CanPol Megathread: Big Changus

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cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

xtal posted:

Aside, but I really enjoy this probate. I didn't see that coming 10 years ago.

The most effective way to effect positive social change is to aggressively moderate a low traffic internet comedy forum thread.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2019 20:30

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 17:59

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

I like this thread when CI posted here because he posted content and links and it wasn�t just the masturbatory opining of goons.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2019 00:43

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Pinterest Mom posted:

That article seems to be arguing against claims nobody is making, especially

Gates doesn�t argue that, and it�s dishonest to say so. see say here.

But extreme inequality should not be ignored�or worse, celebrated as a sign that we have a high-performing economy and healthy society. Yes, some level of inequality is built in to capitalism. As Piketty argues, it is inherent to the system. The question is, what level of inequality is acceptable? And when does inequality start doing more harm than good? That�s something we should have a public discussion about, and it�s great that Piketty helped advance that discussion in such a serious way.

Um Bill sounds like a piece of poo poo. That�s classic bootstraps poo poo right there. He apparently thinks that inequality is inherently good but the problem is excessive inequality.

Capitalists don�t care about excessive inequality because it hurts people, they care because it is destabilizing and threatens revenue growth.

cowofwar fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Jan 29, 2019

# ¿ Jan 29, 2019 20:30

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Building the skytrain halfway to UBc is the dumbest loving idea. Build it the whole way and then upzone the poo poo out of that area. Transit needs to connect urban centres, a line the full way would do that, terminating the line at Arbutus does would be awful. I would take the skytrain to my job at UBC if it went all the way; if I had to get off and transfer on to a bus then gently caress that I�m still driving.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2019 07:43

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

The Butcher posted:

Upzone the poo poo out of the urban half part by all means, but leave the giant chunk of forest alone.

We can't get that back.

Sorry do you mean the forest with three roads, a golf course, and mansions through it currently enjoyed only by wealthy single family homeowners?

And obviously there would be no way to build the skytrain along University Blvd given it is a two section road split by a large median conveniently the size of elevated rail pillars.

cowofwar fucked around with this message at 07:51 on Jan 31, 2019

# ¿ Jan 31, 2019 07:48

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

The Butcher posted:

Dude there is a ton more undeveloped than built.

Way better to focus first on rezoning the seas of SFH instead of taking down our last remaining urban forests.

Why would building a transit link necessitate development of the UEL? Approval of a skytrain line isn't approval of development which has been shut down multiple times. Development generally concentrates around stations as well and there wouldn't be one put in the forest.

Also is improving access by the rest of Vancouver to this forest public good not desirable?

# ¿ Jan 31, 2019 08:10

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

vyelkin posted:

lol the lawyers for the oil company agree with you

Well of course.

Blame government for absence of fund.
Lobby government against creation of fund.

Industry wins again.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2019 03:06

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Ontario is bravely leading the country to a privatized healthcare.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/01/31/leaked-document-privatization-health-care/

# ¿ Feb 1, 2019 06:25

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

MikeSevigny posted:

I feel like mass turnover in the Liberal party actually helps them, especially if the turnover is mostly veteran MLAs who were around for all of their last reign. Christy lost a lot of people in 2013 (like Kevin Falcon, or that guy who mysteriously got his old managerial job back at ICBC whose name I don't remember but he was a dipshit) and it seemed to freshen the party up a little, put the new leader's stamp on it. Now in this case, Andrew Wilkinson IS one of those old MLAs, so that's a problem. But combine a bunch of new, younger candidates with his current "we're going to be incredibly transparent about everything we do starting... right now" push might work for him, especially if the media decides to agree that all the Liberal scandals aren't the fault of this sexy new BC Liberal party that probably doesn't talk to Rich Coleman much anymore, as far as you know.

Looking forward to next young Liberal MLA that doesn�t use computers or email because he�s a farmer or whatever and not because it eliminates paper trails.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2019 08:53

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Baronjutter posted:

It looks like the true western alienation is bc feeling nothing in common with other provinces.

