Ex- PM's: Garbage or Recycling?

A day in the life of a former prime minister, what would that involve? It would not involve the hustle and bustle of interviews, debates or elections. It may however, involve sitting in front of a television and criticizing the current prime minister and taking credit for his/her success. Many Canadians ignore this question. Perhaps it is because most people share the attitude that once a prime minister is voted out, they have no purpose to the society. No longer do they hold power over Canada, let alone their own party. What is our society supposed to do with former prime ministers?

Former prime ministers are referred to as “grumpy old creatures”. It is unfortunate that once a prime minister has been replaced, it is extremely hard for one to obtain power, even in their own party. One would think that if they have such experience as being in charge of a country, that they would still play an important role in politics, however, the majority of former prime ministers are often cast away. I must admit that in a way I feel some sympathy towards them, going from having such power, to having nothing at all but just mere memories.

Canada is not the only country where ex-prime ministers have trouble after they have been cast way. In France, the actual role of Prime Minister is not seen as an enjoyable one rather, it is taking a sip from a “poisoned chalice”. In France, prime ministers have been nicknamed “fuses” because they are there to take surges of anger and criticism that are directed at heights of power. In other words, the role of prime ministers is to take all the consequences that the President himself has caused. Once a “fuse” has served his or her purpose, or rather, “blows”, they are simply tossed away and replaced, growing further away from the role of presidency. It is a lose-lose position.

The traditional contract with ex- French prime ministers is one that I find to be quite interesting. An ex- prime minister is to go away and stay away, therefore they must not partake in any political matters, and if they follow through with their side of the bargain they will be taken care of. Losing your place of power is like being dumped, you are forced to move on and not ask any questions. Not to be seen or heard is the aftermath of a PM.

Jean Chrétien's Memoirs

What is the solution? How can ex- prime ministers be integrated back within our society and still be able to make a difference? Countries such as Portugal and Italy offer promising roles. Canada will need to work towards a similar system. Former PM's should be given a chance to still take part in important politics because they have had experience as a prime minister. Though they may not hold power as the Prime Minister does, they could offer guidance or at the very least be acknowledged in some form. Criticising their mis-judgments and false promises help potential Prime Ministers, but ex-pm's should be more than an outlet.

Funny skit- Let's not drive our former PM's to this point

Everyone learns from their mistakes and unfortunately for ex- prime ministers, the majority of the time, that is how they are remembered in history. Hopfully Canada will support these men and women once they have been replaced, but perhaps the best solution for them is to buy a one way ticket to Italy.

Find out more about some of Canada's former prime ministers:

Jean Chrétien : http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/chretien/

Paul Martin : http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/martin_paul/

Pierre Trudeau : http://www.clevernet.net/pierre_trudeau/

Canada's Prime Ministers : http://www.primeministers.ca/

Artificial Love

The day that a man or a women is able to say " I do" to a robot will definitely be one to remember, but hopefully, it will never come. Yes, our society has become very reliable on electronics and technology is growing more superior by the day, but one will never be able to create a robot that is an identical replica of a human being.

When Alan Turing began to question whether machines could think for themselves and proposed his Imitation Game, it brought forth many questions and theories. Computers cannot think on their own, no matter how much they amaze us. Computers, robots, and machines are all programed by human beings and therefore can never surpass what they have been created to do. If one were to be in a relationship with a robot it would be very predictable, not spontaneous, because the robot would only be able to do what it is programmed to. Personally, I think that since it is so predictable it would take the romantic aspect out of the marriage. No matter how many times it may compliment you, treat you nicely, and cater to your needs and wants, a robot is a robot.

Robots are comprised of gadgets, wires, nuts and bolts and all fancy scientific things, however, no matter how many different special effects you put in a robot, they will never possess a soul. From the theological perspective, robots do not have souls and therefore they are not able to think for themselves, or express deep emotions. The emotions and feelings that a robot may possess are programs, they are not true from the heart. Whenever one accuses someone of not having a soul it is a very negative and harsh comment, could you imagine being married to an object where it is not possible that they have or ever will have a soul? Robot and human marriages will not last because in reality they are not "soul mates".

