Michael Hardner

I'm sure he's aware of the dichotomy there. I can't see why else anyone would take such an interest in videotaping acts that they ostensibly opposed, unless there were something in it for them.

Neither am I, so I say "might".

One way we can make that happen is to generate as much displeasure over the status quo as possible. Write letters to the editor, etc. The McGuinty way to govern is to focus-group our problems away, i.e. to manage the perceptions more than the underlying problems.

It's not the person that produces the wealth, it's the job. Sure, there will be a host of effects. Let's talk about some other ones: Expensive workers taken off the payroll and replaced with more efficient workers. Fewer payouts by company health plans. More advancement in the middle, more hiring at the bottom. Fewer workers working in dead industries such as manufacturing.

The EI situation is dependent on the economy, and I believe there was a surplus after Martin made major changes in the 1990s. When Baby Boomers retire, are they not replaced ? Won't there be a major hiring boom ?

And this is exactly the attitude he took with regards to everything. With education, though, nobody is going to get killed from being "under taught". The system was creaking, bloated and about to fail, so he came over and blew it up.... not even that - he just TIPPED IT OVER and it broke, so that he could start again. The problem is that he started to thing that sheer will to change equated to the ability to implement change. We do, but we need somebody to come from big business, who has headed up a large company and oversaw operations at some point in his/her career. Canada is already in a really sweet spot, but the right person could restructure services and probably even increase benefits. It would have to be some kind of super-centrist and likely not a liberal.

Morris: I've been meaning to compute this. According to you, capitalism ends on January 25th - 2347. tinyurl.com/morrispredictsendofcapitalism

So they will deal with the BQ, as they deal with Home Depot, Tim Hortons, and the rest... by negotiating, talking and ultimately paying. Quebec might eventually see the futility of sending these tokens of separatism to Ottawa, especially when and if a majority government occurs and they are shut out.

Maybe we can combine them and have singing doctors and dancing nurses ? Morris ? Thoughts ?

Generally, as I say, I like to talk about facts but the danger is that people decide that the Arts are just window dressing and not helpful to us. In fact, we're a rich enough nation to not only afford the arts but to fund them more fully than we do now. The Soviet Union was all about being utilitarian, and they produced a very ugly society. The Canadian Heritage Minister (actually, James Moore) indicates in this speech that it's $500 million for the arts ... Considering that it generates economic activity including tourism and the like, it's really not very much at all. The entire budget is $280 B in expenditures, I think, which makes this a fraction of 1%.

But you don't pick one or the other. You can pick both. Isn't Bev Oda the heritage minister in charge of arts funding ? I'm not sure of the numbers but it seems to me that we spend so much more on healthcare that we could eliminate arts funding and not even notice the change in healthcare. Just an impression, though.

You can go pretty far with that, and end up deciding that only healthcare should be funded. The cost for arts funding is relatively low, is the thing and adds to quality of life. In principle, I'm in favour of what you say - but as at a restaurant there are many things on the menu.

No argument here. They need to look at the Trailer Park Boys and other examples that worked to figure out ... why. I had a book awhile back called the Encyclopedia of Canadian Television and I had to put the book down for laughing at the awful series. I remember reading once that a New York Times critic called The Littlest Hobo just a video of a dog walking around. The Trouble with Tracy... how did these ever happen ? It's like "The Producers"...

As with most things, there is a third way. CTV and the specialty networks have found a way to make regional programming that works so the CBC should be able to as well.

My post wasn't a direct response to yours, but to the others that will come...

We need no more evidence than this to prohibit Democrats from coming to Canada. Come to think of it, anybody in favour of democracy too. Or against it.

It was uncommon nonsense, though as I pointed out it was necessary because of government tendency to overspend. We elect smart-talking lawyers to head up a multi-billion dollar organization and then are somehow surprised when it doesn't work out.

Most media knows better than to confuse correlation and causation, yet today the Metro newspaper again showed why they give it away for free: Today's Metro I'm pretty sure they didn't establish a causal relationship here. The CBC Story describes a link - which seems to be more correct.

Not that much of a surprise, since there are only two types of groups that we have seen do this lately. This is one of them.

Thank you. I will never contest that Harris' way was made possible by inaction, budget cuts.. and furthermore that the McGuintys of the world are to blame for creating these situations in the first place. And... in all cases the amount of time that governments spend polishing their image should be spent looking at operations and improving things, but that seems to be impossible in an environment where marketing campaigns deliver the verdict on government performance. His way, Rae's and McGuinty's are all wrong. Analyzing, consulting, discussing, rightsizing, communicating, and making difficult decisions... these are the stages of getting things done. Of course, government already has a problem in doing these things quickly and efficiently - indeed all of these things are being done all the time and nothing changes. Blowing up and starting over is indeed an option, but it needs to be done with intelligence.

As a Democrat who tells it like it is and doesn't toe the party line on all matters, I consider her a sister-in-arms.

Doubly idiotic for a Republican to go out on his own, on a guess, and martyrize the president.

Depending on what you're saying, and what you're citing... How many Canadians watch television, for example ? My guess is that many do.

This is confusing. The SC ordered them to establish whether they themselves had jurisdiction ? It seems that the SC would establish that.

Choosing between heritage and healthcare is a false dilemma: we don't have to fund one or the other. And - yes - I do believe that general disinterest will cause the profile of this country to fade, without support.