[muglo] Re: [muglo]<rant> VATs: was Re: USB 250-meg Zip with 10.3.9--Again!

> What do I have to be bitter about?  Discrimination.  Plain and
> simple.  We claim that we've abolished discrimination in this fine
> country, yet we continue to discriminate for anyone who cries out.
> Bah!  Let's end discrimination once and for all!  We can start by
> lowering all the taxes while making the natives pay all taxes when
> making any transactions off the reserve.  And that is just the
> beginning...

> Now THAT is a rant!
> Dave

No kidding.

You're of a political persuasion not exactly compatible with Canadians
(or, most people in the Western world) under the age of 50 (and, also
most above 50!!!) given the past decade's worth of elections.

But whether you're white, male, green, yellow, Catholic, Voodoo, or
whatever doesn't really have to do a whit with that. Most Catholics I
konw don't have a persecution complex (I have met the odd one who does
though, and they are quite amusing) so, in short, IF YOU'RE THAT
BRAND, "get over it" (don't know if you are that brand, but the fact
that you self-identify as Catholic upbringing leads one to wonder).

I vote we *raise* taxes, or, at the very least, prevent the whole-sale
destruction of Canadian society by "lowering" taxes***.

***Lowering taxes is code for, let's give the wealthy (>$60K/person)
more money back because they feel like they want more cash to spend,
and, well "everyone should be able to pay their own way and
individuals make better decisions than government". Unfortunately, the
strife and inequity in the US, and, more and more, in Canada
demonstrates that this is BAD public policy. Yeah, the rich get
richer, and, also a few "middle class" but the disenfranchised are
marginalised even more.

Alas, we're seeing the after-effects of this type of thinking here in
Ontario. Ten years ago the provincial *white* and *male* establishment
managed to get their revenge on society at large and _gutted_ social
services at the same time as BANKRUPTING government with ridiculous
and IRRESPONSIBLE tax cuts (in my 17 years in Canada, I've come to the
conclusion that fiscal conservatives are the antithesis of
"responsible" financial managers, especially when coupled with the US
style neocons).

Ten years later we've now got the American-style getto culture
happening in Toronto because, in the past ten years, communities lost
their community centres (cuts in the mid 90s, the moment Harris et al.
got elected), individuals no longer get adequate support to either go
to school or to live dignified lives, kids have nothing to do or
nowhere to turn (since, in their fiscal "wisdom", the PC party decided
that social programs were not worthy since their beneficiaries were
also not the party faithful).

Unfortunately, the people who benefitted from all those tax cuts are
also not the same ones who are suffering so miserably now. $1 given to
someone earning more than $40K in 1995 will cost society as a whole
$10 now, whilst that $1 probably got invested outside of the country!
Good fiscal management? Only in Mike Harris', John Tory and Stephen
Harper's world!

I also vote we change the electoral system to mixed-proportional
representation so at least us "yung 'uns" and, every other
disenfranchised group (i.e. don't vote Liberal/Bloc/CRAP(remember that
brilliant acronym those idiots briefly came up
with)-Conservative-Wolf-in-sheep-clothing) will have a reason to vote.

The Creepy Alliance (or whatever they call themselves this week) are
the antithesis of reasoned economic and social thought (they'd like to
put us in the poor house with tax cuts *and* evict Quebec ASAP... to
make English Canada "right wing"), and, well the Liberals, well,
monopolies in politics aren't a good thing (at least our electoral
system isn't quite as broken as the American's' given that we're
*finally* at the state where we are seeing some form of coalition
being formed (albeit broken since our system does not encourage
cooperative governance))

Now, how's that for a rant.

And, don't get me started on your complaints about:
"Let's not forget that there are people who don't pay some taxes.  For
example, persons of "Native Canadian" ancestry (or what ever the heck
they want to be called) are able to avoid civic responsibilities and
not pay PST."

You might want to learn a bit about Canadian history before bringing
this one to the forefront.

If you want to talk about discrimination, how about discussing the
RELIGIOUS yet publicly funded and sanctioned school board in Ontario.
We are the ONLY Canadian jurisdiction backwards enough to still
publicly fund religious schools which practice and promote bigotry and
exclusion! I cannot teach in that system, nor would I have been
permitted to attend it as a student, yet, somehow they continue to be
allowed to draw on public funds!

White, male, Catholic being discriminated against. Hmm. Methinks you
may have a persecution complex that you might just want to examine. I
briefly** experienced _real_ religious discrimination when I came to
Canada in a Canadian public school* in 1987 (and, before that I went
to a Dutch Catholic school where, as an areligious person I
experienced NO discrimination (perhaps I was too young to recognise
it, but I don't think so)), nonetheless I don't think I developed a
persecution complex.

**The Supreme Court ruling against the "Lord's Prayer" came down the
term I started school in grade 9 (which fortunately meant that I could
tell the religous & nationalist fruitcake that was my grade 9 homeform
teacher where to shove it without being forced to stand outside of the
classroom along with the Jehova's witness (made a good friend that
year standing in the hallway)).

For a while we (Ontario students) had to put up with, at first, the
bullshit of prayers in a variety of languages which were couched as
"tolerance" (they were all Christian FYI, just to add insult to
injury), and, then for a while they went over to a moment of silence
(which was a farce and still got a lot of people in trouble when they
had to deal with some particularly annoying religious and/or
nationalistic teacher). Now, at least they've eliminated the religious
part, but, people still face the nonsense of the National Anthem, and,
I'm sure if a student ends up with the wrong teacher, they have to
deal with discrimination.

PS As for being "middle class". Please remember that if you earned
$64K or more in 2004 you were amongst the TOP 10% of wage earners. I'm
sure you feel sorry for yourself, but I doubt you have much to be
sorry for.

Anyway, you've managed to get me ranting and ranting and ranting. Even
by my standards this is quite a lot.

White, male, Catholic (possibly even well off... >$30K/year) being
discriminated against because he can't apply for some program or other
to help disadvantaged or disenfranchised people. What pure, and utter
BS!!!!

Eric.
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