Hi! my name is Leslie Nobodyinparticular. I live in the 905 where I work as a mid-level administrator for a place that doesn't have to turn a profit.
Did you know that war and military type things are very bad? I don't like the idea of tax dollars going to things like ships and outfitting soldiers. Taxes should only go into education and supporting non-profits which many of my neighbours work for. That's nicer.
I believe in a thing call a 'Rules Based International Order' which, if I remember some classes from POL101 class in first year university (totally dropped it, sooo borrrringg). It works because people talk alot about how they feel and they consult, always consult. Just like my workplace!
We sometimes get things done at work because everyone really agrees that process is the most important thing. Being busy shows we care! It's not that hard as long as you only talk to people who agree with you. And if some people don't? You gather up your friends and you shame them into agreeing, otherwise you file an official complaint. One time, we had to forward it to a non-elected tribunal. That showed them! See how easy it is when you know you're right? Would you like a self-eating donut? I made them today!
I think we as a country need to fairly quickly realize that a) the world (most notably for us, the US) is changing and b) we are no longer a rich country (and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon). We very much need to start prioritizing where we spend our limited funds and where we don’t. Being able to defend ourselves and meeting our defense obligations comes to mind; $250 cheques which will have zero long term impact don’t.
Under better management, we could be a rich country. We have tons of resources. Canadians just have a habit of electing idiots at pretty much every level of government.
There is a saying that the difference between humans and animals is that animals would never choose the weakest and stupidest to be their leader. Canada, while not alone, is a perfect example of this.
That's what happens when countries even internally don't know what they are about. We are a majority English speaking country that is run by the French, for the French. As long as Ontario is afraid of Quebec and their neverendum it will continue.
Sadly, times have changed, and our current Government's progressive and vacuous pursuits do not align to military/defense spending, nor could they ever conceive of funneling money that direction. Well...times they keep 'a changin'... and times up.
The author notes the justifiably proud military history of Canada. Canada had noteworthy contributions, and they were paid in cash, broken bodies and blood of men by Canada.
A few Canada Day's ago, I visited an open house of a United Church in our town, as all Main St. businesses and churches are open to all on Jul. 1st. Beautiful architecture, stained glass, gorgeous. On my way out of the church, there was a painted plaque that had the names of the men (boys) who were congregants during the 1st and 2nd World War, who were killed. I literally gasped, there were rows and rows of names. I recognized some family names, and in my life orbit this was like seeing a list of names from a hometown hockey tournament, but the names of the boys represented those who fought overseas and that they were gone forever.
I hope we never again need to pay with lives and names, but it's time to pay with dollars...big dollars, and I'm ok with that. Regrettably, our truth-challenged Government will not be. It's time for a change, asafp.
Canada does not rely on NATO and rather than fulfil its obligation to this alliance Canada depends entirely on America for protection from third party aggressors such as Russia or China. Both major parties have embraced this policy as displayed in their underfunding of Canada's military and Canadians appear to support this approach at the ballot box. We have disgraced our proud military history but Canadians seem comfortable with that.
Problem is, no matter how logical this article is, Cdns in general simply do not comprehend defence/security tasks (which are all governments’ “first tasks”). Political folks know this and work against their main responsibilities— which is to protect the nation. Failing to do that means all the other goodies that they hand out to the public will ultimately be meaningless if those “first task” failings result in any kind of disaster, including being ignored by our defence partners. Eventually the penny drops but not until it smacks the collective public where it hurts. Not sure when or where or how that will occur. 🤔
I’ve observed that Canadians are woefully uneducated about a lot of really important topics. Like economics (what this policy will do to the economy) and what happens outside of Canada (people are privileged and myopic in view)
Far too many are sitting in the comforts of their home, smack-posting about why striking workers (already paid fairly) should get paid more, and worrying about DEI, while around them very real problems are eventually going to explode and threaten their ability to live comfortably. The legacy media talking points would be very different if people didn’t feel so safe in their bubbles and believed nothing could threaten them. I see people on Facebook saying they won’t travel to the US while Trump is president as if this is some sort of gotcha. It’s the most bizarre and illogical statement, but meanwhile they post it every chance they get.
