Thursday, January 26, 2012

Austerity and Waste

It is dogmatism. Cut taxes on corporations and the wealthiest for over a decade. Pretend not to notice the lack of a corresponding increase in investment in the economy. Cut public services and pretend not to notice the increase in homelessness and misery. Globalize and automate jobs away and pretend not to notice the rise in household debt. (When a frighteningly persistent recession appears, suddenly decide that debt-to-income overstates' the precariousness of Canadians' household finances.) The world over, elites are using austerity policies to break the back of democracy. But this is insane because capitalism requires consumption. Power is more important to the elites than is prosperity. But their power is based on prosperity. They are digging their own graves and they can't see it. In Canada alone, harper's "jobs policy" equals a relatively small number of jobs in the greatest carbon emitting project on the planet - destroying the future for oil industry profits today. While he refuses to build schools or adequate housing for the First Nations, he squanders billions on anti-democracy summits and tens of billions on new prisons and white elephant fighter jets. In Toronto, the "respect for taxpayers" mayor decides that streetcars constitute a "war on the car" and decides to blow an extra $2 billion burying a light-rail line, making it the stupidest light-rail line in the history of human civilization. At the same time that he's wasting a couple of billion dollars, he's slashing needed public services to avoid having to raise taxes on a city with relatively low tax rates. And his fans cheer mindlessly, because they are mindless.

Remember this at last: They are wrong about everything. They were wrong about WMDs. They were wrong about gravy trains at Toronto City Hall. They were wrong about tax-cuts. They're wrong about global warming. They're wrong about the Enbridge Pipeline debate. They're wrong about spending on First Nations reserves. They're wrong about sexuality. They're wrong about religion. They're wrong about torture. They're wrong about libraries. They're wrong about unions. They're wrong about poverty. They're wrong about protesters. They're wrong about Iran. They're wrong about deregulation. They're wrong about Greece. They're wrong about Hugo Chavez. They're wrong about Wall Street. They're wrong about human rights. They're wrong about contempt of Parliament.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Do not listen to them. Do not be polite to them. If they start up, tell them you don't have time for their stupid bullshit.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Harper is no Conservative, he is a Reformer. His shady Northern Foundation Party was said to, have had the skinheads assist Harper to organize his party. This was in 1989. Deb Grey said, Harper is still a practicing Reformer.

Since Harper's majority, Canada has slid, a long way down the hill. There have been, no jobs for over six months.

At every meeting of Nations, Harper always manages to anger every country attending.

Other nations are fed up with, Harper's bullying and his hissy fits, when he doesn't get his own way.

Harper looked a fool, in Davos. Harper is not responsible for Canada's standing during this recession. Thank heaven, someone did look after Canada, before Harper got his majority.

Harper is known as a, petty gasbag, arrogant, stubborn, impossible to work with, and co-operates with no-one.

No doubt, Harper and his henchmen will all have, $1,400 per night luxury hotel suites, as usual.

Harper had better not, drag Canada into war with Iran.

Harper should not thieve from Canadians tax dollars..To give to the wealthiest corporations in the world.

Harper shouldn't thieve our tax dollars for, a stupid $1 billion dollar fake lake. $50 million on gazebos. $3 million on plane fares, for just one member. $1,400 per night on luxurious hotel suites is asinine, none of them are worth that.

thwap said...

We're stuck with him for a year at least. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to make his life miserable in the meantime.

sailsmart said...

Want to have a what's the worst contest? Since you mentioned so many things that he did wrong. To me, the worst is that so many people are walking behind him, knowing full well the damages to others, but they still want the easy pickings. University profs are taking money for their studies in oil in Alberta and tweeting 9thousand times (real number). To me, this is like Nazi Germany, like the Hutu and Tutsi hatred in Rwanda and Burundi. It's visceral. I can feel it on the GM forum.

thwap said...

sailsmart,

Just saw this comment. You're right that there's enough people in this country so ignorant or evil to have given these idiots a majority.

harper didn't debase Canadian democracy on his own. That's been a long-term project. But he's contributed a mighty share.