Canada: "But it's different here!!!"

Perhaps you've heard that Canadian debt-to-income ratio is 150%. What this basically means is that for every dollar Canadians earn, on average, we owe $1.50 to somebody else. Canadians, especially homeowners, are living on borrowed time; unlike the consumer deleveraging south of the border, Canadians are continuing to spend. Believing the monetary and fiscal authorities about a global recovery, many have concluded that Canada has escaped the worst of the recession. But despite our continued efforts to violate basic principles of economics, the “invisible hand” will correct itself.

Canada will face another recession. Here's why:

Cash for Clunkers - Canadian Style

Retire Your Ride.

Drive down the road to serfdom!

It was only a matter of time...

I know I said I wouldn't post again until the 28th, but I couldn't help myself...


CBC: Government moves to criminalize hallucinogenic salvia

Conservative MP Shelly Glover (pictured above): The bottom line is that our teens face enough pressure already. And with heavily covered stories of young people in Hollywood using salvia to get high, we have the responsibility to help protect our youth,"

What a bitch. Other than Miley Cyrus, I can't think of another story about celebrities using salvia. Plus, people don't use drugs because they see celebrities doing it. Those that use salvia do so because they want to.

And it is their decision to make. The State has no responsibility to help protect the youth. That is the parent/guardian's job. And what about adults? Will salvia be banned for them as well?

Teens face enough pressure already, Shelly. Let's not increase that pressure by moving salvia to the black-market, pushing up its price and increasing the dangers of obtaining this herb.

Be Back Soon

Well it's Family Day, and considering the week I have ahead of me I probably won't be posting again until February 28th. In the meantime enjoy these highlights:


Maybe we will have a Spring election ...Oh God, please no.

The Toronto Star advocates a "guaranteed annual income" ...Or communism.

$42M glass dome approved for Parliament... Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

Household debt-to-income ratio at record levels... I'll probably write more about this when I return.

Broadcaster Oligarchy doesn't like honest competition... Cable TV is dying. Accept the internet and find a way to make money off it.

Quebec has got a new right-wing party that wants to "stimulate debate on things like... the role of the state rather than Quebec independence."... Hey Hey! Maybe I'll learn French after all. Nah, I'll just use Google Translate

A really good video by Stefan Molyneux ... is a stateless society achievable in our lifetime?

The Budget, A Socialist Compromise & The Price of Democracy

If Flaherty's budget is released on March 22nd (and the rumors indicate that this is the case) then some Canadians (not me) will be voting on May 2nd. Unless of course, an opposition party votes with the government. All the Conservatives need is one party, whether it be Liberal (not likely) the Bloc (even less so) or the NDP (plausible).

This plausibility increased Friday afternoon when Layton and Harper met behind closed doors.

Bev Oda and Foreign Aid

So apparently the International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda altered some document to deny funding to some Church based foreign aid group. The media is jumping all over this issue, doing what it does best: reporting the effects and ignoring the core problem. Or to paraphrase Henry Hazlitt: the media, politicians and most people following this are focusing on one group in the short run instead of all groups in the long run.

The one group in the short run: The controversy over Bev Oda's documents relating to this foreign aid NGO.

All groups in the long run: The uncompensated appropriation of wealth from Canadians to fund third-world criminals.

The CRTC Are Nazis

Are you reading? Good, the title worked. Okay, they're not murdering people in genocidal ovens but they are being anti-competitive bureaucrats. The title actually comes from a conversation I once overheard on the bus. Some old guy was talking about phone companies to a young family. He was very unapologetic in stating that the CRTC are, indeed, national socialists. Here are some recent highlights from their 43 year regime.

Toronto Stock Exchange – Privately Owned, Politically Meddled

First Potash, then Encana's venture with PetroChina and now this.

I know that the Conservative Party are just as socialist as the Grits, but lately what I've been seeing and hearing from Industry Minister Tony Clement makes me wonder if the NDP are running this country.

Tory MPP Recognizes Problem, Offers No Real Solution

Tillsonburg News: There's really no good reason why government can't operate in a business-like manner – efficiently, effectively, and with a minimum of waste.

Hey a politician who gets it!

One tactic would be to stop doing unnecessary things. By eliminating that which is obsolete, duplicative, or just plain silly, we can eliminate much of the waste of taxpayer's money.

Exactly. Let's start with the biggest unnecessary thing we've got: mandatory taxation. Not only is forcing people to pay for something obsolete, duplicative, and just plain silly – it's violent and cannot solve the social problems this province (and country) have.

By eliminating wasteful spending, we can help create government programs and services that make sense, get results, and give us our money's worth.