Canada has a whole lot of unserious people who make the most noise. Reality will eventually catch up, but I fear it will be too late. (My plan is to exit, likely to the US. I think there will come a time where those with the means to leave Canada will have to if they want to remain safe and financially secure, so I’m working on building that option)
I hear you 1000 percent. My wife and I were just talking about the exit plan yesterday. Its becoming a sad reality. I'm thinking the dollar is going to turn into a peso soon and the 3 power holding city's will collapse under the poverty.
I've already purchased my property somewhere in the Balkans. It has a BC type climate inland and a California climate on the coast (but warm water). You lack for nothing if you have money and almost everyone speaks English, especially in Croatia. A country like Slovenia has a Canadian standard of living and the health care is much better than in Canada across the board.
My biggest issue with the tax holiday is that basic economics says that as a consumption tax, which get is a consumption tax - you only pay it if you buy taxable goods, those with higher incomes pay the most of it. It is one of the most equitable taxes around when it comes to its effect on various income brackets. And that also means that a tax holiday benefits those with the most disposable income the most. It’s not going to benefit the families where they’re paying very little on get already due to low income - it will benefit those who aren’t actually having their budget negatively impacted by paying it.
Likewise, $250 wont fix anyone’s budget but it will put a whole lot of money into the economy.
Both of these proposed policies are horrible economics and horrible policy. The liberals should be ashamed of themselves on just the principle of it alone, but I think what it really is is an attempt for them to make the conservatives look bad in the House of Commons. It’s an attempt to create a “gotcha” - except this isn’t the gotcha the liberals think. They’re so far into thinking their own farts smell good that they actually think wasting billions of dollars is ok if it helps improve their polling.
I hope these don’t pass the House of Commons - though in hearing rumbles that retailers are preparing to take a loss and offer the tax break even if it doesn’t pass the HoC. Guess the liberals don’t care about small business either in all the relationships they’re willing to damage in the quest for scoring a few cheap points in the HoC.
This article articulates my first reaction on hearing the glad tidings of free money to the peasantry.
Wonder if Trump brought it up?
We are so far behind the military and foreign affairs 8-ball that it is difficult not to despair. I do wonder if we're long for the G-7 or even the G-20. There are membership fees that we are all too adept at avoiding.
This is bipartisan, to be clear. Tory commitment to defence is not evident either. Maybe that's what we want. However, there is a price to be paid in terms of global roles and influence, which seems to be a reality not understood by the political class of both main parties.
All very discouraging. Bill Blair seems to be trying, which I confess is something not seen for many a year.
I cant like your comment. Why? Because, in a proper principled world, Blair would show he's trying by distancing himself from the play actors and either cross the aisle, sit as an independent, or get thrown out of caucus because he was giving interviews and writing opinion pieces skewering the lack of awareness on the rest of his liberal play actors. But he doesn't so no, he's is not serious. In the end he is all in at the trough.
I realize this is incidental to the point of the article, but in a universe schemed in honesty our PM's passport would read 'Justin Imperviously Tone Deaf Trudeau.'
Two percent is a floor not a ceiling. It is beyond embarrassing to Canadians when our country is among the lowest contributors to NATO. The federal government must step up now if we are to salvage any scrap of our former global reputation.
I would like to differentiate between those who serve in the military, and those who control it. Those who serve are doing an incredible job with every little and a massive morale problem.
That said, 30 years of successive governments have ignored the military's needs bringing us to where we are. You could argue it began when Chretien spent millions of compensation dollars to cancel a signed contract for desperately needed helicopters.
