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How about the "corporate welfare" system, where corporate Canada gets huge tax reductions, deferrals, and grants... And they pay lower taxes than US businesses, and certainly a lot less than Canadian citizens do... It only goes to show where government priorities lie.... not with citizens... except, of course, in the weeks leading up to an election....

I can't believe your choice of words... "a giand Indan Reservation... no work ethic. " You're in the running for "most ignorant poster" ....

This one is a bit mixed. I think the general idea of the death tax is to replace a "wealth tax" which would be fought tooth and nail by the upper echelons of our society. There is a substatial number of people in this country who manage to accumulate great deals of wealth without paying tax on their capital gains. There have been propositions in the past of wealth taxes implemented every 5 years, where you'd pay a tax on your increase in worth.... But they've settled for a once-in-a-lifetime (or once just after a lifetime) tax that will affect primarily the wealthy elements of society. I tend to think merging all of our banks is not a good idea. The conventional "wisdom" is that the smaller banks will not be able to compete in the global marketplace. However, getting rid of competition (for Canadian business) is probably not a good thing... for Canadians anyways. The mergers might be good for the banks' shareholders, but I believe it is the governments duty to look after the interest of its citizens first. I'll agree that more details are required. If the money is used effectively to take care of projects that need doing, then it can be a very good thing... I know that some cities are indesperate need to update their water and sewage systems. This kind of money could be well spent relieving the burdon of local taxation on poorer citizens for these types of infrastructure projects....

I think it was a good thing that Mirror posted it. A lot of people might otherwise miss its outstanding content... Did you read it ??? I did, and thought it an excellent article, followed by what I considered to be an insightful analysis. Well done Mirror. As to your point #3, I'm amazed that you, of all of the people who post in this forum, have the gall to make that statement. Do you know the definition of HYPOCRITE, (referring to the accusation of "causing friction"). I know that you'd like to outlaw positions that differ from your own, but the purpose of this forum is for intellectual debate... where many positions can be presented. I'd have to question how suitable that type of activity would be for you, given your previous responses....

Kyoto a farce... You side with the brilliant scientist, George Bush on this one... Stuck a knife... really... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes just like senate who voted 100% against it and most likey on the advice of scientists like the organization of state climatologists and the historical weather records. Gee... I wonder what kind of people get senate positions... perhaps the patronage appointments are aren't big business... And maybe they consulted the two scientists that Bush and Exxon found to say that Global warming wasn't real... and somehow missed the other 99% of scientists in the world...The oil companies say that global warming isn't real, exactly the same as the tobacco industry says smoking isn't harmful to your health... You'd have to be a complete moron to ignore the scientific community... but I guess you are.... Without thought ??? Why would we join Bush in Iraq... The reasons for war have been completely discredited, but you choose to ignore that too I suppose....

Maybe, but the rich person will at least pay GST on the savings when the savings are spent (and why save if you'll never spend it).Compare that with income tax and RRSPs. The rich person saves in RRSPs, avoids income tax now and won't pay income tax on it when the RRSP is cashed in. (They will pay GST though.) Typical August, starts talking before even finishing hearing what's being said. I have a sister-in-law like you... but that's another story...By stating that I'm against the GST, I'm not stating that we tax pensoin savings. That's quite a stretch, and this type of argument is called a "straw man". There are other methods of taxation... like the way they used to do it.... You're probably too young to remember Brian Mulroney, but before Mulroney, there was a manufacturers tax and a more progressive income tax... and no federal value-added-tax.

Don't you mean the union members... the hundreds of thousands of union members you referred to in an earlier post... And doesn't this make sense. The NDP puts citizens first... (you know, like the hundreds of thousands that the unions represent), and so it is sensible for those who represent citizens to get benefits for citizens... I'm following so far I'm following... because the "other" political parties will put the companies ahead of the "hundreds of thousands of people" that you referred too... It seems clear to me so far... Well, no, not the way you explained it. The corporations donate to their favourite parties so that if the party is elected, it will give favours to the company over the citizens... like maybe take away money from health care to give it as tax breaks... or maybe give government contracts... but the hundreds of thousands of people... the government is just going to take their taxes anyways.... and none of them individually has the power to either stand up to or successfully bribe government officials.Thanks for making is so clear for us Canuck E Stan...

