Have you noticed that the news media generally refuses to discuss important issues during election campaigns and instead just focuses on ridiculously unimportant, mostly fabricated “scandals”. The People of Canada deserve better than this.
Imagine how engaged voters would be if our political debate were focused on real issues such as:
Item #1: Health Care
In an interview from a few days ago, Dr. Brian Day, past president of the Canadian Medical Association, spoke about the state of Canada’s Health Care:
Part 2
Item #2: Unsustainable Commitments to the Public Sector
A Demographic Time Bomb is ticking down and certain to destroy our economy if something isn’t done to fix it. Simply put, an endless stream of politicians have agreed to wages, benefits, and pensions for public sector employees that are absolutely unsustainable. They agreed to these deals solely focused on the matter at hand and their re-election a few years hence but never bothered to consider the major demographic changes in society.
Way back when there were many more private sector employees for each public sector employee and there were many more workers for each retiree. All of that has changed now, yet it is rarely discussed. With so many entitled addicted to their entitlements, it’s no surprise why most politicians prefer to just push the problem forward to their successors rather than deal with it themselves. But the longer we don’t deal with it, the worse the problem will be to fix. Does anyone honestly think we can avoid the economic-based riots in Europe and near riots in America?
CKNW’s Michael Campbell brilliantly discussed this issue on his show Saturday morning, beginning at 33:45.
If health care were an issue in this election it would be. The opposition and media actually would like to turn this into a health care election despit showing no interest in the topic for 3 years previous.
The issues that are real that the oppposition and media do not want to talk about. Econonmics, other than puff ball rhetoric around how it could be different. Oddly we may end up in an obscure dicscussion on corporate tax policy.
The other issue neither of thise two parties wants to talk about is a coalition/accord/agreement amongst the third fouth and fifth parties and how that would affect their spedning and tax agendas.
As the post put it, with a coalition its all downhill from an already high spending tax and spend Liberal budget.
Wise politicians have figured out that if they don’t actually say anything, they don’t get into trouble. Most of the stuff that gets in the media is posed and choreographed, from loudmouths who try to hijack political meetings, to the “gotcha” tripe reported everywhere. Seldom does anyone do any thoughtful analysis of party platforms. Now you’ve got the CBC acting as cheerleaders for the Liberals on our dime–it would be folly for the Conservatives to try to engage the public on any real issues because it’s guaranteed that anything they said would be distorted. In fact, I cringe when some backwater politician attempts to make a splash with some idiotic comment–the kind of stuff one might say over coffee. I’m waiting for a Conservative candidate to lose the election for us with one startlingly stupid comment just before voting day.
rita,
Shades of 2004? and then the media tried it again in 2006. The cards in the Liberal playbook haven’t changed much in 6 years, maybe 60.
1) Hidden agenda
2) Conservatives will cut (see #1 above) social programs, health care
3) Warmonger like US Republicans
4) Will make abortion illegal
5) Anti immirant (this one has largely disappeared, but is waiting for a comeback)
6) Beholden to BIG business (always a lie when you loked at where the money came from)
7) Don’t like Canada (this one has been taken away recently)
Its always the same. So the Liberals want to turn this election into hidden agenda on the cuts to government spending which I expect them to drop the “A” bomb on anytime.
So with all due respect to Robert, this election isnt about helalth care, nevr was about health care and should only be about health care to the extent that universal health care requires a solid and growing economy to continue providing what we have. The best answer for that is a growth platform, not a harvest platform (Liberal and NDP).
Health Care will be debated in less perilous circumstances, i.e. in 2 years when the Canada Health Act is up for renewal and one hopes there is a mjority conservative government that might be able to briong new options, other than $$$$$ to the table.
The fact that as one political scientist put it last year that Canada will soon replace Italy as the poster child for dysfunctional parliaments and dysfunctional democracies in the West, surely shouldn’t be of any concern.
