I have opinions (unwelcome here, apparently, LoL) about the black & white nature of this conversation: facts vs opinion, separation vs unity

I don’t think it’s helpful at all to make participants feel unwelcome in a political conversation. As Canadians I think we can do better than that. All voices should be heard.

In a political conversation, I don’t personally value statements about feelings that don’t articulate why a policy makes the speaker feel that way. I’m sure that Trump feels good vibes about the BBB, and I’m sure the people he’s hurting don’t. The “why” is important. The rest is editorializing.

Yes. You bring the receipts. But the idea that there is fact and opinion and no grey area seems very early 20th century to me (that is my opinion, but I could present receipts to back it up. This would make it what, though? Fact?) Facts are slippery, like what you see on reality TV.

Within reality there is every shade of nuance. A nuanced fact is still a fact. Once we abandon factual reality we are in a world where, for example, Donald Trump can modify the path of a hurricane with a sharpie, or the ministry of truth can shape reality to suit ideology.