blueblood

Us on the right have it worse in regard to Mr. Canada because he fits the stereotype to a T. I don't think he's getting paid by the post because he turns people off on both sides of the spectrum.

If we're going down the Goldman Sachs Rabit hole, lets go further. Three words Community Reinvestment Act. I suppose all of their big government spending, all their numerous gov't debt, and sky high taxes are all a figment of my imagination. They're a lot closer than Alberta ever will be. You see, I'm a gov't spending slasher, so there's no free lunch in that regard. I'll take the cut in services to keep more of my money. As for reckless deregulation causing the mortgage crisis, it was reckless regulation that forced banks to loan to trash when they would discriminate based on income like the banks in Canada. I'll take living in North America over living in Europe/Middle East anyday. Then you won't like his GST to pay off the deficit. I don't. But if your like me and contribute to society, the US is where its at. The only people that don't like the US are poor people and lower middle class because the American society has a philosophy where you should look after yourself, and that philosophy is why America is the top economy in the world and why they more people vote with their feet to immigrate there. I help other people by buying things on my own free will and investing in companies, by me helping myself and keeping more of my money, I make it easier on society by having others keep more of what they earn, the Soviets used to think like you by saying we have to help out each other and a fat lot of good that did them, their incentive to succeed went down the crapper. I wouldn't call the US a slum, their rural areas are on par with ours, and lets not compare anything Canada has to Beverly Hills. Or I can buy health insurance and include the insurance company in my investment portfolio to hedge against trips to the hospital. Plus I could enjoy my low taxes to boot. It's people that do have an idea where they go, could care less about getting gouged at tax time so that Timmy in Toronto gets a free roof over his head. As for Ireland, the proper way of how taxation works, they pay less tax for everything, and have benefitted greatly. You are of the belief that people are to owe society, I am of the belief that society owes the people. Taxes are a form of punishment on people and should be kept to an absolute minimum. Alberta has seen the light, why can't Quebec and Ontario? .Codswallop, the US is a prime example, they have 10 times the population, their schools have 10 times the prestige, that's a fair sample. Hell by that logic, Canadian doctors should be outearning their American counterparts. You said to find an example of a poli-sci prof making less than 150K, I found lots.

Tell that to BC2004, he and others "love" the US the same way you "love" Canada, that argument is a wash. The CRTC and Cancon prop it up. Those cost money and a lot of it. Not only that, they forcibly keep other media out, thus screwing over Canadians. Think of the cell phone industry. Energy is our most profitable resource that Canada has in spades. It's a waste of labour to fart around with manufacturing when there is far more money to be made in the energy game. The only time the gov't should be getting in with businesses is if they already have sales and need capital investment (same lines as a venture capitalist - getting a return on investment, not throwing money away) Ontario was doing "well" without oil, why can't Quebec? That port makes a kings ransom and you know it. It's the catalyst that drives Vancouver and allows its spinoff industries. Yes, either BellGlobemedia, Global, or possibly ABC,NBC,CBS with a mapleleaf attached to them.

Would you like to remove other government spending from that as well... We do know the EU likes to let the tax dollars flow, ask Greece! There you go, implying that because you went to university you have better mental abilities than everyone else, you can come down from that ivory tower anytime... As for Quebec, I would call it is a socialist paradise, we have large gov't all over the place, high taxes, and a mountain of debt. How is it not a socialist paradise? It's not Venezuela, but its getting close. What proof would that be? Lower taxes and policies that encouraged economic growth? Last time I checked, Clinton did not jack back the tax rate to pre-Reaganesque levels. The world was in recession because of the Gulf war, a spike in oil prices, and the utter collapse of Eastern Europe. Not because of Reagan's massive tax slash and taxes as a whole were slashed, that's a given. The point of debate is where that balance occurs, do we take the Alberta balance, or the Quebec balance? Desert Storm is touted as a simulation b/w with the USSR and USA. Iraq with their oil dollars bought the "best" equipment the USSR had, and as Dogonporch would say "used a similar command and control structure" as the USSR. The result of that was a thrashing of proportions equivalent to Alexander the Great at Gaugemela. Nato would have done just fine. And what's the deficit Obama is racking up, or Greece another bastion of leftist thought? Had Reagan not bankrupted the USSR, he wouldn't have had to spend on military expenditures. Had the USSR not existed, Reagan's tax policy would have made the US far more powerful than it was today. As for Mulroney and fighting the debt, Argus has gone into this ad naseum about that scenario, and a forum search will provide an interesting read on that subject. As for Mulroney being a moron, NAFTA anyone??? The thing is I want less services and more of my own money in my pocket. As for me not liking it, I have every right to not like it as you have a right to love it. There is a large proportion of Canadians who don't like being gouged at tax time, should we all get booted out to Somalia. Funny thing is, some people do end up leaving the country because of our tax laws, and that makes our society poorer because of it. My link I sure hope those guys are writing a lot of books If you would have said commerce prof's I would have believed you, but since political science gets the short end of the funding stick, I have to call shenanigans.

