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Naming the Canadian Politics Thread 2026

stetsonstetson Shipmate
edited January 3 in The Styx
To justify the pun in the title, I did recently see a headline somewhere to the effect that, with Trump menacing Canadian trade and sovereignty, consensus is now growing among Canadians about a variety of previously contested issues, including the need to build more pipelines. The Globe article I just looked at put support at "a slim majority".

(ETA Change of title, DT, Admin)
(ETA Renaming for clarity after move to Styx, DT, Admin)

Comments

  • LeafLeaf Shipmate
    While I appreciate the effort to consider a thread title, and generally punning, I hate this thread title so much. I consider it offensive. I do not go in for patriarchal naming customs in referring to a country as "she." I do not adopt the point of view that Canada consists of Ottawa bureaucracy funded by Alberta oil, as this thread title seems to indicate, even in jest.

    I have not been the most active poster on the Canadian political threads, as I do not have the passion for detail that other posters seem to enjoy. I would 100% not post on the thread as titled above. No loss, perhaps.

    May I suggest something along the lines of "Ten Provinces, Three Territories" or even "Provinces, Territories, and Nations/First Nations"? I realize it's bland but factual, and we can all argue the finer points of history, process, and political ethics under that title.
  • Stercus TauriStercus Tauri Shipmate
    The suggested title really is a bit weird. I like 'The Northern Kingdom', but I may be in a small minority there.
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    edited January 1
    If all else fails we can just go with Canadian Politics 2026, which we've done before (except for the "2026" bit...) and is nothing if not descriptive.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    edited January 1
    Leaf wrote: »
    While I appreciate the effort to consider a thread title, and generally punning, I hate this thread title so much. I consider it offensive. I do not go in for patriarchal naming customs in referring to a country as "she." I do not adopt the point of view that Canada consists of Ottawa bureaucracy funded by Alberta oil, as this thread title seems to indicate, even in jest.

    I have not been the most active poster on the Canadian political threads, as I do not have the passion for detail that other posters seem to enjoy. I would 100% not post on the thread as titled above. No loss, perhaps.

    My title was basically meant as a riff on "Hewers of wood, drawers of water", updated for the current economic era, and, as you suggest, was not meant to imply approval of that situation.

    As for the patriarchal adjective, it was parodying the old Upper Canada slogan, "Loyal she began, loyal she remains", which as far as I know, is still considered non-offensive enough to be considered the official motto of Ontario(though admittedly they probably would not choose it as a motto today). And the added comma was meant to indicate that it was technically the oil that was being anthropomorphized, since we normally wouldn't say a country itself is oil.

    But by all means, if the title is completely alienating, the mods can lock the thread and start a new one.
  • Sober Preacher's KidSober Preacher's Kid Shipmate
    Stercus Tauri wrote: »
    The suggested title really is a bit weird. I like 'The Northern Kingdom', but I may be in a small minority there.

    I second the motion,
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    edited January 2
    I have interim edited the title, a new phrase can be added once it has been agreed, or someone could start another thread with a new title and then we’ll close this one - but perhaps agree the new title with fellow Canadians first.

    Doublethink, Admin
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    I’m ok with whatever consensus develops on the issue.
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    What happens if we are one vote away from a majority on this issue? ;^)
  • LeafLeaf Shipmate
    Stercus Tauri wrote: »
    The suggested title really is a bit weird. I like 'The Northern Kingdom', but I may be in a small minority there.

    Oh dear. There are differing levels of sensitivity about colonization, and in the current climate, I'm not sure I would highlight Canada's status as a constitutional MONARCHY. (With all due respect to the monarchists on board, nor am I republican myself.)

    Sorry to keep being such a thorn.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    edited January 2
    How about - Canadian politics 2026; what a kerfuffle ?
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Doublethink wrote: »
    How about - Canadian politics 2026; what a kerfuffle ?

    Is that meant to reference anything about Canadian politics in particular? Because to my ears, it's pretty generic.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    It was more that the internet told me kerfuffle was a Canadianism, like toque
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Doublethink wrote: »
    It was more that the internet told me kerfuffle was a Canadianism, like toque

    Thanks! From what I'm reading, it's a Canadianism, rooted in Gaelic.

    (Still sounds pretty generic to me, since it really just means something like "commotion caused by opposing views", which could pretty much describe any country's politics at any time. But we'll see what others have to say.)
  • LeafLeaf Shipmate
    edited January 2
    It's okay with me.
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    I didn’t know kerfuffle was a Canadianism… anyway, it works for me.

    Honestly I think we may be overthinking this a bit but perhaps we can revisit in time for next year’s thread if need be.
  • Augustine the AleutAugustine the Aleut Shipmate
    Northern Kingdom sounds very gamesy of thronesy, which perhaps is very apropos of things. Still, there's nothing wrong with kerfuffle.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Augustine the Aleut wrote: »
    Northern Kingdom sounds very gamesy of thronesy, which perhaps is very apropos of things.

    In the local parlance, you might say it is somewhat redolent of gin and Narnia. Which can be great, if taken with the usual self-teasing irony, but as a title being read by someone for the first time, might come off as a little grandiose.

    I'll note in it's favour that it does play into the anti-trump thing a bit, ie. we're a kingdom, not a republic, which is a pretty major factor influencing Canadian political discussion right now.

    (Due mostly to the existing ubiquity of official monarchial phrasing and imagery in Canada, I personally don't see an issue with any special linkage to colonialism, but if people think it does carry that connotation, I'm not gonna dispute them here.)

    So...

    For mostly symbolic reasons, I'm gonna do a ranked ballot with "Oil, She Remains" as my first choice. In the likely event of that suggestion not carrying the day, I cast my de facto top vote for...

    The Northern Kingdom
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    Or one of you could come up with a suggestion no one is raising objections to. As this thread has become about thread naming - I am going to move it to Styx.

    Doublethink, Admin
  • Lily PadLily Pad Shipmate
    Not that I try to participate very often, but here are some suggestions for thread titles.

    Political musings - Canadian style

    Politics and Plans for Canadians in 2026

    Let's discuss - Canada and her Politics in 2026

    Canada's Political Landscape 2026

    All tangled up - 2026 in Canadian Politics

  • LeafLeaf Shipmate
    I prefer consensus, if possible. From Lily Pad's suggestions:

    Political musings - Canadian style
    Politics and plans for Canadians in 2026
    Canada's Political Landscape 2026
    All tangled up - 2026 in Canadian Politics

    Any of these are fine by me.
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    We seem to have come a bit off the rails here. If the idea is that we cannot have a Canadian Politics thread this year unless everyone agrees on a thread title, I don't think that makes sense.

    There have been a number of good suggestions for titles on this thread that no one has objected to. Can I suggest that someone restart the thread in Purgatory using one of those titles? And can I also suggest that whoever that person is be one of us who were participating more actively on last year's thread, as opposed to those Shipmates who by their own admission have been more passive participants?

    I am seeing the virtues of the usual Ship practice that we go with whatever the OP chooses unless there is something obviously wrong with it. It may be not be perfect, but it generates much less muss and fuss and general kerfuffle.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    @Marsupial please go ahead and start the thread.
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    Done!
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    The second topic down from this in my index is "The Circumcision and Naming of Christ". Who among you will be undergoing the operation?
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    Marsupial wrote: »
    Done!

    Thanks !
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