Just what is the issue that so many have, with the provision put in place by the American Congress, that directs companies being bailed out, by taxpayers, to look first to the domestic market for it’s supplies?  Seriously, what is the problem, and why isn’t our own Government following suit, with a Buy Canadian provision, for companies we are bailing out?

After all, IT IS OUR MONEY BEING USED, ISN’T IT?

“We are seeing the expansion of these domestic preferences around the world,” Harper said. “China announced a ‘Buy China’ plan as part of its own stimulus package [and] these things, if they multiply around the world, could become extremely problematic in terms of recovery.” ( CBC News )

This whole globalization mantra, free trade, etc. has allowed major business interests to shift its focus, from one country to another. In other words, to whichever country will give them the cheapest labor and breaks, to produce their goods. It doesn’t insure that there are any real standards, in regards to safety, or quality, and as a result, the consumer suffers,but then, so does the various nations.

Think about it, if all the high paying jobs are moving from country to country, who is going to be able to afford the high priced items?

Consider how Microsoft is trying to farm its work abroad, but has their product dropped in price? NO IT HASN’T and nor has any item, that used to be produced here, now made elsewhere, come down in price. And if you doubt that, just check the archives of the number of recalls made over the last few years.

Since Mr. Harper seized power, the number of recalls in Canada has risen dramatically, and the goods recalled, are generally made everywhere but in Canada. Our Standards are not theirs, which is fine, but when goods come into our country, surely they should meet our standards, not some third world power?  That is just common sense, but not under Harpernomics, or Bushnomics.

While ‘protectionism‘ seems a nasty word, the truth is, this globalization has merely moved an economic downturn in one country, to being world wide. The failure of the USA Government to regulate its financial sector, such as we have, has resulted in an economic melt down. It has given Oil Companies carte blanche to raise prices, that have impacted every economy, which has really caused this economic depression. To say otherwise, is simply naive.

And since when should MY taxpayer money, my future debt load, be about aiding industries in the United States, Mexico, China, or elsewhere?  When did we suddenly become fiscally liable to prop up businesses, that are failing, in other countries? If business is incapable of surviving, is it simply because people aren’t buying, or is it that they are producing goods no one wants? Is it then our obligation to put ourselves into debt, and future generations, to bail them out, when they aren’t even in our country?

You have to love how well politicians lie, to make a sellout seem a good thing. Then there is the Politician that tells you how great it is to share such an open border, and how good of a friend you are, while at the same time killing tourism in your country, and putting the blame for their own incompetence onto your shoulders.

Hats off to both Conservative Cannon, our Foreign Affairs dufus, and Hilary Rodham Clinton, the US poster model for failed political hacks, for their stellar performance in announcing that the Great Lakes Water Treaty of 1909 will be renegotiated, as merely a way to update how we preserve the environment. 

“We have to update it to reflect new knowledge, new technologies and, unfortunately, new threats,” Clinton said.

“The rivers, the lakes, the streams, the watersheds along our boundary do not belong to one nation, they belong to all of us,” she said at celebrations overlooking the falls.

“The friendship between Canada and the United States is a model for the world,” said Cannon. ( CBC News )

Funny how Clinton makes that sly remark, about it not belonging to anyone, course the fact that it is her country who pollutes the lakes faster than one can say ‘defeated candidate’, and is the one who thinks we are a third world country,  doesn’t come into play, now does it?

After all it is her Government that is trying to steal the Northern Waters of Canada so they can legally send their warships through the passages, and their oil tankers, without meeting our tougher restrictions on pollution. Mind you, our lovely fair haired boy, Stevie, is doing everything he can, to reduce those restrictions, those protective services. After all, he’d like nothing better than to be the Governor of the 51st USA State.

And you have to love how they talk about free exchange of goods, through NAFTA and the cross border shopping, while it it is the USA who constantly tries to deny Canadian Industry a role in the US Market. Or how their new regulations, requiring anyone over 16 to have a passport in order to enter their land of plenty.