Except where it comes to businesses where it counts the most. My link As for sales tax, anything is greater than zero. With Albertans paying half the sales taxes as Ontarians, that makes up for the gap at the lower income tax brackets. Aren't flat taxes fun?

The only difference b/w canadian flag wavers and american flag wavers is the amount of red, the lack of blue, and the use of the maple leaf instead of the stars and stripes. I care about not lighting money on fire, which unfortunately government propping up the Canadian media is doing. No, we lose the crappy companies. Canadian companies do well in our own little niches, energy being one. But a minute ago you were bragging about how vibrant and prosperous Ontario and Quebec were and that they should be the envy of the country. Oil is irrelevant, it's management of resources. I wonder what's more valuable to BC, it's oil deposits or the massive port in Vancouver...

But gov't spending is included in the GDP, and debt is starting to pile up. We have two provinces borrowing a pile of money and taxing the dickens out of their populaces, yet their growth during the "good times" was a full percent behind the 3 western provinces. And the high taxes and equalization payments? Quebec's economy is pretty much a house of cards.

And which two large provinces have a massive amount of gov't debt and which one does not?

Yet the debt of Ontario is what again? You do know that gov't spending is included in GDP?

Ah, but free "fake" Canadian patriotism nonetheless. The Americans should collect royalties from the copying of American style patriotism Yes I would be OK with that. So what if everything Canadian gets drowned out, you say that like it's a bad thing. The American stations broadcasting in Canada will show some national news because a 30 million person TV market is nothing to sneeze at. So does having navigable waterways, deepwater ports, hydroelectricity, large population, and very close proximity to the US. That makes you a have province in about 5 seconds flat. Unless your Quebec, and think that a socialist, isolationist economy is the way to go.

Nope, that would be good management of resources. Ontario was good at managing resources until they pissed that little luxury away by trying to milk the automotive industry. Venezuela floats on oil, and they're piss poor. My link In 2004 when times were really good for Canada, SK, AB, and BC outperformed Ontario by a full percentage point. And Oil is almost negligible for BC on top of it. 300B compared to... And that doesn't tell me about the size of the Alberta government in relation to others. Alberta has rock bottom taxes, and no debt, must be a large government... If Alberta spends like drunken sailors, Quebec and Ontario must be Keith Richards.

Did you not watch the crowd at the olympics. Looks like shared culture to me. And not a penny from the gov't. As for good TV, look for investors and try and get a show to fly in the states. The only gov't support should come in the form of tax breaks. Cancon, and tax dollars screw over Canadians. If CTVGlobemedia can't compete with the big boys down in the US, let them fail, and let the US networks come into Canada, they have local stations as well. As lucky as Quebec and Ontario too.

Saskatchewan is on the cusp to become one of the richest provinces in Canada. When the economy gets back on track, the amount of hydrocarbons, potash, uranium, agriculture and other natural resources, will rival the Alberta boom. The Saskatchewan people promote their culture very proudly, no need of government assistance, bunny hugs, the color green and pilsner beer anyone? That is not going away, no matter how much "red" from central canada keeps coming in on Canadian TV. SK lives in close proximity to a giant market that produces more content than any other in Canada (Ontario). As far as I'm concerned, Canadians from all over are quite proficient at portraying their various cultures without need of the government.

