Harper could change Canada 'beyond recognition': Iggy

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

PLEASE quit using that nickname for him. Iginla does not deserve to share the same moniker as that ######bag

How about 'American Iggy' for him?

[Canuck-Hater]

No less of a clown than Harper IMO. All politicians are only in it for themselves, they feast on greed and power.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by Gobsgraham

The Liberals are literally blaming every single problem that is going on in the world on the Conservatives.

Recently there were two major earthquakes in two days. The Conservatives were in power at the time so clearly its their fault.

[CaptainCrunch]

American Iggy, stay away from me
American Iggy, stupid let me be
Don’t come bangin on my door
I don’t wanna see your face no more
I got more important things to do
Than spend my time talkin with you

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Canuck-Hater

No less of a clown than Harper IMO. All politicians are only in it for themselves, they feast on greed and power.

Right now politically, Harper looks like far less of a clown then Ignatief. Ignarieff is a strange combination of Bo Bo the clown and Don Knotts.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

What a goof. How about he leave Canada?

no doubt that once he does run in an election and loses, he'll be on the first plane to England

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

no doubt that once he does run in an election and loses, he'll be on the first plane to England

Nah, he will go back to Harvard.

[Azure]

Honestly, none of those issues are going to 'break' Canada. They are concerns yes, but nothing that will change Canada 'beyond recognition.'

[Kerplunk]

Surprised he didn't throw this one in there as proof of a Conservative take-over...

http://www.canada.com/sports/2010win...039/story.html

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Gobsgraham

Most of the items listed here are completely beyond the control of the Government or just plain stupid. The Liberals are literally blaming every single problem that is going on in the world on the Conservatives. You forgot to mention how it was the Conservatives fault we are even in the recession.

I just chose your post to respond...mainly to point out that this isn't my list, but the list that is given in the original article. I think that it helps to put his comments into context (whether you agree or not is a different story!).

As far as the recession goes, I don't even need to say that I don't think that its any party who controls it and its no ones fault. The response though is absolutely worn by the government of the day. Harper is an economist and thus he ought to have known that making statements about the economy being fundamentally strong and acting like Canada would be immune was foolish.

Lehman Bros. dropped on Sept. 15th. IIRC the election was October 2nd or so....so its not as though he was thrust into power and then things started to fall apart! I also would point out that although everyone thinks that the Liberals would've run a higher deficit had they been in power that is just rhetoric. During the last recession the Liberals were in power and didn't actually run a deficit at all.

[Shawnski]

Originally Posted by Slava

Lehman Bros. dropped on Sept. 15th. IIRC the election was October 2nd or so....so its not as though he was thrust into power and then things started to fall apart! I also would point out that although everyone thinks that the Liberals would've run a higher deficit had they been in power that is just rhetoric. During the last recession the Liberals were in power and didn't actually run a deficit at all.

Puuuuuhlease!!! I am constantly amazed at the viewpoint that Liberals are good money managers. It was Trudeau that started the massive ball rolling, which hit Mulroney square in the eyes due to high interest rates in both of their terms. Mulroney removed the manufacturors sales tax (VERY good for the Canadian economy) and implemented the (much hated at the time) GST, which the Jean Chretien Liberals vowed to cancel if they came into power (Red Book promise).

Regardless of some peoples revisionist history, the Liberals got us into the initial HUGE deficit and debt, while they took credit for fighting that on the back of breaking a promise of their own AND downloading a tremendous amount of Health Care costs to the provinces.

THAT is the only way Paul Martin did his magic, no other.

Had the Three Stooges not ganged up over that fiscal update, and forced the hand of Harper to spend a ton, it wouldn't have happened (not the the extent it did, and is doing). SOME stimulus, yes. HUGE stimulus, NO.

I don't think many of you current Liberals were even around to experience the hyper-inflation rates of the '80s. THAT wasn't fun. Most of you would be losing your homes right about now if that re-occurred.

[Stranger]

Originally Posted by Shawnski

Puuuuuhlease!!! I am constantly amazed at the viewpoint that Liberals are good money managers. It was Trudeau that started the massive ball rolling, which hit Mulroney square in the eyes due to high interest rates in both of their terms. Mulroney removed the manufacturors sales tax (VERY good for the Canadian economy) and implemented the (much hated at the time) GST, which the Jean Chretien Liberals vowed to cancel if they came into power (Red Book promise).

Regardless of some peoples revisionist history, the Liberals got us into the initial HUGE deficit and debt, while they took credit for fighting that on the back of breaking a promise of their own AND downloading a tremendous amount of Health Care costs to the provinces.

THAT is the only way Paul Martin did his magic, no other.

Had the Three Stooges not ganged up over that fiscal update, and forced the hand of Harper to spend a ton, it wouldn't have happened (not the the extent it did, and is doing). SOME stimulus, yes. HUGE stimulus, NO.

I don't think many of you current Liberals were even around to experience the hyper-inflation rates of the '80s. THAT wasn't fun. Most of you would be losing your homes right about now if that re-occurred.

I have to agree. The other parties were calling for more spending last fall and said the PC's were not spending enough. Fast forward a year ahead and it's the PC's fault for spending beyond our means.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Shawnski

Puuuuuhlease!!! I am constantly amazed at the viewpoint that Liberals are good money managers. It was Trudeau that started the massive ball rolling, which hit Mulroney square in the eyes due to high interest rates in both of their terms. Mulroney removed the manufacturors sales tax (VERY good for the Canadian economy) and implemented the (much hated at the time) GST, which the Jean Chretien Liberals vowed to cancel if they came into power (Red Book promise).