Makes sense since BC is not even part of the original north american plate. The whole province is volcanic island accretion against the plate.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2019 02:41

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Kraftwerk posted:

I may have been a little overzealous with my original post.
Yes. Spain has its problems. But like one of the other posters said sometimes it�s fun to trade one set of problems for another or explore the idea of a different set of living circumstances.

I should underline that I do have friends and my life isn�t a disaster. But I�ve been so frustrated with cost of living and certain circumstances that when my family finally insisted I take a vacation from my stressful job I felt like I had an escape.

Still- climatewise I�d prefer Spain hands down. And if I can secure a transfer I would happily explore the opportunity just to get away for a bit and do something else.

That said you guys went way too hard with the whole rich white person schtick. Spain has the same problems any other country has but its still a 1st world country that delivers a reasonable quality of life.

There is absolutely no reason to get belligerent and poo poo on everything the moment someone is having a good time. The entire thing could have been explained more politely.

Wasn�t PT6A on the Spain and Cigar train a couple years ago?

# ¿ Feb 8, 2019 19:12

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

It would be best for the progressive left if the federal NDP just disbanded and a new party took their place. It�s a garbage party with too much institutional baggage and career boomers.

The NDP will never form government and their existence is going to result in the resurgence of the left in the US being a wet fart here in Canada.

# ¿ Feb 11, 2019 01:36

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

patonthebach posted:

There was a time about 50 or 75 years ago where the conservatives of the USA were big into the environment and natural parks and protecting wildlife etc. Doesn't mean much today, but there was a history there of them caring.

That being said there a bunch of right leaning people in the hunting/fishing area that actually do give a poo poo about the environment but there isn't enough of the die-hards who care about preserving marsh/wetlands to make a big difference in the voting blocks.

Conservatives care about their environment in which they can hunt and fish freely. They don�t give a poo poo about climate or other people�s environmental or climate rights beyond that point, especially if it involves government regulations.

Observe their lack of concern about first nation�s peoples� rights to hunt or fish. Or their lack of concern about the environment (not where they hunt or fish or cottage) when it comes to private corps dumping and fouling.

To be fair though this isn�t just conservatives, it�s most people.

cowofwar fucked around with this message at 08:07 on Feb 19, 2019

# ¿ Feb 19, 2019 08:05

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Singh is so bad

https://twitter.com/globalbc/status/1098364755528609793?s=21

# ¿ Feb 21, 2019 17:44

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

infernal machines posted:

Did someone slip him the neoliberal playbook in an orange dust jacket or something?

Yes. He is not progressive at all or actually leading with ideas that actually address the underlying problems.

https://twitter.com/cdnmortgagenews/status/1098583224840867841?s=21

# ¿ Feb 21, 2019 18:05

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

NDP went with Singh because he was able to raise money. Unfortunately they didn�t go with a candidate who had ideas that could garner public support and by extension raise money.

This is the major problem with the NDP, they want to short cut the process. First become popular, then raise money, then form government. They are unwilling to do this because it requires risk and the NDP career staff are all risk adverse. Which is why the whole party needs to be flushed and replaced with an activist grass roots organization that can form a new party.

cowofwar fucked around with this message at 20:35 on Feb 21, 2019

# ¿ Feb 21, 2019 20:30

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Although when I lived in Hamilton it was an NDP stronghold but those voters weren�t progressive. They were low income, from blue collar pro-union families who voted NDP because that�s how their family always voted. I doubt they would support a progressive left party which is why the NDP keeps chasing the LPC on �middle class� bullshit.

They don�t want to lose those voters and they don�t want to lose Quebec so you end up with a party too terrified to make any policy changes or take positions and they just wither and die as the world changes around them.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2019 20:41

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Math You posted:

The NDP positions (plural!) on mortgages are so loving retarded I really do find it hard to believe. Are they concerned Jagmeet won't win his Burnaby riding unless they juice the retarded pro housing market vote or something?

This was my impression. Federal NDP policy is being set on the back of his Burnaby riding election. It�s gross.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2019 22:58

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

There just needs to be a new federal party focused on addressing fundamental issues of inequality with every policy plank benched explicitly against dealing with these issues. Each policy plank also needs to be data driven and evidence based. So what is the actual issue being addressed and how has the proposed policy worked elsewhere?

