One of the best things about being Canadian is that we get ringside seats to America without actually having to be a part of it.  Unless we want to, of course.

We watch your television shows.  We sit through your movies.   We choke down your fast food.  We buy your stuff, and we take your money when you buy ours.  Just how 'American' this makes us is the subject of much debate (here in Canada, at least - I'm sure none of you guys give it a second thought), but we're always happy to point and laugh and make the occasional suggestion.

Think of us as something between a nosey neighbour and a meddling sibling.

It would seem that our democracies in Canada and the U.S.A. are not the only ones ailing - especially with regards to the increasing - and successful - assaults on our privacy and civil liberties ... all in the name of the false God of Security.

Indeed - things are not looking so good either in the U.K. Case in point with the following article (and I invite you good folks to rejoin me below after reading it):

Since our two birthdays come days apart, I thought I might share this little story about how the 1rst ;>D is helping the 4th ;>P with true patriots of your country that will stand up for what is wrong.  It is a story about those patriots of your country that are brave and courageous enough as to not follow orders when they know first-hand that crimes against humanity are being committed under their country's flag in an illegal war by a (quite possible) war criminal.

A Canadian court has ruled that...

BBC News

...being forced to participate in military misconduct, even if it stops short of a war crime, may support a claim to protection in Canada.

Our nation is in need of being reborn.  The spirit of '76 is no longer with us.  The fireworks will not do it.  I can't get that feeling back about this country anymore.  I spent the day in the presence of a wonderful group of young people from all over the world.  I am a Lion and we sponsor a Youth Exchange every year at this time.  My wife and I are hosting two wonderful young women, one from Algeria and the other from Croatia.  They have been here for a little over a week.  The District 24D Lions  had a picnic and it was the first time the entire group of students were together in one place.  It was refreshing to see this miniature United Nations having fun together.  By the way, did you know that The  Lions Clubs International are the only service organization that has its flag flying among those from all the Nations at the UN?  That is because the Lions were instrumental in helping the UN get organized.  Later , at dark, we came back to Mathews County to watch the fireworks.  Let me share my thoughts about all this with you below the break.

My American friends and I, just like my friends from other countries, often have arguments about whose country is better.  The American argument, though, is usually fairly odd - the inverse of "mine is better than yours" that you'd usually expect.

From CBC news:

The Governor General is reportedly preparing to name a leading abortion rights crusader to the Order of Canada, news that has outraged anti-abortion groups.

In Todays New York Times Court  Dismisses Rendition Suit
       

By ALAN FEUER
Published: July 1, 2008

A federal appeals court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Syrian-born Canadian man who had accused the United States of violating the law and his civil rights after he was detained at Kennedy Airport and sent to Syria under what he claims was an act of "extraordinary rendition."

Such is the status of the courts and justice in the United States, that Kennedy Airport is the equivalent of Guantanemo, technically speaking.

The man, Maher Arar, tried to win civil damages from United States officials in his suit, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York ruled that because he was never technically inside the United States, his claims could not be heard in the federal courts.

I don't know what precedent was used, perhaps that Tom Hanks movie "The Terminal"?

The Big Oil companies here in Canada are really trying to spin the Tar sands in Alberta into something innocent and good...They call it the "Oil sands."

What it really is? One of the most destructive, toxic, and evil projects on the Earth.
The Alberta Oil Lobby has been visiting the US a lot lately, and they have a message: We can sell you the oil you need! We can make it so you need never depend on Saudi Arabia! We can supply the machine!

OTTAWA-- Canada's oil sands producers are tired of their image as environmental bad boys and are fighting back. As their critics get more vocal, the companies have decided to band together to get out the message that they are committed to reducing the environmental damage that results from oil sands development.

The Tar Sands have been a conundrum for quite some time. The methods to extract the oil, have been typically short sighted, and that continues today. But for the real stupid? Read on......