Regardless of some peoples revisionist history, the Liberals got us into the initial HUGE deficit and debt, while they took credit for fighting that on the back of breaking a promise of their own AND downloading a tremendous amount of Health Care costs to the provinces.

THAT is the only way Paul Martin did his magic, no other.

Had the Three Stooges not ganged up over that fiscal update, and forced the hand of Harper to spend a ton, it wouldn't have happened (not the the extent it did, and is doing). SOME stimulus, yes. HUGE stimulus, NO.

I don't think many of you current Liberals were even around to experience the hyper-inflation rates of the '80s. THAT wasn't fun. Most of you would be losing your homes right about now if that re-occurred.

I think that the only thing you forgot to bring up in your review of political history for me was the NEP? While were at it should we also get into the Crow Rate? You're quite right that I wasn't a homeowner back in the 80's and we certainly don't need that anytime soon.

The reason they get credit for being good money managers is because they eliminated the deficits and were paying the debt down. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Finally, why didn't Harper just head back to the polls for his majority last year? If the entire problem of the deficit was created by the opposition then ask the GG to dissolve parliament and get the authority to right the ship.

[Shawnski]

Originally Posted by Slava

Finally, why didn't Harper just head back to the polls for his majority last year? If the entire problem of the deficit was created by the opposition then ask the GG to dissolve parliament and get the authority to right the ship.

He had just done that, and increased his majority.

Unfortunately, Canadians, although considered quite friendly worldwide are not the most savvy bunch in running their own homes.

And from an anti-business side, I must add that after a couple decades in the business world, I have seen some GREAT leaders and companies, and I have seen some piss poor versions as well. Just count me in the "stick it to the idiots" folder. Works here on CP, and works as well in real life.

Comes with the turf.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Gobsgraham

. The Liberals are literally blaming every single problem that is going on in the world on the Conservatives.

This isn't a new tactic. It doesn't matter who's running the show -- the opposition blames the government for everything, always.

If the Liberals were in power right now the Conservatives would be blaming them for every single thing the Liberals are currently pinning on the Conservatives.

That's how it goes.

[DrJ]

Damn Liberals - there is only one Iggy.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Shawnski

Unfortunately, Canadians, although considered quite friendly worldwide are not the most savvy bunch in running their own homes.

Ah, yes. "The reason the Conservatives don't have a majority is because the Canadian public is stupid." Well, isn't that the most arrogant thing I've ever read.

As for "Trudeau got the ball moving"... that's true... there was no significant debt prior to Pierre. But you seem to be ignoring the massive mess Mulroney made between 84 and 91 which makes Trudeau's debt seem like pennies. The inflation-phobia the Conservatives had did horrible, horrible damage to the Canadian economy and we are still paying back that money today and will for decades into the future.

http://www.canadaenespanol.com/money.htm

[Caged Great]

Honestly, I have no problem with most conservative ideals, and in fact support several of them.

However, I absolutely HATE Steve Harper. I could tolerate the Cons getting a majority if anybody else was the leader of the party. Actually, I'm sure that if it was anybody but Harper in charge, he would've got a majority the last two elections.

I like Ignatieff, so much as he's a very intelligent person and is interesting. However, I'm not too sure if I like how he doing things right now. I'd take him over Harper any day of the week though.

[CaptainCrunch]

I don't know, in a way I was hoping that Ignatieff would come in rebuild the Liberal party get it on its feet again and give me a reason to look at what they're going to do. As a political junkie I was also looking forward to a brawl between Harper and the Harvard educated Ignatieff.

I'm a little dissapointed in Harper, I was hoping that he would have been tough enough to tell the other parties to cram it when they were looking for what I thought was excessive spending.

But Ignatieff is really dissapointing, he had a nice run where he didn't have to do anything to gain popularity because of the honeymoon phase, but I was hoping that he would find a way to pressure the conservatives a bit.

In my mind Ignatieff is like that first round draft pick that just utterly fails, he's blown any chance for gaining traction in the polls, he said and done nothing inspiring or significant. It looks like he's lost control of the Liberal wing of the party, and he's badly blundered strategically.

Originally I thought he could handle Harper in a debate. After watching his dry boring style of discussion, I think he would get his a%% kicked into orbit.

The only thing that he hasn't done is bleat for a carbon tax, but as much as we laughed at Dion at least he had the balls to believe in something and push for it, I don't even know what Ignatieff believes in.

To me he looks like a man looking for the ejection seat handle, and that ejection seat is an election, he wants to throw the dice now no matter how crappy things look for his party. If he manages to eek out a win he gets material for his next book. If he loses he gets material for his next book and heads to Harvard.

But he has the look of a man thats out of his depth, right now I just don't think he'd make a very good or long term Prime Minister.

[Caged Great]

I agree with you CC on Ignatieff. If I was in his shoes, I'd have started in the same manner with the threats to call an election, and then start hammering every little blunder that Harper's ever done to help foster a sentiment that he's incompetent and then offer a sound strategy for getting us out of the economic situation and give a general plan on what to do.

That to me would be enough to at least generate some interest in him/the Liberals and would either gain them some seats or win them the election.

With what he's done thus far, he's backed himself into a corner and unless he changes his direction, he'll be just as big of a joke as Dion was.