Back in the real world...

Excuse me, I think I have something in my eye...

Who knew?

It seems that Bob Rae has been right all these years:

"The NDP took power in the midst of one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression. Though they campaigned predominantly on the promise of a public auto insurance system, they backtracked on this policy, causing a split between Premier Rae and his more left-wing ministers. Initially, they increased spending in the public sector to stimulate employment and productivity. However, due to the unforeseen severity of the recession, it angered the business community while not doing enough to provide for public relief."[emphasis mine]

After all, it looks like ole Deficit Jim Flaherty agrees:

"Canada will have to weather large deficits to “do what it takes to keep our economy moving,” including cutting taxes while boosting infrastructure and worker training, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in tabling the federal budget Tuesday.

Flaherty promises billions of dollars in new spending — ranging from money for infrastructure projects to aid for worker training, and cash for enhanced employment insurance (EI) benefits — to help the country ride out the global economic downturn."[emphasis mine]

It was only a few months ago the Conservatives were telling we didn't need this, that everything was fine and that Bob Rae was unelectable because of the baggage from his days as NDP Premier of Ontario.

Funny eh?

Personally, I think the last thing we need is a "stimulus" package of any kind, certainly not one that willy-nilly cuts revenue (in the form of broad tax cuts) combined with huge, undirected increases in spending.

I would rather the government do nothing, except keep the books balanced. We could do that either the traditional Liberal way - no tax cuts, but cuts to spending - or the old Bill Davis, Red Tory fiscal conservative way - cut taxes, but also cut spending to keep pace.

I could live with either of those. It would hurt worse now, but in less than 5 years, we would be back probably better.

Instead we have a record deficit that will wreck our economy in the long run, that even this honesty challenged government thinks will run at least 5 years or longer. Our children and grand children will still be paying for this long after we are dead.

Andrew Coyne is, I hope, right - the only good side to this whole mess is it may mean the end of Conservatism in Canada.

Only about 3 years too late.

Update:

In case anyone wonders what I think of government spending to "stimulate" the economy, I think it is a terrible idea. I'll let Henry Hazlitt explain. And Peter Schiff.

Cynics R Us

What Sheldon Richman said.

I think the Progressives blogsphere needs some intelligent dissent from the fawning today. Not some drooling, backhanded, knee-jerk crap from moron's like Rush Limbaugh or Michelle Malkin (Google it, they will get no links from me), but a more nuanced dissent.

FWIW, Richman preferred Obama.

A Quiet Month?

Not a lot of postings out of me lately. Yes, I am the master of the obvious.

I've been experiencing a bit of blog burnout lately. Oh, as some know, I still visit and comment, but the fire that once roared in me, that caused me to write at great length, to pontificate about my favourite subjects and to attack my regular whipping boys just does not burn as hot as it once did.

Ottawa bus strike? Feh, I can work from home just as easily as go to the office. Nothing is really going to change if they solve it or not.

President Obama? Well, better than Bush, but then it doesn't take much to do that. I'm hopeful he'll shut Gitmo and get some justice for Khadr, but I don't think he'll be able to do anything about the economy. And I think a lot of lefties, liberals and progressives will be sorely disappointed by that. We lefties tend to eat our own, even if it ends up hurting us in the long run. Just ask Bob Rae and Mike Harris. Obama may be ok, but he may also be a great disappointment.

The return of Parliament? Yawn. More lies from the Conservatives, more waffling from the Liberals. More bellowing from the NDP and the Bloc. And all of them will continue to take my money and use it for things I do not support. We will have more of the same, especially since Iggy has pretty much kyboshed the coalition.

Gaza? Israel is wrong and in my opinion has committed war crimes. In doing so they have actually strengthened Hamas, rather than weakened it and in the end what was gained except for the needless deaths of 1300+ people, almost 1/3 of which were innocent children. For what? To stop meaningless rocket attacks that have killed 4 people in 8 years and can't even damage a road? To show how tough the IDF is? To help Livini get elected? I guess just saying that makes me antisemitic. So be it. It jsut so happnes to also be the truth.

Yet again, we have people who pretend to be intellegent trying to have debates about taking away the right of bodily integrity of other people, a right they themselves would not have to give up. Somehow that's supposed to make you nuanced. Or something. Of course, it rather fits in to yet a new round of fetus fetishist dogmatic hysteria about donuts and secret parliamentary caucuses, while the spread the same old debunked lies and horse shit.

What else is there?

So far the new year has been pretty dull and merely marked by "more of the same" - I make a few comments and get called antisemitic, or looked down upon for daring to suggest that perhaps the government is NOT to be trusted with a monopoly on urban public transit. The constant battle with partisans who refuse to listen, the rehashing of old debates and battles, the yawning chasm of ignorance has really turned me off lately.

I've got other things on the go - a little writing, a little reading, some iPhone and Android development and coaching my son's hockey team. All of that is worlds more important than trying to convince someone for the millionth time that enslaving the bodies of half the population isn;t a good idea, that evolution is a fact, that government is often the problem not the solution and that Israel has no right to act exactly like those that have victimized its people in the past. I can't really talk to the walls out there any more.

So, if I get inspired, I'll be back, but for now, I may comment every now and again on some of my regular haunts. Call it a break, a hiatus - things will be very quiet from here on out.

Later.