Pm Harper and The U.N.

[lukin]

This article from the Wall Street journal is very accurate.

Bravo, Canada

A U.N. snub is a badge of honor.

The Wall Street Journal – Oct. 20, 2010

Life must be very good in Canada, or at least dull, judging by the domestic reaction to its failed bid last week for a temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council. Listen to the yowls in the papers north of the border: "A nation reeling," "humiliating defeat," "a rebuke from the global community," "tarnishes our reputation," "a slap in the face."

We say: Way to go. Canada seems to have annoyed a sufficient number of Third World dictators and liberally pious Westerners to come up short in a secret General Assembly ballot. The sins committed by Stephen Harper's Conservative government include staunch support for Israel, skepticism about cap-and-trade global warming schemes, and long standing commitment to the Afghan war. Americans would be so lucky to get a leader as steadfast on those issues as the Canadian Prime Minister.

The United Arab Emirates took credit for putting together a group of anti Canadian Arab and Islamic states to stop the bid for the two year rotating chair. The UAE also has a beef with Ottawa over landing rights for Emirates Airlines going into Canada.

The U.S.. role here is also embarrassing—to the U.S. Richard Grenell, a former senior official at the U.S. Mission to the U.N., reported last week that America's U.N. ambassador, Susan Rice, refused to campaign on Canada's behalf. Mr. Harper's politics are not hers, and Liberal opposition leader and Obama political soul mate, Michael Ignatieff, declared last month that Canada under Mr. Harper didn't deserve to get one of the 10 temporary seats..

The farcical nature of all this was made clear when the Canadians lost to Portugal, which—with all due respect to the memory of Vasco DA Gama—is no global titan. This small and economically hobbled Iberian country will now hold one of two temporary spots reserved for Western bloc states. Germany was assured the other.

Canada, on the other hand, is a serious country. Under Mr. Harper's leadership, Canada has avoided the worst of the global recession and emerged with a vibrant banking system and strong currency (now trading near parity to the U.S. dollar). The courage of its soldiers in Afghanistan, and in other missions, is testament to a nation that honors its commitments. Canadians should wear the U.N. snub as a badge of honor.

[Shakeyhands]

Under Mr. Harper's leadership, Canada has avoided the worst of the global recession and emerged with a vibrant banking system and strong currency (now trading near parity to the U.S. dollar).

LOL....ssssss.

[scribblet]

This article from the Wall Street journal is very accurate.

Bravo, Canada

A U.N. snub is a badge of honor.

The Wall Street Journal – Oct. 20, 2010

==================

Canada, on the other hand, is a serious country. Under Mr. Harper's leadership, Canada has avoided the worst of the global recession and emerged with a vibrant banking system and strong currency (now trading near parity to the U.S. dollar). The courage of its soldiers in Afghanistan, and in other missions, is testament to a nation that honors its commitments. Canadians should wear the U.N. snub as a badge of honor.

Right on ....

[Guest TrueMetis]

Dude makes it sound like Harper actually has principles.

[scribblet]

Maybe because he really does have principles

[Guest TrueMetis]

Maybe because he really does have principles

... Oh you're serious? :lol:

Edited November 15, 2010 by TrueMetis

[KeyStone]

What a tremendous load of nonsense.

If we didn't want the seat, we shouldn't have campaigned so vigorously for it.

Obviously it is a disappointment to the Conservatives.

To say otherwise, is just like a eight year old, saying baseball is a stupid game anyways, after losing 18-0.

As for Harper's role in Canada's economy, it's negligible.

Our banking system, and regulatory safeguards have been set up this way for some time. Harper can take zero credit for that.

All he did, was manage to undo eight years of consecutive Liberal surpluses and debt repayment in a single year, and put Canada in such a deep financial hole, that we aren't likely to even balance the budget until 2014 or later, all the while racking up massive debt.

If you actually believe the article you read, you either aren't Canadian, or just believe everything the Conservatives tell you.

[Robart]

... Oh you're serious? :lol:

• Paul Martin, the finance minister for the national Liberal Party, unveiled a budget in early 1995 that shocked all the cynics accustomed to smoke-and-mirrors accounting. It reduced program spending by 8.8% over two years (and our politicos quiver over a mere hint of spending freezes).

• As part of this radical spending rationalization, federal government employment was reduced by 14%.

• Federal grants to the provinces were reduced by 14% as well, but the trade-off was that they were allowed to control how the money was spent. Provincial governments also needed to provide half of all funding (i.e., put skin in the game).

• While some taxes were raised (and, according to the authors, these worked against the recovery), spending cuts were 4 ½ times tax hikes.

• Canada’s welfare system was dramatically modified. Rather than just providing a blank check to the provinces (which administered the welfare programs), Ottawa incentivized them to put the funds to better use. Benefits were cut for single, employable individuals and aggressive efforts were made to get them back in the work force.

