solutions

 

 

A.   Gain a Proper Understanding of the News

 

 

Learn to "think of the opposite."

 

Sometimes it is not easy to "think of the opposite." We have to wade through information that we don't like, then the conclusion we come up with is also something we don't like.

Some people have a narrow view of life. They don't spend time thinking of how other people live. They tune out people who live radically different lifestyles. So their judgement of how things work or how things should be is based only on themselves and the people they know. They don't think of the opposite. They need to learn to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. It takes time, patience, and effort. You not only need to think of who they are physically and mentally, but you need to sense how their background has had an impact on them.

 

    Examples:

Much of Western media is critical of Putin and everything he does. You will get a different viewpoint if you use a news source which gives the Russian point of view. Putin's approval rating is 80%, so he can't be that bad.

Thinking of the opposite is a strategy that helps you understand how others see the same issue. When this happens, you tend to not only lose your anger over the issue, but you tend to feel less extreme. In a democracy, when the party we don't like gets elected, we need to see how that party views the world. Then it is up to us to realize that more people voted for that party, and since it is a democracy, we have to go along with the party that wins. In a complex world, we can't expect to have things done our way, even if your friends also want it that way.

If you are angry at the party you are opposed to, you will tend to not appreciate the good parts of their program. That is why Putin once said that there is a proverb which says, "if you are angry, you are wrong."

 

 

Rough Work !

This site allows you to gain understanding and to diffuse your anger over issues. Normally, researching views that are opposed to your own can be difficult and frustrating. But here, you can refer to the opinions of both left wing and right, to understanding both sides. The information is handy to explore, you can pick and choose. It is user driven, so you can view opposing viewpoints without experiencing a lot of agony. Usually the opposition also has a valuable point of view, and they don't have evil intenstions. So “think of the opposite” and in so doing realize that your feelings don't have to be extreme, and you don't have to feel angry.

 

 

 

Rough Work !

 

 

  • too much screen time, but it accepted because the entire family is like that.

  • both parents were on welfare so it makes it hard for a child to feel confident about life.

  • came from a country full of chaos so it is hard to feel relaxed and secure in the new country.

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    The amount of training a person has, the development of their abilities, how laws tend to be enforced, what actions a constitution allows for, and the strength of an economy are all related to processes which can have an impact on what you are evaluating. Your understandings will be seriously flawed if you ignore important processes

    Rough Work !

    Harper has turned Canada into a peacemaker instead of a peacekeeper. We used to think that we specialized in peacekeeping, that it is a valuable job and that Canadians have the talent to do it well. But now, our soliders are expected to fight, sometimes for a good cause, and sometimes for causes which are questionable.
     
    (5) Harper has also ignored the Kelowna accord which would have benefited the Natives. Instead, he has passed laws in the form of an omnibus bill, so they were put through without proper debate. As a result, the Natives started the Idle No More movement and have been really unhappy with our Harper government.

     

    The process of creating the gun registry:
    Many rural people in Western Canada assumed that the gun registry was a deliberate act by the government to take control of their guns. They feared that the government was planning to take their guns away from them, including the guns they used for hunting.

    But:
    The gun registry was created in response to the massacre of 14 women in Montreal in 1989. They were simply being a responsive government, responding to the desires of a lot of concerned women. Concerns about safety in the city were much different from the rural folk in Western Canada. It was believed that the registry would be an important tool for the police to use.

    Rough Work !

    But the hype seemed to prove that a registry would not solve all problems. Radio talk shows did not want to admit that it was a little like getting a drivers licence. The government did fail to communicate properly, so there were angry misunderstandings. The government needed to respond to the fears of many farmers, that the government was plotting against them. The gun registry was eventually cancelled.

     

    PM Stephen Harper is a dictator (and he can't sing):
    Many have been upset with changes that have been brought on by PM Stephen Harper. He has chosen to do things which are not consistent with Canada's past reputation. They are things which has hurt Canada's reputation internationally. Some of his actions appear to be anti-Canadian.
    (1) Harper pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol,
     
    (2) has cut funds to environmental scientists, and
     
    (3) belongs to a church which has anti-science beliefs.
     

     

     
    But:
     (1) It is true that Harper pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol, but key players, the United States and China never were part of that agreement. Staying in would have meant we would have had to pay a huge penalty. The previous Jean Chretien government had not made any environmental changes after signing the protocol, so Harper just continued with the same policy. It could be in Canada's best interests to simply follow the lead of the United States when it comes to the environment.
     
    (2) Recently Harper announced $1.5 Billion for Science and Technology, so
     
    (3) he can't be that strongly against Scientists.
     
    (4) Canada may actually improve our reputation by being peacemakers, by carrying our weight, and by being activelly involved in NATO. This could help our reputation in the EU and in so doing, improve the free trade agreement with the EU which was signed last spring.
     
    (5) Harper also has plans and a budget to deal with the Native situation. Even though Harper did not take the path recommended by the Kelowna accord, he might be getting results. He has promised money for Native schools, so they can start focusing on educating themselves. Since an election is coming up, the money promised should come through. However, it is also true that the oil prices have dropped by half, so tax revenue has been seriously hurt.

     

     

    The Triple E Senate:
    Triple E stands for equal, effective, and elected. It was developed by an Alberta farmer and the radio talk shows loved the idea. There was a lot of hype around it so the Reform party and Stephen Harper got on the bandwagon and gained a lot of votes by supporting the Triple E Senate. They even had expensive elections in which Senators were selected, and then the Prime Minister chose to accept the results, to go along with what was happening and appoint those people to the Senate.

    But:
    They could not change the constitution by simply passing laws. Due to the constitution, Ontario would have to give up its powers and influence and vote in favor of a Triple E Senate which would give more power to the other provinces. Obviously, that was not going to happen. Also, a more effective Senate meant that it would be harder for the government to get things done. Stalemates in the United States Senate were reminders that giving more power to the Senate was probably a very expensive, bad idea.

     

     

     

     

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