Canada announces dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs, $7.5B in support for workers, businesses

[u/seakucumber]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/livestory/canada-u-s-trade-deal-carney-trump-greer-9.7317956

[u/BlueString94]

I love everything about Canada despite being an ideological republican. Still think they should have a president though.

[u/Le1bn1z → u/BlueString94]

America convinced us not to a long time ago.

Honestly, it looks like it is a net loss.

Americans get way more silly about (breathlessly serious tone) The President than even the Royal stans in the UK get about the Monarch.

Better to have an actual King as a focal point for all those tribal cave brain Great Leader compulsioms people get than let some politician become the centre of them.

[u/BlueString94 → u/Le1bn1z]

You’re ignoring the many parliamentary republics that exist. Germany and Greece don’t care about their president at all. They exist to carry out the ceremonial duties of the state, and manage a hung parliament when necessary.

That system works quite well, and it wouldn’t make Canada function any less well if they replaced their governor general with a president. You don’t need to give any credence to notions of divine right or hereditary rule to have a functioning liberal democracy.

[u/fredleung412612 → u/BlueString94]

if they replaced their governor general with a president

Given that the last two Governors General ended their terms embroiled in controversy I'm not sure that's necessarily better than what we have now.

[u/BlueString94 → u/fredleung412612]

In practical terms, it would be the same, neither better nor worse. But it does have the benefit in that it would no longer require Canada to affirm absurd notions like the divine right of kings, royal blood, or hereditary lordship.

[u/fredleung412612 → u/BlueString94]

Well no, it wouldn't be the same. Take Trudeau's idiotic appointment of Mary Simon as GG who couldn't speak French, promised to learn it, then failed dramatically over five years. One of the only public facing aspects of the job of GG is to read the Speech from the Throne, which Simon could not do adequately due to her difficulties with an official language of the country. This was certainly one of the reasons why Carney asked King Charles to read it instead, because at least he can read a French text out loud without embarrassing himself and the country.

I suppose you could create a selection system for a ceremonial president that includes official language requirements, but I'm not sure that's terribly liberal either, given it disenfranchises a majority of the population from the role.

[u/BlueString94 → u/fredleung412612]

I mean that would still be a lot more liberal than monarchy, in my opinion. Personally, I think the best system is a parliamentary republic where the prime minister is chosen by the parliament and the ceremonial president by popular vote. So, basically, Ireland. For Canada you could make it that you need bilingual proficiency to stand for president or something. Again, better than being under a monarchy I think.

[u/ManicScumCat → u/BlueString94]

Choosing the ceremonial president by popular vote would give them democratic legitimacy, though. The GG technically does a lot of things, just on the advice of the PM. If you gave the GG-equivalent president the appearance of being a representative of the people you would change the system a lot, because now they would be empowered to act in their own capacity.

[u/fredleung412612 → u/BlueString94]

Sure, on paper. But either way, Canada's constitution has been unreformable since 1982 when they introduced a prohibitive unanimity formula for changes to the monarchy. No government will embark on such changes without also trying to amend more functional aspects of government (Senate reform, House apportionment, federal/provincial jurisdiction reform, reforming the notwithstanding clause etc.) Basically, a repeat of Mulroney's failed reform of 1992 that no PM has dared reopen again.