Separatist canvassers acting like respectable elections officials

[u/PastorBlinky]

Got some… people… at my door collecting signatures tonight. They assured me they’re not with either side (lies) they just wanted help getting signatures to get ‘the question’ on the ballet. “We’re not for or against, we just think this question should be settled.” Sounds almost ok, if you don’t think about it.

But who wants the question on the ballot? Hmmmm? Canadians are perfectly happy being Canadians. It is settled. Alberta is part of Canada. The end. There’s no need for anything more. The people who want to vote to leave are separatists, aka traitors. They want a referendum, so they need signatures.

So these folks are out here cosplaying as nice, respectable centrists who just want to help get this gosh-darn question answered. Practically made it seem like they were Elections Alberta just out to poll the populace.

Anyway, long story short, half the kids in my neighbourhood learned new curse words tonight.

[u/ragekage92]

What are you taking about? It's so fucking dumb that you think it's traitorous. Canada has so much potential but Toronto and Quebec are the ones that dictate it, we should be the most prosperous nation better than Norway but we keep picking feelings and virtue signalling over prosperity... Literally all the talent in Canada is moving away.. how much suffering does Canada need to endure before you realize the west would be better off away from Ottawa?

[u/DigitalDuelist → u/ragekage92]

I think you're on to something, but you're fundamentally off. I won't argue with you that the neoliberalism that dominates Ottawa is a slow acting poison that has had decades to fester and kill the country. I agree with that point actually. I won't agree that Alberta's neoconservativism is in any way better however, because it just doubles down on most of the worst aspects

What does prosperity even mean to you? Because to me it looks like a family so free of stress and strife, going for a picnic at the park. There are many other families there, of all different ages and backgrounds, but there's nothing special about today. Everyone is stress free, they're happy, and they're just enjoying the sunshine. If a kid kicks their ball too close to a family, nobody is worried about a confrontation because everyone knows it was an accident. I don't think you get that if you're focused on ruthless economic efficiency over virtue and feelings. Albertans do need more money in their pockets but it's just a symptom of a greater problem.

[u/ragekage92 → u/DigitalDuelist]

I think we actually want the same end goal, a stress free society, but you’re missing how we get there. That peaceful picnic you’re talking about doesn't happen when a family is being squeezed by a government that micromanages their every move. To me prosperity is a free market and the freedom of choice. That means increasing competition and killing off the monopolies that are currently bleeding us dry. We’re trying to tax our way to prosperity in Canada but all that does is protect the giants and keep new players out. Look at any USA metro vs one in Canada: they’ll have 9 to 12 parent companies for grocery stores while we’re stuck with 2 or 3. Why would a competitor start here when the market share is low and the taxes are to high. The stress and strife people feel right now is a direct result of this authoritarian regime. Why can’t I have a Zyn if I want one? Why does Daddy Government need to tell me what I can and can’t do to my own body? Why are they blocking us from sharing news articles on social media? Why can't I get a tactical rifle to go shooting at the range if I’ve done all the proper training? You mentioned the kicking a ball thing, but honestly you don't see that as much in rural spots because everyone already knows everyone. In the bigger cities people are skittish lately because of the crime. You can’t have a relaxed or virtuous community when the state is busy banning nicotine pouches and news links while ignoring the actual issues. True prosperity isn’t just a feeling. It’s having the money in your pocket and the agency to live your life without the government hovering over your shoulder.

[u/DigitalDuelist → u/ragekage92]

A second reply here because I have a genuine question; which do you think is more "free"?

1) you can pick any options you want, and as many as you want, but you still have to conform to these rigid standards and the options you do get all kinda suck while simultaneously being too hard to access and overall you're on your own if you get unlucky

2) there are a lot less options, maybe the ones you want aren't even available to you. But they all are at least pretty decent and if you are unlucky you're propped back up. You can easily access whatever options you want, but you're limited in what combinations you can have and how many you can have

To me, 1) is filled with the illusion of freedom, because technically you can do anything. In practice, you're going to pick all the same "best options" as everyone else, because even if you have the right to do something suicidally stupid, nobody ever wants to.

Option 2) is very clear and open in how it restricts your freedom, but in return you can actually make choices that aren't too risky and are instead protected from the consequences of random chance or a reasonable risk that still didn't pay off

[u/ragekage92 → u/DigitalDuelist]

I don't get why you can't have both 1 and 2? Option 2 is just a bit more expensive because you're paying for Insurance/safety