” Canada is becoming the country that dares not speak its name!” ~ Michael Ignatieff
… and THIS.
Compare and Contrast:
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, appearing to forget that his countrymen are generally known for their modesty, declared on Friday that his nation was the envy of the world.
Harper, usually a fairly wooden performer, seized on a routine question at a news conference and used it to deliver an impassioned defense of his 33-million strong nation and how well it has coped with the global economic crisis.
“Canada remains in a very special place in the world. . . . We are the one major developed country that no one thinks has any responsibility for this crisis,” he said to laughter.
“In fact, on the contrary, they look at our policies as a solution to the crisis. We’re the one country in the room everybody would like to be,” he said at the end of the summit of the Group of 20 advanced and developing nations in Pittsburgh.
Cross-posted @ Cjunk
Steve would gain a lot of traction if he stated it was regular Canadians — not regulation nor government — that has saved us from a bad recession. Out tendency to not over-leverage our homes, rack up credit cards, and splurge on discretionary spending has saved us.
The electorate would eat it up.
Woo hoo! I remember when “rally ’round the flag” was an American term. It’s our turn, and I am proud of Prime Minister Harper leading the country at this great time.
C Junk…great picture of the Canadian flag in the Arctic.
Its an odd message. Essentially saying you dont like what he country is….when most Canadians think the country is headed in the right direction.
remeber back to that idiotic planted question at the beginning of the last election, DO you love Canada Mr Harper…..well Iggy woiuld emote like a tween at a Hannah Montanna concert but his actions say otherwise.
Maybe a better question to Iggy is “when did you start hating Canada?”
Why is Ignatieff taking a page from Obama’s book and maligning Canada? Why slag a country he intends to lead?
Just read a front page article in the Star. I wasn’t surprised by the good poll numbers Harper is getting, but I sure was by the comments accompanying the article. Only one or two were negative on Harper and the Conservatives. All the rest were supportive of him. Something is afoot. A Harper majority in the not too distant future I think.
I recently replied to a Liberal flyer telling them to get bent and let them know I was disgusted with their party. I was rewarded with a letter asking me to join the Victory Fund. Kinda fits their view of the country, no?
Oh, in the mail today I received one of the “Used to wear the flag with pride” leaflets. When I send that one back with venom, will they then ask me to be a candidate?
“it was regular Canadians — not regulation nor government — that has saved us from a bad recession”
That statement is demonstrably false.
. It was strict government regulation of our banks (regulation the banking industry spent more than a decade complaining about) that protected us from the worst excesses that pushed major US financial institutions to collapse.
It was universal government-pay health care that made GM’s Canadian plants more profitable than their US counterparts (where providing health care coverage for employees and pensioners adds up to more than $1500 per car produced: more than the steel in the car costs).
The Liberals haven’t got a hope in hell. Not now, not in the fall and I wager NOT next spring!
Go Steve!
We will all remember Hedy Fry’s Napsack BS
Canada is & will always be a proud strong nation from coast to coast to coast.
And just a note to all the Ignatieff fans, For someone that loves his country as much as he does You would think he would know “How Many Time Zones” Canada has, Because in his recent book he states we only have 4!
**I also posted under todays Readers Tips the results & part of todays Toronto Star article on the Angus Reid Strategies/Toronto Star poll
Bitter Chill, you are half right. The banking part you have correct, but in the GM, et al part you are incorrect. It is the decades long benefits liabilities and the union squeeze that make the “big” three unprofitable in the US and Canada. Productivity is pathetic. These union-company negotiated liabilities hurt Canadian plants almost as much as they do their US counterparts. The foreign auto makers do not have these benefit liabilities, yet, nor an obstructive union. Profit sharing seems to work better than confrontation.
Off Topic
I read the Toronto Suns articles on Millers announcing not running in 2010.
I think it was Counciler Ford that said he would not be surprised to see Jack Layton take a run at the Mayors job.
I think if there was an election today, we’d end up with a minority PC government. So coasting along with the current PC government is a good thing – because PCers can say, look, see, we’re making it work, we’re not a bunch of crazies, OK?
In fact, there have been many great international and domestic decisions made by the PCs, so either way (election or no election) is perfectly fine.
Don Martin in the National Post today reports that we currently provide the most (imported) oil for the US (12%), and a significant proportion is from the oilsands. (One in twenty barrels). Martin states that the Obama administration has essentially said “we want oil, we’ll leave the greenhouse gas stuff to you”. How ’bout dat?
