blueblood

Fareed zakaria had a special last night discussing this. Its not necessarily decline as it is the rest of the world catching up. That show was good enough to make the tivo.

When the cwb and the western canadian wheat growers association and viterra are all in agreement that the railway sector in canada is horrible, there's a problem. The only reason that the railways are allowed to operate in such an inefficient manner is that so many canadians own a piece of the railways and it would be political suicide to put a dent in people's retirement especially after pushing the tfsa. Its not about speed, its about cost and canada has the highest cost of moving grain in the world. It would make far more sense to send out grain through the gulf of mexico or churchill than through the great lakes.

Holy Jim Crow batman!!!

Let's look at this objectively. One group forces another smaller group to abide by ridiculous rule which infinges on personal liberties. If said minority refuses to follow said rules they are subject to "attitude adjustments" given previous statements earlier in this thread by some union supporters about imprintint scabs with a louisville slugger. We have a remarkable similarity to some levels of things african americans had to deal with in the south.

Zing :D

If you can't market your own grain, farming isn't for you. Its that simple. Why should I have to take a bath so some incompetant producer down the road gets bailed out. The reason wheat has disappeared from canada is because black sea region producers can produce wheat at a much lower cost. They are at most 200 km from navigable waterway whereas canada is more than 1500 km. That and non board grains provide a better return and are more extensively researched. Nom board grains travel on the same crappy railway that wheat does. The only protection a producer has from this crappy railway is buying shares and collecting dividend cheques. The us has a much better transport network than canada, why should producers have to face massive productions so some shmuck from thunder bay and montreal has a salary not based in economic reality.

Rtw is a right to exercise a privelege offered by the employer (the job) without having been forced by a union to submit to union demands which could infringe on the right of association (not belonging to a union) and security of person (attitude adjustment). Since when is being fired an infringement of a person's rights? "Attitude adjustments" and forced membership are infringements of a person's rights just the same as rights being infringed upon african americans by white govts of southern states. Both barbaric. Understand? Outstanding!

So your entire rebuttal is "your argument is stupid because I said so" Outstanding!!

What about the employer's rights? Unless that employer is taking fundamental human rights, the employer can run his oufit as he sees fit. That employer is putting money in harms way (input costs needing a return) or trusted to spend taxpayers money as efficient as possible. If workers can assemble, the boss can fire them if boss feels necessary. Also who's colluding? I don't understand your last point (my apologies). who is there to collude with. Should unions be subject to ant-competitive practices legislation because they collude to keep prices high?

And those black people's hands were forced by a democratically elected govt. That's why laws have been passed preventing that like RTW. Those companies have a right to run their businesses how they see fit, just as workers have a right to assemble. Jobs are a privelege not a right. However unions infringe upon freedom of association and freedom of security of person (attitude adjustments). Looks like unions similar to jim crow still stands!

How about the west is too broke! Imposing a no fly zone implies neutralizing air defenses and possibly planes on the ground which would be an act of war, plus cost a pile of money. Not only that the west wants to have a more positive branding situation than iraq, branding which involves china and russia. Considering that they suck at human rights like libya, it would be hypocritical of them to go with a un resolution. Mostly the issue is money in the kitty, which there isn't enough.

Praise jesus!! He's found the light!!

Because requiring people to follow proposterous rules such as whites only restsurants or in the case of unions such as being forced to march the picket line instead of work, both cases under the threat of "attitude adjustment" by vigalantes which has turned violent. At the same time both cases saying "oh but you can leave". Should all african americans have left the southern states because a group of people imposed ridiculous rules on them? Same goes for "scabs". Rights are a two way street its too bad unions don't see that. As for canadien - you bring up ssm struggle, I can bring up jim crow. Pot meet kettle.

There are those who work in places with unions that are forced to be under union thuggery. Those who are called scabs. Almost identical to african americans in the jim crow era.