And our eager and willing stupe, Cannon, plays right into it, extolling the virtues of a country that has led the world to economic ruin, because of its greed. Course it is his same boss, that is allowing Mining Companies to dump toxic waste into our streams, so they can make huge profits. And too, in all fairness, so that Canada will be just like the United States, a dumping ground for polluters. After all, wouldn’t be fair to have pristeen lakes, clear and clean water, when our gentle giant of a neighbour has nothing but sludge and ooze in its lakes & rivers, from the same practice of dumping and pollution.

Now would it?

Rumor is floating around, that a bailout package is being worked out for the Broadcasting media, but it won’t include the CBC. I mean that figures, given how it is the only station that dares defy Harper, and give a fair accounting of the issues. However, both CTV & Canwest are seeking not only financial help, but regulatory aid, as they are asking the CRTC to relax some of its rules.

The private broadcasters appeared before the federal broadcaster regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, earlier this year, asking for relaxed licence conditions, including fewer requirements for regional programming. ( source – CBC News )

This is not the time to lower our standards, and yet that is exactly what Government and Business are seeking. What they are really saying is, that they want no regulations, because those rules affect their profits. Having to insure proper licence conditions, means at least some form of protection, to the consumer. Relaxed licences means we get hosed more.

Regional programming, may not be lucrative, but then we aren’t a nation of a few hundred million either. Why shouldn’t people in say Saskatchewan be able to get local programming? Just because it cuts into the corporate profit line?

Then too, let’s look at the decisions made by these communications experts. The shows they paid enormous sums for, instead of promoting and producing local programs.

ACTRA is right, we shouldn’t be rewarding bad management, with taxpayer cash. The CBC has shown its coverage is fair, while Global & CTV are very slanted. Corporate advertising is down. The thing is, when money gets less, you don’t go giving bonuses, you don’t go on a buying spree, and you make the money you have, give you bang for your buck.

Trouble today, is that business doesn’t examine why it is losing sales, but instead blames such things are the bad economy, or how unstable the auto industry is. Like what the hell does that have to do with buying expensive shows from abroad?

Maybe a few less Hollywood sex shows, reality garbage, and a bit more thrown into Canadian productions, & they might have programming worth watching. I mean, how is it that stations like the Knowledge Network here, can manage, but Canwest & CTV can’t?

We need to keep our identity, as a nation. That means we need local programming, we need regional shows, and we need investment into our own media production outfits. This constant urge to shop abroad, instead of buying home grown, is partially what got us into this mess, not just in the media, but overall. There is nothing dirty about supporting local talent, local business. Nor is it more expensive.

Yet somehow, I am sure Harper will find some more of our money to dole out to them, not because they deserve it, but because they always insure showing him, and his minions, in a good light, even when they are stinking up the place.

Then too, he’ll probably have the CRTC give them what they want, which means stations like Global can expand its themed cable channels, charge a fortune, and then fill them with nothing but repeats, and shows from one central pool. I mean look at the programming today, where you have a themed western station, showing modern day war movies, or you have one movie on one channel, then as you go down the list, find it on every other channel they own, nearly at the same time.

Relaxed regulations is what got us into this mess, and fortunately Harper wasn’t able to totally gut our system, which is what has saved us so far. How long that protection lasts, depends on the Opposition Parties, so I am not holding my breath.

The Harper Government has announced a new free trade accord with Columbia, hailing it as a stepping stone to improving democracy, human rights, and economic advantages. In the release of the news, in advance of a summit meeting, the Harper Regime says it will removed tariffs on about 98 items exported to Columbia, such as wheat, barley, and machinery. On the surface, doesn’t that sound like a heck of a good deal?

Except perhaps we need to examine the fine print a bit more, because you know, Free Trade never is what the Conservative Elite claim it is. Oh they wrap things up in neat little packages, to sell the idea, just as they did with NAFTA & the GST.  We all know how good those two little ‘blessings’ turned out to be.

The agreement would lift tariffs on 98 per cent of Canada’s exports to Colombia, including wheat, barley, lentils, peas, beef, paper products and machinery and equipment.

