Dealing with Political Discussions On Board?

[buggins0402]

Helps if you know that if someone mentions the "Canadian Cowboys" they are NOT talking about cattle ranchers in Alberta...

Helps if you know that Jon Montgomery (the host of the Canadian Amazing Race) is not just a pretty face, but his is an Olympic Gold Medal winner in Skeleton.

And, outside of Leonard Cohen singing the song, K.D. lang's version of "Hallelujah" at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games is the best rendition to date.

 

(I am from the US, but I've helped some Canadian sports teams - one of the them bestowed "honorary Canadian" on me :D )

 

I think I finally figured out your handle...and it isn't referring to White Castles!:D

[navybankerteacher]

When I am on vacation I am on vacation, I will not discuss current events or politics, if the discussion starts to go there I remind people that we are on vacation and trying to enjoy our time away from reality.

 

I think it is unfortunate to be unable to participate in civilized discussions concerning current events - or even politics, for that matter. Intelligent people can hold, and even defend, differing opinions with others: it is the arrogant, aggressive (and, frequently, ignorant) person who is unable to consider the possibility of there being opinions with merit other than his own.

 

I agree that you need to be careful: both in how you express your own views and in "reading signals" to recognize someone as being unlikely to participate in civilized discussions with a person holding different opinions. I also recognize that there are a number of cruisers who are arrogant, aggressive and ignorant - but I am willing to give any the benefit of the doubt - rather than assume that there are no sufficiently civilized and open-minded fellow passengers on board.

[cruisemom42]

When I am on vacation I am on vacation, I will not discuss current events or politics, if the discussion starts to go there I remind people that we are on vacation and trying to enjoy our time away from reality.

 

I guess we're all different. When I travel, I don't turn off my brain. I want to learn about other places, other cultures, and other people. I enjoy talking to folks from different areas and with different viewpoints from me.

 

I don't shout, turn red, spew profanities, or denigrate anyone for what they think. I listen and ask questions to help me understand where they're coming from.

 

Of course, I respect when others don't want to have a political discussion. But truthfully some of the most interesting conversations I've had while traveling have touched on the political, or at least on current events, in some way.

[Pudgesmom]

Just accurate reporting of what I observed. A ship that has a majority of Texans over age 60 was likely going to be disappointed with the election outcome. Your response reveals your politics.

 

Disagree with you completely. You are stating what the political opinions were for a shipfull of people. That's politics and you're discussing it. You have no idea what my views are as I did not express them, unless of course you are as clairvoyant through the interwebs as you are at sea.

Edited February 1, 2017 by Pudgesmom

[slidergirl]

I think I finally figured out your handle...and it isn't referring to White Castles!:D

 

Maybe ;)

[HardToPort]

And, outside of Leonard Cohen singing the song, K.D. lang's version of "Hallelujah" at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games is the best rendition to date )

 

Best Hallelujah's

 

John Cale - raw

Jeff Buckley - heartbreaking

KD Lang - uplifting

 

I love KD, but prefer the other versions.

[sapper1]

True, and I'm kind of rusty now...my job many years ago had a very Canadian slant to it, so I spent a lot of time there.

 

But, we did impersonate Canadians on a trip to Southern France at a time of unpopular US policies. I did get questioned by a Brit about Windsor Canada (our "cover" home since it's just across the border from DTW and the accent isn't strong there). I could sense suspicion, but, I think we passed muster.

 

Heading out to SE Asia in a few days. I think I should watch a bit more of CBC (other than the winter sports) just to brush up. :D

 

You gave yourself away with Windsor, Canada, which a Canadian would never say. It is Windsor, Ontario.

[buggins0402]

You gave yourself away with Windsor, Canada, which a Canadian would never say. It is Windsor, Ontario.

 

LOL...all I have to do is fool a non Canadian next trip. I'd have no chance with a Canadian.:) I am pretty good at detecting the Canadian accent...so I'd know when not to use that "cover".:)

 

Being serious, next trip I'm expecting some curious questions about the situation from Vietnamese and Cambodian guides. It's not a cruise, so we'll be insulated somewhat from discussions with other English speakers.

[wassup4565]

I'm a Canadian, going on a cruise in less than two weeks, and I really hope Americans will talk to me about what this election and the Trump presidency mean to them. I want to listen, not judge. We share a long peaceful border. Many of us, whether US or Canadian citizens, have relatives or friends who have moved from one country to live in the other. And in many ways, we are more similar to each other than most nations on earth are. We watch the same TV and movies, we read the same papers and magazines, we follow the same stars, listen to the same movies, read the same mystery novels, ...on and on.

 

Yet our countries recently chose to follow very different political directions. This is very interesting to me, and talking to Americans would maybe help me understand better. I'll try to be polite (ha ha) and not argue, unless we can do that in a constructive, useful way.