Didn't you mean that big business has them both in their pockets (Liberals and Conservatives that is) In methods, yes they are, but their ends are the same. The Liberals come across as "we wanna be socialistic" but "look over there", and while you're looking, they pick your pocket. The Cons (good short form for them, isn't it) say... "We just can't afford stuff you lefty citizens want... we have to take what you have and give it to Big Business, or they might go away... It'll be good for you in the long run" Can you believe it... they think that the government is there for the benefit of the citizens of Canada... They're "stuck in a 1960's time-warp" And you admit that you think "progressive" is wrong ???

And if by chance you became unemployed, and your payments lapsed, that would be OK, would it... There's 40 million people in the USA who can't make that contingency plan... and 100,000 of them die each year because they failed to be able to make that contingency.... Each year, hundreds of thousands of others make the contingency, but they didn't buy enough insurance, and therefore lose everything to pay their medical bills... and they were some of the smart ones like you.... So I'd rather the government take care of our health insurance, rather than smart people like you.... "Freely sells his services...".. really... And again, I suppose you think this guy has a choice... let's think about the options... do I need to eat today ??? or should I choose for me and my family to go hungry for another day... real choices...

Interestingly, after Harris's first term in office, Ontarians decided they needed to be reminded again and re-elected him. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> But it probably won't happen again for some time..... Harris managed to fool the public at the end of his first term by selling off our assets cheap and quick in a fire sale.... so we wouldn't notice the massive deficits... Now, for the rest of your life, you can pay at least an extra 50% for your electricity, get robbed when you ride the 407, and pay higher property taxes (because of the shift of social services from his budget).

Kyoto a farce... You side with the brilliant scientist, George Bush on this one... Stuck a knife... really...

The gst is a Regressive tax... that means the opposite of Progressive, which most of you conservatives seem the hink our system is. A poor or middle class person lives cheque to cheque.... Paying GST on nearly everything they buy. A well-to-do person who can bank a portion of their cheque does not pay GST on that portion, and hence, are taxed at a lower rate. The pre-Mulroney taxation system was fairer. The manufacturers sales tax, and more progressive income tax.And you can show off your excrement by telling us all why we should be have attacked Iraq... Was it the heavy hanged threat of nuclear destruction from the imaginary WMDs.... Was it because you thought the Iraqi people would be better off if the USA carved up their assets, and privatized them to US bidders??? Or do you still believe what some morons are still posting, that Iraq was involved in 9/11... Why don't you just spell it out.....

That's funny.. because in the last provincial election, the CAW was telling their people to vote Liberal to make sure that the Conservatives didn't get in.... And maybe you need some help putting two plus two together.... A union has no way of knowing how its members vote... the union is not allowed to go to the voting booth with the auto workers... It's a "secret" vote.... So I don't see how it can be a threat to anyone with half of a brain..... Which makes me wonder... Have you been you talking to Canuck E. Stan recently.....

Mike Harris served as a good reminder to the people of Ontario not to vote for the Conservatives federally or anywhere else..... ever again...

If you needed a pacemaker for your heart next week, would you be willing or able to shell out the $20K or so that this procedure would cost you... or would you just accept your inevitable fate....When I spoke of fiscal enslavement, you should have conjured up visions of people working for pennies per day in Indonesia or similar country. These people work every day, but have no real opportunity for advancement.... (sort of like the Wal Mart employee, but at least the Wal Mart employee has a one in a million chance to advance to something that the average would deem acceptable).