• Despite accusations from the far left that the poor would suffer due to these changes, the percentage of welfare recipients fell in just a few short years from 10.7% of the population to 6.8% by 2000. From 1997 to 2007, the percentage of Canadians classified as low-income plunged by over 30%.

• The tax structure was dramatically redesigned. Corporate tax rates were cut by nearly a third, taxes on corporate capital were abolished, and personal income and capital gains taxes were reduced.

• The General Services Tax (basically a consumption tax or VAT) was instituted to pay for the tax cuts described above. While initially very unpopular, it was a key part of the rehab plan.

• The Canada Pension Plan (CPP), the country’s version of Social Security, also underwent major surgery. Instead of payroll taxes gradually rising to 14%, the increases were pulled forward but capped at under 10%. This produced immediate surpluses that were invested in higher-returning corporate securities. (As noted in past EVAs, this is a huge defect with our Social Security system; its many trillions are tied up in low-yielding US government bonds that simply add to our overall national indebtedness.) The CPP today is well-funded and actuarially sound.

• As a result of these actions, and many others I’ve left out, the federal budget was balanced within three years.

After achieving this remarkable feat, Canada went on to produce 11 straight budget surpluses. This allowed our northern neighbors to reduce their federal debt from 80% of GDP to 45%. Further demonstrating how quickly good policy can turn things around, the provinces enacted similar measures. Most of them also moved to balanced budgets or surpluses within just three years, though in the case of Ontario it took five years. However, that was still one year ahead of schedule (pronounced “shh-edule”, of course).

Edited November 15, 2010 by Robart

[Robart]

Someone on another web board found the above material. I think it outlines that the liberals are the ones who set canada straight, not Harper. he just inherited a sound financial situation.

[Keepitsimple]

All he did, was manage to undo eight years of consecutive Liberal surpluses and debt repayment in a single year, and put Canada in such a deep financial hole, that we aren't likely to even balance the budget until 2014 or later, all the while racking up massive debt.

If you actually believe the article you read, you either aren't Canadian, or just believe everything the Conservatives tell you.

We've been through this all before and as usual, the truth ends up somewhere in the middle.......from today's article in The Star:

The alarms in Ontario — already shortchanged in equalization programs — were promptly sounded by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, who is to deliver a fall economic update this week and has already warned against the balancing of federal books on the backs of the provinces, as was done to such baleful consequence in the 1990s.

Link: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/890657--coyle-looming-transfer-talks-offer-mcguinty-a-few-targets Edited November 15, 2010 by Keepitsimple

[Keepitsimple]

What a tremendous load of nonsense.

If we didn't want the seat, we shouldn't have campaigned so vigorously for it.

Obviously it is a disappointment to the Conservatives.

To say otherwise, is just like a eight year old, saying baseball is a stupid game anyways, after losing 18-0.

Of course we wanted the seat and tried very hard to get it.....because most times, you can have more infliuence being inside, than outside......but when the game is rigged, there's not much you can do. As the article said - and it is very, very believable, the UAE in a fit of pique, banded together with the Arab world and voted as a Bloc.....making yet another UN anti-Israeli statement. Let's face it, Canada's exclusion says more about the UN than it does about Canada.

[PIK]

All I see here is hate, hate for harper that people would sell us out just to defeat him. Just in todays paper and I have mentioned this before , the money the libs took out of the PS pension fund is going to come back and haunt us, and I understand we are starting to feel the effects of all the money taken from the UI fund. Anybody could have done what they did, it was easy, make the provinces pay for it and future generations. And IMO if the libs were in power last year out debt would be at least twice as high as it is now.

[KeyStone]

Of course we wanted the seat and tried very hard to get it.....because most times, you can have more infliuence being inside, than outside......but when the game is rigged, there's not much you can do. As the article said - and it is very, very believable, the UAE in a fit of pique, banded together with the Arab world and voted as a Bloc.....making yet another UN anti-Israeli statement. Let's face it, Canada's exclusion says more about the UN than it does about Canada.

So, the UN would matter if they accepted Canada, but since they didn't accept us, they don't matter?

I think there is a little story about a fox and some grapes that would be appropriate here.

Neither Portugal or Germany are current bastions of anti-semitic hatred, yet they were voted in.

There are a number of reasons why Canada was denied:

Our opposition to any sort of banking or financial transaction tax

Our staunch efforts to defeat any environmental advancements

Our dismal record when it comes to animal rights

Our one-sided 'We agree with Israel no matter what' approach.

Personally, I didn't want Canada in. Lately, it seems Canada is on the wrong side of everything.

[Robart]

So, the UN would matter if they accepted Canada, but since they didn't accept us, they don't matter?

I think there is a little story about a fox and some grapes that would be appropriate here.

Neither Portugal or Germany are current bastions of anti-semitic hatred, yet they were voted in.

There are a number of reasons why Canada was denied:

Our opposition to any sort of banking or financial transaction tax

Our staunch efforts to defeat any environmental advancements

Our dismal record when it comes to animal rights

Our one-sided 'We agree with Israel no matter what' approach.

