Seems to me this federal election has been going on forever. This time around I wonder how much influence technology — online alternate news sources, Facebook, Twitter — will have on the outcome. And what about cell phones and call display, are they having any impact on accuracy of political poll taking? Will we ever know?
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I haven’t heard from anyone who is delighted with the new mail delivery system and I’m astonished by the number of disgruntled folks who are blaming Canada Post for the loss of the house delivery, not realizing CP is a Crown Corporation, founded in 1867, not a private company. Don’t blame Canada Post, blame the federal government that called the shots.
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It used to be, long ago, in wartime, that the rulers sent young men to fight other young men while women, children and older men stayed home, remaining relatively unscathed. The latter often prospered. Over the centuries men have invented bigger and better war tools and modern warriors can be responsible for mass killings without putting themselves in much danger. The latest example of how this works is the recent air attack that destroyed an Afghan hospital killing 22 staffers and patients including four doctors and three children. A U.S. aircraft is suspected to be the culprit. Doctors Without Borders, the charity that runs the hospital, calls it a war crime and is demanding an independent investigation.
Question: Is this act OK because it came from a civilized nation?
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Canada is a multicultural nation, dating back centuries to when the first foreigners came to this country. Our cultures and religions range from those practiced by aboriginal people to those practiced by refugees and/or immigrants who arrived yesterday.
The aboriginals were tolerant of the newcomer’s ways, and succeeding generations of Canadians have tolerated, if not embraced, the many cultures that make up the melting pot that is our country. Why are we getting antsy now?
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.