I think we know if the US gets involved in a war, like Ukraine, our land will largely be used for hosting it. As for looking after our sovereignty, we can't.
Trudeau finding "flinging money" is a PR disaster outside our borders. It's just another reminder of the punchline we've become.
It would be nice if the next PM had a plan to address it. To date, he's said we won't be making anywhere close to 2%. So much for the future.
And just to be absolutely clear. Canada’s servicemen and women do an incredible job and are worthy of respect and honour. I’ve have the privilege of meeting some of them and they are amongst the best of Canada. Like their predecessors they serve their country well.
Even were the federal government to commit to billions in military spending today it will take years to ramp up equipment and operations. Our situation today is untenable and disturbing. All voters watched and quietly went along as fewer and fewer dollars were spent on military procurement, recruitment, training and facilities and retention. For decades while the world basked in relative peace and globalization raised all boats, the progressive vote appears to have concluded that we could quietly become Switzerland and rely on NATO to defend our borders if needed without any reciprocation.
Face it. This whole thing was a political gimmick cooked up without, apparently, and consultation outside the PMOs office. There is nothing altruistic about it. It was designed as a way to trap the opposition Conservatives. In short, it was and remains an approximately $6 Billion taxpayer funded Liberal Attack Ad.
Trudeau has already cemented his legacy as the most incompetent PM in Canadian history and he can now include the dubious accolade of Most Malevolent. He is deliberately burning billions in front of our eyes.
I’ll be donating my $250, should it pass, to the Conservative Party. Take that Trudeau!
Hi! my name is Leslie Nobodyinparticular. I live in the 905 where I work as a mid-level administrator for a place that doesn't have to turn a profit.
Did you know that war and military type things are very bad? I don't like the idea of tax dollars going to things like ships and outfitting soldiers. Taxes should only go into education and supporting non-profits which many of my neighbours work for. That's nicer.
I believe in a thing call a 'Rules Based International Order' which, if I remember some classes from POL101 class in first year university (totally dropped it, sooo borrrringg). It works because people talk alot about how they feel and they consult, always consult. Just like my workplace!
We sometimes get things done at work because everyone really agrees that process is the most important thing. Being busy shows we care! It's not that hard as long as you only talk to people who agree with you. And if some people don't? You gather up your friends and you shame them into agreeing, otherwise you file an official complaint. One time, we had to forward it to a non-elected tribunal. That showed them! See how easy it is when you know you're right? Would you like a self-eating donut? I made them today!
This deserves so many more upvotes… absolutely perfect skewering. “A place that doesn’t have to turn a profit” ahahaha
Thank you!! except I snorted my coffee
Brilliant
Tongue firmly planted in cheek. Good humour, but pretty darn accurate.
I think we as a country need to fairly quickly realize that a) the world (most notably for us, the US) is changing and b) we are no longer a rich country (and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon). We very much need to start prioritizing where we spend our limited funds and where we don’t. Being able to defend ourselves and meeting our defense obligations comes to mind; $250 cheques which will have zero long term impact don’t.
Under better management, we could be a rich country. We have tons of resources. Canadians just have a habit of electing idiots at pretty much every level of government.
There is a saying that the difference between humans and animals is that animals would never choose the weakest and stupidest to be their leader. Canada, while not alone, is a perfect example of this.
This is still going to take a long time to turn around.
For sure. I doubt we’ll turn it around in my lifetime.
That's what happens when countries even internally don't know what they are about. We are a majority English speaking country that is run by the French, for the French. As long as Ontario is afraid of Quebec and their neverendum it will continue.
Sadly, times have changed, and our current Government's progressive and vacuous pursuits do not align to military/defense spending, nor could they ever conceive of funneling money that direction. Well...times they keep 'a changin'... and times up.
The author notes the justifiably proud military history of Canada. Canada had noteworthy contributions, and they were paid in cash, broken bodies and blood of men by Canada.