Personally, I didn't want Canada in. Lately, it seems Canada is on the wrong side of everything.

animal rights? you think anybody at the UN is concerned with the rights of animals????

[Guest TrueMetis]

Our dismal record when it comes to animal rights

First off to hell with animal rights, the whole idea of animal rights is bs. Second Germany drowns and incinerates a million or so muskrats a year. Third Canada has one of the single best animal welfare records in the world. Show me one major animal welfare concerns in Canada.

[Shakeyhands]

All I see here is hate, hate for harper that people would sell us out just to defeat him. Just in todays paper and I have mentioned this before , the money the libs took out of the PS pension fund is going to come back and haunt us, and I understand we are starting to feel the effects of all the money taken from the UI fund. Anybody could have done what they did, it was easy, make the provinces pay for it and future generations. And IMO if the libs were in power last year out debt would be at least twice as high as it is now.

Yes... that's it... Harpers haters

Truth be damned eh PIK....

[bloodyminded]

So, the UN would matter if they accepted Canada, but since they didn't accept us, they don't matter?

I think there is a little story about a fox and some grapes that would be appropriate here.

Just so.

[Saipan]

... Oh you're serious? :lol:

You got it confused with Jean Chretien.

[William Ashley]

if libs were in power last year out debt would be at least twice as high as it is now.

If crack addicts were in charge they couldn't rack up a higher debt than the conservatives I don't think it is even humanly possible even for the liberals to achieve that feat..

understand these are like the biggest deficits in Canadian history including massive global wars for survival where the losers were exterminated from existence, and the dollar is riding at near par with the US dollar-

What did Canadians get for all this debt, more sales of public assets, and a slightly stronger Muslim state in middle Asia?

You could think this might help NATO out, but is it really a net benefit for Canadians? It is hard to imagine Afghanistan joining the SCO to bring the whole thing together... but if they don't like how Americans raped and killed their people, it may actually in the short run help that happen.

What do you think the chances are of Afghanistan gaining warming relationship with SCO after things wind down with NATO over the next three years? Karzai actually requested an end to combat missions, and an end to nighttime operations emphasis on the later. BTW air missions were asked not to happen after too many "errors" in accuracy, heck they even hit Pakistan without permission. And it is a landlocked nation, that pretty well limits consensual operations. To daylight operations on foot or mechanized squads. Perfect when you are training afghans how to shoot people.

You can only guess this is Obama's plan to wind down operations and the strings jinglejangle as even Obama stated he wants to wind things down (and by Obama I don't mean Obama, I mean whoever makes decisions in his administration, and I say that in the most respectful way - afterall to me he is a pretty hands on president, but I just have this feeling like maybe just maybe he isn't the sole player in the whole afghanistan thing.. but he seems on mark with what seems planned.)

this sounds like sit on bases and pull the afghan corps out to do all the dirty work that is their occupational army to do everything now.

Is that the whole thing right there.. and the extra 3 billion 1/200th of the national debt that is 1 segment of 200 to 250 segments to pay down the debt are going to go to helping NATO have a puppet state in the middle of the SCO bloc?

We can only guess China has dibs on those resources anyway.

Edited November 16, 2010 by William Ashley

[Saipan]

If crack addicts were in charge they couldn't rack up a higher debt than the conservatives I don't think it is even humanly possible even for the liberals to achieve that feat..

Maybe crack addicts would not, but Liberals and NDPs did.

[William Ashley]

Maybe crack addicts would not, but Liberals and NDPs did.

Are you implying the Conservatives are really a Liberal-NDP puppet government?

I always thought Mike Flahrety might have hidden tendencies that were hidden from the public. Actually no I havn't thought that. Are you sure? Rather James Flaherty

Or rather Jim Flaherty

Edited November 16, 2010 by William Ashley

[Saipan]

Are you implying the Conservatives are really a Liberal-NDP puppet government?

Bob Rae the top spender - NDP

Chretien Liberal, Trudeau Liberal, Mulroney Red Tory (same as Liberal)

Or rather Jim Flaherty

Jim Flaherty what?

[William Ashley]

He is.

We need Jim Flarhety to comment.

[nicky10013]

Bob Rae the top spender - NDP

Chretien Liberal, Trudeau Liberal, Mulroney Red Tory (same as Liberal)

Is it just me or did Chretien and Martin run massive surpluses and actually executed on Conservative promises of paying down debt? Oh yeah, that's right, pretty much the only government in the past 40 years to run balanced budgets; surpluses Harper eliminated in a year. Gee, what an economist.

[Robart]

Is it just me or did Chretien and Martin run massive surpluses and actually executed on Conservative promises of paying down debt? Oh yeah, that's right, pretty much the only government in the past 40 years to run balanced budgets; surpluses Harper eliminated in a year. Gee, what an economist.

Martin did it when he was finance minister, but you have to admit external factors played a part in Harper's spending. It's a global economy now.