Thank you Obama?

[JerrySeinfeld]

I read an interesting article in the NP today and it struck me as "oustide the box" in terms of the usual blathering on this site, albeit still along the same debate lines.

It has to do with the things Obama is doing to America and how it can help Canada, particularly when it comes to increasing the size of government and commensurate tax increases.

Have a look. Here is an exerpt:

Getting your mind around the possibility that we will be the lower-tax jurisdiction in North America takes some doing, but in fact that was the case during the 1950s, some of the best economic years in our history.

If you’re on the Canadian left, you see the Obama opportunity as a chance to hike public spending, make the state bigger, and restore our recently traditional bigger-than-American government.

If you’re not on the left, you don’t believe we should choose the size of our government by following the rule that it must be at least five percentage points of GDP bigger than the U.S. government or else we have lost our Canadian identity. Rather, you conclude that a government that spends 40% of GDP is still too big and, once the crisis is past, you go back to cutting away at it.

Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning always said 30% of GDP was about the right size for the Canadian public sector. At bottom, it’s not clear why government is entitled to any particular share of economic activity, but that’s a good enough target to start with.

The tax rate isn’t the only reason companies decide to set up in a jurisdiction, or why companies already here decide to invest more, but it’s surely one reason. If we can have a lower tax rate than the Americans and still provide the public services that suit our own Canadian needs, that’s going to give Canada an important economic advantage.

Link to full (short) article.

Is it possible that we're on the road to business and economic advantage while the US takes our past (and sickening road) to cradle to grave tax and spend socialism?

Is Canada the new "last bastion of economic liberty"?

[daniel]

I read an interesting article in the NP today and it struck me as "oustide the box" in terms of the usual blathering on this site, albeit still along the same debate lines....Is Canada the new "last bastion of economic liberty"?

yeah, something like global warming being good for Canada.

[Smallc]

yeah, something like global warming being good for Canada.

Well...there are actual arguments that global warming will be good for Canada....and they do have some merit.

[Oleg Bach]

America in the long run has not been very bright. LOOK at our bankers..they fall down we stand up. Why? _we still have a sense of honour. AND honour and reality are brother and sister. Honesty does pay off.

[JerrySeinfeld]

Well...there are actual arguments that global warming will be good for Canada....and they do have some merit.

totally. global warming IS good for canada. more arable land. warmer winters (and summers!).

[bush_cheney2004]

America in the long run has not been very bright. LOOK at our bankers..they fall down we stand up. Why? _we still have a sense of honour. AND honour and reality are brother and sister. Honesty does pay off.

No it doesn't...you can't invest honesty, and that's why Canada had to appeal to foreign investment capital for so long. Still does.....