Best Political Comment of the Day

[caesar]

Oh I am very rational. What do you doubt about my statements. Pretty much what 24 former USA ambassadors and diplomat are saying.

what many Americans are saying.

Who died and made you boss. BQ. I don't insult your lack of intelligence.

We should seek more diverse trading partners. The USA does not use fair tactics in trade with Canada. They do not accept any Nafta finding against them. It is always their way(USA) or else. The past few years this has gotten even worse.

When they are ready to change their ways; they should be the ones to humbly ask Canada to rebuild our trust. The USA may have money; We have resources that they want; they just don't want to pay a fair price.

August; everyone does not want to live there; We would have a bigger brain drain here in Canada other than that people do not wish to live in the USA; Mainly health care but also, it is a much more violent country. My son was offered double his wages to work in Florida and turned them down without a second thought.

[BQSupporter]

Things are alot complicated then that buddy and how are these other trading parthers we should seek to trade with

Should the Americans close there boarder, so that Canadians trunks and business can't go into the U.S so can put things on ships to ship to China

If things were only that easy my friend

[willy]

We should seek more diverse trading partners. The USA does not use fair tactics in trade with Canada. They do not accept any Nafta finding against them. It is always their way(USA) or else. The past few years this has gotten even worse.

Be thankful for what we have. 80% of our trade goes south of the boarder. They must be allowing us to do something right. This is not to discount the BSE problem and softwood lumber.

As for “we should diversify our trade,” of course we should but guess what, it is not that easy. The other countries must give you access like the US does. Second we have to ship our products over vast seas for every other trading partner, and this negatively affects our competitiveness. The US is also the largest market in the world. Lucky us it is so close, don't you think. When you think about it our trade surplus with the US pays for a lot of our social programs. Love those American markets.

Don't be a hater.

[August1991]

The big error here is to imagine that we're Apple beside Microsoft.

No, no, and no again. Trade is not a hockey match.

Canada does not trade with the US. Canadians trade with Americans. People trade, not countries.

In any single such deal, there's a Canadian on one side and an American on the other. It is not obvious at all that the American can be the big stick cowboy. In fact, the whole point of a market is to change relations from the "law of the jungle" to the "law of numbers".

FTA and NAFTA were designed to help the "law of numbers" to prevail. It is in both American and our interests, overall, that it does.

Lastly, diversify? Each person decides how much risk to assume. Each person will insure as they wish. Our government should not forbid (or discourage) individual trades with Americans to achieve somehow "diversification".

[noelandmero]

While this Canadian loves the US and thanks God that they love hardworking Canadians because it made it easy for to move instead of enduring the Canadian government during the chretin years. Besides people don't hate the US they are just incredibly jealous of it. And like it or not canada need the US alot more than the US needs canada as other than raw materials Canada is not going to be exporting cheap goods to china, India, south america or just about anywere else for that matter.

[maplesyrup]

What was it that Chretien said:

"What's a few million dollars when the future of the country is at stake?"

I had heard that, but I wonder if he actually said that.

[Reverend Blair]

We have a mayoral race going on in Winnipeg too, since Glen Murray decided to run nationally. Harper has been going after this really beautiful bridge Murray built. It has a toilet on it and Harper sees that idea as a huge waste. My favourite political comment today was from a co-worker who comes from Austria.

"I don't care if Harper doesn't like our bridge, it's the only good thing Murray ever did. Has Harper ever been to Europe? Is he as provincial as George Bush? We need pretty things and we need to go to the toilet sometimes."

[Kiraly]

Murray's Bridge:

The bridge, which includes a mid-bridge plaza/restaurant, was jointly funded by the federalLiberal government and City of Winnipeg and championed by Murray during his time as Mayor. The project was $7 million over-budget with $1 million being spent on the toilet and gas systemalone

A million dollar toilet, eh? ....

....sounds about right considering the Lieberals were involved.

[Reverend Blair]

Except that there's a restaurant there as well, not just a toilet. The gas system and the plumbing for the toilet were needed for that. The million dollar figure for the toilet is untrue...rightwing propaganda.

There's also been a fair bit of quibbling as to how much, if at all, the bridge was over budget. We are talking about the foot bridge which was built at the smae time as a bridge for cars. People who oppose the bridge tend to roll the figures all into one.

I never voted for Murray for Mayor and won't be voting Liberal in the federal election. Winnipeg spent a lot of time with visionless mayors who, if they built anything at all, provided made them as dull and boring as possible, though. We were becoming a city of big box stores and strip malls.

Under Murray the city got better. The bridge is a landmark that joins the Forks with old St. Boniface, the Exchange District is growing. People started being proud of their city again.

He could have built another dull, ugly slab of utilitarian concrete. Instead he chose to give us a beautiful piece of architecture. To attack the foot bridge is to tell Winnipeggers that they do not deserve beaty in their city. That may suit Harper and his supporters, but it shows they have no appreciation of anything but money.

[caesar]

Sounds like it would be a great tourist attraction. Neat idea.

[Argus]

What is wrong with being buddy buddy with Bush and Co the most HATED nation.

Generally speaking, the quality of those who hate the US leaves a lot to be desired. Mostly they're ignorant and full of hate for many things and people, and they bitterly resent the Americans their success and wealth.

We do not need to bow to Bush or his irrational actions

You seem to be confused about how friendship works. Maybe among your people it involves a lot of bowing and scraping, but not for the rest of us.

[Argus]

Oh I am very rational.

How can one make rational decisions when one clearly lacks knowledge or understanding?

We should seek more diverse trading partners.  The USA does not use fair tactics in trade with Canada.

