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November 2020 US Election

Defeating the creep is victory enough. It's a great starting point to rebuild, no matter what.

I see this election more as Americas Future as

About it crashing hard (under Trump) or going down slowly as not the top superpower of the world (bIden).
 
Also will be interesting to see how democrats will react to Biden compromising to get stuff done (as he has for 40 years) then being a progressive warrior as he projected himself to be in the election.

However, lets just get something passed please ...
 
The first one-term president in thirty years, and the only one to lose the popular vote twice. Congrats on making history, Donald Trump...

I can see him forming another party in 2024 and running again. The GOP won't want him but he will end up being the next Ross Perot.
 
And that's the way the Senate is supposed to be.

AoD

The U.S. Senate is undemocratic at its core; and always has been.

Its vast under representation of urban and suburban voters in favour of rural ones is almost antithetical to democracy.

That its also infested, as with most arms of politics, there and here, with 'big money'; and in recent years by hyper partisanship on top of that is only the fermented icing on the rotting cake.

The institution is less a check on the tyranny of the majority than a material obstruction to the will of same.

Checks on power can be better built-in to a reformed, unicameral, rep by pop legislature; the Senate, should be abolished. (as should ours)
 
I read Abolishing the senate is impossible

Would require 2/3 of the votes of the house and senate and 2/3 of states to agree.

This election shows neither party is in any way capable of dominating US politics to push that.
 
I read Abolishing the senate is impossible

Would require 2/3 of the votes of the house and senate and 2/3 of states to agree.

This election shows neither party is in any way capable of dominating US politics to push that.

Impossible, no.

Unlikely, especially in the near term; quite, unfortunately!
 
However, lets just get something passed please ...

You seem to be fairly heavily invested in this. What legislation will benefit us (Canadian)?

I read Abolishing the senate is impossible

Would require 2/3 of the votes of the house and senate and 2/3 of states to agree.

This election shows neither party is in any way capable of dominating US politics to push that.

An amendment to the Constitution under Article 5 can be proposed by 2/3 of both the House and Senate OR 2/3 of the state legislatures. However, it must be ratified by 3/4 of the states. I doubt the Congress (House + Senate) would initiate a process to diminish itself. Also, what would you replace it with? Under A.5, no amendment can diminish state representation. Of course the Article could itself be amended but I wouldn't hold my breath.
 
I see this election more as Americas Future as

About it crashing hard (under Trump) or going down slowly as not the top superpower of the world (bIden).

It's imperative that they remain the top superpower, because the alternative is...China.
 
Fictional, but just in case someone was wondering....

From link.

In 2020 the US is projected to have 341,387,000 people and Canada might have almost 39m, so let's say a total of 380m. With 435 House seats, that is 873,563 people per seat, and House apportionments might be:​
  • Ontario 16
  • Quebec 10
  • BC 5
  • Alberta 5
  • Manitoba 2
  • Others 1 each
For electoral votes, add 2 to each.​
This would be 63 EV total for Canada out of 555 total, or 11.35%.​
 
You seem to be fairly heavily invested in this. What legislation will benefit us (Canadian)?

Any number of actions might benefit both countries.

Topping my list would be increased employment standards.

This would help reduce inequality and poverty in the United States and increase the standard of living, even for many middle income Americans.

At the same time, that increase in standards would reduce the gap between current U.S. and Canadian standards, giving us room to raise our standards while remaining at least as competitive as today.

To offer but 3 examples.

Currently the U.S. has no Federal or State mandate for Paid Vacation. Not a single day. Canada is predominantly at 2 weeks, with 3 weeks after 3-15 years of service. (though 3 weeks is the baseline for Sask.)
Most of the developed world is at 4 weeks. A perpetual argument here against increasing the standard is the non-existent American number.
A simple federal mandate of 2 weeks (more would be better) would offer leeway for every province to go to 3 weeks initially and 4 weeks after 5 years, while improving on our competitive position.
It would also be an immediate 4% pay raise for the least well off (employed) Americans.

A second, similar example would be the absence of any paid maternity or parental leave at the Federal level in the U.S. Several states (about 10) have such mandates varying from six weeks to six months.
Simply having a core mandate of just 17 weeks (matching Canada's maternity leave) would not only be an enormous boost to new mothers in the U.S. including many middle income ones who get little or no leave, even if unpaid.
It would also increase the cost of U.S. labour giving Canada room to enrich our program in terms of income reimbursement from 55% to 75% while actually maintaining relative competitiveness.

Finally, I would look to Minimum Wage. The U.S. Federal Minimum Wage, which is the default State Minimum Wage in many southern States, is a mere $7.25USD per hour
While $15USD over the next few years would be great; even an immediate rise to $10USD and a phased raise to $14 over 4 years would drastically reduce U.S. poverty and would also provide competitive space for minimum wage increases here.
$14USD is equal to $18.24CAD

An amendment to the Constitution under Article 5 can be proposed by 2/3 of both the House and Senate OR 2/3 of the state legislatures. However, it must be ratified by 3/4 of the states. I doubt the Congress (House + Senate) would initiate a process to diminish itself. Also, what would you replace it with? Under A.5, no amendment can diminish state representation. Of course the Article could itself be amended but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I'm not holding my breath either.

I see no reason to feel sympathy pains.

That said, I think its the right course of action, even if its one that may need to wait several years.
 
Well, Toronto Chef, and Top Chef Canada judge Mark McEwan had decided he has nothing better to do than dig himself big holes.........


In a now deleted Tweet he apparently slammed Biden for proposing to raise taxes; this in reply to a pro-Biden Tweet from American Chef David Chang whose Momofuko empire has an outpost here.

I'm not surprised he likes Trump. He was an arrogant jerk years ago when i served him at a restaurant i worked at. I always found his restaurants and grocery stores overrated and over-hyped. Mark was also one of the few chef's whining about Kathleen Wynne's minimum wage increase. Yeah... god forbid restaurant workers get a livable wage.
 

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