreans did!" "Boys, the axis of evil has a new member!"

Well at least Canada's last election proves there are good folks up there, or at least folks that support job creation. It will always be nice to live in a country of 33 +/- million, without want of space or resources. The only thing I'd change is get the queens face of your coinage. There can't be that much fealty to England (which increasingly resembles Pakistan) these days.

Couldn't agree more. 

But the queen's power is a lot greater than you or most Canadians realize. But thats a whole different subject.

You asked for it 

Let's start with the Governor General

The Governor General and the Lieutenant Governors are also representatives of "The Crown". The concept of the Crown took form under the feudal system, evolving from various concepts of kingship. Under England's feudal system, all rights and privileges were ultimately granted by the ruler. The rights of the Crown are exercised by the Queen's representatives in her various realms and dominions. The queen through the Governor General also has the power to dissolve parliament. It is the queen who is the Commander in Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. 

The closest base to me is called "Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry"

Crown Land which in Canada is probably more land than the entire US

Within Canada, Crown Land is a designated area belonging to the Queen in Right of Canada,^[5] the equivalent of an entailed estate that passes with the monarchy and cannot be alienated from it; thus, per constitutional convention, these lands cannot be unilaterally sold by the monarch, instead passing on to the next king or queen unless the sovereign is advised otherwise by the ministers of the Crown. Though the Canadian monarch owns all Crown Land in the country, paralleling the "division" of the Crown amongst the federal and provincial governments, Crown Land is similarly divied so that some lands within the province are administered by the provincial Crown, whereas others are under the federal Crown. About 89% of Canada's land area (8,886,356 km²) is Crown Land, which may either be federal (41%) or provincial (48%); the remaining 11% is privately-owned.^[6]Most federal Crown land is in the Canadian territories (Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon), and is administered by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Only 4% of land in the provinces is federally-controlled, largely in the form of National Parks, Indian reserves, or Canadian Forces bases. In contrast, provinces hold much of their territory as provincial Crown Land, which may be held as Provincial Parks or wilderness.

Crown Land provides the country and the provinces with the majority of their profits from natural resources, largely but not exclusively provincial, rented for logging and mineral exploration rights; revenues flow to the relevant government and may constitute a major income stream, such as in Alberta. Crown land may also be rented by individuals wishing to build homes or cottages.

oh I was close - US  (9.83 million km²) - Canadian Crown Land (8.88 million km²)

What's the deal with the Queen is a short essay on the creation of Canada.

Hello Folks,

Thanks for the article BT....  quite interesting and all the comments too!

The title sparked my interest as I have lots of relatives in Canada and we visit them  as often as we can.

But right now, I'll start with what I know about Communist Cuba.

Dear BT, you innocently brought it on by asking:

Myfist0 posts:

As a Catholic, what disturbs me about Cuba is the lack of freedom of religion. The Castro Communist regime stole 341 elementary and secondary schools off the Catholic Church and to my knowledge has yet to return a single one.

In 1961, Castro also swiped the University of Santo Thomas de Villaneuva off the Augustinian Fathers in Havana and has kept it. He also closed down the newspaper, Diaria de la Marina, which was the New York Times of Cuba and published under Catholic auspices.

A Catholic child can attend parochial schools in the US because it is a free country. Catholic kids in Cuba however, are out of luck. 

Letters have been written to our politicians going to Cuba asking them to join the young people of Cuba by asking Raul Castro to return the university or give compensation to its owners.

To operate in Cuba, churches must register wih the government. and satisfy rules of association. Religion is not discussed in school, but it can be taught in any of Cuba's 1,800 churches and chapels. 

The failed Bay of Pigs invasion (largely made up of idealistic university students and natives of Cuba’s Oriente province) that cemented Fidel Castro’s grip on Cuba also prompted the closure of the Universidad Santo Tomas de Villanueva in Havana. The country’s only Catholic university was overtaken by students and government supporters. Its doors shut on April 17, 1961

The Havana campus — founded by Augustinian priests with roots in Pennsylvania — had always had a substantial U.S. influence, and therefore a bilingual staff.

Just a few points about that university run by the Pope and its own law.

A pontifical university is a Catholic University established by and directly under the authority of the Holy See. It is licensed to grant academic degrees in sacred faculties, the most important of which are Sacred Theology, Canon Law, Sacred Scripture and Philosophy. Pontifical universities follow a European system of degrees in the sacred faculties, granting the baccalaureate, the licentiate, and the doctorate.

The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes) is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Roman Catholic Church. It is also recognized by other subjects of international law as a sovereign entity, headed by the Pope, with which diplomatic relations can be maintained.

Canon law is the body of laws and regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members.

Now to the present.

The Cuban Bishops' conference has been very critical of the US embargo against Cuba and has claimed that the entire population has suffered from it. The US catholic bishops' conference has been influenced by this and has argued that food and medicine should be excluded from the embargo.

In January 1998, Pope John Paul II paid a historic visit to the island, invited by the Cuban government and Catholic Church. He criticized the US embargo during his visit.

On October 20, 2008, the first Orthodox Church in Cuba opened during an official ceremony attended by Raul Castro.

 

Thanks CharlesSC. These are my sentiments as well. 

As far as I know, Cuba is a Communist military dictatorship with no democratic imput from its citizens.

I find this extremely funny that your indoctrination is so complete that Cuba is bad because I dont stay there and in the next sentence you admit you will not stay in PR. How many PR rafts to the US every day. Too funny 

Are you sure you don't mean US corporate interests. 

I don't think that "citizens" have any more say in Canada or the US than they do in Cuba. Corporations fund who gets elected, Try looking at how poor the Cuban people were before Castro.

Chronicling poverty in Cuba — before Castro

• 75% of rural dwellings were huts made from palm trees. 
• More than 50% had no toilets of any kind. 
• 85% had no inside running water. 
• 91% had no electricity. 
• There was only 1 doctor per 2,000 people in rural areas. 
• More than one-third of the rural population had intestinal parasites. 
• Only 4% of Cuban peasants ate meat regularly; only 1% ate fish, less than 2% eggs, 3% bread, 11% milk; none ate green vegetables. 
• The average annual income among peasants was $91 (1956), less than 1/3 of the national income per person. 
• 45% of the rural population was illiterate; 44% had never attended a school. 
• 25% of the labor force was chronically unemployed. 
• 1 million people were illiterate ( in a population of about 5.5 million). 
• 27% of urban children, not to speak of 61% of rural children, were not attending school. 
• Racial discrimination was widespread. 
• The public school system had deteriorated badly. 
• Corruption was endemic; anyone could be bought, from a Supreme Court judge to a cop. 
• Police brutality and torture were common. 

US adds 3.8 million more to ranks of the poor as poverty rate jumps

Not one story I can find of how the Cuban people were slaughtered. Now do a little research on the Khmer Rouge.

Few Americans realize that close to two million people died, that none of the perpetrators have been brought to justice and that the United States helped bring about the crisis that lead to the Khmer Rouge takeover.

However, the truth could be uncomfortable for a lot of people outside Cambodia. A lawyer for Ta Mok, a Khmer Rouge military leader who could be tried for war crimes, has threatened to subpoena Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Henry Kissinger and three former United Nations secretary generals to answer questions about their countries' support for the KR insurgency.