Every federal party fails these core criteria because policy is determined based on stakeholder interests rather than assessment of the current state of the public.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2019 23:38

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

vyelkin posted:

I don't think this is what this article shows.

First of all, there's this:

This is exactly the kind of thing we criticize the NDP for: it's all indirect, indirect, indirect. Singh believes inequality is wrong, sure. He says that repeatedly and I have no doubt he believes it. But when pressed for how he's going to combat inequality, his answer is fiddling with tax rates on capital gains and stock options.

Later, at a town hall, he gets pressed on this.

He gets asked a straightforward question, inspired by AOC's proposal for doubling tax rates on the wealthy, and again has the big rhetoric about combating inequality, and then again his answer is about capital gains taxes and trying to combat tax avoidance. Even in a situation where he's facing a friendly audience (it's a town hall featuring him and a few other progressives, hosted by labour and progressive activist groups, and the other candidates didn't show up), he doesn't adjust his rhetoric to suit the greater ambition of his audience, because he genuinely believes that the solution to inequality is tweaking capital gains taxes and tax avoidance. If we could just tweak the edges of the system it would all be fine. Ignoring the fact that it's the very mechanisms driving the system itself that are destroying our society and our planet.

I know I poo poo on the NDP all the time for just riding the coattails of American movements but this really is a situation where he should just say yes. AOC and Bernie Sanders are causing politics-watchers and pollsters to actually ask people how they feel about the rich, and in both Canada and the US at least half of respondents are saying they want direct action to tax them more. But Singh doesn't say yes because he doesn't believe in that as a solution. When the journalist asks the questioner about this, that's exactly what he hears, too. This guy is getting inspired by the direct and serious action proposed by people like AOC, and Singh is dancing around the question instead.

Exact same thing on the Green New Deal. Facing a friendly audience that would probably give him a standing ovation if he just said yes, instead he dances around the question saying um er yeah we need bold action but who knows what that action could be??? He's too scared of pushing away anyone to take a bold stance on anything, which is exactly the problem with the current centrist NDP and exactly what is refreshing about people like Bernie and AOC in the US. They don't give a poo poo if Republicans like them, they aren't going to vote for the socialist anyway. So they take the bold stance that their country and the world actually needs on issues like inequality and climate change, instead of doing the Hillary/mainstream NDP thing of triangulating, triangulating, triangulating, trying to peel off a few hesitant Republicans or Liberals or Conservatives and in the process depressing the people who actually want to turn out and vote for them.

So instead the NDP preemptively compromises because they want to appear like the serious people in the room. Um yeah pipelines are bad so we don't approve of this pipeline. But serious people with MPAs know that extremism, like saying "no pipelines ever", is unserious, so they have to find a different pipeline to support so that they can say "see? We don't oppose all pipelines, instead we look seriously at each one and weigh the pros and cons and think long and hard and decide that this pipelines is bad but that pipelines is good". But what their base wants to hear is "no pipelines because pipelines are killing the planet you loving morons" and the people who are staunchly pro-pipeline will never vote for the NDP anyway because they think the NDP are communists.

This is the moment where Singh probably appears the strongest in this whole article, and it's very telling that it's a moment that has nothing to do with policy. He uses his identity and his inspiring personal background to shame people who are anti-immigration, and say Canada should be more welcoming to refugees. And as the journalist points out at the end, his strongest moment comes not when he's discussing policies, but when he's forced to defend his background and identity against old-stock Canadian racism. I respect him for that and I'm glad he can stand up for himself and for a multicultural Canada like that, though I wish he didn't have to. I bet we could turn it into a viral video like the one that won him the leadership after he got heckled by that racist lady. But in the end it's just more of what Singh's already doing: saying nice things about how we're all in this together and being telegenic while having no substance behind the progressive words and image.

He seems like a nice guy who genuinely cares, and who can be charming in person, but he has repeatedly demonstrated that either he has no meaningful substance behind his friendly personal characteristics, or that when he does have meaningful substance it's not what the country needs. We don't need an NDP version of Trudeau who if he got elected would fiddle with tax rates while giving inspiring speeches. We need bold action and ambitious plans that excite people about maybe not living in a hellworld anymore, and Singh absolutely does not offer that. When people ask him directly "do you or do you not support this bold plan and vision for a world that isn't horrible?" he hems and haws and says well maybe we need to think about not living in a hellworld but we need to be Very Serious People about it and that means accepting that we live in a hellworld and trying to make the best of it.