I admit to being a bit worried reading this, coming from supposedly the most technologically advanced nation on the planet.

Most Americans believe that angels and demons are active in the world, and nearly 80 percent think miracles occur, according to a poll released yesterday that takes an in-depth look at Americans' religious beliefs.

What is truly fascinating is the differences found in this survey compared to a similar survey done recently in Canada. More below.

While Barack Obama was criticized by the media for perhaps speaking with the Canadian Government over NAFTA, and it should be noted that much of what was reported was either flat out untrue, or at best hearsay even though it was reported as fact, on Friday John McCain spoke at a $2000 dollar a plate luncheon in Ottawa declaring free trade is here to stay.  For McCain, for some reason, this issue doesn't seem newsworthy like it was for Obama.  

McCain's visit raises many questions about the purpose of his visit. I will talk about  his reasons given, and reflect upon the real reasons for his visit and just who took out the time to fly across the country to see John McCain.

I know, I know, some of you are thinking, "how did this guy time travel and if he did, how come he's writing diaries instead of cashing in on the Powerball lottery results?"  Well the truth is I am but not till the big $127 million jackpot in August.  Until then I make my living betting on Women's Pro Softball.  The New England Riptide over the Rockford Thunder?  What are you smokin' pal?  However, being generally at loose ends with my new found omniscience, I decided to let my fellow Kossacks in on the results of the campaign season and some of its highlights.

More below the fold ...  

John McCain is in Ottawa today paying homage to his kindred spirits - the Conservative Party minority government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his minions -  on a campaign trip paid entirely by the McCain campaign.

But serious questions are being raised about the role of U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins, who appears to have become personally engaged in partisan politics in arranging and promoting McCain's appearance.

(I haven't seen this diaried anywhere else here -- if it has, I'd be happy to remove this posting).

Republican presidential candidate John McCain is taking his campaign to Ottawa, Canada today for lunch!

On the eve of his visit to Canada, Canadian polling firm Ipsos has bad news for John McCain. Barack Obama leads the race for president by seven points nationally, 50-43. The poll also found 73 per cent of our neighbours (Canuck speller, here!) think their country is on the wrong track.

Ipsos, a respected mainstream survey firm in Canada, conducted their poll among 1,000 American voters June 5-11 for the Canwest newspaper chain and the Global Television Network, both owned by the arch-conservative Asper family of Winnipeg. The results were likely held for the moment of maximum interest triggered by McCain's visit to Ottawa today.

Among all voters, both likely and unlikely, Obama led by 10 points, 49-39, which shows that GOTV efforts in November could be crucial.

In the Ohio primary, the Canadian government unexpectedly entered the fray by leaking a memo that appeared to cast doubt on the sincerity of the Obama position on NAFTA. It caused a considerable row in both countries, and an internal inquiry whitewashed the Prime Minister's Office without fingering the leaker. Fortune has an interview  with Senator Obama in which Senator Obama says that he might have gone too far in promising to renegotiate NAFTA.

John McCain is visiting the scene of the crime tomorrow, coming north to Canada to vaunt our free trade relationship with the United States, and maybe, just maybe, remind journalists about the manufactured controversy over Barack Obama's stance on the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. McCain picked Ottawa and the Economic Club of Canada to deliver his speech. Tables, costing between $2,000 and $5,000, sold out in less than an hour when it was announced that he was on his way.

For Canada's governing Conservative Party, holding power with a slim minority in Parliament and steadily losing steam in recent polling, McCain's visit comes at a ticklish moment. It highlights this rookie government's unprecedented interference in the American electoral process and its unseemly alliance with the Republican Party  of George W. Bush.

Currently, my most popular blog post by far is How Much Oil Does America Import?, written back in May 2006, two years ago.  I thought it was time to update the figures and see how the U.S. is doing since I first wrote that post.

I had resisted the urge to Blog about this here, because I figured it would get lost in the shuffle at Daily Kos. But here goes....