Stoker

If you mean that in the rhetorical sense......I couldn't agree more.......Who cares?

Who said anything about the "rich taking from the poor"? How is a student that can afford to go to school, keeping a "poor" person from attending? The Dickens thing........tis wearing out As I said above, how is sombody that can afford a post secondary education, taking away from a person that can't? By all means explain further If it wasn't for the rich (and their tax dollars), how are you going to afford to pay for your social programs? Are you fine with making the middle class and the poor......well...... more poor? Whats holding you back Need a hand packing your bags?

Thats closer to a semester.

In all likelyhood, the parents of the "mediocre rich kid", pay taxes that in turn, pay for the subsidized schools/students. Are you saying that if a "mediocre rich kid" and his or her parents want an education, even if the student has "mediocre grades", they shouldn't be allowed it? Perhaps one solution would be (like Healthcare) to have private Universities that recieve no "state funding". With that said, how's this going to help the poor students? You're doing nothing for them, and alienating those students that can afford University. Why is it not fair? And if a BA/BS is not "worth something", whats to stop the students from going further (if they have the resoures)? Sounds good to me........but how's that going to help the poor?

So if tougher standards are made to get into University, thus reducing the attendance of people that can afford University, thus do to the lower revenue generated by these "rich students" the Universities are forced to increase the cost of tuition, I fail to see how this will help the poor get a post secondary education?

I'm not trying to be belligerent, but do you have an example(s) of how the pro-Israeli lobby has influenced US forgein policy into an area that the United States would not have tread without Israeli "nudging"? If anything, I'd argue that it was the United States (and other Western powers) that in the past were using Israel to help stem the tide of the Soviet Union and Soviet backed Arab states. Today I'd even argue that the United States (and other Western powers) are doing the same kinda thing, only with the USSR being replaced with terror groups and Arab States that support terror. To clarify, I very much believe that whatever influence the House of Saud had within the White House has been diminishing since 9/11, with proof being that the United States didn't really take any Saudi imput with the invasion of Iraq. If anything, whatever "Saudi influence" is left, will now wane even further due to the emergence of a Democratic Iraq.

Actually, maplesyrup brought it up: With my point being that how absurd some claims can be about outside influnce on the US government.......FFS, the Americans do what is best for America (like any other country) and if whats best for America is also best for Israel, so be it.

Maybe, maybe not.....I'd agree with you when the Soviet Union was supporting the Arabs, but not so much anymore. Israel has nukes the Arabs (as of yet) don't. enough said. WRT the first link.........I don't tent to take the assumptions of one man as gospel. WRT Woodward........christ the guy is hawking a book and hasn't (AFAIK) provided any sources......unless of course Deep throat told him so I'm not saying that two can't coexists.........I'm saying that I've yet to see any real Saudi influnece in the current Bush government.

What policy decisions? Bush went into Iraq, even though the Saudis didn't want him to........Bush supports Israel, even though he "has close economic and political ties with the House of Saud".........Are the Saudi's controling the Bush stance on gay marriage? Stem cell reasearch perhaps? Where's the influence?

As of last year, the U.S economy was growing at a rate of 3.1% and an unemployment rate of 6.2%..........Canada on the other hand has a growth rate of 1.6% and an unemployment rate of 7.7%............ And all this when Americans think their economy is in "trouble" and Canadians think their's is doing good..........Who's argument fell on it's face?

Am I correct in saying that you believe the Bush administration is in the pocket of the Saudi Royal Family?

What country doesn't look out for itself first? And So in your opinion, who has the bigger voice in the White House? Jewish Lobby or Saudi Royal Family? Hollywood or Oil? My bet is Israel.........for obvious reasons.

So are you know saying that the Bush family is not under the thumb of the House of Saud?

But I thought Moore uncovered to the world that the Bushes are in the pockets of the Saudi royal family..............now this site says they are in the pockets of Israel.....so what is it, the Jews or the Bin Ladens?

Go to school one year, then work the next Even then, many people still manage with student loans and a summer job And whats wrong if a person can afford it? If I could afford to purchase a Chevy Avalanche, I most likely would, even if it wouldn't be an ideal choice to cart tools around in.........Are you saying that "they" should be aloud to force me to buy an old BC Hydro van from auction, even if that wasn't my first choice? And if so, how is me buying a old van going to help the poor purchase an old van also? And even if a BA doesn't mean "nothing these days", isn't that a prerequisite for going towards a Masters etc? Are you saying that people just shouldn't bother?

I moved out the summer before my grade 12 year.......I manged working and going to high school, so if the drive is there, anybody else certainly could. Like the Sam Roberts song goes: "there's no road that ain't a hard road to travel on"..........and Life is very much how you live it

Never lived in Kits, but False Creek could be considered the exact opposite.........

Now that is an unsafe hood

Good post kimmy, to add to that, there is also the route that I'm on (which is a combo of the above)........ ......Get a skilled trade that allows you to earn decent money, and rotate working between the trade and taking time of to go to school..........I've been doing this on again off again for almost six years.......and only once had to take a student loan (as well as a small bank loan to top it up) for a semester.........this route does take (alot) longer, but in the end I'll have a minimum of a BA (plan on more) and a trade that I can fall back on if need be....... I'm hardly from a "rich family" and even though I like to think it, I'm not even close to "BRILLIANT"........ And might I add...........if one thinks the "rich" a burning the "ladder to sucess"............build your own bloody ladder

.........or just apply for a student loan and work in the summer

Nope. Greens or Conservatives........who's ever higher in the polls......maybe Libs if they are running neck and neck with the NDP in my riding.

Good point. I don't think you hear about much of his (Kerry too) rants on the CBC....... I find it odd how most left wingers, who are anti Bush and pro Kerry/Edwards don't see the damage that these two could do to our country if elected. I also find it odd how some left wingers wish us to stop trading as much with the United States, but when a Canadian company decides to go overseas to a country that we have no real relationship with (Poland) they get up in arms over the potentail loss of 2000 Canadian jobs...........You think 2000 job losses are bad, let's see what would happen if Kerry/Edwards get elected and start to "renegotiate" our trade deals.............

If unions are such a necessity, then why are only 25% of the working population in one?

If it's basic given and the WCB has the proof/statistics, then you or Cartman should have no problem providing a link........the onus isn't on myself to provide proof. I guess you have not been reading the threads WRT the shipbuilding industry in British Columbia....... With the bad thing being, the Union worker isn't working right now, were as the none union bloke is. It would depend on the source..........be it a bipartisan source, then most likely yes.......be it Comrade Organizer's agit prop site or in any way afflited with a union..... Call me a skeptic, but could you provide links for your "reports"? If your not happy with what you earn, better yourself, be it a better education then a better paying job or bloody well move out into the outlaying regions of the city.

I won't argue over something unless I have proof (or statistics ) on it. Remember though, I didn't claim one enviroment to be safer then the other.........so do you have proof? Oh, so since you teach statistics, you should have no problem providing some for this topic. Now if you can't provide statistics because of the evil capitlists pig dog corporations lies, ok fine. Now can you come-up with some other form of proof to prove your point........or does your point also double as your opinion? Perhaps you have confused the two? I too have worked in none union and union enviroments and I've yet to see a none union employer crack a whip and force the workers to do unsafe tasks....... I regress though, at this point, all the two of us are doing is trading opinion/rethoric/conjecture, so I suggest to break this "deadlock", you provide some sort of proof to back up your claim that "unions are required in order to maintain a safe working environment".