georgebush.ca

July 21, 2004 7:42 PM

georgebush.ca seems quite topical given the recent legal wrangling that Michael Moore has been enduring at the hands of conservative Canadians, offering the chance to "join a growing group of Canadians that want to prevent the re-election of George W. Bush this November 2nd."
posted by denbot (27 comments total)

Michael Moore banned from Canada?

Say it isn't so!

That is the best news I've heard this month. I can't believe I ever supported that liar. I feel so used.

My heart goes out to you Kasra! Keep up the good fight!

[see why Canada needs a first amendment?]
posted by shepd at 7:57 PM on July 21, 2004

Hey, michaelmoore.ca isn't registered! Quick! Let's get it registered for the same purpose as georgebush.ca!
posted by shepd at 8:02 PM on July 21, 2004

shey shped, I think a star trek re-run is on somewhere, go on and play.
posted by Space Coyote at 8:10 PM on July 21, 2004

Signatures: 299
Goal: 1,000,000+

That's.. um... 6133 signatures per day.
posted by tomplus2 at 8:16 PM on July 21, 2004

We are a non-partisan collective of individuals, dedicated to providing Canadians a voice to the world.

Ummm...really? Non-partisan?

Also, I'm a big fan of collectives of individuals
posted by loquax at 8:35 PM on July 21, 2004

Kas is a crank. He goes to the university that I attend(ed), and is well-known here amongst campus conservatives (which, theoretically includes myself) for being somewhere between nuts and batshit.

He's gotten the Campus Progressive Conservatives in trouble several times by founding a group with a nearly identical name (I believe it was the "Campus Ontario Progressive Conservative Club"), and calling himself its president, then making fairly outrageous statements that are clearly publicity stunts, like the 12 spots in each year set aside specifically for Aboriginal students are "reverse racism" on the part of the university.

He has used the term "liberal bleeding hearts" seriously in articles he has written for the school paper, if that gives you any idea of the man's depth of political thought. I'm told he interned for John Ashcroft last summer by someone I consider reliable. I'm still not sure why the National Post prints his stunts, but they do.

I'll avoid the crazier stories I've been told by people who know him for the sake of libel laws. This is a publicity stunt, and not the first one he's pulled. If this story continues into September, I'm going to do some checking around and see if the "Campus Conservatives" actually comprises anyone other than him and a certain girl (whose name I won't mention for the sake of privacy). I'm certain it won't.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 8:37 PM on July 21, 2004

I'm conflicted, Bush is the reason the Canadian dollar isn't still in the 0.60s, isn't it the large U.S. debt that's caused the U.S. dollar to fall and thus bring up the Canadian dollar?
posted by bobo123 at 8:41 PM on July 21, 2004

The Canadian dollar being higher isn't necessarily good though, bobo. It means fewer tourists, less manufacturing and fewer jobs (in theory, and simplistically). Cheaper Tonanwanda outlet shopping though!
posted by loquax at 8:45 PM on July 21, 2004

I'm still not sure why the National Post prints his stunts,

'Cuz it's a shitass rag that will print anything?
posted by dobbs at 9:24 PM on July 21, 2004

I'm going to do some checking around and see if the "Campus Conservatives" actually comprises anyone other than him and a certain girl (whose name I won't mention for the sake of privacy).

No, tell us! Tell us!

Is it Marjorie? It's Marjorie, isn't it?
posted by soyjoy at 9:36 PM on July 21, 2004

Hah. Just do a search of the Queen's Journal's website for articles related to Ayn Rand. She co-wrote a rather notorious one.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 10:08 PM on July 21, 2004

Hey Canada: FUCK OFF.
posted by ParisParamus at 11:16 PM on July 21, 2004

We'll get right on that your highness.
posted by Evstar at 11:43 PM on July 21, 2004

Speaking of star trek, this reminds me of the time that the romulans wouldn't let vulcans visit...
posted by shepd at 12:08 AM on July 22, 2004

I'm still not sure why the National Post prints his stunts

Isnt this like most of the stuff they print?
posted by Iax at 12:53 AM on July 22, 2004

ParisParamus:

Who in their right mind would infer (in four words, no less) that the US doesn't interfere, bully, or otherwise try to influence foreign governments?

Very sly! You had me going for a second; I was slow to pick up on the fact that you were obviously joking. Whew!
posted by denbot at 5:32 AM on July 22, 2004

Whatever the stupidity or brilliance of an American President, there's something offensive about the a Canadian doing this. Personally, I don't think Canada is consequential enough for me to have an opinion on its politics; and I would love to see most of the politicos in France retire, die, or be abducted by aliens, but I would never offer more than a "hope" in that regard; this goes way beyond that.
posted by ParisParamus at 5:54 AM on July 22, 2004

Paris, you're hilarious. Keep it up, okay? It's attitudes like yours that make the US and Canada so distinct, in Canada's favour.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 6:09 AM on July 22, 2004

The US bullies foreign government? No, it tries and sometimes succeeds in influencing them. And because it's the biggest boy on the block, it often succeeds. But it doesn't do anything Canada, or any other country would do if it could.