Imagine going over to your parents for dinner to announce your engagement to Fred, who is in fact a robot. I don't believe that the dinner would run too smoothly after that news. I understand that many people who have trouble finding someone who they can connect with, or rather they have tried and have failed miserably, are just desperate to have someone who understands them. However, turning to a robot and having an intimate relationship with them both physically and emotionally is demeaning. Knowing that you are "incapable" of having a successful relationship with another human being can't be something one would want to boast about.

One of the most obvious problems if our society began to accept marriages with robots and humans as acceptable is that they would not be able to procreate. If the human race began to rely on robots for companions than the birth level would decline and eventually, it may mean the end of humans! ( Not to go to the extreme) Also in many religions the point of marriage is to procreate and share the gift of life, if robots are not able to produce children than it creates a problem for our race.

We laugh now, but with the idea of marrying robots, who knows what can happen

One last issue is using a robot as a sex toy. Some have argued that it could make a difference in crime rates dealing with pedophilia and rapes, however we will never know for sure until we take that risk. Before we take that risk we should take into consideration that robots will be programmed the way the owner or its "companion" wants it to be programmed. It may create the attitude that it is alright to use people and objects for the sole purpose of sexual relief. It is just creating another object, or machine that can be used.

Overall, robots are soulless objects that cannot express true emotions like humans can. Though they may bring temporary happiness, eventually people will not be satisfied with the feeling that they have to rely on an inanimate object for happiness. Just think of how high the divorce rates would be.

Marry Me?

For More Information on the topipc have a look at these:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301736,00.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=487250&in_page_id=1770

A Win and a Shock

With the final results from the polls in, there comes both a win and a shock. The Liberals have managed to gain another four years in power, however, the question is whether or not this is a positive thing for the province of Ontario.

As with any election, there are always the negative accusations about the different leaders representing the different parties. It is very interesting however, to see that though many people did not agree with McGuinty during his previous reign, that he was the victorious candidate. It is also shocking that the Mixed Member Proportional system was strongly rejected. I believe that these two outcomes are solely based on the fact that only 52% of Ontarians voted.

As an 18 year old I was able to vote this past election. As an adult it is our responsibility to vote for who should be in charge of our province because it has a large impact in our everyday lives. It doesn`t make sense for those who do not vote to criticize politicians when they themselves denied their chance of making a difference.

The Mixed Member Proportional system guarantees that the people of Ontario would have more of a say in who makes the decisions because their two votes would direct and create two different positions as opposed to just one party in charge. One would assume that the majority of the people would vote in its favour, allowing it to gain the 60% it needed in order for it to replace the first-past-the-post process. It was a shock when it received less than 40% and was rejected.

A Video describing what the MMP vote is

I found that McGuinty, even before he was officially announced the winner, acted in a very arrogant manner, declaring his own victory in Ottawa. Also, it was mentioned that McGuinty didn’t even show emotion during his speech addressing and thanking his parents for all of their support. Is this the type of man who should be in charge of our province? A man who shows no emotions and who, in his first reign, broke his promises? A politician, though it would be extremely hard to come by one like this now a days because of the competitive aspect, should be one who can relate to the majority of his or her people. Their job is to represent and put in place, or at least fight for the changes that need to be done in order to improve our society. Since almost half of Ontario didn’t vote, and most were displeased with his job before, I do not think that Dalton McGuinty should have been crowned as the victorious one.

A Video on McGuinty's broken promises

It is strongly encouraged that the youth of today take part in politics and elections to have their voices heard. This is especially important because though as students we may not have to worry about all the things the politicians are promising, some parties promise to reach out to students by lowering tuition fees. It is important to have your voice heard, and since we have the power, why not use it?

Let us hope that over the next four years those who did or did not vote will not regret their decision and that McGuinty will mend the bridges he burned before with his broken promises. It is in the best interest of the citizens of Ontario and Canada that everyone who is eligible to go and vote. We depend on each other’s support, let’s not make our own broken promises, but help create and follow through

with true ones.

