Posted by Savant on October 21, 192001 at 01:08:21: In Reply to: Re: Sharing Files like Video and Music Files posted by Peter 'Rattacresh' Backes on October 20, 192001 at 22:00:53:
I guess it comes with my heritage. In Canada we are often compared to the United States in terms of our 'freedoms'. The United States is seen as being one of the 'most free' countries in the world. However there are marked differences between them and us. Here's a comparison:
>In broadest terms, the texts of the First Amendment in the American Bill of
>Rights and the first and second sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights
>and Freedoms are materially different. The American approach is far more
>sweeping. It provides that:
>
>>Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
>>prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or
>>of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
>>petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
>
>In Canada, freedom of expression is nowhere declared to be as absolute. In the
>Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 2(b), which declares the
>existence of the fundamental freedoms "of thought, belief, opinion and
>expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication",
>is expressly declared to be subject to the limitation imposed in Section 1,
>which declares:
>
>>The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms
>>set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can
>>be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.
That subtle difference will prevent a person in Canada from being allowed to take a liberty at the expense of someone else's liberty.
Until this year (#3), the United Nations Human Development Index had ranked Canada as the best country in the world in which to live for seven years straight. (in case you're wondering, this year the United States was #6 and Germany was #17)
Even though our freedoms aren't as 'extreme' as other countries, that moderation serves the greater good and enhances our quality of life.
: This thread seems to become just another in a series
: of our little beloved private religious wars.
:
: Damn, I love it.
Hehehehe, yeah we do have these enjoyable little debates on occasion now don't we?
Regards,
Savant