Alberta BS Thread

As for political talk, I was merely pointing out the election results in my original post. I elaborated a bit for sure on my second post mentioning you because I thought it was interesting how things have gone for the NDP.

The COC is at the interpretation of the mods. So far they have been friendly to us Canucks but usually because we tend to moderate the Canada BS thread well ourselves. Political opinions are just that an very open to interpretation. Thank goodness we Canadians tend not to get worked up about it.

I was half joking about the NDP being communists. It just seemed a bit ironic to me to joke about Carbon legislation being communist when you support a party known for being the farthest left leaning major party in Canada. Well, unless your OZ and consider the Greens a major party .

I don't think many people blame the NDP for the economic issues right now. The economic conditions in the province are well and above anything that any party in this election cycle can easily dampen within their powers. However, myself and many others have been disturbed by the actions of the government. They passed bill 6 without consult and forced it's scope beyond that of any other similar legislation in Canada. They failed to show up for the first sitting this year and when they were about to lose the first sitting vote they took an illegal pause then illegally forced open the doors to allow more of their members in who had showed up hours late. They repeatedly have shown a lack of class and professionalism when dealing with the media and constituents. None of those things are political issues I have with their party or with their platform. I, and many others, have problems with their conduct in under a year of being in power. There also hasn't been much in the way to make up for it either as Redford has decided to continually defend everything that happens even when they are clearly in the wrong. So much for the accountability and honesty we were promised during the Orange Crush.

As for the trade deals, well, that's on an economics level that's not simple to talk about in certain terms. The treaties hurt us, help us, and do all sorts of things to the economy. Not all trade deals are equal for sure and it'll be interesting to see what the TPP brings. If you believe the pundits, a lot of people in the media are saying this was an in or out treaty and the USA would of made it a sticking point with us. Being on the out would hurt more than being on the in considering the nations involved made up most of our trade. If that's the case I think it would be hard to argue that our government, no matter the party in charge, could of done anything better.

 

Im sure for years to come everyone will blame NDP for crashing Albertas economy. There are so many narrow minded people, you cannot even discuss politics without them pissing their pants.

 

OPEC crashed our economy. We are all to blame for assuming that an economic out of control boom could continue unabated forever.

I don't blame the PC's or the NDP. No one wanted higher taxes to save more and everyone partied when foolish spending like Ralph bucks came down the line. At the end of the day the buck stops with Albertans as a whole in this case.

 

Its true, we were living in ignorance. I feel bad for those who have lost out because of it, but we really did need a reality check.
Im sure the Oil and gas fat cats are still getting their piece thou.

 

My post about with the "Go Back to Russia" video was a joke. Perhaps I should have put more smiley faces in it

As for the trade deals, no, I don't think one party could have negotiated anything better but really the negotiations are all behind closed doors with zero public discourse or debate - like I mean zero. That's what I'm saying the politicians have sold themselves out - more and more they have given away their made their decision making power, ability to mold the political and social direction of a country and act as leaders. They have simply become administration working in the framework given to them by multinational corporations in these trade deals.

Want to improve the economic situation of the people? Well you better watch it because it's really easy for Multinational Company X to move to another country where it's cheaper to operate. http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/car...a-as-mexico-shifts-into-higher-gear-1.3108148

Want to increase taxes - same thing and added bonus you can do an Apple or Google and set up shop in a tax haven like Ireland (http://www.forbes.com/sites/leesheppard/2013/05/28/how-does-apple-avoid-taxes/#3948d8ebd6f7)

Want to impose stricter environmental laws - well then Multinational Company X can sue you for lost profits these laws may bring about (http://www.theguardian.com/business...stem-lets-corportations-sue-states-ttip-icsid)

Want to attract business to open up shop in your city, province, country? Well now your competing with every country in the TPP and boy when it comes to low wages and lax environmental laws there are a lot of developing countries eager for that business. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/joe-fr...in-bangladesh-in-year-after-tragedy-1.2606120

Want to invest in China? Well you can but you have to go int a joint venture and give much of the control in the joint venture to your Chinese partner. China investing here, well that's ok we will sell you anything with no such restrictions and that includes real estate. I don't know of any non-Chinese citizens who own property in China.

It goes on an on. The politicians are merely administrators and especially in the USA there is really no difference in the parties anymore. When they get into power they all do the same thing but spin it a slightly different way to create the illusion of a difference.

I don't ant to sound conspiratorial - but you have to have your head up your butt if you don't realize who is really pulling the strings. Follow the money.

 

So it was nice that Justin promised Obama that Canada would get a Carbon tax, and Obama agreed it was a very good idea. Just not so good that Obama would do the same at home.

 

Im betting most Albertans think the PCs needed a time out but will make sure they learned something before simply crowning them again.

 

Stephen turned down several Chinese offers to buy into the oil sands, also potash from a friendly Auz company. They are buying up Vancouver though.

 

The funny thing is that Potash Corp is partially owned by Agrium, which is a Canadian/American company that owns a lot of assets in Australia.

 

Really not sure what a Canadian Company really is anymore. I have a Blackberry phone running the best operating system in the world. Where's yours?

 

Don't look at me. By the end of the year I'll be working for this guy:

 

A price on carbon for cap and trade and / or a straight carbon tax isn't the economy destroyer the naysayers say it is

 

Yah he did BUT I guarantee if you could influence your companies buyout of a Chinese company it would not happen. Chinese law forbade it - so why does Canadian law not?

I'm a child of the 80's and I find it bizarre that back then the evil communists in the Soviet Union and Red China were our enemy - enough so the military in NATO had first strike plans for nukes to start WWIII.

But now that China has $$$ to invest or we can find a cheap labour pool in China to make cheap WalMart crap, now everything is pretty much okay aside from some cursory "well you should improve human rights" statements from politicians just to appease the liberal base back home.

That's why I say follow the money, see who benefits the most and those people are the ones pulling the strings. China open to foreign investment, well the corporations see the benefit for that to increase their profits = now China is no longer our enemy but a trading partner.

A short book to read that is excellent on the topic is War is a Racket written by Smedly Butler a retired United States Marine Corps Major General and two-time Medal of Honor recipient

Remember the medal of honor is the America's highest military honor and for someone to win it twice is unprecedented.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Is_a_Racket

Rant over.

 

How do you guys know all this shit?

 

For me, I didn't get enough tail in high school and university.....

 

War has always served commercial interests in the name of some other moral cause. Nothing new there.

You know the USA was our enemy back in 1812. Maybe we ought to stop trade with them. Times change when markets open. Heck, one of the fastest growing trading partners for the USA is Vietnam and Cuba looks to be following suit.

 

@Tunngavik you can't be as cynical as you sound. You're saying all of this with slight sarcasm I hope. At this point it's like listening to one of those bad death metal poetry speeches that makes kids want to off themselves. No offense .

 

I've always been an avid reader and history hobbyist.

 

I'm an idealist, not a cynic. I recognize problems, and try to do something about them (not just complaining) rather than saying "well you know, that's the way it is..."

 

Keep fighting the good fight then.

I'm too much of a skeptic to believe that the world is as bad as the rebels say it is or as good as the corporations say it is. Honestly, it's all still people and the truth is in between in my very humble opinion.