Canada

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[Saz]

[Saz]

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Again, I support a currency union, and I am fully cognizant of how irrational the demand for dollar parity is. I don't know how I can make this more clear to you: I am not presenting my opinions on the matter, I am explaining to you the common perception that would exist in this country. And yes, that perception would be riddled with errors, omissions and falsehoods. It would be a massive uphill battle, and I don't think the domestic situation in either of our countries will allow for it. Maybe we can have this discussion in twenty to thirty years, when the Boomers die off? I mean, bro, there is still a substantial part of the population - in both countries - that believe NAFTA was a bad thing for the economy.

Political union, simply put, will not happen. It isn't desirable for Canadians.

[Saz]

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[Saz]

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Literally every country on the planet is currently reliant on the US remaining a good friend. None of them have the ability to defend themselves from either Russia, China or the US, on their own, at least not without resorting to nuclear options. So this point doesn't really hold any weight. Beyond that, you aren't going to invade Canada. It would make zero sense to do so, and the losses your troops would incur trying to keep order would make Afghanistan and Iraq look like a walk in the park. Could you do it? Of course you could, but this is such a remote possibility that hanging it over our heads has literally zero impact.

Further, if we really and truly needed a nuclear weapon, we could have one within the month. We aren't North Korea struggling for forty years to acquire materials and know-how - we already know how, and we already have materials. So, again, all of these points add up to nill.

Besides, we are perfectly content letting you pay for everything. Well, I'm not, but the bulk of Canadians are.

Saying that a trade war with Canada would hurt you isn't silly logic. It is a fact. And I explicitly stated it would hurt us more, and that you would "win." So I don't really understand how you are comparing this to Brexit sentiment. Losing one-fifth of your exports and your second largest trading partner would do tremendous harm to your country, and recognizing this isn't arguing that you would be MORE harmed.

I'm not sure why you are talking about divinity here. Such thinking fell out of favour several centuries ago. We allow the Monarchy to continue, not because of God, but because of tradition. That is the only real rationale there is for it. But from this tradition we get social meaning, culture, common ground and shared identities. As it relates to Canada, we find kindred spirits in the Commonwealth. We also find meaning in the traditions that are shared by those who are like us, and remained loyal to the people who created the greatest democratic system in human history. Do we let them exercise real power? f**k no. This is what being a figurehead is.

Saying "all people have equal worth" is just a platitude. It has no actual meaning. We know it isn't true literally, and we also know it isn't true figuratively, as I explained. The fact is that we insert worth into relationships by interacting and forming social bonds, and there is nothing "innate" about it. I don't just magically value all people equally, that shit is earned through interaction. My wife is worth more than you. So are my friends and my family. And this is true about me from your perspective as well.

To give another example, let's say that you have an American infantry unit that is about to be killed by a small group of Iraqi fighters occupying a hospital. Preventing the deaths of 10 soldiers will cost the deaths of 20 Iraqi civilians and 10 insurgents. Do you pull the trigger? Of course you would! This despite the fact that they are attacking men who have invaded and occupied their country on false pretenses. Where is this supposed equal worth now? Has it been overridden by other considerations, such as nationalism?

Any political philosophy that is premised on the idea that all people have equal worth is fundamentally broken, because it is totally alien to how people make actual decision. We like to talk about it because it makes us feel good, and because it is a decent ideal. We do the same thing when we talk about human rights as "innate." They aren't really innate, and people aren't really equal, but having these religious beliefs can create positive outcomes. Thus, a convenient fiction.

[John Galt]

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