A few Canada Day's ago, I visited an open house of a United Church in our town, as all Main St. businesses and churches are open to all on Jul. 1st. Beautiful architecture, stained glass, gorgeous. On my way out of the church, there was a painted plaque that had the names of the men (boys) who were congregants during the 1st and 2nd World War, who were killed. I literally gasped, there were rows and rows of names. I recognized some family names, and in my life orbit this was like seeing a list of names from a hometown hockey tournament, but the names of the boys represented those who fought overseas and that they were gone forever.
I hope we never again need to pay with lives and names, but it's time to pay with dollars...big dollars, and I'm ok with that. Regrettably, our truth-challenged Government will not be. It's time for a change, asafp.
Responsible adults should find very little to argue with here.
Canada does not rely on NATO and rather than fulfil its obligation to this alliance Canada depends entirely on America for protection from third party aggressors such as Russia or China. Both major parties have embraced this policy as displayed in their underfunding of Canada's military and Canadians appear to support this approach at the ballot box. We have disgraced our proud military history but Canadians seem comfortable with that.
Problem is, no matter how logical this article is, Cdns in general simply do not comprehend defence/security tasks (which are all governments’ “first tasks”). Political folks know this and work against their main responsibilities— which is to protect the nation. Failing to do that means all the other goodies that they hand out to the public will ultimately be meaningless if those “first task” failings result in any kind of disaster, including being ignored by our defence partners. Eventually the penny drops but not until it smacks the collective public where it hurts. Not sure when or where or how that will occur. 🤔
I’ve observed that Canadians are woefully uneducated about a lot of really important topics. Like economics (what this policy will do to the economy) and what happens outside of Canada (people are privileged and myopic in view)
Far too many are sitting in the comforts of their home, smack-posting about why striking workers (already paid fairly) should get paid more, and worrying about DEI, while around them very real problems are eventually going to explode and threaten their ability to live comfortably. The legacy media talking points would be very different if people didn’t feel so safe in their bubbles and believed nothing could threaten them. I see people on Facebook saying they won’t travel to the US while Trump is president as if this is some sort of gotcha. It’s the most bizarre and illogical statement, but meanwhile they post it every chance they get.
Canada has a whole lot of unserious people who make the most noise. Reality will eventually catch up, but I fear it will be too late. (My plan is to exit, likely to the US. I think there will come a time where those with the means to leave Canada will have to if they want to remain safe and financially secure, so I’m working on building that option)
I hear you 1000 percent. My wife and I were just talking about the exit plan yesterday. Its becoming a sad reality. I'm thinking the dollar is going to turn into a peso soon and the 3 power holding city's will collapse under the poverty.
I've already purchased my property somewhere in the Balkans. It has a BC type climate inland and a California climate on the coast (but warm water). You lack for nothing if you have money and almost everyone speaks English, especially in Croatia. A country like Slovenia has a Canadian standard of living and the health care is much better than in Canada across the board.
Couldn't agree more with this take. I will vote for whichever party pledges to honour our NATO commitment ASAP. Sadly, none has pledged to do so.
My biggest issue with the tax holiday is that basic economics says that as a consumption tax, which get is a consumption tax - you only pay it if you buy taxable goods, those with higher incomes pay the most of it. It is one of the most equitable taxes around when it comes to its effect on various income brackets. And that also means that a tax holiday benefits those with the most disposable income the most. It’s not going to benefit the families where they’re paying very little on get already due to low income - it will benefit those who aren’t actually having their budget negatively impacted by paying it.
Likewise, $250 wont fix anyone’s budget but it will put a whole lot of money into the economy.
Both of these proposed policies are horrible economics and horrible policy. The liberals should be ashamed of themselves on just the principle of it alone, but I think what it really is is an attempt for them to make the conservatives look bad in the House of Commons. It’s an attempt to create a “gotcha” - except this isn’t the gotcha the liberals think. They’re so far into thinking their own farts smell good that they actually think wasting billions of dollars is ok if it helps improve their polling.
