The Deification of Reagan

[doucanoe]

Ed, Your assertion regarding individuals that wave the spending cut banner are reluctant to make back substantial cuts it for political survival reasons is accurate. Its accuracy pretty much of makes my point. We have a system that's broken and we are unable or unwilling to do what need to be done. That system is Government.

I could go on but whats the point really. It's clear they we view the world very differently. You come from the planet of "We don't spend too much, we just don't collect enough taxes" and myself from the planet of "Government has grown horrifyingly well beyond its intended purpose and is unsustainable"

[doucanoe]

Originally Posted by CarlV

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...,5809615.story

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...pay-hikes.html




Just a taste, there is much more of this type of nonsense going on.


Carl

I'm sure it's going on everywhere, Carl. It would be refreshing if these guy could walk the walk instead of talk the talk but sometimes the realities of real life shine through. It's a lesson that I hope young people are learning well.

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Don't small and medium sized businesses eventually become "big business"?
"A big businessman is what a small businessman would be if the government got off of his back."---Saint Ronnie the Perfect.

Anyways, I can, to some degree with your statement. But, do you really think it wise to give them their way with everything, ostensibly because "they" are the center of our universe?. To my mind such lionization eventually leads to abuses, usually the same abuses that led to existing regulation in the first place. Around and around we go................

Dave

Wow, If we rid ourselves of "Big Business" because they are inherently evil and "Small Business" because they will eventually become Big Business, we are sure not left with much.

Maybe we could all just become like Caine and wander the wilderness looking for meaning in life.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by doucanoe

Wow, If we rid ourselves of "Big Business" because they are inherently evil and "Small Business" because they will eventually become Big Business, we are sure not left with much.

Maybe we could all just become like Caine and wander the wilderness looking for meaning in life.

Dude, you take me too seriously. I'm not suggesting "getting rid" of anyone. I'm just wondering where we should draw the line, when it comes to granting more (Or less.) freedom to businesses. It seems we have two schools of thought that wish to go to opposite extremes. I don't care much for extremes.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by doucanoe

I'm sure it's going on everywhere, Carl. It would be refreshing if these guy could walk the walk instead of talk the talk but sometimes the realities of real life shine through. It's a lesson that I hope young people are learning well.







Wow, If we rid ourselves of "Big Business" because they are inherently evil and "Small Business" because they will eventually become Big Business, we are sure not left with much.

Maybe we could all just become like Caine and wander the wilderness looking for meaning in life.

I'm beginning to view Brother Karl as something of an oracle concerning his thread about living in a tent.

Chas

[merrylander]

Guys when Glass Stegal was law of the land things ran pretty smoothly, there was little wringing of hands or gnashing of teeth. We didn't even hear much weeping from Wall Street. Then Phil Gramm got into the act and screwed about with a working system. The New Englanders are right "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Now when something is broke we have people angry because they want to fix it, like our stupid mortgage system. Apparently the left is upset about the plan to decomission Freddie and Fannie. Everyone is saying it will make mortgages more expensive. That is pure BS, Canada does not have a Freddie or a Fannie, does not have Title companies or Title insurance, does not have mortgage brokers. Yet home ownership in proportion to population is slightly higer than here and mortgages are no more expensive. Of course they also do not have Securitization or Derivatives.

I don't hear cries of anguish from Canadian busnissmen about regulation. They simply get on with it and get the job done. When we here finally get it through our heads that greed is a human condition and is alive and well, we can set about coping with it. Burying our heads in the sand and listening to those Yahoos at the Chamberpot of Commerce will only lead to another recession. We might also stop listening to Darrel Issa every tim he pulls his head out to give a press conference.

[doucanoe]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Dude, you take me too seriously. I'm not suggesting "getting rid" of anyone. I'm just wondering where we should draw the line, when it comes to granting more (Or less.) freedom to businesses. It seems we have two schools of thought that wish to go to opposite extremes. I don't care much for extremes.

Nah, I was just bustin you chops


I'm not a proponent of either extreme but it seems like that is where we are at today. We certainly need to have safeguards in place to protect the employee(s) interest but at the same time, allow for a environment that stimulates existing business growth and encourages entrepreneurship and innovation. I'm just not seeing that.

