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I completely agree with this argument pertaining to children. The USA... I think what will piss them off the most is the boost in US tourism to Canada that such a move would make.... makes sense to me...I once heard the stats on marijuana useage in Canada and was blown away by the numbers... I don't have them on front of me, but it was higher than 10%... Reducing the sales of billions of dollars of drugs to the underground, and putting them in the country's coffers might make sense... Further, think about how many drunks beat their wives... crash cars, etc... It is my understanding that marijuana causes its user to become more introverted, and highly unlikely to wish to participate in any form of violence, mad driving, etc... However, there are those who take black and white views, and will condemn marijuana use and in the same breath, approve the social use of alcohol... which I think that evidence shows to be the worse of the two.... I'll leave you with a quote from George Washington's diary:

Would that we could...our 'democratic system', such as it is, doesn't give the people the power to effect change, especially policy change. They inevitably say "You gave us the mandate to have the power to make policy, so thanks for your input...now run along...well call you at election time." The worst part of it all is that all the parties are pretty much the same in this respect. Four-year elected dictatorial powers. I suppose this might be a time to investgate Canada's third party.... the party that got us health care when the two big parties fought them tooth and nail. The NDP (then CCF) fought the Liberals and Conservatives who said the system would bankrupt the country, etc, and vowed to have this "commie" idea destroyed. They didn't do it then, and they cannot be seen to be trying to do it now... so they have to do it a bit at a time, chipping of a bit here, and another bit there... the result being longer waiting times, inadequate equipment, etc... All great reasons to dismantle it and bring in private health care...If we look at the last year in politics, the NDP was the only one who appeared to be on the side of "the public". I think that next time around, if we really want to fix health care, lets elect a party that has an interest in doing so...

To answer the title of the forum, I think Harper is better for Canada, because he doesn't have any chance of being elected....

I agree that buying credits defeats the spirit of Kyoto. With the 'credits' system, he who has money escapes the rules... There is a real problem with global warming, and maybe it won't destroy the planet in my lifetime.... but how about our kids and grand-kids ??? Everyone should have to tow the line...

Ha ha ha... that was great Cartman...

For once I agree with August... I think he'd be nuts to call one now... But since when has he been a "man of his word"

Do I read in this quoted tripe that "Alberta's oil industry is taking a pummeling"... I think that if you participated in the "real world", you'd see that it is the rest of Canada that's taking a pummling from Ralf Crime (or however you spell it). I note that the quoted article specifies that businesses are required to increase their emissions by 150%. Again, I think the authors might have bought seeds from Mark Emery.... Under Kyoto, the general idea is to reduce emissions. I looked at the attached "link" and then understood why the facts were all scrambled, the spelling incorrect, and the grammar all wrong.... it was from "The Canadian Taxpayers Federation". Why don't you try quoting a reputable source next time.....

The Canadian public is so dumb... why don't they vote for the guy who isn't a dictator ??? ... Or do they hide the fact that they are dictators when they run in the election, and only suprise the public once they get in ??? No ??? I must have been confused all those times I went to the polls.... Wait a second... you're going too fast... If we don't vote for them, how do they get "elected" in their riding.... Doesn't it peeve you off about how Ontario voted the Block Quebequos as the official opposition ??? Speaking of SOBER, shouldn't you have waited until you were sober to write your post.????

This article was about personal taxes being too high... worded so it sounds like business taxes are too high. The biased article avoids stating that Canadian corporate tax rates are several percentage points below the American corporate tax rates. Rather, it compares "published" (personal) tax rates that the investor class is taxed at (before deductions and loopholes), with "corporate tax rates" in other countries.... Obvious DECEPTIONS that you would typically see from the CD Howe Institute, and typical of the trash printed in the National Post.The article further went on to say that the governement should shift taxation more heavily to a consumption tax.... ie. raising GST which businesses don't end up out of pocket for... because they pay net zero GST, and investors don't pay GST on their investments.... No.. shift the burdon of taxation away from the investor class and corporate sector on to the consumer (middle) class.

Learn to use the "quotes" before posting, so people can read your message.Also, from you arrogant closing line, you assume that you have the "correct" position, and everyone else is wrong... You show your spots when you do this, and diminish any credibility you may have earned by posting reasons... logic... etc...