It would be nice, just once and a while, to see here on Metafilter, someone showing some appreciation for all the good things the United States does; the Iraq War and liberation, is just one recent one that comes to mind, but I'm sure you can find others that you can support.
posted by ParisParamus at 6:22 AM on July 22, 2004

I totally agree with PP here (well, the part about us fucking off anyways) . Speaking as a Canadian, I was insulted when Moore poked his nose into our politics, like the Australians are insulted now, the same way that many Canadians are insulted when right-wing Americans call Canada Soviet Canuckistan, or whatever. As a sovereign country, it's nobody's business but our own what we do with it. And of course, the same applies to Canadians when it comes to the American government. It's inappropriate, arrogant and disrespectful to believe that it's OK to comment in such a direct way.

Don't get me wrong, protest at the embassy, protest our government for having ties to the US, write Op/Ed pieces and letters to the editor, but a direct petition for " for Canadians to show their support for the election of a new United States government" is ludicrous. And we call Americans arrogant and intrusive for exporting their ideas and values.
posted by loquax at 6:25 AM on July 22, 2004

Paris, have you ever written any songs for Toby Keith? I think you would be good at it.

It would be nice, just once and a while, to see here on Metafilter, someone showing some appreciation for all the good things the United States does

I think we did some nice work in the Balkans (with a little help from our friends).
posted by alou73 at 7:15 AM on July 22, 2004

It would be nice, just once and a while, to see here on Metafilter, someone showing some appreciation for all the good things the United States does;

Thanks for the donut flavored drinks, fascist.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 7:42 AM on July 22, 2004

the same way that many Canadians are insulted when right-wing Americans call Canada Soviet Canuckistan

Insulted? Bemused, you mean. The only Canucks I know who reacted strongly to this bit o' nonsense were a group of Torontonians who had t-shirts made with "Soviet Canuckistan" emblazoned proudly on the front.

It's inappropriate, arrogant and disrespectful to believe that it's OK to comment in such a direct way.

Hear, hear! And while we're at it, let's silence those arrogant and disrespectful Canadians who dare to raise their voices in objection to China's treatment of Tibet, and let's end the inappropriate public pressure that convinced Calgary's Talisman Oil to divest itself from the genocidal Sudanese government, and let's issue a clear directive to all of Canada's media outlets that their Charter right to free speech on non-Canadian topics has been revoked so that their arrogant intrusions into world affairs (American ones, especially) finally come to an end.

[/SarcasmFilter]

Crikey, loquax - you do understand that this is the same thing as protesting at the embassy or what have you. Don't you?
posted by gompa at 9:30 AM on July 22, 2004

Hey, gompa, I didn't say silence them, or arrest them. I just said it's inappropriate and I don't support it. Nor would I be amused if the Christian Coalition issued a statement or petition to Canadians urging them to kick out Paul Martin. This isn't a politics thing, it's respect for the duly elected representatives and the democratic process of another country, especially such a close ally as the United States. What I'm saying is that it's one thing to protest the war in Iraq, or the actions of various governments, it's quite another to attempt to directly interfere in the democratic process of another country. You open up quite a can of worms if you do.
posted by loquax at 10:23 AM on July 22, 2004

The US bullies foreign government? No, it tries and sometimes succeeds in influencing them. And because it's the biggest boy on the block, it often succeeds.

um...

isn't that bullying?
posted by nath at 10:32 AM on July 22, 2004

To review:

Using military forces to seize polling stations or arming dissidents to topple an elected goverment or sponsoring the assassination of an elected president or petitioning the UN to refuse to recognize the newly elected leadership of a member state or even perhaps having the elected officials of one's own country publicly declare their preference for certain candidates = attempting to directly interfere in the democratic process of another country;

Soliciting signatures for a marginal, non-binding, certain-to-be-ignored online petition already signed by, among others, one Blitz McAwesome of Ottawa, Ontario = free speech;

and finally:

Can of worms = something this website doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of actually opening in any serious way.
posted by gompa at 1:58 PM on July 22, 2004

Gompa, of course it's free speech. It's free speech that is attempting (of course with no success) to influence the democratic machinations of another sovereign state. That's why I think it's inappropriate. You and I are not stakeholders in the American democratic process, no matter how much their policy affects the world at large. You and I are stakeholders in Canada, and therefore should focus on aiming petitions at Canadian parliament to change our policy vis-a-vis the US, or change the way Canada votes at the UN, or whatever. This, IMHO, is just rude to the millions of people who voted for Bush in 2000 and the millions who will vote for him again in November. Who are you or I to tell them what their priorities should be, or that they should take our feelings into account? Of course *this* won't open the can of worms, but it's the principle of the matter. What if a future Republican government cut off trade with Canada solely on the basis that they didn't like a future NDP government's education policy, and to encourage Canadians to vote CPC? Or if the NRA sent petitions around here to change our gun laws? It's free speech, certainly, but there's constructive criticism and then there's inappropriate *attempts* to meddle in other's affairs.
posted by loquax at 2:41 PM on July 22, 2004