[doucanoe]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Guys when Glass Stegal was law of the land things ran pretty smoothly, there was little wringing of hands or gnashing of teeth. We didn't even hear much weeping from Wall Street. Then Phil Gramm got into the act and screwed about with a working system. The New Englanders are right "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Now when something is broke we have people angry because they want to fix it, like our stupid mortgage system. Apparently the left is upset about the plan to decomission Freddie and Fannie. Everyone is saying it will make mortgages more expensive. That is pure BS, Canada does not have a Freddie or a Fannie, does not have Title companies or Title insurance, does not have mortgage brokers. Yet home ownership in proportion to population is slightly higer than here and mortgages are no more expensive. Of course they also do not have Securitization or Derivatives.

I don't hear cries of anguish from Canadian busnissmen about regulation. They simply get on with it and get the job done. When we here finally get it through our heads that greed is a human condition and is alive and well, we can set about coping with it. Burying our heads in the sand and listening to those Yahoos at the Chamberpot of Commerce will only lead to another recession. We might also stop listening to Darrel Issa every tim he pulls his head out to give a press conference.

The system has been broken for a long time. Freddie, Fannie and the Derivatives shell game had been identified as a disaster in the making 10 years ago but we (collectively) did nothing.

You mention Canadian Business and Regulation. I'd be curious to know (because I don't) what type and extent of regulation that they are fine with and how that relates to what we see here. Is American business just pissing and moaning or do they have a point? I think a apples to apples comparison would helpful.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by doucanoe

The system has been broken for a long time. Freddie, Fannie and the Derivatives shell game had been identified as a disaster in the making 10 years ago but we (collectively) did nothing.

Of course we did nothing. Too many of us thought we were getting a great deal. A house bigger than the one our parents owned, with payments we could afford.....(At the moment.) That's the American dream, right? That each generation has it a little better than their parents did.......?

You mention Canadian Business and Regulation. I'd be curious to know (because I don't) what type and extent of regulation that they are fine with and how that relates to what we see here. Is American business just pissing and moaning or do they have a point? I think a apples to apples comparison would helpful.

I know nothing of Canadas Mortgage regulations.

But, I do know from my travels around the world, that we Americans do tend to be whinier that most others. I know we have it better than nearly all of the rest, and bitch the most. I have seen with my own eyes that Americans abroad tend to try and badger folks in the host country conform to their desires rather than respect the local customs. I know the quickest way to kill any political dialog is to make referrence to anything that takes place in a foreign country................................

So, what do you care what the Canadians do? Who cares if they're not having the same housing related issues? If they were smart they would follow OUR lead, 'cuz we are #1, right? The best in the world? Our way is the only way......right?

I think the thing Americans will eventually be forced to learn now that globalism is rapidly becoming the rule of the day is-----HUMILITY.

Dave

[doucanoe]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

I know nothing of Canadas Mortgage regulations.

But, I do know from my travels around the world, that we Americans do tend to be whinier that most others. I know we have it better than nearly all of the rest, and bitch the most. I have seen with my own eyes that Americans abroad tend to try and badger folks in the host country conform to their desires rather than respect the local customs. I know the quickest way to kill any political dialog is to make referrence to anything that takes place in a foreign country................................

So, what do you care what the Canadians do? Who cares if they're not having the same housing related issues? If they were smart they would follow OUR lead, 'cuz we are #1, right? The best in the world? Our way is the only way......right?

I think the thing Americans will eventually be forced to learn now that globalism is rapidly becoming the rule of the day is-----HUMILITY.

Dave

First Bold: I think that pretty much applies here also. On the other hand, we sure seem to bend over backwards when it comes to accommodating new peoples to our country view of the world.


Second bold: Are you asking me personally or is this a rhetorical question?


I'm not sure how the notion of Globalism applies to the Canadian government.

[merrylander]

Well I already went through the mortgage system so that is covered. Because Derivatives are a nono up north there was no need for a bank bailout. Banking laws there allow for any bank to have one head office and branches throughout the country, Royal Bank has over 2oo branches across Canada. As a result there are few but very large banks, Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion (TD down here), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce or CIBC, Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), and Banque Canadian National (mainly in Quebec. There are other smaller banks and some foreign banks operate there as well, but these are the big boys.

Unions stand a better chance of survival there so there are a larger number of employees with collective bargaining. Companies that provide pension plans are required to see that they remain solvent, no United Airlines phoney bankruptcies to get out from under. Salary spread between management and staff is a much less obscene ratio than the one that prevails here.