[poquas]

stemmer stemmer:

When Obama started the trend, Harper had no other option but follow...

How do you figure that? We're a sovereign country. I expect an “economist” running the show to have enough smarts not to throw good money after bad.

[Lemmy]

poquas poquas:

How do you figure that? We're a sovereign country. I expect an “economist” running the show to have enough smarts not to throw good money after bad.

Thanks, Poquas...I'm making progress. I'm glad to see that people on CKA are starting to use parentheses around the word 'economist' when describing Harper. However, 'smarts' and 'Harper' NEVER belong in the same sentence.

[DerbyX]

Lemmy Lemmy:

poquas poquas:

How do you figure that? We're a sovereign country. I expect an “economist” running the show to have enough smarts not to throw good money after bad.

Thanks, Poquas...I'm making progress. I'm glad to see that people on CKA are starting to use parentheses around the word 'economist' when describing Harper. However, 'smarts' and 'Harper' NEVER belong in the same sentence.

I must admit I am disappointed he has proven himself to be such a piss poor economist.

[Pseudonym]

DerbyX DerbyX:

Lemmy Lemmy:

poquas poquas:

How do you figure that? We're a sovereign country. I expect an “economist” running the show to have enough smarts not to throw good money after bad.

Thanks, Poquas...I'm making progress. I'm glad to see that people on CKA are starting to use parentheses around the word 'economist' when describing Harper. However, 'smarts' and 'Harper' NEVER belong in the same sentence.

I must admit I am disappointed he has proven himself to be such a piss poor "economist".

Don't forget your quotation marks!

[DerbyX]

Pseudonym Pseudonym:

Don't forget your quotation marks!

Under Harper we are no longer able to afford them.

[OnTheIce]

Proculation Proculation:

We now own 12.5% of GM. Will we see any money ? Not. We will only pay for their debts. Pay for the company but don't get the car. Harper is out for me.

It's easy to say that it's a bad move, but what would you do?

What are the alternatives?

[Pseudonym]

We could have let it go bankrupt from the get-go.

[poquas]

At the point GM claimed they were in trouble and weren't going to make payroll, bankruptcy! It's a failed business. That’s what it’s there for.
It would have saved billions in postponing the inevitable and whatever results from today’s bankruptcy would have happened anyway.

[OnTheIce]

While that sounds very easy, have you not considered the cost of all the job loses, not just from GM directly but all their suppliers and other spin-off industries?

The cost to the taxpayer would be far greater than what they have spent to bail them out.

[Pseudonym]

Yes, I have considered that people will lose their jobs, but the best way to deal with that is to let the company die and then let the free market clean up the mess. That way you don't burn billions of dollars wastefully, and actually productive businesses can take the place of the failed company.

[DerbyX]

livefreeordi livefreeordi:

The USA and the rest of the world decided that the way to weather this storm was
to print up truckloads of money and hang the debt on the taxpayer.

Thats what the US and Harper did.

livefreeordi livefreeordi:

The minority conservative government adopted a wait and see approach which brought about the wrath of the evil coalition who were screaming for them to fire up the money printing machines or they would bring down the government.

No. Harper assured everybody the economy was fine and dandy and swore he would not lead us into deficit. He ridiculed the opposition party platforms as plunging us into the very deficit he is responsible for and he attacked their tax measures designed to avoid that deficit. He showed a complete lack of foresight before the fact and a complete lack of ability after the fact.

livefreeordi livefreeordi:

Frankly I'm very disappointed the conservatives didn't stick to their guns. If they had the Canadian people might very well have given them a small majority government.

We get that a lot. Cons who say that Harper is both off the hook for his actions because "the people wanted it" yet they also say if the Cons had just done what they wanted to do then those very same people would reward them. Harper did everything he did because he believes it will win him support. No other reason factored in to it.

livefreeordi livefreeordi:

As it stands now the conservatives have lost my support as they didn't stick to a balanced budget. Who will I vote for next time? I've got it I'll vote for the bloc even though I live in Manitoba. At least they stick to their guns.

It might help if any mention of tax increases wasn't met with complete derision because either the spending is brought under control immediately or else a tax increase is in order to avoid it.

[OnTheIce]

Pseudonym Pseudonym:

Yes, I have considered that people will lose their jobs, but the best way to deal with that is to let the company die and then let the free market clean up the mess. That way you don't burn billions of dollars wastefully, and actually productive businesses can take the place of the failed company.

Look into your idea a little more. Look into the impact your theory will have on Canada.

It's devastating.

Not only does this plan cost the taxpayer less, it retains an industry for Canada moving forward.

[OnTheIce]

livefreeordi livefreeordi:

As it stands now the conservatives have lost my support as they didn't stick to a balanced budget. Who will I vote for next time? I've got it I'll vote for the bloc even though I live in Manitoba. At least they stick to their guns.

You're a prime example of why politics in Canada is in the shitter.

You don't have a CLUE about why we're in deficit besides the partisan BS. No common sense at all.

Do you honestly think a balanced budget was possible considering all factors?

[OnTheIce]

livefreeordi livefreeordi:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Do you honestly think a balanced budget was possible considering all factors?

I sure as hell do!

Granted, anything is possible. I don't think we should take the Paul Martin approach and I'm sure most Canadians would agree.

We could balance our books by gutting many Federal programs like health care, military and the list goes on.

livefreeordi livefreeordi:

Not a clue eh?
Haven't seen the huge amount of money taken out of my household squandered year after
year on "hair brained" government waste?
I have plenty of clues as to why we are in a deficit. Bloated government. Entitlements for all!(except of course for those of us who actually work for private enterprise)

I am the reason politics in the shitter? Thanks, but I think it's more the spineless
sacks pretending to run this country. Course what do they care? With their entitlements they are set for life.

You lack common sense. Like most Canadian voters your stuck on the "well, he promised this." train of thought.

Yes, Harper would like to have balanced the budget. However, reality of our economic situation here and around the World kinda changes things. Wouldn't you agree?

It's so easy for people like you to say "well,he should have balanced the budget" without thinking of the consequences of doing so.

[Lemmy]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Granted, anything is possible. I don't think we should take the Paul Martin approach and I'm sure most Canadians would agree.

Martin's failing was the failure to pay more debt when we had massive surpluses. If he and his cronies had kept their goddamn hands out o' the till, we wouldn't so fear a plunge into deficit like the one we're ass-deep in now.

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

We could balance our books by gutting many Federal programs like health care, military and the list goes on.

There is PLENTY of wasteful spending that could be axed, while INCREASING funding for health care and the military, AND, simulataneously, paying debt and lowering taxes.

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Yes, Harper would like to have balanced the budget. However, reality of our economic situation here and around the World kinda changes things. Wouldn't you agree?
It's so easy for people like you to say "well,he should have balanced the budget" without thinking of the consequences of doing so.

There's no question that balancing the budget would have been a painful pill for Canadians to have swollowed. But it would have cost us all an aweful lot less in the long run if we had.