We are all wondering quite a few things these days;
What on Earth is going on with the financial markets? Down 1500 one day, up 800 the next. Why did the US bail out private companies to the tune of hundreds billions of dollars? Will this spill over into Canada?
The BoC ponied up with $12 billion the other day to stabilize things - hey! isn't that our money? What about the billions in ABCP that the BoC bought over the last while? Did we get that back? What would happen to us if the Gov't of Canada de-regulated banks? Would we be in the same mess? Are we headed for the same mess?
Steve Hapless promised some kind of tax refund, or a rebate, or a grant (or whatever the heck it was) to first-time home buyers, to help with the closing costs. Is this a good idea? Do the poor bastidges that bought at the peak with 0% down really want to subsidize my home purchase when I buy at the bottom? Is it just like a cash-back mortgage? Is it an attempt to re-ignite the flagging RE market? Will that save it?
Are we on the verge of a recession, or worse? Are tanking housing prices, volatile (to the extreme) markets, declining oil demand and prices (but not so much for gasoline), job losses, plant closures, and all that other wild stuff, just background noise?
I have some questions too.
The other day, I ventured into talking about politics, and I'm not so sure that is what you want to read about here. I did so because I am concerned about all of what is mentioned above, and more, and I think that our government policies are quite relevant to them. I feel like I am watching a train hurtling towards a washed out bridge, and the engineer can't hear me yelling to stop because he is asleep.
Are you glad to get more in-depth/background information on what the issues, and the candidates/parties' backgrounds? Do you like it that I stray from the narrow confines of inventory, prices, and such?
I don't want to end up just ranting at myself (the last time I did that, I ended up in a jacket with extraordinarily long arms), so I made a poll about the polls. Have your say!
13 comments:
YOU are so very very short sighted go to an optometrist! I want to see Harper get in with another minority government, because I want a new Liberal leadership convention. Dion is NOT a leader he came up from 4th to gain the leadership BECAUSE of the way the vote is structured. Who ever is elected (Dion or Harper) will be toast in the next election. The Liberals have excellent people but Dion is a directionless individual. If thru your rantings you get Dion elected you can guarantee that you have insured Harper a majority landslide next time around. How's that? :-)
Also while you're getting your glasses fixed please list the 10 most substantial things Dion did as environment minister. He signed the Kyoto accord right? Did he meet or better yet far exceed the goals? What exactly did he do on the ground? Nothing as far as I can tell.
strataman - I am not advocating a Liberal gov't, I just don't want to see a Conservative majority. I'm not sure how being against the Conservatives (really, Harper) ends up being that I am endorsing Dion. I'm not!
I was very disappointed when Dion became leader. I know that he came up the middle - just like Harper did to win a minority. People did not really want a Conservative gov't, they just wanted to punish the Liberals for the sponsorship affair.
There definitely needs to be a Liberal leadership convention. I wrote before that I would like to see someone like Frank McKenna enter the fray. Ignatieff is creepy to me, and endorsed going into Iraq. Bob Rae has too much baggage from his time as Ontario premier. I don't know a lot about Gerard Kennedy, so cannot comment on him.
I won't bother with Dion's accomplishments, other than the Transparency Act - regarding any secession of Quebec. Although I think that we have big problems around climate change, this election is not about that for me. The environment is a red herring. I see it as a decisiion on where we are going as a country. Do we want to sign away our sovereignty?
I have never liked majority governments of any flavour, and have always advocated coalitions.
Perhaps I am not so myopic as you intimate.
I really doubt too, that I could have any impact on who gets elected.
I'm not sure that Harper would be toasted by losing, or getting just a minority. The Conservatives are his party, and there is nobody of any substance to take it over. Maybe Peter McKay, but I don't know about that.
We have suffered the lack of an opposition for too long (ever since Kim Campbell was leader).
What we do need is proportional representation, and I don't see that happening any time soon. That would, though, give us coalition, or minority governments, and that would be good, in my view.
Canada is not a conservative country, and we have a very right-wing government (or we did, before the writ was dropped).
