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Politics : Canadian Political Free-for-All -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GerPol who wrote (30)	10/28/2000 1:43:02 AM
From: Gulo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 37125

>as the not so free market Forums such as these are a good tool to liberate markets. Now all we have to do is change the mindset of the public and politicians to accept that any hindrance to trade is harmful to the welfare of the people. Trade barriers are the worst affront to third world nations imaginable. I just have to scream when those well-intentioned, but poorly educated, saps march in protest of internationalization. Do you have any idea what a 10% tariff on, say, cotton does to the income of a third world cotton farmer? That price differential impacts the farmer, not the importer. IMO, trade barriers are crimes against humanity. >Why is it that we always HEAR that governments are "inefficient" and the private sector is "efficient" Because history has shown this to be true. This isn't the result of a 'campaign' any more than the accepted idea that the world is flat. Some would disagree to both, but not I. >Corporate welfare is at an all time high I agree it is still far too high, but it has come down somewhat in the last decade. If we were able to have more input in how our tax dollars were spent, I'm sure it would become lower still. The biggest form of welfare is the imposition of tariffs and subsidies to 'protect' domestic industries. >bankruptcies are common place This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is changes in the bankruptcy rate that may mean something is afoot. Like high state debt inflating taxes which affect the spending of your customers. >the "RIGHT to be FREE of pain and suffering" Being free is pain and suffering is a rare privilege. It is a goal to strive for, but it isn't a right. The best way to avoid the suffering seen in many countries is to ensure a healthy economy. A rich nation that spends 5% of GDP on health care buys the same care as a nation with 1/10 the wealth spending 50%. Even then, increasing health care spending doesn't necessarily reduce suffering. If peoples health care premiums were at least a little bit proportional to their health risks, we would see fewer smokers and obese people. This one hits home, because we had to put our dog and faithful companion of 10 years to 'sleep' tonight. I had to reflect on how this society allows us to be humane to our pets, but we have to prolong the painful deaths of our parents and friends. Its easy to pay lipservice to ideas of compassion to others in society, but the fact remains that I grieve more for that dog than I do for the thousands of people that die every night. In the same situation, I'm sure you would too. -g

To: GerPol who wrote (30)	10/28/2000 1:47:49 AM
From: Gulo	Respond to of 37125

>I see you want all the same things we socialists want... I consider myself a centrist with a libertarian streak. That means there is probably some degree of overlap between what you want and what I want. For some things, like government spending, our differences are a matter of degree. For others, like the right to trade freely, the differences are a matter of principles and ethics. -g