Disqus - Latest Comments for Canadiansteve

Re: What Happened in France?

Canadiansteve — Mon, 08 May 2017 22:59:17 -0000

It was her other policies that were the issue, especially a commitment to leave the EU. Had she largely stuck to the status quo on everything but immigration, she may well above won and certainly done far better.

Re: Will Trump Win in a Blowout?

Canadiansteve — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 14:10:28 -0000

Trump may not be an intellectual or philosophical conservative; indeed, he may not even be smart enough to grasp any real ideology. But he is a pragmatist and attempts to be a realist, both of which lend themselves to key aspects of conservatism. And he seems to be demonstrating an ability to take well-reasoned advice.

So, while his narcissism and general shallowness may drive us nuts, overall he'll be a good president anyhow. The economy will flourish (if he doesn't go all stupid about free trade and create an international trade war). The military will strengthen and once again be a deterrent to anti-democratic forces. Perhaps most importantly, under a President Trump the constitution will avert a death march under the law-will-be-made-in-our-own-image left wing Supreme Court judges.

Re: Rethinking U.S. Foreign Policy

Canadiansteve — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 12:06:56 -0000

If Obama had not thrown away victory in Iraq and its nascent democracy, and before that not appeased the ayatollahs as the Iranian people begged for American support in their efforts to effect a democratic revolution inspired by Iraqi democracy, then the Iraq war might have been a grand success. And there'd be no ISIS today, it being mainly a rebuild of the American defeated al Qaeda resistance in Sunni Iraq.

Re: Mitt vs. Hillary: An Even Match

Canadiansteve — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 19:55:43 -0000

LOL.

Harper is magnificent. But he could well lost next year, depending on whether the left continues to split their vote evenly or the Liberals manage to get the clear majority of it.

Re: Mitt vs. Hillary: An Even Match

Canadiansteve — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:45:48 -0000

Mitt would be a great president. But can he be elected?

Run, Ben (Carson), Run.

Re: Lawrence Solomon: North American slow to reverse renewables projects, but its turn will come soon

Canadiansteve — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 23:59:38 -0000

I don't know. But I believe many birds killed by windmills are not migrating, simply flying around in the area.

Re: Lawrence Solomon: North American slow to reverse renewables projects, but its turn will come soon

Canadiansteve — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:48:28 -0000

There`s something seriously wrong when the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds worries about theoretical harm done to birds by a warming planet that hasn`t warmed for 17 years, rather than express alarm about real harm being done to birds today.

Re: Lawrence Solomon: North American slow to reverse renewables projects, but its turn will come soon

Canadiansteve — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:45:52 -0000

When the price of wind and solar drops to where it`s commercially viable, fine, let private enterprise without public subsidies provide it. Until then, time to end to their gravy train on the public dime - and for Ontario to get its finances in order.

Re: Dealing with anti-Israel activity on campus

Canadiansteve — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 12:53:22 -0000

Hi Ryan. Saw your interview with Ezra Levant. I've often wondered why First Nations don't see the obvious: their analogy is to Jews and Israel, not Palestinians. So it was truly gratifying to hear a native activist, yourself, represent this perspective. And important too that Jews and Israel, needing all the support they can muster, have First Nations as allies, as they grow in population and political strength.

Whether Jews working behind the scenes are too passive and ineffective might be another debate. Perhaps they accomplish more than is evident. Regardless, it probably works better that Jews be strong but firm in their quiet diplomacy, while non-Jewish supporters, like yourself, be more vocal.

Of course, you know native communities run the same kind of debate amongst themselves. So nothing new here for you - just another First Nations /Jewish analogy.

Re: Middle East Mess Isn't About Settlements

Canadiansteve — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 10:17:39 -0000

It is invariably overlooked that:
* These "settlements" are on land designated for Israel by the still legal League of Nations Palestine Mandate. Only because the British reneged on their legal obligations did this land end up belonging to Arabs

* Some settlements are on land won by Arabs from Israel in the 1948 war, and won back by Israel in 1967

* Almost all settlements are on land Israel won defending itself against interminable Arab aggression to destroy the state. Anyone think France and Poland should return land from Nazi Germany?
* Of the Ottoman Empire, Palestinians (who are mainly recent arrivals to the area anyhow, coming for the jobs and services the British and retuning Jews treated), got 25% (Jordan, Gaza and "Palestine"), while Jews got only 6.5%
* Since most "Palestinians" living in settlement zones are from elsewhere anyhow (their last names usually indicate from which Arab region their great grandparents and grandparent came from), they can reasonably accept living as democratic citizens of Israel or move a few kilometers to what will be the Palestinian state

Re: Op-ed

Canadiansteve — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 02:50:24 -0000