Almost all nations use some kind of trade barriers. The US is certainly better than the Japanese or Chinese. Just who do you think we can trade with who'll let us have the kind of trade surplus we have with the Americans ($7.4b last month)?

  Mainly health care but also, it is a much more violent country.    My son was offered double his wages to work in Florida and turned them down without a second thought.

Most of the violence in the US is drug or gang related. It's fairly safe for surburban types and office workers.

[Argus]

He could have built another dull, ugly slab of utilitarian concrete.  Instead he chose to give us a beautiful piece of architecture.  To attack the foot bridge is to tell Winnipeggers that they do not deserve beaty in their city.  That may suit Harper and his supporters, but it shows they have no appreciation of anything but money.

It is not the job of the federal government to build pretty bridges to please Winnipegers. If you want a bridge you should damn well build it yourselves.

One of the reasons taxes are so high across the country is all this crap the government is paying for, most of it pork.

I'm not against pretty bridges, but why should I pay for them if I'm never going to see or use them?

[noelandmero]

I live in the US and it is not more violrnt at all there just happens to be 10 times the population. In fact most edmontonians that come to vist comment on how much safer they feel walking around in the bay area than they do at home. This due to the visible police presence that are not busting speeders but ensuring crime does not happen. And yes most crime here is drug or gang related and it gets press because in canada were a city has a few streets no sane person would walk after dark her we have neighborhoods like that. Again strictly a population issue. And better yet for the most part here they stick to killing each other and never leave. I can not believe youre son was so dumb not to take then money and run based on a silly prejudice based on bullshit Canadian media stories. Try living you will find it is no different to living at home except you have more money, the people are not quite as friendly and it is hard to find a bar playing hockey night in Canada. Oh and the beer here sucks but as 24 Canadians imported from BC still only cost me 14$ at costco it can be overlooked

[maplesyrup]

Duceppe commenting on the possibility of a Harper Conservative minority attempting to cancel Canada's gun registry legislation:

"You're defeated"

Gotta love that Duceppe.

[Argus]

Duceppe commenting on the possibility of a Harper Conservative minority attempting to cancel Canada's gun registry legislation:

"You're defeated"

Gotta love that Duceppe.

Hmm, but the way government works it can cancel things fairly easily. It will simply put out the word to the RCMP to stop bothering; employees will be shifted elsewhere, funds will not be spent, and the thing will simply die where it stands.

[takeanumber]

Hmm, but the way government works

He can defeat any bill he wants, and point to the gun registry as the cause.

[Goldie]

Reverend

Being from Winnipeg I thank you for the perfect symbolism for the Liberal view of Canada.

A 7 Million Dollar boondogle that links the English commerce Winnipeg to the French soul Winnipeg. As an after thought they install a crapper. This is better than a flag that doesn't fly.

There are so many reasons to love Winnipeg and this isn't one of them.

[Argus]

He can defeat any bill he wants, and point to the gun registry as the cause.

Whomever wins a minority in this situation they're going to find themselves in a political dance with the BQ and the official opposition. The aim will be to oppose or promote bills which will make the other side look bad for opposing. Either the Liberals or the Tories will be trying to force the other to join together with the BQ in support of some unpopular bill or principal so as to point and say "See?! They're cooperating with the evil separatists!".

Meanwhile, the BQ will not have it all its own way. If all it does is obstruct what are seen as legitimate government operations it will cost them support in Quebec. Quebecers don't want to be seen badly by the rest of the country. That's one of the reasons they're so ticked off at the Liberals - because they were made to seem like the home of corruption to the rest of Canada. The BQ has to be careful about its own actions. It can't be seen as too close to the federalist parties, but if it's too obstinate and continually blocks legislation without a very good reason there will be another election soon, and it will likely be punished by Quebecers.

[maplesyrup]

Gilles Duceppe commenting on the the possbility of the Conservatives passing any abortion legislation:

"Bang! You're defeated."

[maplesyrup]

Jack Layton, commenting on the possibility of the New Democrats proping up the Conservatives:

"Bulls**t!"

[Bro]

Jack Layton commenting today about Canada's automobile industry:

"Harper will be a great Minister for the Automobile Development Industry in Alabama."

Does anybody remember" Buffalo "Bob Rae?

Please,stop sitting on your brains and start using them to think with.

[maplesyrup]

If all it does is obstruct what are seen as legitimate government operations it will cost them support in Quebec.

Argus....the problem with that kind of right thinking, is that you are not taking into consideration the Canadian police, most Canadians, and most Quebeckers support the gun registration. Anyone who brought down the Conservatives over an attempt to abolish the gun registry would instsantly become Canadian and Quebec heroes.

[caesar]

Well Argus, not everything revolves around you? The federal government does not just spend money to please YOU. You may not like the federal government contributing to the cost of infrastructure but you would have us spending our federal money and risking our soldiers lives backing up the USA on a ill thought out; unjust; invasion of a country that was disarming( in fact it had been VERY successfully disarmed) for UN weapons inspectors. Did you not even get a clue when this all began and Bush and co started producing FRAUDULENT evidence; 10 year old plagairized student paper as evidence. Did you not realize that the job in Afghanistan was not finished?????????

Bush and co made a BIG mistake invading Iraq; anyone with half a brain could see that PRIOR to the invasion.

Read and listen to something other than your right wing

nonsense. The USA is not the great wonderful perfect nation that you believe. They make poor choices at election time on occasion. (the last election was just such an occasion); I pray that Canadians do not make the same kind of dumb mistake.

Do not allow Harper to destroy everything that is a source of pride to most true Canadians.

[Bro]

Well ceaser,not all TRUE CANADIANS think like you do either.You sound like a pompous ass,much like your liberal friends on the hill.