Republicans for Ignatieff???

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by starseed

If Harper is an academic, then the bar is pretty low. He is constantly at odds with most of the world's economists. He keeps saying we will be fine without cutting government programs or raising taxes and that after 5 years we will be back in surplus, while most economists say he is wrong and that strategy will lead to unsustainable levels of debt extending almost to the end of the 2010s.

Lets not confuse views with reality. If Harper had his way the stimulus packages that are adding onto our debt load would have been a lot smaller. And I don't really care what a lot of the world economists have to say. They get to build elegant models based on theory with little or no repercussions where they don't have to balance economic realities with elections.

Originally Posted by starseed

Ignatieff, on the other hand, has had important positions in Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, and the University of Toronto... he has travelled the world as a journalist, going to the most war torn countries, I think I remember reading something about him even having the ear of the UN secretary general on a flight to Rwanda during the genocide. He was recognized as one of the world's leading public intellectuals not too long ago.

Great he's an excellent academic mind, but thus far he really hasn't done much in terms of distinguishing himself as an opposition leader. I also think he's been relatively weak strategy wise so far.

[mikey_the_redneck]

If what they are saying about Ignatieff being all buddy-buddy with the U.S.A. is true, we should stay far and clear of that guy imo.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

If what they are saying about Ignatieff being all buddy-buddy with the U.S.A. is true, we should stay far and clear of that guy imo.

Link?

[starseed]

Originally Posted by Slava

Link?

I think it just stems from criticisms of his belief in humanitarian interventionism and his (now recanted) support for the Iraq war. He was swaying more towards neorealism (as Yeah Baby mentioned), and that is not something widely supported amongst liberals in Canada, but widely practiced by American governments (Democrat or Republican).

I still believe in giving the UN 'teeth', but sometimes we need a bit of realism in foreign policy. Had we the tools and the political will, maybe we could have stepped in between the Hutus and Tutsis during the genocide in Rwanda for example.

I for one, think its about time we have a Liberal leader with real ideas and political will to bring back Canada from this constant decline in influence on the world stage. Our military has become a joke. It is so ill-equipped, and underfunded that not only do people not want to start a career in the armed forces, but people are leaving because of the lack of opportunity and adequate equipment. Ignatieff has also expressed the desire to keep Canada from being that country that does not export, but rather allows other countries to import from us. For example, why can't we refine our own oil? Why do we have to be the country that lets other countries, especially the US, practically steal our own natural resources?

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

If what they are saying about Ignatieff being all buddy-buddy with the U.S.A. is true, we should stay far and clear of that guy imo.

If by 'buddy-buddy' you mean taught for over a decade at one the world's more prestigious universities I respectfully disagree.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by starseed

. He was swaying more towards neorealism (as Yeah Baby mentioned), and that is not something widely supported amongst liberals in Canada, but widely practiced by American governments (Democrat or Republican).

And that is why in terms of IR I really want to an Ignatieff fanboy. I really do. Hell I might even vote Liberal. The problem is, the neorealist leanings which I buy into will be nixed by left leaning institutionalism in the Liberal party.

[HOZ]

Originally Posted by peter12

I know someone who know's the person who did it. It's a small-c conserbvative Canadian that has been living in the US for 10 years. Not connected to any of the parties.

You know someone who has had a dog that humped a friends dog. And that friend has a friend of a friend who knows?

I have a friend who has information from a guy whose cat crapped in Cretien's friends garden over heard a conversation near a coffee shop that Mulrony once visited that is was a Greener psycho-vegie

[bcb]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Strange they would even bother with this website.

Most likely a 3rd party that supports the Cons in Canada. Likely some old geezer snow bird. Site is hosted in Florida. Probably got his pimple faced nefew to do the site for him.

That's awesome! How do you do that?

[bcb]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm interested in seeing an electorial debate between Ignatieff and Harper. I think it would be an outright brawl.

Yeah, that'll never happen. That would be too entertaining for the CBC. More likely it'll be 4 party leaders (and Liz May) sitting around a table, yammering like a 3-generation family of tax accountants who've had too much dessert wine.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Strange they would even bother with this website.

Most likely a 3rd party that supports the Cons in Canada. Likely some old geezer snow bird. Site is hosted in Florida. Probably got his pimple faced nefew to do the site for him.

What does it matter where the site is hosted?

I have 2 sites.. one is hosted in Nova Scotia, the other somewhere in Iowa or Illinois or who the heck knows where. Does that make my Calgary-related sites any less credible?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by bcb

Yeah, that'll never happen. That would be too entertaining for the CBC. More likely it'll be 4 party leaders (and Liz May) sitting around a table, yammering like a 3-generation family of tax accountants who've had too much dessert wine.

I would be surprised to see the Greens being invited to the next debates. Liz was terrible and added nothing except teaming up with the Liberals so that they would pay her off with a seat deal.

I think there should be three debates. The French debate, the english debate, and a debate between the top two leaders.

[starseed]

Political debates have become too scripted anyway, but I would love to see an unmediated head to head between Harper and Ignatieff.