Lars, I just saw you interviewed on the Michael Coran show in Canada. We who love western civilization and its values, are so lucky to have those like yourself. Your courage and resolve in the face of such outrage is inspiring. I passionately hope Islamic moderates in Europe are rising in your defense; that they`re severely criticizing not only those Muslims who preach violence, but those Muslims who seek to undermine the nations and the civilization to which they come.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - Abandon the Kennedy Way

Canadiansteve — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:32:02 -0000

Could be. But there's a lot of discrepancy in various tax stats, leaving me
unsure as to what's accurate. For example, the stats you found state US
corporate taxes to be between 15 and 35%. That's quite a gap. A report I
came across says US rates are higher than in nearly all other key nations:

"U.S. Lags while Competitors Accelerate Corporate Income Tax Reform

by Scott A. Hodge <http: www.taxfoundation.org="" staff="" show="" 5.html=""> and Andre
Dammert <http: www.taxfoundation.org="" staff="" show="" 170.html="">

*Fiscal Fact No. 184*

New data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) shows that the U.S. corporate tax rate has fallen even further out of
step with the rest of the industrialized world as countries such as Canada,
the Czech Republic, Korea, and Sweden have cut their corporate rates in
2009, lowering the average statutory corporate tax rate of all OECD nations
to 26.5 percent.

With a combined federal and state corporate tax rate of 39.1 percent, the
U.S. continues to impose the second-highest overall corporate rate among
industrialized countries. Only Japan's 39.5 percent combined rate is higher.
As the chart below indicates, the weighted average (accounting for country
size) corporate rate of non-U.S. OECD nations is now below 30 percent for
the first time in history. 2009 marks the 12th consecutive year in which the
average corporate tax rate of non-U.S. OECD nations has been below the U.S.
rate.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - Abandon the Kennedy Way

Canadiansteve — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:10:04 -0000

Most countries have parallel private / public systems. Canada's is one of
the few that is principally private, which is one reason why it's declining
in quality as costs increase exponentially.

If there's a private system, then the public system might have to get
premiums only from its subscribers. Assuming younger, healthier individuals
would rather pay less, they'd generally join a private system. But that
would also mean there'd be less of them in the publicn system whose premiums
would subsidize those of older and less healthy subscribers. Not sure how
all the fore mentioned public systems pay their way when they compete
against a private system, but they do, and better than does Canada's.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - Soros Care

Canadiansteve — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:27:06 -0000

I was talking about this truly insane fiction:

`Unless, of course they are too underweight, then they are allowed to die,
and recorded in your statistics as never having lived, which skews your
infant mortality statistics.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - Abandon the Kennedy Way

Canadiansteve — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:47:08 -0000

I saw that earlier today - love Mark Steyn.

He makes the best argument against government care. When government is
intrinsically involved in citizens' health care, the essential relationship
of individual and state fundamentally changes. The individual now takes it
for granted that government looks after him. Conversely, he assumes less
responsibility for himself not only with respect to health care, but in
general.

Now, again, a parallel public/private system would mitigate that dynamic.

Regardless, it is the one definitive point of view to be brought forward by
government health care opponents, yet is somehow not much expressed. Too
bad. Because that discussion would generalize to a much needed philosophical
debate between the nature of modern conservatism and liberalism.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - How to Defeat the Left

Canadiansteve — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:00:02 -0000

I agree. But one can be profoundly religious - not that i am - yet neither
conflate left wing ideology with your beliefs nor be fundamentalist. Perhaps
you're one such person. Certainly many conservatives meet this discription,
about whom many on the left are wrong.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - Abandon the Kennedy Way

Canadiansteve — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:15:04 -0000

All true, to a degree. But Canadian horror stories are exaggerated while
American horror stories are downplayed. Still, our system is not what it was
and is not one to be copied elsewhere. As said before, look to France,
Switzerland and Japan where there are no line ups, everyone has a doctor,
and you can choose between the public and private systems.

As for research...well, there's tons of prominent medical research going on
in Canada at universities. And private companies can still earn profits from
discoveries. It's not as if the public health care system would oversee much
research.

Steve

Re: FrontPage Magazine - How to Defeat the Left

Canadiansteve — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:26:02 -0000

It is, of course, always the case that any intellectual movement, such as
the Enlightenment, will have various components and adherents of varying
perspective and opinion. But that an essential feature of the Enlightennment
was the drive to cast off the ingtellectual and political control of the
church and faith generally over society cannot be denied.

Human nature is such that people and their groups tend to seek increasing
control over others and society. Those of faith are no different. That
Christianity, when abided truly and faithfully, can not be objectively read
to propose either theocracy or political dominance of faith is beside the
point. What matters is reality, that which would happen and did. Hence,
despite giving birth to history's greatest civilization, the Christian world
was greatly constrained until it cast off the yolk of both faith based and
monarchical political control. Only with the Enlightenment and the explosion
in intellectual freedom, and then concomitant democracy to follow, did the
west achieve its true greatness - therefore in science and military power
too.