Government in contempt of parliament. Check
Government contributing to misinformation (coalitions are unconstitutional and the so called “losers don’t get to form government” even if one of our best allies, Israel, is one such government). Check
Electoral system that is archaic and profoundly flawed. Check
Voter turnout at unprecedentedly low levels. Check
Civic ignorance and apathy at unprecedentedly low level. Check
Anyway, in light of the recent Arcade Fire debacle, I’ll have to be careful about allusions to popular culture. But here goes. I’ll go slow for you guys.
There’s this fairly popular sport, apparently invented by a Canadian. It’s called “basketball”. And there’s an association of professional teams called the NBA. Now there’s a city in Canada called Toronto that has one such team, and at one point they had a star player named Vince Carter. Now he was a really good player but really excelled at something called dunking the basketball, and during the All-Star games there would often be held what’s called a Slam Dunk Contest.
Now, in the year 2000 Vince Carter represented the Toronto Raptors in one such contest and after performing an unbelievable dunk pointed skyward, walked toward the TV camera waved his arms and mouthed “it is over!” There was of course no need to finish the competition because the result was no longer in doubt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jujjs5Qnit8
With this said, while having carefully watched the campaign and the polling numbers, I now say to you regarding Harper’s reign of error (terror’s a little strong) “It is Over!” My prediction:
A reduced minority for Conservatives. Given the CPC’s unworkable relationship with the Opposition, Harper will not be able to solicit the confidence of parliament to form yet another minority government. A Liberal NDP coalition will emerge, and the BQ will prop up (as they did with the Harper government) such a government. Ideally, the LIberals and NDP would have a majority of the seats between, but that likely won’t happen.
Regardless, Canadians will finally realize that coalition governments are not only constitutional, they can actually work well. And this will eventually pave the way toward proportional electoral representation in this country.
So the big question is: Who will be the next leader of the CPC? Assuming that is that the CPC coalition of conservatives remains intact following the election.
I know, I know, I should have used the more Canadian cultural referent (Nananananananaa, hey hey good-bye), but that’s so cliche.
Robert: “Have you noticed that the news media generally refuses to discuss important issues during election campaigns…Item #1: Health care.”
– “With Harper and Ignatieff mum on medicare, alarm sounds on ‘spending disease’” – Globe and Mail, April 6th (theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/with-harper-and-ignatieff-mum-on-medicare-alarm-sounds-on-spending-disease/article1972949/?from=sec368)
– “No dodging the health care question” – Globe and Mail, April 6th (theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/no-dodging-the-health-care-question/article1973813/)
– “Health-care system needs major surgery: David Dodge” – CTV.com, April 6th (ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20110406/david-dodge-health-care-110406/20110406?s_name=election2011)
– “She said / he said: Health-care costs and party positioning” – CBC.com, April 7th (cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/04/07/cv-election-kheiriddin-reid.html)
– “The crisis no leader is talking about” – National Post, April 7th (financialpost.com/news/features/crisis+leader+talking+about/4572347/story.html)
Davenport,
Media created issue. This election isnt about health care, hasnt been. This is another attempt to whip up an issue for no good reason.
There are lots of important issues, and one I would argue takes precendence because of the related discussion, is what is our defence starety in the next 15 to 20 years, because that drives procurement.
As far as I can discern, there are no issues in this campaign. Most of the issues that I care about are taboo, I guess. Harper is a wimp, but Iggy is a bleeding heart big spending social engineer. I’ll take Harper and hope that he’s replaced soon. If this election turns out to be a draw, I hope his job comes up for grabs. If the Cons get a big majority and do some of the things I want to see, I still won’t be happy. We need political candidates that are straight up with us. Grrrrrrr.
Government contributing to misinformation (coalitions are unconstitutional and the so called “losers don’t get to form government” even if one of our best allies, Israel, is one such government). ~ Bill Stewart
Try explaining your contention of Canada/Israel similarity in actual numbers.
I don’t consider health care the most important issue unless we are going to discuss how it is provincial responsability and the feds should stay out of regulating it, funding it or involving themselves in it.Duplication creates waste. If the federal government wants to be involved, change the constitution.