Ontario doesn't have oil, yet they were the economic powerhouse of Canada for the 19th and 20th centuries. Oil has nothing to do with it. You do also know that gov't spending also plays with GDP numbers. In essence, Quebec is spending our money to prop up their economy. If Alberta and Ontario got as much free money as quebec to throw around, they'd have even faster growth. Ralph Klien 1990's, can you say bye bye debt? We both know that Quebec can't! As for Ed Stelmach spending like a drunken sailor, he will pay for it dearly come election time/review.

Yes because Steven Harper wants to get booted out of the PM chair... Tell me what economies prosper more, those with more or less gov't intervention. NAFTA is proof of how taking out gov't intervention makes society wealthier. Quebec, the province with deepwater ports, minerals, large population for manufacturing, and hydroelectricity. That province which is one of the most indebted jurisdictions in the western hemisphere. Alberta is a one trick pony with no deep water ports and no debt and that oil show ain't ending for some time. THe only bubble I'm worried about is the Quebec socialist paradise bubble that the other provinces pay for, yet the Quebec debt goes up, when that bubble pops, this country is in trouble. It will last longer than Quebec's socialist paradise Then I read Lenin's book about capitalism, and I just don't buy it... Show me how he's a failure. Outstanding. Your confusing in increase of tax receipts with an increase in tax rates. Good your catching on that socialism is not the way to grow an economy. However, the USSR tried to play catch up in the arms race and lost, and lost big. Tin foil anyone? Giggle... NAFTA and Reagonomics are the primary reasons why North America is the economic envy of the world. The numbers don't lie, Clinton, Blair, and Chretien got to ride on easy street on the fruits of Thatcher, Reagan, and Mulroney's labours. As for Chretien cleaning up Mulroney's mess, Mulroney had to go into deficit to pay the interest off on the massive debt left by Trudeau. Trudeau's socialist bubble went pop in the early nineties and we unfortunately had to create a new tax to get rid of it. Not only that, the world bank has had to inform the Liberal gov't of the 1990's to slash spending and service the debt. Oh I get it your entitled to my money. If you like high taxes, and big government which is your definition of paradise, try Venezuela, I hear it's beautiful this time of year. Just remember to keep quiet when ol' Chavez is in town, he tends to not like dissenters. I'll take Alberta and it's small gov't over Quebec and it's big gov't any day of the week. Given how things are working out in the US, in 2012, I wouldn't be surprised if we're back to conservatism. I take my economic advise from Kevin O'Leary, I'll listen to him over some broke poli-sci prof who thinks that people who make money should be punished with high taxes.

There are winners and losers as there have always been. There are just more winners now than before. Cry me a river because fishermen are too stupid to replenish their stocks and computers slashed paper usage.

Keep following the light, your almost there... Saskatchewan has their own culture, no government dollars necessary. Why does Canada need gov't dollars for culture as a whole?

And if they were authoritarian as you say, what do you think would happen the next election if they implemented their "authoritarianism"?

Look at the numbers of how well our economy has done with free trade vs. without. We as a society have done very well with the NAFTA agreement. To say otherwise is living in fantasy land.

You have upgraded from a shovel to a trackhoe. I wish our side could cut some players...

I hear accusations but I don't see proof.

There you go again confusing the word conservative with authoritarian again. I wouldn't call CEO's of multinational corps idiot teabaggers. They know how to make money and improve the standard of living far better than the failure that is the USSR and any other socialist out there. Governments waste, the less government in the economy the better. Who am I going to listen to when it concerns economic matters, a multimillionaire CEO or some poli sci prof who can barely afford mortgage payments? Alberta vs. Quebec is a prime example of why gov't intervention causes problems. Considering that Tsarist Russia was the gong show it was, he fits the bill as a progressive for that time. As for liberalizing economics, anyone who calls BS on Adam Smith is the polar opposite of a liberalizing force in economics. Reagan and Pope John Paul II had a bigger hand in that, Gorby was playing catch up. The only legacy Russia has is that it showed the world what a failure communism was. Doesn't matter who was in charge. Russia was broke, they had no choice but to sell off the assets. Reagan put the screws to the USSR, and the world is a far better place because of it.

If you think this is bad, just wait until sunday when the communion wine kicks in...

Except that's essentially what it's all about, having a common denominator. That person who is fired will still be taken care of, and what's the reward for good performance a thumbs up from the boss?

But that's human nature, and we found out what side won...