Jerry J. Fortin

They have indeed changed, and not for the better either. If they were not bad enough before, now they are simply pathetic.

Its almost a national pass time here.

He has a point though, Ed is a goof. The PC's are not the conservatives of old party by any stretch of the imagination. Its time for a change here.

Dude, you are messed up!

We have dumped hundreds of millions into this F35 program already. It would seem a shame not to buy any of them, but on the other hand we could get almost two for the price of one with Boeing and the F18 Super Hornet. So instead of getting 65 birds we would get 130 birds. Food for thought. If it was my choice I would go with the F18's because we need some big numbers of birds just to protect this nation. I would suggest we need to acquire sufficient V22's for any force deployment we desire as well as a few C130 Spectre support aircraft as well. We also need high speed sea transport for our tanks and other mobile artillery to position in theater. We are talking serious dollars here folks. For the start of any real program I say get the Hornets. Boost our air capability, we have lots to cover. Next would be land forces, and a viable means of deploying them, hence the need for V22's. Meanwhile I would suggest that we need to deal with coastal defenses immediately. For that all we need do is construct what amounts to as a non-drilling platform that can be towed off shore and secured as a early warning intervention system. They would require air to air defense as well sea defenses, but could also serve as civilians structures for research and development as well. What I am suggesting is something of a longer and more infrastructural plan for our military instead of some knee jerk reaction to a perceived need or threat. We need a comprehensive national defense strategy.

I don't think so. The two ends of the reality spectrum don't meet there. Big government verses big business, at least we should all hope that they don't ever meet.

I like that! Nice way of conveying a thought. I also agree with it...

Harper and his government have been covering Brians legal bills for some time now. This will get ugly.

I find this whole topic fascinating. This one single thing is exposing the flaws within our system that I have never dreamed being seen and understood by the public at large.

More than 90 percent of the current money supply is brought into being as interest bearing debt. Sure they (the banks) say that as those monies are repaid the debt is canceled and the money supply is reduced by the same amount. What they do not say is how those funds are applied into the system itself. The fractional reserve system uses newly created leveraged dollars to generate interest income which is both paid for and paid out as real dollars, or if you prefer hard currency defined as coinage within the financial industry. The disconnect that exists is found within the central banking system. That system does not in fact lend out money at all, and the "overnight rate" supposedly set by these institutions is not imposed upon the banks in this country at all. In other words the Bank of Canada doesn't really set rates, and it doesn't really loan out money, so this begs the question of "what function does it serve?" The central banks of the world serve as the political wing of the financial world, nothing more. The are a rubber stamp and little else. But to return to the original point, money is created by financial institutions as a means of generating interest bearing income from its customers. That is how fiat currencies operate. Over the course of time we have replaced the concept of the dollar having a defined value backed by some means of tangible assets to the fiat currency we now have. Money has no value and is back by no security method in any nation. Henceforth the problem of "PIGS" now found in Europe. Where assets are devalued through the course of currently accepted financial calculations, the "value" of currencies is adversely impacted when interest is applied. It is a house of cards that is finally collapsing. The only way for the system to sustain itself is through leveraged growth that provides the means of eliminating the created increase of money supply. Where growth is slowed the money supply is also decreased and that forces devaluation of assets. It is a system designed to transfer wealth from governments to private interests, and it has been exposed. If countries want to resolve the issues to any extent at all, they will have to rethink the central banking system as a whole.

We Albertans are a loud bunch of rednecks, that is a given. It takes a loud voice to be heard all the way from here to Ottawa.

Rightly so too. Maybe now Iggy can manage not to fumble the bullets while loading the gun.

Sorry, just got home from town, a little tired .... Global News CBC News CTV news

Well it seems that Brian conducted his private affairs in an inappropriate manner. It also seems that the judge finds that the money paid to him were from an account set up for AIRBUS commissions. Yikes !!!!

I must agree that money is created as interest bearing debt. It is not nations printing dollar bills and it is not money on deposit lend out at interest. The banks create money out of thin air. The dollars paid back are real though, and so is the interest associated with the loan. What isn't real is the rate of taxation applied to banks. They only pay taxes on their profits....like other corporations. They don't burn the dollars we pay them for our loans, and they only claim the interest as income. Yes the system is in dire need of reform, but don't expect any changes. The policy makers are owned by the financial system lock stock and barrel.