I won't bother with Dion's accomplishments, other than the Transparency Act
That should read - The Clarity Act.
Further, it was Dion (as Environment Minister) who got over 180 countries on-board with the Montreal Protocol, and he is highly respected for that internationally.
The problem is He might be right but in politics, contrary to what happens in the classrooms, if the electorate doesn't understand the message, it's the professor who is sent home, not the students. - from here.
It might be better to ask what Harper has done for the environment, and indeed, for Canada.
Those are two things off the top of my head that Dion has done that are worthwhile. Why do you need 10, strataman?
The Political Compass will be - according to an email I received from them - updating their site with an analysis of where the parties are in 2008. I wonder if significant numbers of voters went through that analysis it would change their views on what the different parties are about.
The old version is here: http://www.politicalcompass.org/canada2005
"I'm not sure that Harper would be toasted by losing, or getting just a minority." What I meant was who ever wins will be toasted, whoever loses will likely form the next majority government. Canada and the world is falling into a deep recession and possibly depression. Who ever wins must be economy first, and if they can't change the outcome (doubtful as it is global) they will be blamed irregardless of if they deserve it or not. Regarding the Montreal Accord how much actually happened and how much is promises in the future? Probably 0% and 100% respectively, although I admit I know little of what the accord is about which probably relates to your comment on Dions' communication skills..Harper hasn't done much of anything other than some apologies to Japanese and Chinese war victims, and the granting of "Nation Status" to Quebec. He armed the Canadian Border Services as well. Lately he has also set a final date of Canadian involvement in Afghanistan.I must have missed Dions' date cause I am unaware of it. To me those beat signing documents that don't have to be instigated for years to come, and probably never will be. Document and treaty and protocol signing is the biggest farce of all time in politics (just ask the First Nations). It's designed to suck the stupid and gullible in for another term. Until all the Montreal Protocol goals have happened and been completed it is a non-event. You and I could have signed it and claimed success! Hell lets sign a peace deal with the Taliban, where we give them Arkansas for poppy growing in return for them abiding by there countries laws! :-) I think we have trash to vote for generally in all parties except for a couple of dozen super MP's that do due diligence for their constituents. They come from all parties. 90 % of the rest of back bench MP's from all party s are useless and basically robotic voters for their leaders. MY RANT! :-)
solopsist; On a related topic seeing as I think you see a bit more than most, I think Obama will get elected in November. Now here is my thought, the Republicans much like the liberals ended up with a leader by default McCain and then chose from my perspective just about the most ridiculous candidate possible in Palin. Now McCain is a one termer, if I was a big shot in the Republicans I would engineer a loss in the election, blame Palin for it cause I am sure there is dirt on her that I would know about, watch Obama become president for a term as the economy tanks and come riding to the rescue 4 years from now with fresh US Cavary faces. What would you do if you were in the Republican back rooms and a force to be reckoned with? :-) (PS This is a mind experiment no facts necessary, just pretend for a bit that you wanted a long term Republican Government and YOU could actually make it happen.)
US Calvary! Bugle!
alan - Thanks for the heads up on the Political Compass' forthcoming analysis of our parties (for 2008). arit might like to see that (they missed the Greens, but they would be about where the Liberals are in that graphic). The Liberals are more left of centre now, with Dion at the helm (from my perspective).
strataman - I will get to your thoughts a bit later. They (your thoughts) are abstract, but worthy of consideration.
strataman - I think you really meant to type Cavalry.
/end pedantry
Steve Hapless promised some kind of tax refund, or a rebate, or a grant (or whatever the heck it was) to first-time home buyers, to help with the closing costs. Is this a good idea?
Of course not. It's just an attempt to put some wind in the sails of the the RE market at the expense of the taxpayer and a new cohort of "homeowners" who will be underwater as soon as they receive their keys.
Given the debacle south of the border I'm amazed that even Harper would try such a thing. But maybe the voters (or some of them) really are that stupid.
patriotz - thanks, as always, for expressing it so adroitly.
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