Canada Election 2015

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Much like religion, the doctrine of trickle-down economics* is accepted, so unquestioningly, by those that have the most to lose from such policies.

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” (Mark Twain)

*or, old chestnuts like "Reagan ended the cold war" or "Obama is a Muslim" or "Climate change is complete bunk, advanced by scientists so that they can justify their jobs", etc.

Every political platform is a hodge podge of positions that aim to string together enough support from enough demographic groups to construct an electable platform that has a chance of getting elected.

It's extremely disingenuous to only accuse one political party of doing this (especially when you only accuse the one party you happen not to agree with).

Again, look at Ontario teachers. Liberals have been getting elected off the platform of appealing to this group for generations, which has been damaging Ontario election after election. The myth here is that education needs more money, we need more teachers, and teachers need more benefits year after year and that is the path to higher quality education. It leads to hair brained policies like requiring high paid highly qualified "Early Childhood Educators" in the system and ends up giving them more and more political power as they expand their scope of influence.

[Migs]

Originally Posted by geotag277

He made his fortune by brokering a deal that ended up costing Mattel billions and threatened the existence of their company.

He got lucky during the dot com bubble. Let's not overstate his intelligence and the merits of his fortune.

One can critique any successful businessman with a negative bias, I look at the end result. A smart hard working man who gives others many opportunities to be successful.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Migs

One can critique any successful businessman with a negative bias, I look at the end result. A smart hard working man who gives others many opportunities to be successful.

Keep whistling Dixie.
• Video Link

[flar]

Politics is the same as selling anything else. You get people to vote against their interests the same way you get people to buy that big TV on an installment plan or a car they can't afford. The Conservatives are great at connecting with people at the gut level.

The post I made last night that was was not fully comprehended is about that. I wasn't advocating for the Liberals, or advocating attack ads on the Cons or that they outright lie or fearmonger about the US. I was suggesting a backroom strategy for pushing certain buttons. When I say "pushing buttons" I'm talking about leveraging latent hopes and fears in the electorate. Selling a positive vision in this way is not necessarily a bad thing. It's bad when it's used for negative purposes, for example, scapegoating Mexicans like Trump is doing in the US. Or attacking someone personally, like the Conservatives do to every Liberal leader.

Most people don't realize it, but many of the things we do in life can be made analogous with selling. Political parties need to sell a vision.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by geotag277

Every political platform is a hodge podge of positions that aim to string together enough support from enough demographic groups to construct an electable platform that has a chance of getting elected.

It's extremely disingenuous to only accuse one political party of doing this (especially when you only accuse the one party you happen not to agree with).

Again, look at Ontario teachers. Liberals have been getting elected off the platform of appealing to this group for generations, which has been damaging Ontario election after election. The myth here is that education needs more money, we need more teachers, and teachers need more benefits year after year and that is the path to higher quality education. It leads to hair brained policies like requiring high paid highly qualified "Early Childhood Educators" in the system and ends up giving them more and more political power as they expand their scope of influence.

It is extremely disingenuous of you to repeatedly bring up the Ontario teachers just because they are a group with a position that you happen to disagree with.

Spare me the false equivalency. You really mean to suggest, with a straight face, that the left and the right are one in the same on this? Anyway, my post did not explicitly call out the right wing (you made this assumption) on the issue of trickle-down economics...plenty of centrist politicians have also peddled the lie as well.

The myth here is that education needs more money, we need more teachers, and teachers need more benefits year after year and that is the path to higher quality education.

Myth according to...?

As an academic I deal in reason, theories and evidence, not in dogmatism, mantras, and false assumptions.

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

It is extremely disingenuous of you to repeatedly bring up the Ontario teachers just because they are a group with a position that you happen to disagree with.

I'm giving an example that has broad base understanding of it's negative effects outside of that demographic. I don't really have a strong opinion one way or the other.

The only one being disingenuous here is you. I'm actually attempting to have a conversation about things. You are trying to score woot points.

Again, higher quality education and critical thinking go hand in hand.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

This is somewhat at odds with the 308/CBC Poll Tracker.

CBC pegs current support as CPC 30.5%, NDP - 29.8% and LIB - 29.6%

Current seat projections (CBC) are CPC - 126, NDP - 110 and LIB - 101

I changed a lot of Ontario ridings in my most recent prediction, eliminating a lot of tossups as I feel the Liberals are solidifying in the GTA and some urban seats, the Conservatives are solidifying in rural areas and smaller towns.

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Actually, I don't know either. What is the proposed increase?

I'm not sure Trudeau has even given specifics on CPP, which is all the more dangerous considering it's tax implications (felt more by small business owners as they are forced to match).

Regarding EI the long and the short of it is that Trudeau is reducing EI to $1.64 per $100 dollars earned from the current $1.88 per $100 dollars earned versus Harper's rate of $1.49.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/election/fact-check-would-trudeau-actually-cut-ei-premiums-1.2552833

http://www.moneysense.ca/retire/is-mandatory-expansion-of-the-cpp-a-tax-hike/

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by geotag277

I'm giving an example that has broad base understanding of it's negative effects outside of that demographic. I don't really have a strong opinion one way or the other.

The only one being disingenuous here is you.

Really, you are so sure of yourself, Mr. Judge, Jury, and Executioner.

Higher quality education is something many of us have. Who the hell are you to suggest otherwise?

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Really, you are so sure of yourself, Mr. Judge, Jury, and Executioner.

Higher quality education is something many of us have. Who the hell are you to suggest otherwise?