The issue I consider the most important is the Liberal proposal for a carbon tax. This would be the most important change in a generation affecting our way of life, economy and potentially our ability to pay for anything including health care. It could be the biggest wealth transfer from the west to Ottawa in history. This proposal is included in the RED BOOK and has recieved zero discussion. Instead we talk about a radical being tossed from a meeting or how an unknown no talent rock band doesn’t like Harper. I agree Robert lets have a national discussionon something that matters.
Bill Stewart: Let me get straight what you are hoping for; neither the Martin government nor the Harper government were able to effectively function because the Canadian parliament was split and agreement was impossible for the passage of countless pieces of legislation. Proportional rep. would enshrine that sort of disfunction into Canada forever. Should that be our aim; complete disfunction? Further, suppose Mr Ignatieff leads a coalition with the support of the Bloc. Mr Duceppe has stated his focus is and will always be entirely Quebec. How long can a parliament like that last; with Duceppe’s “sword of Damocles” held over its head.
I wonder what Dr.Brian thinks about Obamacare? Sounds like that is exactly what he is proposing: mandatory private insurance with gov paying for those who cannot afford it.
Bill: “…they can actually work well”
No they don’t. The evidence in every European country with similar situations such as the Netherlands and Germany is that all the real politics moves behind closed doors in the kind of brokerage politics that what you voted for is never what you get.
“Government in contempt of parliament.”
It never crossed your mind for even one instant that this was an agenda driven by an opposition looking for election ammunition?
“…while having carefully watched the campaign and the polling numbers…It is Over”
The funniest one yet. Which polls would those be? The ones done be glue-sniffers anonymous? Even the besieged voters of Toronto finally threw the left detritus into Toronto harbour after the last municipal there. What really seems to be happening is that while the Liberals will certainly be strong in Parliament again for the first time ever there are no safe seats for them anywhere this time.
And who’s the anonymous political scientist? Noam Chomsky or his ilk? You can always find some mendacious idiot to spout anything you like.
And good luck with that prediction. We’ll meet you at the polls.
To say health care is the number 1 concern of Canadians is not the same as saying it is the top election issue. Administration of health care is a provincial responsibility; the present transfer agreement is in place till 2014.
The CBC commentators all independently “noticed” that the CPC platform said nothing about the accelerator clause in the agreement after 2014. Immedeiately this is ramped into a story that they may cut funding to health care. Flaherty was forced to say that this accelerator (6%) would go beyind 2014. Not exactly the bast way to open negotiations with the provinces. The Liberals and their media allies are simply looking for a “hidden agenda” issue to target the CPC.
Any day now some Liberal woman will announce plans to limit abortion on demand; Judy Sgro are you ready?
There are indeed important issues at this time but they are neither being talked about by politicians or focused on by the voters. Here’s a few:
1. the impending breakup and sale of AECL;
2. Canada’s role in the civil war in Libya;
3. Canada’s role in the civll war in Afghanistan;
4. The need for re-equipping of Canada’s armed forces;
5. The desperate need for a national securities regulator;
6. Arctic sovereignty. If we don’t have a policy then we will keep having incidents like the clash with Denmark. Only next time it will be the US and Russia.
7. The massive overburden of environmental regulation and legislation.
8. The staggeringly slow pace of Canada’s various free trade negotiations. Why the PM put that dullard Peter Van Loan in charge I will never understand. Things ground virtually to a halt after Stock Day left International Trade.
Pedant watch: I think you mean “reluctance,” not “reticence.”
Someone, above, mentioned that Canada’s
Parliament might soon be one of the most
dysfunctional governing bodies. That will
be hard to do, as the US Congress has that
honor and Canadians will not, no matter how
hard they try, take the crown.
The farce, which was the shutdown comedy
this week, where the gutless Republicans
and the socialist Democrats finally agreed
to cut 38 billion out of a trillion plus
debt…while spending 52 billion while
they argued.
Even Italy would have a tough time topping
that one.
