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Might Shatner Boldly Lead Canada As Governor?
just fiddling around writes "Now that Michaëlle Jean is approaching the end of her customary five-year post as Governor General of Canada, the rumor mill has started on who Prime Minister Steven Harper will propose to the Queen in her stead. According to the CBC, the short list includes Captain Kirk, actor William Shatner. It seems that acting can lead to the highest offices in places other than California."
You...pitted...us...againsteachother. You...wanted...me..todoyourbidding. You...want...me...tobeyourgovernor. Well...I...WON'T...DO...IT!
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Might Shatner Boldly Lead Canada As Governor?
The only 'short list' I could find referenced was simply which Facebook groups had the most members. If anyone else can find anything worth noting from this article other than the fact that Star Trek fans are more numerous on Facebook than Leonard Cohen fans ... let me know. PROTIP: Facebook is not a cross section of the populace nor does that cross section necessarily think they are voting for William Shatner as Governor General when they click a tiny button to join that group. A flippant mouse click can be just as much a joke or laugh than it can be a true desire.
My work here is dung.
"It seems that acting can lead to the highest offices in places other than California"
Absolutely. Forgotten about our 40th president of the United States, have we?
Shatner isn't bilingual, which is a serious strike against anyone vying for the GG position. Also note that the Canadian Governor General is essentially powerless in modern government - similar to the role played by the Queen. While, theoretically, the GG has the ability to impact parliamentary procedures in rare circumstances, it's not real power. Instead, the GG gives speeches, meets dignitaries, and spends a lot of time paying respect to unlucky soldiers arriving back from Afghanistan in coffins.
Yeah, as always - the summary is a little off. Shatner is by no means on the "short list". The "short list" has three people (who look like they're actually appropriate candidates) on it, the article happens to also mention two entries from the much longer list of "who the internet thinks it would be funny if they were nominated for this position".
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. - Albert Einstein
KHHHHAAAAAAAANADA!
I suppose I should qualify that statement. Everything I have read about William Shatner gives me the impression the man is a dick. If placed against someone (who has some reasonable buzz about him in this specific context) such as Romeo Dallaire, how does William Shatner measure up? This is no minor office - and the person who occupies it should be one of exceptional quality. Michelle Jean, my issues with her handling of Harper aside, was a person that could be looked up to for her journey through life and her efforts to support those less fortunate.
What has William Shatner done to deserve this?
As far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't even be mentioned among such people has Romeo Dallaire or Michelle Jean.
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This is a retarded story. The only mention of Shatner in the whole FA is this:
There might have been another submission that could have been rejected that included this link, but, again, basically right off the bat, you see:
The OP is an asshole for submitting this as a serious story and writing the summary as if it were legit, and Taco, representative of all the editors I suppose, is being irresponsible for posting such a bullshit story like this on the front page.
Many people have been lamenting that the quality of stories have been going down in Slashdot. I don't really have that much of a gripe about that. I don't come to Slashdot for breaking news or the like. But when you start to post flat out falsehoods (there is no shortlist, there's not even a rumour, it's just a god damn Facebook group), that's when you cross the line into tabloidism. Horrible.
Aw come on, let's be brutally honest here - GG of any commonwealth country is a ceremonial position. Your job, such as it is, is to go around and do photo ops and shit like that. You're the Queen's representative, and she has no power or responsibilities, so Shatner will have even less.
This is actually a pretty good choice. As a Canadian, I'm more than happy for Kirk to be the guy schmoozing on behalf of my country.
Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
Alright, I'm going to take this in another direction. I've got more than enough karma to burn, and I haven't flamed someone in a while.
I don't know about you, but I'd like our purely ceremonial head of government to be taken seriously both at home and abroad.
No comment.
No comment? What fucking world do you live in? Do you not realize that perception may as well be reality in politics? The Governor General acts as the head of the Canadian Government. She meets with heads of state all the fucking time. She may not have any official power, but she wields a massive amount of influence. Access is power.
Get your head out of your ass. This appointment is not some minor office that nobody cares about. We are selecting someone to represent Canada to the world, and represent the Queen in this country. I expect that person to be one of the best of us. Do you honestly believe that William Shatner is one of the best of us?
Your posts demonstrate the problem with democracy. William Shatner is being considered alongside a man who has been internationally recognized for trying to stop the genocide in Rwanda, and speaking out about it ever since.
So I say to you, respectfully, go fuck yourself.
On the "until its not" comment: it wasn't that long ago.
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well yeah, I'm aware that the GG CAN exert power and I'll completely agree we all want to see Harper and the deceptiCons get theirs for some of the shit they've pulled. But like you said, it's a one shot thing and incredibly unlikely to ever happen for the reason of we LIKE the Queen. She's a classy dame and all that. Plus, we're the only good kid England has left. They kicked Australia out, the USA ran away to start a band and India just sat in its room refusing to eat until mom let him leave. I mean, sure, we may have married that french woman who's always going on about a divorce at all the family gatherings but we're still the good kid. The GG isn't likely ever going to USE that one shot any more than the Queen is to refuse to let a PM resign or accept a new one.
Well, she alone has the power to summon and dissolve parliament, which is hardly ceremonial. She's basically the referee between rivals for the government, and considering that we have a minority government right now, and may soon have another, the referee's job is pretty significant. It only seems like there isn't much power there because the current minority has been pretty stable, and the previous majorities haven't needed much refereeing.
Yeah. Like those assholes who eat pig meat, or cow meat OR ANY OTHER MEAT. IT'S JUST A TYPE OF MEAT. GET OVER IT. I'm sorry you find that particular animal cute but that's what they have up there. I'll eat seal heart. Hell, as long as it's nobody's pet I'll eat cat or dog too. When I decided I ate meat instead of being a vegetarian I agreed that animals were fair game for food. We've both decided that we're totally cool with murdering a living thing and eating it, please drop the pretense that you're somehow a better person because you insist on being shallow while you do it.