2015; Does Stephen Harper and the Conservatives deserve another chance?

Zipperfish

Zipperfish

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Apr 12, 2013
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Zipperfish said:
Ah, well that explains the COnservatives and the veterans then.
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It's a disconnect for the Harper Conservatives. Veteran payments are entitlements. They are stuck on the one hand because they are trying to cut entitlements, but they also want to be seen as supporting the men and women in uniform. For a while they were able to do both--close veterans centre, pile on bureaucracy to dissuade veterans from accessing their entitlements, while at the same time showing up talking a big game at the memorial ceremonies. But, as they say, the chickens came home to roost eventually.

Sure you blame Fantino--he was pretty incompetent--but the direction to cut costs most likely came from the PMO.
 
captain morgan

captain morgan

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darkbeaver said:
And still you insist on the oxymoronic "good debt" which is good only to the creditor not the forkin debtor.
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A society without any availability of debt can, at best, be described as 'feudal'

darkbeaver said:
Debt is odious.
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Did you have the full cash payment up front to buy your first (or current) home?... Car?.... Education (yours or kids)... etc, etc

darkbeaver said:
The Greek debt incured by Greece and its deal with Goldman Sachs was two thirds consumed by that nations Oligarcs the stae never saw it. This is the lever being used by the new Greek government to dump the Euro which they will do in eighteen days followed by four other disgruntled EU partners in stupid odious EU debt.
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Greece has talked about going back to the drachma for some time and quite honestly, that action probably makes the most sense for them.

Problem here is that their community (in the form they wish to have it) will rely on international trade and foreign investment (direct or indirect)... The decision they make today to honor (or not) their debt will have massive implications for the next few generations.

By not living up to their agreements, all I can see for Greece is decades of self-inflicted hardships, extremely limited social services, high unemployment and a crashed economy.

At that point, all they will have to sell is their highly undervalued hard assets (read: land) that will be purchased with drachmas that are worth pennies on the dollar.

Not a happy future, but they are certainly welcome to chose that path themselves.

darkbeaver said:
The necessities of life are provided by the hands on the ends of your arms, labour builds all wealth and that is and has been a natural fact since day one. Cash will get you nothing unless first it is converted to labour. Yours or someone elses cash keeps tally on your real or potential labour, the paper is worthless otherwise. Soon an American ten spot won't get you a potatoe.
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Cash is simply a material representation of that labor... Not everyone can construct a home or grow/harvest wheat, as such, the trading medium is cash.

For those that don't have the trade value in cash (or bushels of wheat) to secure a home or land, debt is the only option.

Used wisely, it is an investment in yourself... Used poorly, it becomes the demanding mistress you have painted the picture of.
 
JLM

JLM

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darkbeaver;2065606 And still you insist on the oxymoronic "good debt" which is good only to the creditor not the forkin debtor. Debt is odious. [IMG said:
http://forums.canadiancontent.net/images/icons/icon7.gif[/IMG]
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D.B.- I believe in the old adage - "There's an exception to every rule"- Let's say your hot water tank blew up three days before pay day and you were strapped. However there was one on sale at 1/2 price, but the sale ended that day. Don't you think it would be smart to charge it up on your credit card that day? You could still pay it off on pay day.
 
petros

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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bluebyrd35 said:
You are going about that the wrong way. How much does it cost to keep a country running. To keep roads, bridges, garbage collection etc. What is the amount you feel is needed to actually support the services a government has been charged to run?? How many of us approve of giving financial aid in the form of food, clothing, tents even supporting schools and books etc to help developing countries help themselves. How many of us would vote against providing arms and armies instead??

We are not paying for the privilege of living in this country rather we are paying the politicians to manage it!! We provide their salaries and we must demand that they do the job they signed on for. Think of them as the head of a Financial Institution......How long would any of them last in such a job if they ran the company as though they owned it??? Politicians govern because we allow them to. We even allow them to set their own salaries!!

As far as what taxes we should pay, it should be graduated. I do not want to may more tax as a middle class Canadian as that of the 1% rich do, nor should corporation get away without paying their fair share.

Most politicians forget very shortly from whence their salaries come, after taking office, hence the necessity of throwing them out of office regularly.
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Are you blending the roles of Municipal, Provincial and Federal into one? 3/4 of the things you mention are Municipal and Provincial responsibilities.

JLM said:
D.B.- I believe in the old adage - "There's an exception to every rule"- Let's say your hot water tank blew up three days before pay day and you were strapped. However there was one on sale at 1/2 price, but the sale ended that day. Don't you think it would be smart to charge it up on your credit card that day? You could still pay it off on pay day.
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You can add to that by buying a bigger tank while on sale to prepare for kids becoming teenagers and thus hot water pigs for cheaper than post payday.
 
JLM

JLM

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Cannuck said:
Of that I have absolutely no doubt. It's probably for the best anyways. You couldn't afford me and I don't want to work for whiny seniors
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Definitely for the best. I can't afford tradesmen who are on the computer all day while at "work". :)

petros said:
JLM, Cannuck is an elite drywaller? :p
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I have a son in Edmonton who can do that too. Have you seen any of Cannuck's work? I'd need a reference before I would hire him.:) :) :) :)
 
captain morgan

captain morgan

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Cliffy said:
Just because you are blinded by partisan politics and can't see the connection doesn't mean there is no connection.
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You choose to identify one solitary element and then extrapolate that as the hard & fast rule to cover everything... It's childish at best and hyper-partisan at worst

Dixie Cup said:
I guess its a bad debt if you purchase a house with a mortgage. Huh - who knew?

JMHO
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Seems like there are lots of people here that apparently did know.... I guess that the real take-away here is that it's a real advantage to win a few national lotteries and not have to rely on evils like mortgages
 
Cannuck

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
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Dixie Cup said:
I guess its a bad debt if you purchase a house with a mortgage. Huh - who knew?

JMHO
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Mortgages are personal debt. Government debt is that which you're using to enhance your standard of living while passing the bill on to your children. One you're paying your own way and one you're not.
 
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