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

And that is why in terms of IR I really want to an Ignatieff fanboy. I really do. Hell I might even vote Liberal. The problem is, the neorealist leanings which I buy into will be nixed by left leaning institutionalism in the Liberal party.

The leaders are the ones who set the agenda, the last Liberal convention had the delegates vote to try to get the green shift plan back on the table, but Ignatieff ignored the vote and told them the green shift was no longer Liberal policy. The conservative convention had many social conservative policies that had been voted for, (such as trying again to take away gay marriage) but Harper ignored it because he is the leader. Harper and Ignatieff both know that those policies voted by their parties are things most Canadians do not want. They will follow their own agendas as long as they are leaders of their respective parties.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by starseed

Political debates have become too scripted anyway, but I would love to see an unmediated head to head between Harper and Ignatieff.



The leaders are the ones who set the agenda, the last Liberal convention had the delegates vote to try to get the green shift plan back on the table, but Ignatieff ignored the vote and told them the green shift was no longer Liberal policy. The conservative convention had many social conservative policies that had been voted for, (such as trying again to take away gay marriage) but Harper ignored it because he is the leader. Harper and Ignatieff both know that those policies voted by their parties are things most Canadians do not want. They will follow their own agendas as long as they are leaders of their respective parties.

And I guess that Ignatieff didn't have to win the leadership in a conventional sense, it was more acclamation therefore it is not like he had to tone down the realism. So perhaps there is hope yet.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by starseed

If Harper is an academic, then the bar is pretty low. He is constantly at odds with most of the world's economists. He keeps saying we will be fine without cutting government programs or raising taxes and that after 5 years we will be back in surplus, while most economists say he is wrong and that strategy will lead to unsustainable levels of debt extending almost to the end of the 2010s.

....

This has nothing at all to do with the thread the the crazy website by some senile grandpa in Flordia.

It does have to do with the above so called brilliant World Economists as posted above. To many times people say something that is popular one day and yet a month, year, 5 years later turns out to be complete BS. If its true what was posted then those so called World Economists are obviously part of the same great economic minds that got us into this frack show in the beginning.

The below article doesnt mention anything about debt, but one has to assume that if we get out of the recession earlier than expected with resource prices still depressed then it shouldnt be long before we are running surplusses again.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories



FYI, as with everything I doubt the Cons had much to do with it. The same would be said if the Libs would be in power as governemnt IMO is a steward of the economy and nothing more.

[CaptainCrunch]

Your right, but the optics if Canada does come out of the recession early are pretty bright for the Cons. The Liberals were holding out on an election battle in the hopes that things would get worse by September when they have a right to vote non-confidence and sink the government. If there is good economic news in terms of improvements in the economy the Liberals can't really do it.

[starseed]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

This has nothing at all to do with the thread the the crazy website by some senile grandpa in Flordia.

It does have to do with the above so called brilliant World Economists as posted above. To many times people say something that is popular one day and yet a month, year, 5 years later turns out to be complete BS. If its true what was posted then those so called World Economists are obviously part of the same great economic minds that got us into this frack show in the beginning.

The below article doesnt mention anything about debt, but one has to assume that if we get out of the recession earlier than expected with resource prices still depressed then it shouldnt be long before we are running surplusses again.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories



FYI, as with everything I doubt the Cons had much to do with it. The same would be said if the Libs would be in power as governemnt IMO is a steward of the economy and nothing more.

Oops... just made a separate thread about this before seeing this post.

We will see if the government starts posting a surplus next year, but still, the conservatives had posted a deficit briefly before the recession even came. The surpluses that the government had been posting for years had suddenly started to disappear.

I am not sure this will lead to a significant shift in public opinion for the parties, the conservatives will point to them being right in that the recession was short, but still they had told us that there was no recession and that everything was fine... when clearly the economy was contracting and jobs were being lost everywhere. The liberals will point to the stimulus working and creating jobs, but they were complaining about the government not getting the money on the ground fast enough.

In the end, this will probably be a good thing for the conservatives, as governments inevitably get beat up during tough times. Both parties are in talks right now to avoid a fall election, and I think the talks will succeed.

If the recession is over, then we have to thank Canada's banking system. Canada's regulations in banking should be an example to the world. While the American system has less interference, it nearly led to the collapse of their financial system, and forced the government to spend a huge amount of money simply because these banks were too big to fail.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by HOZ

You know someone who has had a dog that humped a friends dog. And that friend has a friend of a friend who knows?

I have a friend who has information from a guy whose cat crapped in Cretien's friends garden over heard a conversation near a coffee shop that Mulrony once visited that is was a Greener psycho-vegie

No, I actually know someone.

[Textcritic]

I must have had too much to drink tonight.

I read the title of this thread as "Rubicons for Iginlatuf".

[bcb]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I must have had too much to drink tonight.

I read the title of this thread as "Rubicons for Iginlatuf".

The Oilers just signed a guy named "Iginlatuf"

[Yeah_Baby]

Where does babby come from?