Canada is on a roll.
Muammar Khadafi avoids facing the Cannon by cancelling a stop over in Newfoundland planned for later this week.
Ardvark, good. Now he can go back to doing whatever he does with his body guard and the camels.
and if you dare not speak its name, Iggy, then please get the hell back to from whence you came – and take your lying war room ass-kicker, and sundry other of the “entitled”, with you – when the “coalition” of conspirators was named, I noted your name was on the document – had you succeeded in that conspiracy, we would now have a country of Western Canada – if you get elected (even a minority) then we may get it yet
Huh. Apparently, my backpack flag flyer is from Marlene Jennings. Getting hammered once for it isn’t enough for the Libs I guess.
WTF CJunk!!
People can agree or disagree that Iggy’s a poseur but spare me the “American” epithet in your recent posts at your home blog.
I tire easily of the nativist angle when there are so many legitimate beefs against the out of touch politics of the Liberal party and their recent habit of selecting academics as their leaders.
Iggy is very likely to fail and head back to his true calling. That it happens to be in the States or England is his own business. But the carpetbagger critique is so thin it just screams insecurity.
So the story line of the Ignegitive folks is ” The only time to be proud of your country (Canada) is when a Liberano/Dipper/Blochead coalition is ‘on the throne’.” ‘The acorn never falls far from the tree’.
Most senior citizens like to romanticize about the past. Ignatieff is no different.
He pines for the last century, the glory days of the 1970’s when HIS recall is that Canada was so awesome and perfect then because of Pearson and Trudeau and hgis Dad hanging out at the UN.
That was when young Mikey was in his idealistic 20’s.
Question: If Canada was so awesome in the 70’s WHY did Ignatieff leave and not return for 34 years?
And, why would we, a modern 21 century country want an old fashioned last century old fogie who lives in the past to have anything to do with our future except to be a footnote in his memoirs.
As one voter who was happy to say good riddance to the PC’s and Joe Clark, I gotta ask Erik @2:42…is that subtle antagonism or serious angst?
but not big enough to threaten anybody
Must have killed The CzarPhoenix to run that;
how about threatening the CBC a little?
Love the snow bunny.
The rotten mouth of the Canada-hating left-liberals: The mouth that mewed.
“Cherry should go home, take his pals with him, and leave the stage to sport’s true heroes.”
“It would mean Canada is represented by a real team — not a collection of individuals who swan into town a few days before competition, not deigning to appear at opening or closing ceremonies, then fly home, win or lose, to fat paycheques and the next Hockey Night in Canada.”
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=7a533863-8356-4008-8252-8437a62a232e
Harper is pumping Canada whilst Obama is apologizing for the USA. What a contrast.
Go Stevie, FOAD Obongo.
Iggy’s gig is to impress and indoctrinate nineteen year old college freshmen, not run a country.
Poor old Ignegative leaps out of his enchanted forest and then him and Kennedy fly with their fantasian fairy wings and land in the magic bean field. Next stop wonderland .
Canada is a great country but is increasingly becoming a floor mat for the rest of the world to wipe it’s feet on.
First-world refugee camp. A great one, mind you, but one nonetheless.
The land that Harvard university is situated on was donated by my late friend and neighbors forefathers.If they knew of the absolute idiots that would teach there,I am sure that they would be turning in their graves.If Iggy is representative of the teaching staff at that university,then I pity us all.
Iggy’s campaign for Prime Minister reminds me of the Simpsons episode when Montgomery Burns decides to run for governor agaisnt a popular incumbant, his handlers one called a character assasin (WK) stage a dinner at the Simpsons and the Simpsons are given planted questions to ask Mr Burns. Lisa asks Mr. Burns in a annoyed tone that your campaing has the momentum of a frieght train, why are you so popular? Mr, Burns agrees and becomes horribly arrogant and sure of himself.
Burns (IGGY) loses the election
countIbrowski spent too much time on the far side of the moon, for a politico I mean.
Harper is just speaking the truth, and I’m sure he wants ALL Canadians to realize, which government should be getting the credit.
But, but the Liberals tell us that because we don’t vote for them, we must loathe being Canadian. Hedy Fry says so. It’s gotta be true, because she is a loyal Liberal. And one can only be a good Canadian by seeing things the Liberal way.
