Stereotype Albertan

[grassfarmer]

I have to recount the story of an incident I witnessed in Calgary yesterday while making a beef delivery. It struck me as funny on the day there was a protest going on in the city against "austerity measures".
A black F350 diesel comes screaming into the parking lot of Canadian Tire. The trucks wheels and rims were probably worth more than my farm truck. A young man with baseball hat at a jaunty sideways angle jumps out, swigs the last of his can of Red Bull and throws it on the ground, locks up the truck (with engine still running) and proceeds to the store. 35 minutes later he reappears with a couple of small bags of goods, climbs up in the cab and drives off at a high rate of speed with a freshly lit cigarette in one hand and his smart phone to his ear.

Maybe its time for some more austerity measures or at least the use of a quantity of common sense before the worlds resources are squandered so stupidly?

[per]

98% of those protesters would be happy to drive that truck and live his lifestyle with the exception of the work that lad probably does in order to pay for the lifestyle.

[grassfarmer]

Rather a harsh judgement on the morals of many of the protestors Per in an effort to justify the wastefulness of an individual. The kid in question didn't look like he had ever done much work - unless you call selling drugs work.

[per]

OK Gf you and I both made assumptions. I am going with the premise he is some sort of oil patch worker. I don't automatically assume if someone has bling it is illegally obtained. Could be, but innocent until proven guilty. I have been following the media reports on the protesters and although they may have it wrong too it seems the majority of the protesters are either professional protesters or unemployed folks who in my harsh opinion could drive that truck with some ambition and effort.

[15444]

Actually per, my assumption is that a lot of the protestors are employed and think the world should be exactly the way they like it. Look at the signs at these protests...they cover everything from the environment to the big banks to the rise of communism.

They're all a bunch of whiners that squawk on the weekends and know where to go when Monday rolls around and a paycheck is needed. Maybe if they got off their butts and worked weekends, they would be in a better financial position. But that would mean ambition...my mistake.

[15444]

Actually per, my assumption is that a lot of the protestors are employed and think the world should be exactly the way they like it. Look at the signs at these protests...they cover everything from the environment to the big banks to the rise of communism.

They're all a bunch of whiners that squawk on the weekends and know where to go when Monday rolls around and a paycheck is needed. Maybe if they got off their butts and worked weekends, they would be in a better financial position. But that would mean ambition...my mistake.

[farmers_son]

As I read Grassfarmers post, “Maybe its time for some more austerity measures or at least the use of a quantity of common sense before the worlds resources are squandered so stupidly? The example used was a young person who it could be said was using a great deal (perhaps more than his reasonable share) of the world’s limited resources. This at the same time as "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations against capitalism and austerity measures went global Saturday. Rome, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Canada and the United States all experienced protests if not riots by the 99%.

The young man could have got his truck by selling drugs or by working in the oil patch. He could have rich parents who gave him the truck. My bet is the young man was able to get a cheap loan for the truck and does not own it. Eventually he may learn how to manage his money better but we see plenty of examples of people who never do. The same could be said for the world’s economy led by banks and governments who really were not doing a great job of managing their money and have been more of an example of greed and self interest than common sense.

It certainly does seem the world’s resources are being squandered stupidly. There is a lot of stupid out there.

Regarding the protests. The rhetoric has changed towards the 99% who are protesting on Wall Street and elsewhere. In the U.S. there was a tendency, especially by the various Republican candidates for President, to brand the protesters as rabble rousers at best. However they must have received polling results since then and the messaging has changed to this is democracy in action.

My opinion…given a choice of rioting over the state of the economy or the outcome of a hockey game, I am siding with those who are speaking out about the state of the economy. But keep it peaceful folks, you will get more results in the long run.

[grassfarmer]

Exactly F_S it was the wastage I was commenting on not how the person had managed to attain the truck. We just cannot afford to have 7 litre trucks running needlessly burning finite fossil fuel.

[15444]

Actually per, my assumption is that a lot of the protestors are employed and think the world should be exactly the way they like it. Look at the signs at these protests...they cover everything from the environment to the big banks to the rise of communism.

They're all a bunch of whiners that squawk on the weekends and know where to go when Monday rolls around and a paycheck is needed. Maybe if they got off their butts and worked weekends, they would be in a better financial position. But that would mean ambition...my mistake.

[farmers_son]

Re the protesters...the right to protest is a fundamental freedom and needs to be upheld and respected. To me it does not matter if they have a job or not, they have a democratic right to speak out. People do have reason to be as mad as hell and declare they are not going to take it anymore.

There is something fundamentally wrong about socialism for the rich and free enterprise for the poor.

One small example, check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troubled_Asset_Relief_Program

Look at who got the money, Citigroup, Bank of American, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, GMAC Financial Services, General Motors, Goldman Sachs, Chrysler, and more. And if you recall these entities paid out huge bonuses to their executives at the same time as the taxpayer was bailing them out.

If you ask me the average taxpayer has a right to point out the injustice.

The one that blows me away in Alberta is ongoing subsidies to oil companies. There are just too many examples. It is a problem.

[wilagro]

farmers_son: That "subsidies to oil companies" is "stimulus money" to encourage investment otherwise nobody would want "our" oil...yep...another tall tale from this government of ours.

[grassfarmer]

I know a few people from our local community that attended the protest events in Calgary and Edmonton. Some are little old retired ladies who devote a lot of time to fighting inequality and what are often deemed "social justice issues". I know at least two that stood shoulder to shoulder in Edmonton with NFU members, post BSE, when we were protesting the inequality of a system that saw Cargill, Tyson and Nilssons being paid millions of dollars of taxpayer money when they were already stealing the cattle from beef producers. I don't think either of these ladies aspire to own a massive diesel guzzling truck. Maybe some of the cattle producers that couldn't be bothered to fight for their own interests at that time would be more envious of the shiny big truck?

[per]

Perestroika brought down the Wall. I am not the one to judge each of the protesters motives, it has been peaceful and I have plenty else to do. Not sure who you are referring to Gf with the rancher comment but you know I live a modest lifestyle and do get involved in the industry.