It's been around a long time before Paul Martin.... something the public supports, A worldwide PUBLIC sentiment, not the position of our Liberal government, ... been around a lot longer than the liberals... Your favourite country's presidents all did it...George Washington's diary will attest to his like of the herb, Bill Clinton George Bush (by reputation)... hypocricy prevents his admitting it... ????? what do they think the government is for... the people ??? ... especially those anti-family social programs... ... watch out for the men in the white coats... ... right wing fiscal policy... if the shoe fits...

Water is not a toxic substance.... unless you're immersed in it... Taking statements out of context to try to make your opponent look stupid (instead of addressing the real issue) is called a "Straw Man" argument. When you try such obvious ones as this, intelligent people see right through you, and you do your argument no good.... In fact you lose credibility for valid points (if any) that you have....

It wasn't a very big problem ??? really ... I guess them Democrat votin' black folk aren't worth the money, are they....

Government money was needed there before the crisis... and maybe it would have been a handful of dead.... The US government should be held accountable for all the deaths and loss that could have been prevented, had their policies focused on the needs of Americans and national security instead of spending the country's resources on acquiring acces to Iraqi oil for the companies that the Bush administration will be working for in a few years....

Look at fleabag's post... I remember this being in the news.... You can probably find lots of information (on the internet).

I don't know if you can appreciate it, but Paul Martin is a fiscal Conservative... There's not question about it.... That makes him "right wing" in my opinion... Taking money from the poor to fund corporate tax cuts... Taking money from health care funding to fund corporate tax cuts, taking money from education funding to fund corporate tax cuts... Note that there weren't any pesonal tax cuts to talk about.... In my opinion, Paul Martin is and always was RIGHT WING.... even though the Conservatives would like to paint him as a "lefty".... When times were leaner, the public accepted cuts because we were told that there wasn't any choice... Now that there are surpluses... every year, why not return the level of funding that we once had for health care, education, the needy, etc... You know why not... because Paul Martin is RIGHT WING.... just like the Conservatives....

Moronic statements like this suit their author well. MORe ON Kyoto.. you obviously don't consult the real world before you pick and choose which version of reality that you wish to support. Unlimited taxpayer-funded abortions... I thought you were against single mothers on social assistance... or was that another moron ??? Your ridiculous straw-man arguments only hurt your right-wing causes... Perhaps if you had any intelligent, non-malicious comments, your might help your cause..

The overly simplistic "right wing" answers distort the issues to be a "hand-out to those who refuse to work" type attitude.... the straw-man argument.If we look at the article that this thread was spawned from, we'll see that it talks about increase poverty (working poor), reductions in government benefits for those who have been unfortunate, making it harder for them to get back into the game and be "productive"... The right wing ideology of tramping down the poor instead of helping them does not reflect well upon Canada or those who support the ideology.

Excellent clarification... There are those who would distort the story .... and say things like "lets be clear", "IOW", etc, before they know what the story is about. Thanks theloniusfleabag....

To quote Richard Nixon: Everyone in power in the Bush administration comes from Big Oil, and will return there when put out of power in a few years. Why in God's name would they want to promote reduction in oil consumption.... It's not in any of their personal interests...

I think it has more to do with who he's kneeling down on front of .....

I congratulate you on your good position and prudent fiscal management. Many middle class citizens do live cheque to cheque however, especially if they have children... children who ski and play hockey.... but that's another matter. The MFT was the same as the GST except it exempted foreign goods instead of food. How was that more progressive? The Mulroney goverment found a great new way to distribute who paid how much tax. The GST allowed them to drop the progressiveness of the income tax system (to 3 levels) and reduce business taxes. Really, only end consumers pay GST. Businesses get the GST they spend back. So this huge collection of taxes is just from Canadian consumers pockets... Business pays nothing... that's why they didn't fight it too hard.... How about a another perspective... We don't tax goods that we sell to foreigners... we only tax our own people.... We pay GST on stuff that we import, but we don't pay it on stuff that we export.... Canada loses taxes when we export, and Canada takes from Canadians when we import ....

And these objective senators have no business interests... wait... this important news bulletin just came in....

And does your un-named think-tank think that gas prices in the states are going to go down any faster than our price of gas....

Beam him up Scotty....