O no, Canada!
Sep. 27th, 2006 02:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eclectic_boyNoda and I just had a great conversation, triggered by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
uncleamos's latest news, ranging through Canadian politics, religious origins of conscience, the estate tax, and more. It was a revelation to me that Canadian politics is overtly organized so that anyone who doesn't vote their party's line is punished by their party with things like withdrawal of support in the next election. It's not unheard of in the US to do things like decrease the power of a legislator for bucking the party at a crucial time, but to have it this ingrained, this much a standard practice. In Canada. This may be the first time I've so thought that a Canadian political practice was far inferior to the American way -- here not only can a Specter follow his own beliefs on a regular basis; he can even be made chair of an important committee. This is definitely one thing I hope we don't learn from our northern neighbor....
uncleamos's latest news, ranging through Canadian politics, religious origins of conscience, the estate tax, and more. It was a revelation to me that Canadian politics is overtly organized so that anyone who doesn't vote their party's line is punished by their party with things like withdrawal of support in the next election. It's not unheard of in the US to do things like decrease the power of a legislator for bucking the party at a crucial time, but to have it this ingrained, this much a standard practice. In Canada. This may be the first time I've so thought that a Canadian political practice was far inferior to the American way -- here not only can a Specter follow his own beliefs on a regular basis; he can even be made chair of an important committee. This is definitely one thing I hope we don't learn from our northern neighbor....
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Date: 2006-09-27 08:28 pm (UTC)I remember having a conversation with my father about this issue in a British context, and my father defending the British party system, but I don't quite remember what his defense was. I kind of wish I did, especially since I normally find what my father says about politics to be worth consideration.