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Why this blog?
Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked.
This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio -
"You don't speak for me."
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I agree with the Captain that people will make what they wish of the numbers. After all, “it’s Bush’s fault”.
Although I’ve suggested that BO will win the next election, he is stumbling quite badly of late. As I’ve mentioned before, the price per gallon of gasoline will be a major indicator as to his re-election prospects (IMO). I’m looking for BO to start drawing from the National Oil Reserves in the spring of 2012 to buffer Americans from rising gas prices leading into the 2012 elections.
Obama’s going to run on ‘fear and smear’ in 2012 as it is too late to go fiscally conservative. He will run on emotional issues such as immigration and medi-care. The question is, have Americans had enough yet?
The official US employment figures are a work of statistical fiction.
The below chart shows the true picture before the methods were changed to make them look better.
http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data/unemployment-charts
They are at great depression levels.
For the western world it is more of a NIMBI attitude when it comes to “entitlements” or biting the bullet economically for the good of future generations. As a baby boomer (three score less a year) I have worked all my life with the goal of getting to retirement age alive and well enough to enjoy a few years. The fact that all the governments of the day underfunded all these Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Canada Pension Plan and so on, is not my fault and I resent the younger generation blaming “boomers” for all the worlds woes. I paid my taxes and contributed all that was required so I did my part.
Somewhere along the line political leaders will have to forget about feathering their own nests and make some hard decisions that will certainly shorten their political careers. These “leaders” are the same folks that will send their nation’s soldiers into harms way to take a bullet for the cause/country, but are unwilling to take the economic bullet to try and save what the soldiers are ultimately fighting for.
Texas: did we really do enough? Just paying taxes to crass Liberal governments, it turns out, was not enough. I personally wish I had smartened up and paid attention a lot sooner. Now the same people who elected that thug Critien (and uber-thug Trudeau) 4 times are looking for someone to blame. His own party had to get rid of Critien with Canada’s first bloodless coup. Otherwise the voter would have just just kept on and on.
Canada stuck with a “pay as you go” socialist system and ignored demographics. We were warned about the “bubble” time and again as far back as the early 70’s. Today, for example, there are 1.5 teachers working for every retired one. Thank God they had enough sense to invest the pension money and take risks.
I hear daily of people the medicare system has failed. Poor diagnostic abilities leave many suffering with work related injuries that should not be permanent, but are.
Our politicos are playing Nero with solving indian land claims and shelters for drug addicts.
Gunney99 in BC
And I’ve been paying into pension for 18+ years Texas Canuk and I wish to cut my losses now, and end the Ponzi scheme once and for all.
With all due respect TC, you appear to be someone that knows he’s being scammed, but wishes to prolong the scam so you can get YOUR money out. Screw the rest of us! Right?
This is why the conservative movement is in such shambles today, as the so called advocates of austerity and conservatism are, and will be, the most blatant abuser of the entitlement programs. Those my age and younger see Boomers and others preaching austerity, voting GOP and CPC yet having no wish to participate in austerity themselves(see the USA and the so called conservative reaction to proposed changes to Medi-care). Boomers will be the death of the conservative movement, as they are anything but, and are trashing the brand.
Where have I gone wrong here, and why shouldn’t we balkanize your voting demographic in the future if you’re intent on breaking-us, to receive your entitlements?
Surely you see the hypocrisy of your stance on this, with respect to all of your other positions on things economic and political.
CPP is a Ponzi scheme pure and simple; and YOU, I, and everyone else has been fcuked over by our parents and grandparents. What’s sad, is that most Boomers wish to prolong this cycle of economic abuse for no reason other than being “entitled”.
“We were warned about the “bubble” time and again as far back as the early 70’s.”
Exactly Gummy! We were told ad nauseum that Boomers were not having enough babies to support the economy when I was in high school(1990). Once again, the “me” generation did absolutely nothing but continue voting themselves entitlements without changing their lifestyles. Now, they wish to put their heads in the dirt, and ignore the consequences of their reckless economic behavior during the past few decades. Cause their entitled!
This thread could get interesting.
I wish we would have started to put money away earlier, although the various recessions and burst bubbles, like the tech one, have not helped. OAS and CPP do not cut it as far as providing any meaningful income for seniors even if they own their own home at retirement.
Stashing pension money away earlier is tough for most families. Various taxes, shoes for Susy and a decent supper somehow seem to take priority and before you know it the big 65 is staring you in the face.
Thank goodness as farmers we had forced saving and often did without what many people deem necessities because we never knew if the coming crop would be substantial enough to provide for another year.
Wow, so now it is my fault that I did what was asked of me and not double my CPP payments or something to keep the government afloat? Not that I could afford to, seeing as how I saw wage freezes not once but twice in my military career.
The fact that I’ve been scammed and know it is irrelevant as the government elected by our democracy was not the folks I ever voted for. The fact that I have paid into this scheme as required by law means that yes, I do feel I should get something in return. I have also tried to set something away besides the government ponzi but the government made me contribute to their plan and guaranteed me a return for my investment. My retirement savings took a dump due to the economy like a lot of other folks but I knew the risks of that investment and can live with the results. After all it was my decisions so I accept what happens.
Indiana Homez, I see you are still continuing your anti-boomer rant, just the same as before.
Why is it so hard for you to see that this is a multigenerational problem, and not just caused by the boomers? Too lazy to do the math? Or just a bigot?
Get with the program pal, opting out was not an option. And if you paid in, you can take out.
As was pointed out to you in previous threads by several commentators, if you voted for the political parties that got us into this fiscal mess then you are as guilty as any one else.
Oh, I thought this might be about Luongo — if ever there was a guy who should be on a no-fly list … just sayin
This is not an inter-generational conflict or a poor/rich conflict. It is a conflict between the savers and debtors.
http://fofoa.blogspot.com/2010/07/debtors-and-savers.html
1. Debtors – “The easy money camp” likes to spend (and redistribute) money it did not earn, either by borrowing it, taxing the savers for it, or printing it. They like easy money because it is always and everywhere constantly inflating, easing the repayment of their debts.
2. Savers – “The hard money camp” likes to live within their means and save any excess for the future. They prefer hard money (or in some cases “harder” money) because it protects their savings and forces the debtors to work off their debts.