Harper Majority---Yahoo!!

[greybeard]

I hope Layton's newbe crew from Kabec will go a long way to getting rid of some of those fat hogs at the pork barrel. They probably won't have a good understanding of dirty politics just yet.
Kind of like when the old Reform party first got real popularity. They had to learn how it all worked in order to take the next step. Thus don't expect any of those promises from those old platforms. Power is more important than ideology. In our system you have to choose one.
GF, you haven't been around long enough to understand the west's intense hate for the Liberal party of Canada. I am probably a liberal as I have been raised under the Sask socialist system. I couldn't vote Liberal if two revenue Canada goons held my head in the crapper giving me a flushy to get me to put my X on their candidate. They made their own bed,and they will be sleeping in it for a long while yet.

[greybeard]

I forgot to say, I think poor old Downtown Jack is in a way over his head. He can yap till he's blue in the face, but those people who voted for him always expect big returns. Yapping won't get him anything.

[burnt]

The GREATEST irony in this election outcome is the fact that the NDP and now-totally hapless Liberals, both of whom did not like Harper's way of doing things, are now relegated to looking on from a position of helplessness across the floor.

They at least had a good deal of clout with the ruling, minority CPC's before they brought them down. So, from that perspective, it is pretty hard to give them much sympathy. Now they got pretty much nuthin'.

Kato, as far as them having "unstoppable power" - it is true that they have a lot of power.

However, there is no government that is immune to the extreme pressure that can be brought to bear on them by an aggrieved constituency.

If the people feel powerless, it is likely as a result of them not getting off of their duffs and making noise.

In my limited experience, I have learned that by far the majority of people would prefer to drown in their own tears than pick up the phone and call their MP to voice their opinions.

Kato, Randy, others who are involved with bringing the gov't into mediation on the BSE issue, I'm sure that you found it much easier to get names onto petitions than it was to get people to pick up the phone and call their MP.

A common response that I heard when I asked petitioners to call their MP was - "What do I say?"

AAAAAHHHHH!

Perhaps I get plenty passionate about such matters but by golly when someone gets onto something that so drastically impacts their livelihood, should they not know what to say?

Conclusion - I don't think it matters who got elected in any riding - you owe it to the freedom of this country to get on your MP and put the screws to them on any and every issue that comes up in your area, and likely a few that wouldn't come up without your help.

Because that's the ONLY way we can hope to preserve any semblance of healthy democracy in our land.

[grassfarmer]

Funny who you see as the fat pigs at the trough 15444. The nameless beurocrats, the public sector workers, health care, the CBC. Typical case of Tory blindness to their friends in the corporate circle. This being a beef forum wouldn't you like to see some cuts in the "welfare payments" to the likes of Cargill and Nilssons? Or is your head stuck so far up Harpers behind that you can't see who some of the fattest pigs at the deepest trough are?
Yeah, lets cut healthcare that benefits every Canadian and pass a few million more to Cargill they really need it. Any more bright ideas?

[15444]

Didn't say I supported those payments GF. Slit their throats too.

But something is definitely wrong when the CBC pays people like Ron McLean $750,000.00 a year to talk about sports. With Dum-dum Cherry included, you know there is over $1 million being spent to let these two morons BS.

What is Mansbridge and the rest getting paid? Too much I suspect.

I don't mind a little bit of private healthcare at all. Just had my wisdom teeth taken out a week ago. Farmer, so no dental plan for me. Just a shade under $2000 for 15 minutes of work and drugs afterwards. So a doctor's time can't be any more expensive than that.

Best thing is keep yourself healthy and you won't need a doctor. Too many sick people in this country getting a free rid, while the red pill and the blue pill should be free to anyone.

If I ever have anything serious, like cancer, I'll guarantee you I am visiting a doctor in the US. Too many up here botch exams or the testing afterwards. If I am worried about my health, I'm going to see (and pay for) the best, not the equivalent of the Salvation Army.

[kato]

Ask Michael Douglas why he's alive today, and he will say it's because Canadian doctors diagnosed his cancer when the best that money could buy in the U.S. couldn't find anything, despite months of searching.

Being able to pay a doctor more doesn't guarantee the care is better.

I do agree though, that a sports broadcaster shouldn't be earning that kind of money. That's just silly.

[15444]

Oh come on now Kato. Your using a celebrity example, of which was likely done with an ulterior motive (i.e. publicity) but would never be admitted too. Lets get some average Joe example where American's came to Canada for our 'just-so-darn-good-medical-system'. And not for the fact that it's on the public dime. On the same token, you must think that Randy Quaid came to this country because we're 'just so darn good a people'. Not that he was fleeing the law.

I know in my area, many, I would say hundreds, of people go to the US for medical diagnoses and treatment. I remember my history teacher in highschool swore by Mayo Clinic. 'I don't even waste my time with the medical system in this country' he would tell his classes.