It's funny how sensitive some people get when you challenge their views. I'm a Judge Jury and Executioner for challenging your views, but you are just a well reasoned and well proven academic for holding your own views.

Who is full of themselves again?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by geotag277

I'm not sure Trudeau has even given specifics on CPP, which is all the more dangerous considering it's tax implications (felt more by small business owners as they are forced to match).

Regarding EI the long and the short of it is that Trudeau is reducing EI to $1.64 per $100 dollars earned from the current $1.88 per $100 dollars earned versus Harper's rate of $1.49.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/election/fact-check-would-trudeau-actually-cut-ei-premiums-1.2552833

http://www.moneysense.ca/retire/is-mandatory-expansion-of-the-cpp-a-tax-hike/

I checked and in fact there is no Liberal concrete proposal to increase CPP premiums - the platform calls for a process engaging the provinces with a view to "enhancing" the CPP - so one could imagine a process that would eventually lead to higher premiums. This issue goes far beyond premiums, however. The future of CPP and Canadian expectations of there public pensions is a another big issue that requires national discussion, imho.

[kwoldtimer]

The Liberals have just announced an additional $150M of annual funding for CBC/Radio Canada, along with other additional amounts for public arts/culture institutions.

Let Harper Conservative fireworks fly!

[ssiguy]

I have limited empathy for teachers in that they are already a well paid workforce that seems to think they are exempt from limited wage increases that all other civil servants have to suffer with.

That said a teachers job has changed greatly in the last generation. You have, 100% thanks to the federal government's immigration policies, grade 10 students who you are suppose to teach who don't even have a command of the language. You have learning disabled kids in regular classrooms where as when I was a kid they were all sent to the "special education class". I COMPLETELY agree with the full integration but that doesn't change the fact that it costs a lot more money.

Early child education also looks like a "social program" but is just as much an investment as standard grades. It is a proven fact that kids who have early child education do better is school and tend to have a higher level of diploma attainment.

Also early child educations saves the working and middle class a fortune and is exceptionally good for the economy as it is one less year that is needed for expensive day/childcare which not only saves money but allows people {uniformly women} to get back into the labour force a year earlier and pay taxes. Daycare is not just a social program but also good economic sense as it allows more women to return earlier to the workforce, frees up family income, and those women pay taxes. harper's $200/month means absolutely nothing when compared against the astronomical cost of daycare which is well over a $1000/month. It's for these reasons that Harper's support is weak amongst women.

Do I think Mulcair's daycare vision will happen? Probably not. There will certainly be improvements in the inadequate system but where he expects the provinces to come up with their share is anybody's guess. Another reason why my support for Mulcair and the NDP has waned since the election began.

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

The Liberals have just announced an additional $150M of annual funding for CBC/Radio Canada, along with other additional amounts for public arts/culture institutions.

Let Harper Conservative fireworks fly!

It's pretty stupid how the money just starts flying around during election time. Make no mistake all parties do this with their absurd promises during election time, it seems Justin's approach is the most desperate though. It might be a consequence of being a 3rd place party (depending on what his internal pollsters are telling him) that he has to make hard hitting announcement after hard hitting announcement to build momentum.

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Do I think Mulcair's daycare vision will happen? Probably not. There will certainly be improvements in the inadequate system but where he expects the provinces to come up with their share is anybody's guess. Another reason why my support for Mulcair and the NDP has waned since the election began.

National parmacare and national daycare are the two initiatives that I strongly agree with from Mulcair. We should be talking about these things. So much so that I don't mind that he doesn't have the costs totally figured out.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by geotag277

It's pretty stupid how the money just starts flying around during election time. Make no mistake all parties do this with their absurd promises during election time, it seems Justin's approach is the most desperate though. It might be a consequence of being a 3rd place party (depending on what his internal pollsters are telling him) that he has to make hard hitting announcement after hard hitting announcement to build momentum.

Well, it seems to be working if you look at the polls. No party has seen as much positive movement from week 1 to this week:

http://www.threehundredeight.com

[artvandelay]

Originally Posted by csbvan

Well, it seems to be working if you look at the polls. No party has seen as much positive movement from week 1 to this week:

http://www.threehundredeight.com

Indeed, it appears that the Liberals are taking a page from Harper's 2006 campaign playbook - platform planks methodically announced week after week leading up to the election.

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by csbvan

Well, it seems to be working if you look at the polls. No party has seen as much positive movement from week 1 to this week:

http://www.threehundredeight.com

That's one thing I like about Mulcair. He is talking about new federal initiatives that we should be debating whether it makes sense for the federal government to implement and govern. These are sweeping policy changes that move the government in fairly stark contrast to the direction the Conservatives are heading.

The Liberals these days sound like this:

[Aylmer]

If the CBC reports anything about the Liberals, it's PROOF of the LEFT WING MEDIA MUSLIM SYNDICALIST AGENDA!!!

That said, I'm still really happy to see concrete and positive numbers for the CBC (and the left wing media muslim syndicalist agenda). The LPC has managed to hit on a good number of my landrylist items: Democratic reform, infrastructure/transit, CBC, Senate, Provincial cooperation, etc.). The only thing I'd still like to see is something on intercity rail, but that's more of a nice-to-have for me.

I'll be voting Liberal this time with a smile on my face (hasn't always been the case!).

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by geotag277

It's pretty stupid how the money just starts flying around during election time. Make no mistake all parties do this with their absurd promises during election time, it seems Justin's approach is the most desperate though. It might be a consequence of being a 3rd place party (depending on what his internal pollsters are telling him) that he has to make hard hitting announcement after hard hitting announcement to build momentum.

Big fan of the CBC, are we?