There must be some sort of twelve-step program for you Eric. I hope find it. Bill > From: Eric Dunbar <eric.dunbar@xxxxxxxxx> > Reply-To: muglo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 11:33:38 -0500 > To: muglo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [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. > _________________________________________________ > > For information concerning the MUGLO List just click on > > http://muglo.on.ca/Pages/joinus.html > > Our Archives can be viewed at > > http://www.freelists.org/archives/muglo > > Don't forget to periodically check our web site at: > > http://muglo.on.ca/ _________________________________________________ For information concerning the MUGLO List just click on http://muglo.on.ca/Pages/joinus.html Our Archives can be viewed at http://www.freelists.org/archives/muglo Don't forget to periodically check our web site at: http://muglo.on.ca/