Secondly, a lot of the government’s spending initiatives have come in the form of “tax credits”, which are spending programs in disguise.

Terry, were these commentators you refer to the American kind? You know, the ones who are handed talking points and are too lazy to even comprehend them before spouting them off as their own idea? If they also included the Canadian kind, my horror over the mainstream media meltdown has just increased.

I mean, seriously, what lunatic would think that a person with NO MONEY–none, nada, zilch–to put in as a down payment can pay for a mortgage that, today, will cost them so much per month, but if the interest rate rises by even, say, a half percentage point, will be priced out of their league? I mean, we have PROOF these people aren’t good money savers. We know from bitter experience that shit happens (perhaps a temporary job loss or illness), and we also know that interest rates have a way of changing. Perhaps not monumentally, but they do change.

Then add in the fact that even Presidents of the banks and investment companies had no way of knowing what they were investing in–because that’s the way these brainiacs themselves invented their investments–and it isn’t hard to see that if someone (I know! A Government!) imposed some prudent, mild regulations onto the system, neither of these two causes would have happened.

Jwl, the problem with innovative private sector inventions is that quite often they cost more at the beginning than what they are designed to replace. Before economies of scale and all that can take effect. The days of plenty of brand spanking new inventions (the steam engine, telephone, computer technologies, etc.) may have come and gone. Now we are mostly inventing “improvements” or technologies that replace previous technologies. And that means that often the improvements have to be at least as cheap as the technology they are designed to replace. Here’s where governments can step in to give a helping hand. They can either tax the older technology (coal derived electricity) or give tax credits to the new technology (solar panels) or do a bit of both. We will get there eventually without government intervention since the supply of coal or other dirty energy sources will dry up and therefore the price will rise on its own. But wouldn’t it be kind of neat to hurry that process along, thereby slowing the ruination of the planet we need to live on? I’m NOT talking climate change (although, I don’t mean to assert that all scientists ascribing to the theory are wrong–I’m just not positive they’re right) I’m talking pollution. We already know that breathing dirty air, drinking dirty water is bad for our health (and that costs us in the end due to higher health care costs).

So, giving alternative energy a helping hand is an investment. The long-term variety to be sure, but a mild and prudent thing to do.

Harper speech on Oct 7th:
____________________

So let me be crystal clear.

A Conservative Government will not be raising taxes.
We will not impose a carbon tax.
We will not cancel planned tax reductions for business.
We will not be running a deficit.
We will keep our spending within our means.
It is that simple.The alternative is not a plan. It is just the consequence of complete panic, and this government will not panic at a time of uncertainty.
_______________________________________

* Note the 5th line- We will not be running a deficit.

thanks, motor.

Motor…

Are you suggesting Harper LIED?!! OMG!

Hey, good points Sean. And Catherine, I’d (well, I didn’t forget he did it, Flaherty’s my most hated political person because of it) not thought about that selling off assets gambit. And see, this is why this staring the results in the face and not equating it with the policy thing drives me up the wall. He probably will do it again.

And to get back to the concept that all of the politicians truly love the country (Duceppe excepted), maybe they do, but can it be any clearer that they love ‘winning’ or ‘power’ more than if Flaherty starts selling assets?

Harper really only had to gull 22% of the electorate anyway, so kudos to Him for successfully recognising that.

It’s mandate-a-licious, that’s for sure.

Wow, David, you are good! That slipped by me. Harper is a master liar, meaning he is a master at purposely saying things to mislead and deceive Canadians, while choosing words in such a way that in his own devious head he manages to think of himself as not a liar.

On his fixed election date law, he said that it would prevent his own government from falling unless it lost the confidence of the House. Of course, everyone thought of the usual confidence motions and no one thought Harper would simply declare his government to have lost confidence over the objection of the Opposition. Similarly, during the election, Harper said the mission in Afghanistan would end as we know it in 2011 . That simply means the mission after 2011 will be whatever Harper wants it to be, but he wanted everyone in Quebec to think it would actually end.

From all the newspaper reports, Harper was clearly saying he would never run a deficit during his term in office. That is what he wanted them to think, but you have to go back to his original words and replies. It is possible in Harper’s own head, his words simply mean that sometime in the future he will not have a deficit, but there will be deficits along the way.

Actually, I find deciphering Harper’s words like this, while possible, is tiresome and it is a good approximation to simply assume everything out of Harper’s mouth is a lie and take it from there. But, still, good catch on your part.

Archangel, I would never suggest that Harper is a pathological liar.

The notion that educated people believe that the free market is for “small stuff” and that government is best for the important developments,

is rather frightening.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go, and put on my government issued apparel, get in my government created vehicle, drive to the airport and take the government invented plane.

Before leaving I have to make sure my children’s government invented antibiotics don’t need a refill, lest my child dies of her infection. On my way out, I’ll turn out the government invented lights, run by government invented electricity. Oh I better fill up with government gas on the way or I’ll have to call a government taxicab.

Geez, we would still be living in caves if it wasn’t for government inventions.

OMG – someone’s been consulting Nancy Reagan’s star reader. Why don’t we pull out the Tarot cards and the ouija board for good measure.

Harper Derangement Syndrome

I see it’s in full bloom.

I predict that by the next election, Harper’s eeeeeeeevil will perhaps, perhaps, only be proclaimed outdone by Hitler, Pol Pot, and Mugabe (the last one will definitely be close),

though I suspect the left will skate very close to the line so as to draw the necessary comparisons,

time and time again.

Upward and onward with the fever pitch!

Personally, I think the Liberals hit a high note with “Soldiers with guns in Canada. We’re not making this up,” and have spent every year since trying to make up for the fact that they peaked too early.

Certainly, the Conservatives have had their share of insane hyperbole. But Liberal hyperbole is somehow funnier.