Do you ever notice how people who support losing parties (like the Conservative/Reform/Alliance party) have such a hard time admitting that another party is actually doing something good for Canadians. I guess they're sore losers. And by the way, the RED BOOK was the Liberal party, not the New Democrats...

I take my hat off to Jean Chretien for not involving us in the two wars against Iraq. In my opinion, that outweighs any negatives that you can suggest about him. I think just about everybody (accept for a few half-wits) can see that it would have been wrong to participate in the second gulf war. The first gulf war was harder to call at the time. At the time, it was not public knowledge that the USA had told Saddam that it was OK to attack Kuwait. Considering that the Americans actually started the first gulf war, I'm glad (in hindsight) that Chretien kept us out of it. Besides the potentially thousands of potential deaths to Canadian boys, if Canada had participated, how about the potential for terrorist attacks on our country.... I'll agree with August on a few points though... Many of his inactions hurt Canadians... His re-negging on his promise to scrap Mulroney's regressive GST for one...

The time off is for people to be able to go and vote. Some people don't work right beside their polling stations or their houses, so it is a good idea. I think you'll find that businesses don't "clear out" four hours early on election day. Do you do it ?? Why do half-wit hypocrites like yourself who, as you have testified, "rip off the system", stay in your union. If it offends you so much, why don't you quit. Would being a HYPOCRITE have anything to do with your staying in your union job. I'm having trouble deciphering one of your sentences, above. "Constantly talking about the NDP , but ripping off the system, like you have the right to." Do you mean that he doesn't have the right to talk about the NDP ??. It's a good thing unions allow MORONS to join, otherwise you might not have that cushy job to complain about ....

To answer "August" style: YAFM

If you're referring to the United Nations sanctioned sanctions on Iraq, how can you only blame America? Also, you're claim of 1.5 million Iraqi's being killed as a result of the first and second gulf wars is a joke. Medicine and water purification equipment were not sanctioned under the U.N. passed sanctions on Iraq. The USA bullied the UN... They're good at being bullies.... Your claim that water purification equipment was not santioned under the UN may be true, but when Canadian companies tried to deliver water purification equipment, they were told in no uncertain terms that they were to take it home... read the whole article below.... US Tsunamis in Iraq

In the last Ontario election the unions, OPSEU, CAW asked their members to vote Liberal, so that there would be no chance in hell that the Conservatives could get into power.A lot of people would say that your are a real arsehole for your quoted comment, but I won't... Anybody who read your last paragraph can come to that conclusion by themselves....

It is in society's interest to police itself. Not just from the perspective of protecting society's members from what we consider to be criminal behavior, but also from domination of one group over another. I am specifically referring to the ability of the wealthier classes to enslave lesser fortunate sectors of society, whether literally or fiscally.If you accept and/or condone this fiscally based enslavement, then you are accepting the risk that it happen to you or others that you care about, even though you don't think that possible right now. It certainly is possible. If you strive to build a society that protects its weaker elements and supports them when they need a hand, then you will be somewhat protected should your fortunes take an unlucky turn.

1. I said Soviet-style. And this is true. It is funded by the state and it promotes the Party who runs the state; it's former chairman resigned to run for the Liberal Party in BC; the state gets its Governor Generals from the CBC; it is anti-business, anti-Bush, and anti-rightwing. 2. It is not sarcastic; it is the truth. 3. It raises the intelligence of the board and its contributors by accurately pointing out the truth about the CBC. 1) When's the last time you listened to Radio Moscow ?? It's anti-Bush (You mean intelligent ??) 3) Raises the intelligence or the board ??... Your comments make a board sound more intelligent....

Dreaming of a better Canada...yes... (Hold enough seats to control the minority gov't...)

So you are chastising Harper for not peddling his arse? You mean not being smart enough to be expedient ?? ... A stupid risk... but it's better for Canada this way, because he's shot himself in the foot, pissing off the Canadian public with his cheap attempt at a power-grab.... Even better... you've got to love how he's sabotaged the Conservative/Reform/Alliance's chances at getting elected....