Once largely politically circumscribed, and when western societies
culturally changed so as to abjectly reject faith based political control,
churches accepted their change in status and freedom itself. That meant,
however reluctantly, even accepting people's freedom to criticize and hold
to account churches.

Ironically, the Enlightenment led to, I believe, much more accurate reading
of faith. Today's conservative faithful are the most true Christians ever.

Left wing Christians, however, have become over the past generation or two,
religiously sabotaged by their political culture, seeing their faith as one
and the same as their politics. In a sense they've come full circle: in the
name of faith they want political dominance. Because, they believe, "we are
righteous and truly caring in the way of Jesus", our politics align with our
Christian beliefs, justifying the kind of encompassing political control the
left and its socialism craves. It justifies activist left wing courts,
income redistribution, affirmative action, cultural relativism,
multiculturalism...even one-sided, mind boggling bias against Israel.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - Abandon the Kennedy Way

Canadiansteve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:48:08 -0000

In fact i think Obama will go further in his quest for greater socialism.
But he's not likely wanting to go any further with it than Israel or Sweden.

Canada's health care system is better than those Americans opposing
government health care say. But it's not great - although it once was.
France, Switzerland and Japan have superior ones.

Hospitals are all run by boards answerable to government. There are some
private clinics doing specialty surgery and other services, their bills paid
by government. We need far more of them.

Doctors work for themselves, not government which pays their bills.

We need a parallel private system, both as a competitor to the public
system, and to ensure that those who want to pay out of pocket can do so.
Freedom and choice, therefore.

Bear in mind that health care is a provincial responsibility. We have,
therefore, 10 different systems, maybe more if the northern territories run
their own. Alberta, where I live, will soon change the way hospitals are
paid. Instead of getting a lump sum annually, reducing motivation to provide
extra treatment/service, they will be paid per service provided.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - How to Defeat the Left

Canadiansteve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:37:03 -0000

I agree.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - Abandon the Kennedy Way

Canadiansteve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:32:02 -0000

Howie, I didn't say other's health plans are good, only that Obama is not
likely for any more socialism than they have.

(BTW, some of those plans are excellent: no waits, unlimited care, and no
one needing or wanting to come to the US.)

Nor did I say high taxes are good; again, only that Obama is likely seeking
equivalent degrees of socialism as in other democracies - and I stress,
democracies. It's worth noting too, that although on the whole the American
economy has grown more than theirs over the past 20 years, they've been
growing too. Canada's economy has growm more than any other, in fact, over
the past 5 or so, despite higher personal taxes than paid by Americans (not
that I'm advocating for high taxes). And we incurred far less debt relative
to GDP than the US during this recession, and we had a net increase in jobs
last month - we're pretty much out of it now, in other words.

Moreover, Europe has been cutting taxes in the past few years I believe;
certainly Canada has been. In fact, and as you say, American business is
competeting more and more with a high tax regime disadvantage.

I didn't say either that the Patriot Act was bad. In fact, I suggested
otherwise and that the left opposed it anyhow. And so now I wonder if
because we're distrustful of the Obama admin as were leftists of Bush's,
whether we're apt to be cynical about any effort it makes at security as the
left was when Republicans were in power. Just a question. Not that i don't
continue to feel Bush maintained an excellent balance between protecting
democratic freedoms and security, while I feel Obama would need to be
watched before trust can be established.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - How to Defeat the Left

Canadiansteve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:03:02 -0000

If you believe the Enlightenment was to "destroy G-d," I can only assume
you're a fundamentalist believer of whatever faith. hence, you're
revisionism.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - Abandon the Kennedy Way

Canadiansteve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:27:02 -0000

You could be right, and close watch is imperative.

But bear in mind that he only proposes a health care plan that most
democracies already have. He probably is heading toward tax rates others
have borne for years. Although - they tend to be heading toward lower taxes
just as he is going in reverse.

We'll see what happens with the internet kill switch option. But it is
intended to ward off terrorist plans and terrorist communications during a
terrorist attack. Recall how the leftb responded to the Patriot Act and
other Bush efforts to secure the nation. Are we now doing the same? However,
that doesn't mean vigilance isn't reuqired to proplery balance freedom and
security.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - How to Defeat the Left

Canadiansteve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:12:04 -0000

As I suggested, these facts can be found from inumerous sources.

Left's version? You've got to be kidding! This is historical fact. (And I'm
a conservative, sharing most of FPM's perspective.)

A principle point of the Enlightenment was to break free of the church, and
allow freedom of thought and discovery. It worked. So much so, a few hundred
years later the RC came to agree in retrospect. Hence, Pope John Paul's
apologia for prior RC demogaguery and opposition to freedom.

Re: FrontPage Magazine - How to Defeat the Left

Canadiansteve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:08:05 -0000

That's exactly what would have happened.