 

I will say, at this time in the world, I think more people talking and listening to each other is a better way to go.

[Host Walt]

I'm a Canadian, going on a cruise in less than two weeks, and I really hope Americans will talk to me about what this election and the Trump presidency mean to them. I want to listen, not judge. We share a long peaceful border. Many of us, whether US or Canadian citizens, have relatives or friends who have moved from one country to live in the other. And in many ways, we are more similar to each other than most nations on earth are. We watch the same TV and movies, we read the same papers and magazines, we follow the same stars, listen to the same movies, read the same mystery novels, ...on and on.

 

Yet our countries recently chose to follow very different political directions. This is very interesting to me, and talking to Americans would maybe help me understand better. I'll try to be polite (ha ha) and not argue, unless we can do that in a constructive, useful way.

 

I will say, at this time in the world, I think more people talking and listening to each other is a better way to go.

What goes around comes back around, as they say. I spent a lot of time in the early 1970's in Canada (principally in various cities in Ontario) during the Pierre Elliott Trudeau years when the US had Richard Nixon as President. The Separatist movement was a (the?) major political issue in Canada (remember the invocation of the War Powers Act?). The issues in Ottawa had no parallel to the drama in Washington.

 

Since then the politics went from Trudeau to Turner (liberal to conservative) and from Nixon to Carter (conservative to liberal). Now we're back to Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump so we've returned back to the 1970's.

 

I found that the political discussions were easily redirected to the economic mess created by the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the unpegging of the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar (from 92.5 cents US per Cdn dollar) and the decimalization of British Sterling and its impact on both the Canadian and US economies.

 

That's when I settled on dodging all political discussions and reverting to arguing about whether Molsons was better than Budweiser (it was) and the regional variation of the Canadian term "eh" (heard much more frequently in Toronto than in Winnipeg and Vancouver). Northern Ontario was always fun where in North Bay we heard the strange term "eh, eh."

[Liz54]

 

Since then the politics went from Trudeau to Turner (liberal to conservative) and from Nixon to Carter (conservative to liberal). Now we're back to Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump so we've returned back to the 1970's.

 

Except Turner was a Liberal!

[DirtyDawg]

Except Turner was a Liberal!

 

I think Walt meant Mulroney, as John (Turner) was PM for only 79 days after PE Trudeau took that walk in the snow.;)

 

And in Canada, the political differences can be so small that sometimes you can't tell the players without a scorecard.:)

[slidergirl]

I'm a Canadian, going on a cruise in less than two weeks, and I really hope Americans will talk to me about what this election and the Trump presidency mean to them. I want to listen, not judge. We share a long peaceful border. Many of us, whether US or Canadian citizens, have relatives or friends who have moved from one country to live in the other. And in many ways, we are more similar to each other than most nations on earth are. We watch the same TV and movies, we read the same papers and magazines, we follow the same stars, listen to the same movies, read the same mystery novels, ...on and on.

 

Yet our countries recently chose to follow very different political directions. This is very interesting to me, and talking to Americans would maybe help me understand better. I'll try to be polite (ha ha) and not argue, unless we can do that in a constructive, useful way.

 

I will say, at this time in the world, I think more people talking and listening to each other is a better way to go.

 

I wish I was cruising with you - I'd love to talk with you about what is happening in the US and you could talk to me what is happening in Canada. I have already really upset one of my Albertan friends by suggesting when my minority government says "we must secure our borders" but only wants to build a wall on the Southern Border, I say why are we not building a wall on the Northern Border as well... ;) And, the North Dakota pipeline - that seems to get some of my Albertan friends riled up... But, then, I don't eat red meat, so they don't like that I won't eat Albertan Beef ;)

[Host Walt]

I think Walt meant Mulroney, as John (Turner) was PM for only 79 days after PE Trudeau took that walk in the snow.;)

 

And in Canada, the political differences can be so small that sometimes you can't tell the players without a scorecard.:)

I did...just that. The hoo-hah on the status of Quebec back in those days had Turner in the headlines and Trudeau sliding downhill in a hurry.

 

My memory was jumbled because John Turner was on the board of a company with which I was dealing and we had a very confused (and brief) discussion that had me viewing him as a conservative. He wasn't terribly impressive. Mulroney brought some stability to the mish-mash his predecessors left behind.

[DirtyDawg]

I did...just that. The hoo-hah on the status of Quebec back in those days had Turner in the headlines and Trudeau sliding downhill in a hurry.

 

My memory was jumbled because John Turner was on the board of a company with which I was dealing and we had a very confused (and brief) discussion that had me viewing him as a conservative. He wasn't terribly impressive. Mulroney brought some stability to the mish-mash his predecessors left behind.

 

I met Mr. Turner on a number of mostly social occasions after his politics days.were over. Your observation is pretty spot on.

Edited February 2, 2017 by DirtyDawg