In comparison to an average Canadian, how is a politician's life?
- Thread starter CDN87
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What makes the Canadian (and the American for that matter) politician so susceptible to greed and the "power-game", is the apathy and ignorance of the electorate. Canadians were promised that the millions stolen by Liberal hacks and advertising firms in Quebec would be returned to the Canadian people. Anyone hear anything about how much has been recovered?
Canadians have been assurred that spending millions upon millions more on everything from gun control to airport security will ensure that Canada is addressing criminality and border security. We find instead that as long as twenty years ago, the government was incapable of guarding our skies. We found that the RCMP has been rife with corruption and mismanagement for decades, we've watched as politician after politician has ranted and whined...and our society has paid a fortune to protect social health-care and continued prosperity. At the same time, our over-all standard of living, our committment to a clean and re-newable climate, our energy use and consumption habits have been dictated not by a government serving the people of Canada but by politicians serving both their own personal interests and satisfying the wealthy industrialists of this nation. Politicians don't represent the average Canadian or the average American, they haven't for some time now...
And we just like Americans let our governments away with murder.
Canadians have been assurred that spending millions upon millions more on everything from gun control to airport security will ensure that Canada is addressing criminality and border security. We find instead that as long as twenty years ago, the government was incapable of guarding our skies. We found that the RCMP has been rife with corruption and mismanagement for decades, we've watched as politician after politician has ranted and whined...and our society has paid a fortune to protect social health-care and continued prosperity. At the same time, our over-all standard of living, our committment to a clean and re-newable climate, our energy use and consumption habits have been dictated not by a government serving the people of Canada but by politicians serving both their own personal interests and satisfying the wealthy industrialists of this nation. Politicians don't represent the average Canadian or the average American, they haven't for some time now...
And we just like Americans let our governments away with murder.
I look at the job of politician in the type of system we have and I do NOT envy them in the slightest. It seems like a brutal job. I think they deserve all the pay they get. However, it is when politicians take things too far and feel that they are entitled to more, without accountability where I have concerns. I don't feel that is right. However, their salary, I believe, should be higher...especially the prime minister. Most company CEO's make MUCH more than our prime minister. Frick, HOCKEY players make more than our PM. Plus, it's pretty much a 24 hour a day job, for many of the more prominent politicians. There is plenty of public scrutiny...which I am not saying is bad...but I think the fickle Canadian people can be overly critical of their elected officials...um...as we see in this thread...
I think that makes the job that much more challenging. Nooo...I don't think it's exactly an easy life.
I think that makes the job that much more challenging. Nooo...I don't think it's exactly an easy life.
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Hmmm. Must mean that you have no Education and no skills and are unable to move to a location where you may get a better job. I am sorry if your situation is due to some serious problems that prevent you from having a better life.
If on the other hand a person wastes every opportunity they have to get an Education, and Job training and then just shows up; at whatever job he manages to get, just to be there the day paycheques are handed out, then you have no room to critisize someone who works hard at getting the best Education he can afford (Student Loans are available to those who show they are willing to work at their schooling)and works hard at being the best he can be on the job.
Ohh, so Canadian Citizens shouldn't able to bitch about politicians unless they are successful by your standards?
Nope, but at $14,000 per year, most people would not be staying with that job. So why is he only making $14,000? That's $7 per hour. He says he works harder than any politician, so why is he accepting that much hard labour for so little return? I did say that circumstances may enter into it. How much is success (by whatever standard) or lack thereof dependant on effort and application?
Why should anyone be made to feel undeserving of a position that pays well, if he has worked hard at getting the Education and the training required, and has applied all his efforts towards acheiving the ability to fullfil that position?
Why should anyone be made to feel undeserving of a position that pays well, if he has worked hard at getting the Education and the training required, and has applied all his efforts towards acheiving the ability to fullfil that position?
When I was a teenage political enthusiast, I worked in a constituency office for an MP who had been elected so many times by such a wide margin, well, it was amazing.
Why did she do so well? She went to every single community meeting, read every community newspaper and newsletter, went to Parent-Teacher nights and just listened, she read every planning document that came from the city that concerned her riding - she took phone calls at home, at any hour (and expected us to take her calls). She answered every letter - or one of us did, signing our name to it - she never took credit for work she did not do.
She went to every community celebration, every facility opening, every damned ribbon cutting. She asked her constituents what committees they wanted her on - and she was one of the hardest-working members of every one of those committees.
I personally know three current MPs, of different parties, who work like that. All backbenchers.
I was asked to run, and I am sorry to say I said no, because I don't think I can work that hard.
Pangloss
There are all kinds of difficult jobs out there - but I bet most of them are considerably easier if you love the work. Politics would enervate me - being a stagehand invigorates me.
-p
Why did she do so well? She went to every single community meeting, read every community newspaper and newsletter, went to Parent-Teacher nights and just listened, she read every planning document that came from the city that concerned her riding - she took phone calls at home, at any hour (and expected us to take her calls). She answered every letter - or one of us did, signing our name to it - she never took credit for work she did not do.
She went to every community celebration, every facility opening, every damned ribbon cutting. She asked her constituents what committees they wanted her on - and she was one of the hardest-working members of every one of those committees.
I personally know three current MPs, of different parties, who work like that. All backbenchers.
I was asked to run, and I am sorry to say I said no, because I don't think I can work that hard.
Pangloss
There are all kinds of difficult jobs out there - but I bet most of them are considerably easier if you love the work. Politics would enervate me - being a stagehand invigorates me.
-p
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Wow, there are so many false assumptions in this post, I don't even know where to begin:
Why do you assume I have no education or skills? As a matter of fact, I am working on a PhD. I am doing research, trying to cure cancer and various other diseases. Sure, at the end of the day I will end up with a PhD, so in a sense it is an investment, but I could get just as much experience & skills if I worked for a pharmaceutical company and I would be making a lot more money. So, why do I do it? Well, I enjoy what I do.
The amount of hours I work in a given day varies...but I can honestly say that I average about 60 hours a week (at least). At 16k/year, it works out to less than minimum wage. As for what I do, see above.
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That is the thing with Forums. If you do not spell out ALL the circumstances in the OP then things look very different. Now it appears that the $16,000 rather than $14,000 is part time work. Since when do people expect to get paid for every hour of Education and Apprenticing that they do? Looks like you will in fact get repaid for the time spent, in your future life.
You obviously have left many people in the dust behind you too. Would you think those that have dropped off along the way because the "party life" was more appealing, or were unwilling to forgo that Mustang at the curb; should suddenly receive the same salary you will bring down as a PHD? Would you feel they were equally deserving of the same life style? I doubt you would willingly give them half your pay so they could continue their lifestyle while you continue to work hard to support them.
How about we get back to the original question, that is, if we're done throwing stones? Does anyone else here have direct experience of political life?
Pangloss
Pangloss
Sure let's not critique the Canadian political system and focus on the managers who've been elected to run the Canadian ship of state...nooooo
Let's personalize the issues and pick away at each other...
Why on earth does anyone participate in a forum that eventually de-evolves to personal attack and individual criticism of participants?
I left for a while and find the Canadian Content forums just as mean-spirited and petty as when I left.
Canadians....what a joke.
Let's personalize the issues and pick away at each other...
Why on earth does anyone participate in a forum that eventually de-evolves to personal attack and individual criticism of participants?
I left for a while and find the Canadian Content forums just as mean-spirited and petty as when I left.
Canadians....what a joke.