For further information:

Who can vote? http://canadaonline.about.com/od/provincialelections/a/whocanvoteont.htm

How to vote: http://www.settlement.org/sys/faqs_detail.asp?faq_id=4000564

The Liberal Party: http://www.ontarioliberal.ca/

I Do?

I Do?

It was a surprise to most Canadians when Stats Canada results from a recent census in 2006 revealed that there are more adults living in Canada who are not married, 51.5% to be exact, than adults who are married. This is the first time that this has occurred. Over the years, especially the further we look back, the majority of Canadian adults have been married as opposed to unmarried. Some argue that this is due to the fact that the values in other generations focused on finding a mate, getting married and having children. However, in today’s society there have been many factors that have changed the idea of marriage being the ideal lifestyle and the key to happiness.

The following is a link to the song "Everything I Do, I Do it for You" by artist Bryan Adams. The lyrics in the song express some of the values of marriage and love.http://youtube.com/watch?v=oOkxI2YtZXw

One argument mentioned was that women’s perspective on marriage has changed. There used to be the idea of the “perfect house wife”, this meant that the husband was the breadwinner and the woman’s role as the wife was to stay at home, take care of the children and cater to the husband. Our society has come a long way from that old fashioned image. Women have gained much more respect and continue to do so, gaining more rights as well as earning higher education and having their own careers. There is also the issue that women no longer are willing to change who they are in order to please another. Females are able to “do whatever they want”. The female independence and liberation that has increased over the years could be a factor that affects married and unmarried couples.

In Canada marriages are not focused on heterosexual relationships anymore. Homosexual relationships are accepted in Canada, and only very recently gay marriages have been allowed. This could be a factor as to why marriage numbers have decreased because gay marriage has only just recently been accepted. There are those people who do not want to get married but stay as a common wealth gay couple because of all the arguments and discrimination that is still continuing today.

A Comedians view on marriage

The biggest factor however are the different messages expressed through the media and society about marriage. If we were to take a closer look at the messages that are expressed in current movies and even in song lyrics many talk about the negative aspects of marriage. The idea that marriage is permanent and as the movie License to Wed clearly puts it “Kiss your independence goodbye!” encourages many single adults to reject marriage. This permanent bond between two people is not what scares single adults away; however it is the idea that with marriage, many seem to lose the love that was once shared. There is also the fear of regret or that one is “rushing into things”. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that every marriage will end happily ever after, this is intimidating because no one wants to suffer the consequences of heartbreak or divorce.

Trailer for the motion picture The Heartbreak Kid

As mentioned before, the media plays a large role in portraying the positive and negative aspects of marriage. In the majority of movies there is always the part of the plot where two people will fall in love and live happily ever after, after they are married. In more recent films, two examples are The Heartbreak Kid and License to Wed, marriage is seen as something that requires a lot of planning, hard work and extreme amounts of stress. It portrays that marriage is not what it is made out to be. They also show the possibility of the feeling of regret once someone is married. It displays views that we sometimes feel pressured into marriage because of our age or our cultural beliefs. Though these movies are fictional and are created for entertainment they display some of the fears that single adults may have when it comes to marriage and ultimately, they may be influenced by them.

In the tabloids, magazines and on entertainment networks there are the celebrity marriages that always end badly, well, most of the time. Although it is obvious that many of these marriages are publicity stunts, the repeatedly failed marriages that we see is also part of the influence the media can have on society.

Trailer for the motion picture License to Wed

The Canadian society is always undergoing change and the values of its citizens are also changing. As we have grown as a nation and are influenced by the media, the idea of marriage is obviously affected. However, just because the majority has changed between married and unmarried adults does not mean that our society is “going under”. As Canadians we have the right to choose what we do and we develop our own sets of values. It is up to the individual to decide what makes them happier, whether that is with marriage or without.

The following are some links to interesting facts on marriage and the views over the generations:

http://krislinatin.wordpress.com/2007/09/29/how-to-be-a-good-wife-1920s-style/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/samesexrights/

http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/vanif/00005_en.htm