I take a different view. First of all I think there are as many right wing nuts as left wing nuts. Secondly, I believe the largest single group is the one that simply doesn't vote on a regular basis at all, and that group may vote or they may not depending on the issues at stake. Thirdly I will venture to say that the first group of political zealots that addresses the issues close to the hearts and minds of citizens is potentially the next government. It could be a left wing group, a right wing group, or any combination toward the centre that does it. In my mind the key is the Canadian public as a whole, not merely the "voting" public. It is true that only voters can decide an election, but it is not just voters who voice opinions and sway public support. The media has long legs to stretch out and go for walks in the political park. The Liberals are stuck in low gear with their current leader, he seems afraid to force an election before he believes he can win a majority or at least wrestle power from the Conservatives, a weak kneed move that is becoming problematic for him. The current rumor mill was no doubt laid out as a fishing expedition to gauge sentiment which in my mind is an effort to lead in reverse by following the masses. I have very nearly given up on Canadian politics, it seems full of wannabe's and cowards, not a viable leader on the horizon short of our useless Prime Minister. He will win the next election by default unless something changes. Change is a good thing, and we need to embrace it.

Those numbers are incredible. Perhaps we need to put that into perspective somehow to soften the blow. First question then becomes, did we include the cost of their salaries into the equation? Second question, did we calculate the department budgets associated with the government members, and committee budgets and all other areas where MP's can and do spend money? Lots more questions if we can find the answers to these first probes into the government anal orifice.....

The Canadian citizen does indeed want peace and tranquility, we would like nothing better than merely a good government that listens to the citizens. Unfortunately the ways of the world intercede on our behalf for we truly do live in a global community. The world is a place of many diverse peoples and communities that interact in both social and economic matters. There is now less spirituality and more materialism, less charity and more disparity, and yet the growing sense of community is permeating the political landscape. In spite of capitalism and economy, the peoples of the world are communicating and ideals are changing. Since the end of the second world war and the demise of the British Empire, the welfare state has risen to the point where there is a distinct reality being experienced by the western citizens. State education and health care are the basis for this new form of political landscapes. Welfare, and employment insurance are rounded out with government pensions for employment history and age benefits. The latest name for this form of government is the "Nanny" state, which comes with universal cradle to grave benefits from child tax benefits to death benefits. All these wonderful things are the result of the desires of the public. The public does indeed determine what benefits we get and which ones we don't by means of our democratic system. We have created the perfect world here in Canada. Yet we could have and should have so much more. We need to rethink many things, and remake many things first, but we then need to invent many things to bring about a future alive with a sense of improving the human condition. That is what the rally call of politics should be founded upon, but sadly it is not. Perhaps it soon will be.

We have evolved far beyond the original intent and purpose of corporations. Even so they have become the iconic foundation for nearly all that we know about economic development. They are a reality to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. Regulation is what created them in the first place, and regulation is what can be used against them now.

We originally designed corporations to provide the legal means to limit liability. That said I am not sure we can deal with this problem under our current set of political leaders. I just don't see them stepping up to the plate.

Finally!

Exactly right! Which would make it wise to be open about the entire issue. Fear is what politics feeds upon, it is what drives much of this world. It is time to stop the fear and it is time to step up to the plate. It is time to become more responsible citizens and start demanding the same from our elected representatives.

No person should fear having expense accounted for, unless there is something fishy going on. Taking advantage of political position for personal benefit is something that should be considered very serious by the public. Any elected representative who would take money or benefit from their position at government expense is guilty of nothing less than abuse of privilege, which can in fact be viewed as a breach of trust.

You are in error, most likely from attempting to take my comment and placing it in a different context. I was merely suggesting our system is based on theirs, flaws and all. What I am stating is that our system is flawed as well. Party politics dominate our system. We do not vote for our leaders, the parties do. We do not vote for political parties but instead candidates, even though those elected are numbered together to form a government. It is a senseless system. It all revolves around an insulated entity, the political party. You can't touch them. You can't vote them out, yet they dominate our system. What kind of false democracy is this anyway. Take the party names off the ballots and force the voters to inform themselves of their choices and what they really mean.

Really? I think it has everything to do with our system. It is after all based on the same system as the UK. You know the one, it created politicians for life in the House of Lords. On the tax payers dime no less. The system needs much work to bring it into the current age. Party hacks are the bane of our existence, they scream against the reality of democracy.