A good post. Singh would be a decent MP but he's a lovely leader for a supposedly progressive party. He's no different from Mulcair or Layton which makes it pretty clear that the NDP isn't what I actually want it to be.

# ¿ Feb 23, 2019 08:28

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Maybe if the LPC keeps eating poo poo they will actually roll through PR because it will get them in rather.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2019 18:14

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

infernal machines posted:

Yeah, sure, just like the last time they ate poo poo and promised electoral reform...

I don�t mean the next time they�re in. If their polling is sufficiently bad before the election I wouldn�t put it past them to introduce a PR method that rigs the vote for them before the election is called. He technically still has the mandate.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2019 18:39

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

PittTheElder posted:

So apparently the CAQ have decided to not be ineffectual cowards, and just implement PR like they said they would, sans Referendum.
https://globalnews.ca/news/5001665/quebec-no-referendum-electoral-reform/

Quebec: still the best province?

loving finally, hopefully Quebec will drag the rest of the country in-line.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2019 18:17

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Vintersorg posted:

I loving hate Conservative think of, "spending on things is bad!!"

Like what do you do with all the tax money?? How are these loving rear end in a top hat shits in charge of stuff?

Conservatives believe that the government can be removed, taxes abolished, and that somehow their lives will be unaffected. They are really loving stupid.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2019 18:24

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Maneck posted:

Also relevant: it's unpopular and keeps getting rejected by the voting public.

It�s unpopular when put to a referendum but referendums always sway status quo because they are low turn-out and so voters are predominantly fearful old people.

Also PR is too complex for the average low info voters. We elect representatives whose role is to figure these complex things out in detail for us; dumping a complicated series of choices on a complicated matter to the public in a referendum is retarded. A person will always reflexively vote status quo when overwhelmed.

Also NDP wont push PR because they are a temporarily embarrassed majority party. Just like the Liberals, they don�t want a system that might dilute their power if they win; so they are willing to cut off their nose to spite their face.

cowofwar fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Feb 28, 2019

# ¿ Feb 28, 2019 20:46

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

yippee cahier posted:

Well, I finally joined the NDP. When will I be able to vote for more progressive policies?

When you get a whole lot of money and power and lobby for them.

# ¿ Mar 1, 2019 07:21

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

I hope it goes CPC minority/NDP opposition to just show how much of a gently caress up turfing electoral reform was. With electoral reform LPC would have had a permanent minority government at least but they wanted to have complete power for the benefit of their buds on Bay St.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2019 21:44

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Phillpot resigned because cabinet was effectively discussing character assassination strategies.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2019 21:49

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

I enjoy having to consult with my doctor every year to confirm that yes, I still need insulin for the disease with which I will die, because the pharmacist is too much of a loving tool to accept one iota of liability and my insurer is a profit seeking corporation.

# ¿ Mar 6, 2019 04:03

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Eej posted:

Come on down to BC, where I can renew your insulin prescription forever under my name

I�m in BC. I know that pharmacists can do it, my doctors know this (which is why they give me lovely prescriptions) but the pharmacists tell me to go away and come back with a better script.

I just get my wife to write all my diabetic prescriptions because she isn�t embarrassingly incompetent.

My endo is too lazy to give me a blood req and their office tells me to get one from my primary care physician. What. The. gently caress?

# ¿ Mar 7, 2019 06:04

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

A Typical Goon posted:

https://twitter.com/nikiashton/status/1102576636375916544?s=21

Niki's actually getting pretty good at Twitter. She wants to be AOC so badly

Good tweet but 253 retweets shows she is def not AOC.

# ¿ Mar 8, 2019 00:34

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

AOC is popular because she�s progressive, genuine, relatable. The the most similar NDP MP is probably Charlie Angus.

Ashton is nothing like AOC other than a young woman.

