90,945 Days of Independence

[DanDoulogos]

Happy Independence Day to my American friends.

As a Canadian living close to the U.S. border, I grew up watching American TV and absorbing American values. For a long time, I thought our freedoms were pretty much the same.

But as I got older, I started to see the differences. In Canada, many of our rights aren’t guaranteed—they can be taken away by the government. Free speech has limits, gun ownership is a privilege, and trials don’t always involve a jury. I didn’t think much of it—until COVID hit. That’s when I really saw how quickly freedoms could disappear.

Then came the rise of social media and political pressure. In some cases, even parents were punished for not using certain pronouns with their own kids. It made me realize how fragile our freedoms really are.

I’ve come to admire the U.S. for protecting individual rights in a way Canada doesn’t. America’s freedoms are real, and they matter. As a Canadian, I respect that deeply—and I’m grateful for the role the U.S. has played in shaping a freer world.

[Kit]

Dan, happy belated Canada Day to you.

I think the US has a lot of the same issues as you stated for your country. Here, money is allowed disproportional influence on who gets to govern, and I found that results in policies that are not beneficial to all economic strata. I see no indication that this trend is changing in the US, and I don't feel hopeful.

[Tooslowhand]

For perspective, which there doesn't seem to be a lot of these days; I once mentioned in casual conversation to a Swiss friend how the U.S. had been a Constitutional democracy for nearly 250 years. She smiled and replied (paraphrased) "That's nice, Switzerland has been a democratic confederation for over 700 years." Formed in 1291.

[DanDoulogos]

Thanks, Kit.

It seems like most people are getting their understanding of social issues through really polarized narratives. From what I can tell, money plays a big role in shaping U.S. policy—wealthy donors and big companies can fund campaigns or hire lobbyists, which gives them more influence over what laws get passed. People like you and me don’t have that kind of access, so it often feels like the system listens more to money than to the public.

If that’s true, the real issue isn’t any one person—it’s that there aren’t laws in place to prevent this kind of imbalance. So maybe the solution has to come from the ground up: people recognizing what’s broken and pushing for laws that fix it.

[DanDoulogos]

TooSlowHand,

I thought Switzerland became a democratic confederation in 1848? (When it adopted its federal constitution and transformed from a loose alliance of cantons into a unified federal state). The Swiss confederacy (between the original three cantons) certainly began in 1291, but that wasn't yet a "democratic confederacy" - it was merely a "loose" Swiss confederacy (small 'c').

That's how I understand it, but it's been a while. If I am right, that means the US form of government is actually older that the current Swiss democratic confederacy.

[glvourot]

Happy belated 4th to our American friends. Yes, as Dan pointed out there are differences between Canada and the US. It's called the " not withstanding clause

" the Charter also recognizes that even in a democracy, rights and freedoms are not absolute. For instance, freedom of expression is guaranteed, but no one is free to yell “fire” in a crowded theatre or to spread hate propaganda. Therefore, federal or a provincial legislature can limit fundamental rights, but only if that government can show that the limit is reasonable, is prescribed by law, and can be justified in a free and democratic society. The interests of society must be balanced against the interests of individuals to see if limits on individual rights can be justified. "

That's the gist of it. I am still glad I live in Canada. The world is a complicated place and things are changing. At least we have guitars.

[sam]

Happy belated 4th to you all!!

US born and bred here but married to British born naturalized US citizen who lived in Ontario Canada prior to moving to the US. Our children are now first generation Americans on her side. Here’s to respect, freedom, and individual rights for all.

If you celebrated last night, hope it was a fun and safe time!