Why hasn't government wiped out poverty in Canada already? We have more social programs, so where are the results? In Sweden they have poor except they keep them off the street but they are still poor. Putting four walls around them doesn't mean the problem is gone. I want as many able bodied people to have self-esteem and to perservere. If you're not medically ill and are capable of doing some work there is opportunity in North America.
Most people only have a number of years to pay off a mortgage, raise kids, and save for retirement. It goes by fast. It's a window of opportunity that can be missed.
I agree that saving is the responsible thing to do whenever possible, but you make it the end all be all, you've even gone as far as saying it creates jobs, which no economist in their right mind would agree.
How can you have a business without capital savings from individuals and spending from individuals? Consumer goods come from capital assets like Buildings and Machinery. Most companies can't pay for large assets like that without loans from the bank. The bank can't loan you money without savers at the other end saving and investing, unless the central bank creates money by lending to the banks which is inflationary. You need to read some more economists that aren't totally Keynesian. I think even some Keyensians would agree with some of what I'm talking about. Classic Keyensian economics expects deficits to be paid back during the recovery. But in practice that's remained elusive without unpopular spending cuts.
What happens to the economy when people don't have savings for retirement? The taxpayer gets extra burdens to pay for it. In the U.S. at least you guys have some children. In Canada we have less than 2 kids per family so we better open the flood gates of immigration. Yet that doesn't answer the problem because many go on programs right away and many are not that young. New Zealand in the '90's got into a crisis when their generous entitlements couldn't be paid because there wasn't enough taxes they could collect to do so. So what did they do? They cut benefits and for some people they had to go back to work despite being retired. I'm trying to establish limits to government. There are many wide eyed people who think the government is like Superman and completely credulous.
YouTube - Child Poverty in Canada
Look at this video. I thought the poverty programs were supposed to eliminate poverty. These pleas for government assistance even when answered never solve the problem. No sociologist ever asks the question about parents and their spending habits. Yet changes in spending habits lead to better results and faster results for those who aren't debilitated.
Look at this video during the War on poverty in the U.S. It's dated but there are many good points that still work today.
Ronald Reagan - A Time for Choosing
The reason why I harp on savings is that I want people to be proactive in their lives and realize much of their success comes from themselves. Whether you notice it or not, many people throughout the world believe in "the great leader" in saving them from their plight. I don't want people to rely on those guys. I want people to rely on themselves. What happened to the American way of "Live free or die!"? People in the past used to be energized by trying to improve their lives as individuals and to teach their kids morals that allowed for that success to happen. It's all laughed at now. People like Spike Lee look at the Republican party as "Father knows best" and "Leave it to beaver." I understand that people may not care and vote for left-wing parties for gay marriage and such but as you can see in the "Are you a socialist?" thread it's not only social issues that motivate this political preference.
I'm not sure where you've been, but I constantly offer my worldview.
You offer few posts longer than a couple of lines in responding to me mostly to talk about why I'm out of touch or that my posts are just misguided without any particular elaboration or detail that would further discussion. That's why it looks to me like it's intended as a way to stop conversation.
This has to be one of the most ridiculous statements I've read in here in awhile.
Calling me out of touch with no elaboration or counter-arguments with some depth gives me that impression.
Oh, so anyone in financial hardship is now automatically left wing? This is why you come off as out of touch with reality. Your answer to Lila the other week, is why you seem out of touch with reality. The fact that you don't know the difference in some of your own political parties is why you come off as out of touch with reality. The list goes on and on...
She said she didn't want to hear about savings from me when I was talking to other posters. My post to Lila was looking at what she said and that if she can work and she feels squeezed I thought a student loan could improve her chances of higher income. If her medical condition prevents her from doing this then I'm not against her getting government assistance. I'm not an ultra-libertarian, but I'm aware that many healthy people have horrible finances that lead them to reliance on government and looking to government for the solution. (Look at Obama's commercial). If Lila is able to keep up a mortgage then she is technically saving anyways because that money goes towards something that has value in retirement. Good for her! Not all my posts are perfect and I'm trying to make them better and add more articles and detail per your many requests.
In regards to knowing my political parties in Canada I think my posts obviously show that I do. If the Green party wants to spend a whole ton of money more than NDP and say they are somehow quite conservative compared to them then I don't have to believe what they say. Elizabeth May was trying to defend stupid arts programs that yielded little showing her true colors. Harper didn't even cut that much.
You'd think it was the end of the world in those debates.
Ka-ching, ka-ching: Spending promises by party
Quick rough add:
New spending promises:
Green 40 billion
NDP 18 billion
Liberals 14 billion
Conservatives 4 billion
The NDP was closer to Liberals this time out because Jack layton was getting good polling numbers and wanted to see if he could be the leader of the opposition instead of Dion. Some in CBC media were talking about him wanting to be a new Tony Blair.
If you add the Bloc that is 4 left wing parties. It's not even in the interest of the left to divide their vote and I still champion a two party system. I want clear choices that can be clearly judged by the electorate. There's so much competition on the left I don't see the Green party increasing much in votes.