I hope these don’t pass the House of Commons - though in hearing rumbles that retailers are preparing to take a loss and offer the tax break even if it doesn’t pass the HoC. Guess the liberals don’t care about small business either in all the relationships they’re willing to damage in the quest for scoring a few cheap points in the HoC.
Those are actually very, very expensive points, when the big picture is considered.
This article articulates my first reaction on hearing the glad tidings of free money to the peasantry.
Wonder if Trump brought it up?
We are so far behind the military and foreign affairs 8-ball that it is difficult not to despair. I do wonder if we're long for the G-7 or even the G-20. There are membership fees that we are all too adept at avoiding.
This is bipartisan, to be clear. Tory commitment to defence is not evident either. Maybe that's what we want. However, there is a price to be paid in terms of global roles and influence, which seems to be a reality not understood by the political class of both main parties.
All very discouraging. Bill Blair seems to be trying, which I confess is something not seen for many a year.
I cant like your comment. Why? Because, in a proper principled world, Blair would show he's trying by distancing himself from the play actors and either cross the aisle, sit as an independent, or get thrown out of caucus because he was giving interviews and writing opinion pieces skewering the lack of awareness on the rest of his liberal play actors. But he doesn't so no, he's is not serious. In the end he is all in at the trough.
All very good and logical, unlike Princess PM who is too busy playing “save the furniture” to realize how stupid he looks around the world.
Where defence is concerned, Canada is a grasshopper dependent on America's ant. Time to revive a proud tradition of contributing.
I realize this is incidental to the point of the article, but in a universe schemed in honesty our PM's passport would read 'Justin Imperviously Tone Deaf Trudeau.'
True, and very polite. As for, me I will be very crude and say that Justin Trudeau is such a piece of lying amoral garbage. And always was.
Two percent is a floor not a ceiling. It is beyond embarrassing to Canadians when our country is among the lowest contributors to NATO. The federal government must step up now if we are to salvage any scrap of our former global reputation.
I would like to differentiate between those who serve in the military, and those who control it. Those who serve are doing an incredible job with every little and a massive morale problem.
That said, 30 years of successive governments have ignored the military's needs bringing us to where we are. You could argue it began when Chretien spent millions of compensation dollars to cancel a signed contract for desperately needed helicopters.
I think we know if the US gets involved in a war, like Ukraine, our land will largely be used for hosting it. As for looking after our sovereignty, we can't.
Trudeau finding "flinging money" is a PR disaster outside our borders. It's just another reminder of the punchline we've become.
It would be nice if the next PM had a plan to address it. To date, he's said we won't be making anywhere close to 2%. So much for the future.
Thanks David
And just to be absolutely clear. Canada’s servicemen and women do an incredible job and are worthy of respect and honour. I’ve have the privilege of meeting some of them and they are amongst the best of Canada. Like their predecessors they serve their country well.
Even were the federal government to commit to billions in military spending today it will take years to ramp up equipment and operations. Our situation today is untenable and disturbing. All voters watched and quietly went along as fewer and fewer dollars were spent on military procurement, recruitment, training and facilities and retention. For decades while the world basked in relative peace and globalization raised all boats, the progressive vote appears to have concluded that we could quietly become Switzerland and rely on NATO to defend our borders if needed without any reciprocation.
Face it. This whole thing was a political gimmick cooked up without, apparently, and consultation outside the PMOs office. There is nothing altruistic about it. It was designed as a way to trap the opposition Conservatives. In short, it was and remains an approximately $6 Billion taxpayer funded Liberal Attack Ad.
Trudeau has already cemented his legacy as the most incompetent PM in Canadian history and he can now include the dubious accolade of Most Malevolent. He is deliberately burning billions in front of our eyes.
I’ll be donating my $250, should it pass, to the Conservative Party. Take that Trudeau!