That's a bogus argument. Mandatory union membership is akin to the jim crow era in the southern usa. The minority african american population had to submit to white thuggery if they wanted to stay there, but those african americans were free to move elsewhere. Like some african americans moving north to escape the tyranny of the majority of crazy people, a large proportion of american workers have left union places of employment from about 1 in 3 in the fifties to around 1 in 10 today. Keeping with the analogy, legislation was passed in order to establish civil rights for african americans and the same goes for RTW for those workers who can't find other work/want to be in that job but don't want to be part of a union. Outstanding!!! You have to take into account that those are average wages. In some cases there is a premium paid to not be unionized and for performance as well with penalties. The union doesn't have that kind of flexibility. As for employers, they risk the money, it is their business. Just like wage earners are in the business of getting the most money they can just like their employers. As for employers being cruel, it appears non union workplaces are consistently rated the best places to work. Hmmm...

Much lower taxes and the ability to keep more of what they make for starters. The worker in an rtw state has the ability to work without fear of thuggery and intimidation from union reps. How come there isn't a union movement for japanese car manufacturers that the caw conveniently despises? Germany has the advantage of having the ability to export to lazy neighbours while enjoying the most protectionist environment to operate from. As a result europe suffers while germany for now is succeeding. I wonder how many eu contries germany can bail out before they have a problem of their own. As for scandinavia, high taxes has put a cap on their economic potential. Much harder to get rich in scandinavia than the usa, but much easier to fail.

But it does apply to commodities. You seem to consistently discount the aspect of human innovation. Triple digit oil has opened up the oil sands, rapidly increased biofuel use,and the dvelopment of shale gas which has tanked natural gas prices. The reason prices are still rising is because of vorocious demand from china india et al. Had prices stayed low, production would not be able to keep up because of the lack of capital for investment. With high oil prices, the usa has implemented a policy which will put a lid on oil imports. Had china and india not existed, that would cause a price crash. As for economies becoming more localized, by your logic that should happen with grain production because the cost to acquire said grain would be too expensive to import when it could be grown locally. When the price goes up, people find ways to get production where there was none before. Irrigation is a manmade phenomenon. The question is what's next? There is a movement in cities to start food production in high rise buildings. If the price is right innovation takes place. Your last synopsis proves that high prices cure high prices with steel production taking place in the usa when before it was taking place in china at the expense of the usa.

Or we can grow soybeans,corn,canola,and lentils. Land going into wheat production is on a decline. Ontario and quebec producers are exempt from the wheat board. As for marketing, a producer is at their mercy, they don't always get the best price. There are large deductions, and producers are forced to use their stone age distribution system.

That if you are working for somebody, the party is over.

The southern us seems to get economic reality, why can't the northern states?

I'd go to cash right now. When tunisia hit I did a fire sale of my inventory of wheat and canola. Big situations plastered on cnn tend to spook investors. I'm getting out until there is some stability and/or direction in the middle east. If saudi arabia starts going south there's going to be a bath taking place in equities and commodities. Safest bet, oil futures, gold futures, and the usa dollar. Look to buy other investments when there is signs of stabilization.

At least those southern workers have jobs whereas their northern counterparts priced themselves out of a job. As for comparing the usa to europe, many more people vote with their feet for the opportunity to become successful. Free to succeed and free to fail, tis the american way. The usa still has their aaa rating, europeans are losing theirs... I like how union supporters only like consitutional rights when it benefits them. Workers have just as much right to be free from a union as to join one.

The only way the tea party could realistically make a difference is by running as republicans. It has been successful and the gop has to cater to them. One has to get elected to enact change. That's the beauty of usa primaries. Big spending republicans got the boot. As for the obama deal, there are elements of the american left that views bush as hitler, nazi, fascist, et al. Tea party has their nuts, the dems have theirs welcome to politics.

Yes that racist organization with african americans in leadership roles... Time to hit up youtube and see for yourself!

You do know that there is a situation with high energy prices. Ethanol is the lowest cost alternative to petrol for use in transport. Oil imorts are projected to cap and have a small decline in the usa by 2030. That and the usa is the worlds largest ag exporter. Not only do they put a cap on energy imports, they stop sending money to unfriendly nations, they also increase the value of their exports which improves their economy. It was never about the environment it was for national and economic security. Those big companies in the ag sector are publically traded with the exception of cargill, there is nothing stopping ordinary people from making investments and getting a healthy return due to the ag situation.