Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA14266 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 8 Apr 2001 15:07:11 +0100 Message-ID: <000d01c0c03a$1398efc0$5508bed4@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <E14j0vU-000GsE-00@gaea> <002901c0bbb0$f2000660$b902bed4@default><3AC8E1B1.33BCD878@clara.co.uk> <001101c0bc77$1fa65b20$0307bed4@default><3ACA3B58.F9D77350@clara.co.uk> <002101c0bd40$443d5280$820abed4@default><001101c0be06$a97a0000$1908bed4@default> <3ACEC8A4.5444C707@clara.co.uk> Subject: Re: taboos Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2001 16:41:26 +0200 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Good afternoon Douglas,
You wrote,
> Responsible government in Canada has been traditionally seen as a matter
of
> convention, not law, but there are clearly stated legal rules which are
> neglected or ignored in favour of reliance on convention. It's complex,
very
> historically grounded, very much a product of scholarly conservatism, in
which
> each new generation of writers continue the traditions of the prior
> generations.
<< Yes indeed, I would apply the same arguments for the situation where
my country is in for the moment. But, change is slowly coming because
now the government has changed from conservatism ( catholics) to a more
right winged liberial course. For what counts my personal attitude to this,
I think for one they are still too slow in exercising their power, maybe due
to their understanding that traditions of prior generations are not so
easily
broken. But I have doubts that they understand this in the first place....
!!
On the other hand, the ' change ' as you will is seen by the old conserva-
tive leaders as nit- picking to what the conservative side stood for, for
the last 50 years.
One example where they made a fuss about was the proposition to expell
all the catholic crosses out of the class- and courtrooms.
One of the arguments which the conservative side was using to explain
that the liberial side was playing games was to argue that by than all the
cases were done in not a partial way because the " cross " has shown
Gods mercy and meaningfullness and not the courts one.
Of course, you can argue such a decision made by the liberials but IMO,
we are now at the treshhold of a new era, and we must go on with our
businesses. We must look forward and not behind.
The patriation of the Canadian constitution 1982 breached a
> tradition of consensus - Foley would describe it as a breach of issues
that had
> had been kept in abeyance because there was some form of understanding,
perhaps
> unconscious, that to raise the issues would precipitate a constitutional
crisis,
> which is what happened in Canada.
<< Indeed, I agree here also with your comments.
An example in which even the conservative side breached a tradition of
consensus was when King Boudewijn I refused to sign a law concerning
abortion.
As a convinced catholic he was against all kinds of abortion.
The government, in deep mess because by the kings refusal the king made
a difference between and in his people. Something what he as the king
could do not.
The government, in order to refute a constitutional crisis and for that
matter
a civil war ( it was that close due to the fact of the already existing
split
of the country in three seperate parts) came up with the idea that the king
was " in a position by which he could not rule ".
In fact they stated a coup d' état, the country was for at least 24 hours
without the king as king. The government signed the law in the kings
place, set the poor man back on his trone and went on with their business
like nothing happened.
In writings and analyses after this accident it became clear that the king
was
willing to step aside for 24 hours in order to refute a civil war... and to
be
in the clear with his conscience.
I will be back with more,
See you soon,
Best,
Kenneth
( I am, because we are) in power
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