By eliminating mandatory taxes, we can eliminate wasteful spending. Toby Barrett, I like the subject of your editorial. Allow me to add my two cents to help flesh out your ideas. You're on the right track: wasteful spending is going to be Ontario's ruin.

The Liberal “Open Government” Plan: Let's Just Make Some Websites, That'll Fix Everything!

Does anyone remember what the Conservatives campaigned on back when Martin was Prime Minister? It was accountability. The Liberals had bamboozled a lot of money, and this time even the media recognized it as stealing. So Harper made “accountability” a major election issue.

Of course, we haven't had any accountability from Harper's government.

But no worries, Canada. Michael Ignatieff has dressed up the accountability issue and put a new name on it: “open government.” Even if these ideas were good ones, I still wouldn't trust the Liberal party to implement them. But for the sake of argument, let's say they do.

Let's say Iggy becomes PM and follows through with all these promises. What would be the result?

Have Your Say Ontario – But Don't Say Too Much

Have you got this thing in the mail yet?

It's just more political bullshit. Timmy and his Provincial Cons oppose McGunity, but they don't have any alternative plans. I suppose this survey is meant to get a general idea of where the people of Ontario stand on certain issues. Appeal to voters, win votes, get power, then obey the lobbyists. But for the sake of argument, let's ignore that last point. Instead, let's have some fun with this survey.

Just How Bad Is Ignatieff?

Calgary Herald: Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff raised concerns about the Canadian housing market during a stop in Canmore on Saturday.

Oh?

A Buck-A-Beer?

CBC: Ontario Conservative Leader Tim Hudak misses the days of "buck-a-beer," ... While speaking with reporters Monday, Hudak listed off a series of everyday items — from gas to electricity to beer — he said have become more expensive under Dalton McGuinty's Liberals.

This is true. McGuinty has destroyed the Onario economy (further) but I highly doubt Hudak will do a better job. Let's see if he'll address the elephant in the room: The LCBO.

More Gibberish from the NDP

This time it's “social policy.” The NDP tend to forget that the State did not create society. That the State is not the outcome of everyone in society pooling together resources to create a “social contract.” Society is, to paraphrase von Mises, concerted human action. It is millions of individuals working together, not for some collective, but to raise their personal standard of living. The best way to go about this is peaceful exchange with other individuals. The division of labour in the market of voluntary exchange is far superior to any State coercion.

Now that we've established that let's examine the idea of a criminal statist organization having a “social policy.” Obviously, the State in no way represents society in any real coherent fashion. Yes, we have elections and statists say things that sound pleasant and nice and blah blah blah. But a violent system cannot generate peaceful exchange. An organization that relies on theft cannot protect or secure the individual.

With that said, let's debunk the NDP's social policy.

Conservative Party Track Record – 39th Parliament, 2nd Session

Anybody paying attention, especially somebody who's job it is to pay attention, would have realized that by late 2007 the US was heading for depression. The implications for Canada should have been clear. What did the Conservative government do? Well let's just see:

Here's the extent of their parliamentary actions from October 16, 2007 to September 7, 2008.

Ron Paul on CBC

The title really says it all. Here you go: http://www.cbc.ca/day6/blog/2011/02/05/web-exclusive-uncut-ron-paul-interview/

The Tories Are Socialists Too!

Ottawa Citizen: Tories to kill CRTC web ruling

Oh Goddammit. Has this country gone completely socialist? TANSTAAFL!

The Liberal Family Care Plan - Another Misguided Socialist Scheme

Harper is a douche, Layton is a moron and I won't even comment on Duceppe. But what about Iggy? This is the rhetoric we're hearing from the Liberal Party:

These are difficult economic times, so that means governments - and Canadians - must choose. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives choose tax breaks for corporations. We choose to help Canadian families

I really don't like this Michael Ignatieff guy.

Before we go on, remember that these aren't tax cuts for the corporations themselves. The tax cuts are for the people who either own shares or work for the corporations. Tax cuts are a good thing. It helps create jobs and keeps private wealth out of the hands of the State, whom just squander it on a mammoth scale.

So like him or not (and I certainly don't) Harper is right. Corporate tax cuts are good. But the Grits oppose it, and since they have a chance at gaining state power, we should cautiously consider what they propose instead.

Is 96 Really Your Fix?

Freeman-on-the-land Robert of the Menard Family claims that any Canadian with a birth certificate can discharge debts by accessing the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Although I don't disagree with his general thesis, I find it unbelievable that this process would ever work. But apparently some people have had success with this method. Interested in discharging your debt? Well then, 96 could be your fix.

Usage-based Billing, the Internet & The CRTC

This is going to be short and sweet, because there's not much to say on this issue. Despite outcries from some protesters that usage-based billing will end freedom of speech by giving more power to "big evil capitalists," this issue can be addressed by remembering that there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.