CPCFTW

I'd be fine with our tax system the way it is if the tax revenue didn't disproportionately go towards those who pay the least. The rich and successful don't only pay more taxes by virtue of being more successful, they also have to deal with progressive taxes which discourages them from pursuing more success. At the top income bracket people barely get $0.50 for every $1.00 they earn. How much incentive do the wealthy in our society have to start a business on the side and create jobs when they will barely get 50% of the income they generate? Other than military and other national interests, our tax revenue should go towards creating jobs and encouraging entrepreneurship and small business development, rather than paying for bus drivers, token collectors, and government secrataries to live the good life or be a "strong middle class". When we have small businesses and other PRIVATE employers competing for employees to work for them, rather than employees competing for scarce jobs, then we will finally have created the ideal capitalist society. The society we currently live in is a pathetic excuse for capitalism. Anyway, one good thing about flat tax is how easy it is to manage. It would remove a lot of the bloat in our system. I think it hasn't been mentioned because most of Canada is still very centrist/socialist. I'd say it's something like 20% con, 60% centrist, 20% socialist (in Canadian terms.. In US terms this would be 80% Dem and 20% Repub). The cons need to capture more of the centrists than the NDP/Libs to retain power, and flat tax is an idea that would probably alienate 80% of the electorate.

I think he means showing restraint as in my last post about weeping/bawling in public.

And another thing.. It's not just crying but openly weeping/bawling. That's just people looking for attention or the "scraped knee" effect I mentioned earlier. I can honestly say I haven't weeped since I was probably less than 12 years old. And I probably won't again until I lose a parent or sibling or close friend. And when I do, it will probably be alone in my room, not in public on live TV. Put on some damn sunglasses and let the tears well up in your eyes if you're emotional about Layton's death at his funeral. It doesn't "show strength" to show up bawling your eyes out like a pre-pubescent girl.

It's not about considering it admirable, showing restrain., or suppressing emotions Men are just less emotional than women in general. You have to have lived a pretty sheltered life as a man in order to cry over Jack Layton's death. Trust me, I am not fighting back tears in a valiant effort to be manly.

I think people are more touched by the fragility of human life. Layton seemed like a healthy, ageless, and charismatic person. Everyone saw that person on live TV debating with the leader of this country less than 6 months ago. No one expected him to be struck down by cancer so quickly afterwards. I'm no fan of Layton but I was certainly shocked to hear he had died so quickly.. If I was more sensitive and effeminate like many lefties, I might also be in tears over the shock. It's sort of like when you're a kid and you trip and scrape your knee and cry over the shock rather than the actual pain. Canada is filled with little kids with scraped knees right now.

I agree. Especially the below:

More like too many hippies. I'm anticipating more hippy riots after Layton's death. The hippies are gonna lash out against the establishment. Not only did they lose the election "because of the system", they now also lost the king of hippies himself. Watch out for Canada's impending hippy spring with that hippy page leading the charge.

Completely agreed.

Haha come on....

Please do provide these clear statistics.

And some people don't feel like living the european way of life. There are many single professional guys (and girls) who don't want to take 3 weeks off to sip wine in France. The government shouldn't legislate people's way of life just because some people like you glorify a certain way of living. Nevermind that the people who have less than 3 weeks vacation are usually struggling to pay their rent, so your argument that they could do without as much "stuff" is simply asisinine. More vacation time at walmart = higher costs at walmart = less food on the table for walmart employees... But at least they'll be able to take a week off to think about what they could have bought when prices were lower!

Do you guys think private companies don't factor vacation time into their bottom line? They'll either pay less or charge more. Either way consumers won't be able to buy as much. Making feel good laws that make everyone worse off.. The lefty way.

I called someone named "socialist in oil country" a socialist... Please explain how that is bashing.

A 16 year old socialist.. Why am I not surprised? Jack certainly managed to warp the minds of many impressionable Canadian kids. RIP.

What does that have to do with the marginal business that can only stay in business at current labour costs?

Norway is a tiny Nordirc country sitting on huge oil reserves. Don't be so covetous. Not all countries were created equal. Norway can afford those types of benefits without borrowing from oppressed workers. Clearly we can't for now. Maybe if we freed the innovators and entrepreuners to invest and generate jobs and wealth for our society we could one day provide similar generous benefits without relying on foreign slave labour.

What does the left's latest boogeyman, CEOs, have to do with the scenario I outlined above whereby Western governments borrow from a tyrranical and oppressive Chinese government (which generates revenues through oppression of far less privileged workers) to pay for the inflated benefits of public servants?

Do you have to ask? Everyone knows Canadian socialists are in favour of rent controls, regulating oil prices, and anything else that discourages saving and investing. Everyone (in Canada) should live the good life of taking 10 weeks vacation with guaranteed pensions without any investment risk, it can just be paid for by the benevolent chinese government.

Why would I? I work for a private company and my company would go out of business if they overcompensated their employees. Furthermore, a private company's creditors are far less likely to be foreign governments. Finally, I'm not even talking about a voluntary reduction in salary, so your point is irrelevant. My point was that people will need to work more to compete in a globalized economy, not take vacations and sick days paid for by a chinese government that generates its revenue through tyranny and oppression of workers far less fortunate than us. I will certainly continue to vote for any party which addresses this hypocrisy and is in favour of involuntarily decreasing benefits to those public servants who sustain their luxurious lifestyles through the oppression of foreign workers. You are free to vote for your 4th reich society, 40% of Canadians and I will continue to ensure that the parties who support your unbounded greed and hypocrisy remain powerless.

Question for the self proclaimed "progressives" in here: who pays for these "progressive" benefits? Well the government does of course! But how does the government pay for our "progress"? By borrowing money of course! And who lends them that money? Well China is by far the greatest creditor nation in the world. How did they get all that money? By enslaving billions of impoverished chinese who are lucky enough to get 1 vacation day. What a progressive world you guys have created!

The problem with those "progressive" minds is that they think that anything that increases productivity is good economically. Pay me $100/hr with 50 weeks vacation and I can guarantee you that for the 2 weeks I work I will be at least 3 times as productive as I currently am. That doesn't mean it makes any kind of economic sense for the business or society to promote those kind of benefits. To compete in a globalized economy, people will have to start working MORE, not less. That is the only way we can avoid going the way of Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and probably France/US in the near future. The days of relaxing off of the slavery of the 3rd world are gone. Sorry "progressives", no more slave labour generated benefits for you.

The issue is the combination of all those benefits and declaring them inalienable rights for lower class workers. No one would care if mailmen and bus drivers got 4 weeks vacation. The problem is that the unions insist they get that (or more) plus an unsustainable defined benefit pension plan, plus bankable sick days, plus ridiculous wages.

All you dirty, smelly, ignorant, sub-human rednecks can just get the hell out my country if you don't agree with the CHRC!!!

Wow so much hypocrisy in this post.

Why is anyone bragging about Canadian immigrants to the USA? Have you been living under a rock for the past 4 years? Canadians are buying up discount US property while laid off US bankers and finance professionals are emigrating to Canada. The trend is clearly in the opposite direction nowadays.