Check out this post at Joanne’s:
http://www.bluelikeyou.com/2009/09/25/its-o-k-to-be-proud-canada/
comment #11…recaps an interview on CBC of Paul Martin. His false accusations are researched and outed by alberta girl later in the post.
Lazy msm smiles and nods, and Libs have been used to getting away with it.
Remember Iggy said “The PM has one job and one job only and that is to unite the people of this country”. REALLY??.
PM Harper stands tall on the world stage, as a proud Canadian with legitimate bragging rights. He represents us more-than-adequately, projecting a nation of credible influence to other members of the global community suffering various afflictions, including a lack of leadership. Who better to showcase that which is envied?
Canadians should not get too smug. You don’t know half the real story, for example, what was done to me over a lifetime. And none of you gives a shit about it either, you think you are so special because of your stupid donuts and coffee and 1% tax cuts.
How about taking some responsibility for destroying peoples’ lives for the first time in your GD history? You make me sick.
And that’s just where it begins. Pride comes before a fall.
Well, since we have not had a true “conservative” government in a very long time. And, since PMSH has had only a minority government, if anybody is to blame for ruining your life, it would be the “natural governing party”.
Go whine to countiggy and zimbobrae Peter….us conservatives have some more work to do……someone has to pay the taxes to fund the entitlements of the entitled.
If anyone believes that Canadian banks were saved by better regulations, they are woefully underinformed and are obviously afflicted by MSM-like powers of comprehension.
There were no Canadian regulations against investment in any of the criminally concocted Wall St. AAA Crap paper. (see ABCP-asset backed commercial paper)
There were no Canadian regulations against investment in any of the dodgy derivatives that are as well understood by bankers as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Princple.(TD head honcho Ed Clark(he of 30 year recession fame)to derivative honcho: explain our position to me….. derivative honcho: can’t…… Ed: Sell,sell,sell)
There were no Canadian regulations against a bubble/bad economy/bad economic decisions.(the future ain’t what she used to be)
The real answers lie in the structure( 6 major banks only, with all that entails), culture( conservative Cdn investors) and sources of funding( deposit vs wholesale).
All of which matters naught, in the face of central bank/government manipulation that has us in a heretofore unknown, scary as hell, financial purgatory. And you should be aware that Ole Saint Pete ain’t exactly blowing no celebratory, come hither trumpets.
Smart critters are scrutinizing their very scrutable Oriental history, and laying in for a long, hard Kondratieff-like winter.
bud: It’s you who are wrong. Clearly, you’ve never actually investigated your claims. For instance, you clearly know nothing about Canadian regs on tier one capital, which makes all the difference in the world. Canadian banks did get involved in US and US style mortgage backed schemes, but Canadian regs didn’t allow them to get in deep. Tier One capital my boy … it makes all the difference.
For example, at this point, our worst bank is sitting at levels of 12% … compare that to US banks which are struggling to build it to 4%.
tisk tisk
Jack:
Clearly, you’re jumping to snapshot conclusions.
I suspect time will show that capital ratios are like RSPs: the pain is only deferred, the returns are manufactured and illusionary, and all at the whim of government rates.
Bad things also come to those who wait.
Tier One capital ratios make all the difference in the world. In order to keep them high, banks can’t get deep into derivative schemes, they must have greater equity when lending, and they must lend out more of their own money. Selling debt, for instance, cuts too deep into Tier One capital.
CIBC was the biggest offender. It got into subprime in the USA, using private insurance firms as back up. But, rules in Canada prevented it from getting in over its head in the USA. CIBC would’ve been sunk had it been allowed to play fully by USA rules.
Bank of Montreal got into Equity backed paper schemes, got burned, and extricated itself nicely simply because it wasn’t allowed to get in too deep under Canadian rules.
So, yes, Canadian banks are far more conservative, but they have to be in order to fulfil their requirements under Canadian law. You’ll never see, for instance, a Canuck bank lending out 120% of the value of a home … Canadian rules forbid it. Not so in the USA where you could actually do that, and get private mortgage insurance on top … crazy beyond belief.
Canada also has no exchange set up whereby Canadian debt can be repacked multiple times and sold. In the USA though, mortgage debt was often packaged and repackaged 5 times … insane … yes … are they still doing it … yes.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/09/23/sponsorship-tell-all-book-disappears/
Hey Peter,
Please give us some details. And please answer this question: Why would you let yourself be screwed over a lifetime?
Off to get a coffee and donut with a 2% reduction on the GST! w00t!
Did you want me to pick up a napkin for you to cry on?