Canada and Colombia will also urge their domestic professional bodies to recognize each other’s certifications, particularly in engineering. (source – CBC News)

And there, in urging domestic professional bodies to recognize the other’s certifications, is the hidden bomb. To begin with, as much as it would be nice to believe, the truth is that Columbian certifications are not the same as ours. Their definition of qualified isn’t ours, and yet this agreement expects us to accept their certification. Now that would be fine, IF their standards were HIGHER THAN OURS, which we all know, simply isn’t true.

It is like saying a certified witch doctor is better or equally qualified to perform brain surgery in Canada.

That is the real problem with Free Trade agreements. It waters down the accepted standards we expect, whether in engineering, in education, medical standards, or food safety. I mean it is common & accepted practice in many of these countries to use chemicals, to help in the growth of their agriculture. They use chemicals WE BAN, for couple of reasons. One is they do work, and two is they are less expensive, and three, the companies push it there, because well, they can’t sell them here.

It really is a nightmare, because you know, the companies pushing those chemicals for use in third world countries, are our companies. I mean if it is proven to be illegal or harmful up here, how can they justify selling it to some country, that has lower standards? And with Free Trade agreements, we wind up being poisoned anyhow. Maybe we should cut out the middle man, and just revoke the bans on harmful chemicals, harmful practises, and keep the jobs in Canada?

Yes, I am being sarcastic, but the truth is, we are accepting standards that are not higher than our own, and that isn’t saying much. We have watered our own standards down so much, it makes one wonder if we have any. All in the name of free trade, of open markets. The reality is, we are simply caving in to the needs of special interests, of giant corproations, who are looking for cheap goods, cheap labor, and to hell with any type of standard.

No, I am not predicting an Obama victory in Tuesday’s Presidential Election.

Whoever wins on Tuesday will have to face a great many problems, and I wonder, will you, the American People take that into account when you cast your ballots on Tuesday, or will you vote Tradition because for generations your family has voted that way, or will you vote based on your prejudices, but call it voting the issues?

Then there is the just as important choices for U.S. Senator & House of Representative races to take into consideration. Would a McCain win be of any good if the Democratic Party reaches the magic 60 seat total for the U.S. Senate? What about the House, would it matter if McCain won and the Democratic Party got an even larger majority in the House?

Flip it over to would it really matter if Obama won the White House and the same Senate & House scenario was to happen? Would a 60 seat Democratic Senate help him get his agenda through or would it hinder it? Then too, how about in the House? Would all those Southern Democrats see beyond his color and actually support his policies?

OF COURSE the most important question is, WILL MORE PEOPLE VOTE ON TUESDAY?

Canada used to take pride in the number of actual voters, that exercised that freedom. In our last federal election we had a disappointing turnout, that allowed Harper to once more hold onto power, something I believe we will regret over the next short time, but that situation has been very common in the United States. Will that trend continue, so that many who could not bring themselves to vote for a Black Man, simply stay home, or will it bring more of those who are looking for change, actually get off their backsides and Vote?

While early indications are that many are voting, in advance polls and through absentee ballots, the question is still going to be how many will stand up come Tuesday? After all George Bush won his second term, by a nice margin of votes (popular votes that is) and yet there were less people voting than the previous four years. Will that trend continue?

Truth is, the world is holding its breath, because whoever wins on Tuesday is being look to, for solutions to the problems we are all facing. I don’t quite know why we expect the US President to be that person, because over the last few decades, they certainly have lacked in leadership qualities. Going back to Johnson, the US President has consistently failed the world in showing true leadership. There were flashes, such as Reagen, but it was muted a lot by the Democratic Congress. Clinton was a failure, as was Carter and Bush Sr. and well we all know how well George Jr. has done, so it puzzles me why we keep looking to the USA for that leadership?

Can Obama or McCain be the change we all need? Guess we will find out come Tuesday, though frankly I think it is going to depend a great deal on the supporting cast that is elected along with either McCain or Obama. And that WORRIES ME.

The likes of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have already shown, they are not good supporting players, or leaders. Joe Biden is miles better than Sarah Palin, but that isn’t saying much.