# ¿ Mar 8, 2019 01:08

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

If you look at Sikhism, a social democratic party should be the most in-line in terms of values but he is also a noncommittal lawyer with a penchant for nothingisms so definitely on the LpC side there.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2019 23:48

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Arcsquad12 posted:

Is Jag incapable of using concrete examples in his speeches? Out of all three leaders he has got to be the least decisive sounding speaker. Trudeau might be wishy-washy and spout a whole lot of nothing but when he's working off of a script his speechwriters have tailored for him he can actually sound articulate.

Every drat time Jagmeet talks it's a blur of white noise "were doing a thing to a thing because of a thing for a thing" without ever saying what thing is.

"Quebec has an identity. So we're doing a thing for Quebec, such as"

Saying anything definitively could lose you a vote somewhere!

# ¿ Mar 12, 2019 08:09

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Every additional student also creates additional workloads in terms of grading and evaluations. So adding ten kids is basically adding another ten hours a week of work on to the teacher with no additional time or pay.

# ¿ Mar 14, 2019 20:15

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

PT6A posted:

I think we should get rid of the homeless, by giving them homes, instead of spending horrendous amounts of money on services for the homeless that are still minimally effective because it's no-poo poo incredibly difficult to function in society with no fixed address and no place to live.

But why would anyone work if they could get government housing for free!?!?!?

I don�t want $10,000,000 spent housing homeless people, I want $10,000,000 spent on extra ER costs, police officers, etc to manage the homeless!

Improving the lives of the underclass is a net subtraction of my privilege

cowofwar fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Mar 14, 2019

# ¿ Mar 14, 2019 21:46

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

PhilippAchtel posted:

https://twitter.com/forexposure_txt/status/1100037775540203520

Da fuk

# ¿ Mar 17, 2019 03:36

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Syfe posted:

Well, going after kids is a solid conservative strategy. Basically most of what Ford has done this year in office is cut away at anything the youth had, opportunities to free post-secondary education, access to quality secondary education or elementary education or specialized education. Children's aid cuts, class sizes increases, dumb bans on phones that breed distrust and distract teachers. Cutting out kids from OHIP+ in some dumb analytics free move, like just any household can absorb such costs even with insurance in a way that doesn't just randomly harm the kid in some situations, just having all kids covered made sense. It's been a horrifying stirring to watch in Ontario, horribly sad to see them just go straight for the kids with machetes out, "efficiencies."

I had a coworker on Friday crying next to me, because our benefits are so lovely and her child has very expensive medication. So a cost that was covered under OHIP+ was forced to be covered under hers, which is a large burden on her family now.

Yeah but she didn't vote or voted for Ford right?

# ¿ Mar 17, 2019 04:16

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 17:59

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002; by Athanatos

Lien posted:

This is absolutely true. I have a friend who is very mentally ill, for a few reasons. He's autistic, and had a really rough time growing up, so he has a lot of issues relating to people and trusting them. It's deeply compounded by the fact that he lives in poverty because he's too ill to work. He got trapped in a shite living situation too, and has had bedbugs for basically the past 6 years or so. He has been living like this because he didn't want to tell people, because he was afraid of losing friends. Literally the only reason this changed was he had a breakdown and told me about it-- I had no idea things were that bad until recently. And since then, trying to get help for him has been a loving *terrible* process. Like, getting him mental health care took a long-rear end time, and then trying to get him the appropriate government support has been horrifying, because there's so much paperwork, and such a long processing time. I honestly can't understand how anyone who is not neurotypical, abled, and skilled with paperwork is supposed to get through the system, and it's because government support in particular seems based on the idea that people are lying to get support. Because living on $1688 in Alberta gives you such a loving baller lifestyle, everyone dreams of living under the poverty line?? I am not sure that there is a path for him that ends up with him having a rich social circle and a life that is anything much beyond liveable at best.

Whereas, my mental health experience has been much much more pleasant, and it's because I have enough money and good health insurance plan that allows me to phone up a therapist and get in to see them immediately when I need to, and if I *had* to move apartments tomorrow, I could.

Yeah but i bet he has a fridge and a tv!

# ¿ Mar 21, 2019 20:15

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