Bill Stewart at April 10, 2011 9:57 AM, here are the numbers for the countries you’re comparing:
ISRAEL 2009 ELECTION
Kadima 28 seats 23.3%
Likud 27 seats 22.5%
All others 65 seats 54.2%
TOTAL 120
Likud takes office (appointed by the Knesset)
CANADA 2008 ELECTION
Cons 143 seats 46.4%
Lib 77 seats 25.0%
All others 88 seats 28.6%
TOTAL 308
Winner takes office (appointed by GG)
Show me a parliamentary democracy in the world that would exclude the party with an overwhelming plurality, and I’ll show you an odd duck governed by a “coalition of losers”.
@nold: “Bill Stewart: Let me get straight what you are hoping for; neither the Martin government nor the Harper government were able to effectively function because the Canadian parliament was split and agreement was impossible for the passage of countless pieces of legislation.”
Actually that’s not what I’m hoping for. I’m hoping for a democratic socialist party to form government. My comment was more what I realistically see as the outcome. Harper’s majority is slipping by the day and we could well see a reduced Harper minority.
As far a proportional representation, coalition governments are very different from minority governments. Harper was a great example of that. In Canada, a minority government means govern as though you have a majority mandate, try to kill your opposition because you’re only in power as long as the opposition tolerates you. A coalition becomes the commonplace in proportional democracy and parties must form formal arrangements and try to work together to govern. Sometimes stable and good arrangements are made, sometimes not. Either way it can’t be more adversarial, acrimonious, and dysfunctional than our minority governments.
As for the source in my original post. Dr. Henry Milner, writing in the just published winter/spring 2010 issue of Inroads: The Canadian Journal of Opinion. As he puts it:
“Political science undergraduates used to learn about Italy as the model of dysfunctional political institutions, characterized by frequent elections and constant uncertainty under minority governments at the mercy of shifting political alliances. Italy transformed its electoral institutions in the 1990s, and while hardly perfect now – as the antics of Signor Berlusconi demonstrate – it has lost its place as model of dysfunctionality among stable democracies to, of all countries, Canada.”
And this was long before the unprecedented formal charge of contempt against the Harper government.
‘Try explaining your contention of Canada/Israel similarity in actual numbers.’
Simple. the governing coalition in Israel is NOT led by the party that received the most votes in the last election. Look it up.
I know Harper likes to frame this as losers don’t get to form government, but to be consistent he should state that any party that get less than a majority is a loser. Thus, all parties are losers and any combination that can form a majority and gain the confidence of parliament is equally legitimate.
Harper/CPC have had a tough row to hoe with a minority.
Liberals will only govern with a coalition.
Rather see CPC with a majority.
“news media generally refuses to discuss important issue” – yes! they are too busy with a massive pile-on on PMSH!
I know Harper likes to frame this as losers don’t get to form government…
Just as the losers try to frame themselves as a united “opposition”.
I see the unseen elephant in the living room is the facy health care is really, constitutionally and by statute not a federal jurisdiction or issue. Yes yes I know the provinces signed some health care agreement with the feds making them 50% responsible for funding, but health care delivery is a provincial matter. I realize the current ponzi scheme of funding and havinf no subsigy from private service is fiscally unsustainable – but it is your MLA/MPP and premier you should be telling this to.
stEPHEN: “Health Care will be debated in less perilous circumstances, i.e. in 2 years when the Canada Health Act is up for renewal.”
The health accord re-negotiations between the feds and the provinces and territories are expected to last several years. Preparations on both sides have already started; the debate is already happening, albeit not yet in fully in the public domain.
The news media should be credited, not disparaged, with raising the issue of health care system funding/sustainability during this election (which they are clearly doing, as noted in my above comment). It’s the federal party leaders who are refusing to talk about it, not the media.
Why is this issue not brought up.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Hydro+power+dirty+side/4585899/story.html
This election is about healthcare? Who knew? I thought it was about the economy and how electing the coalition of losers will turn this economic expansion into a major depression in about 1.5 nanoseconds.
The whole reason this election is even happening is based upon a fabricated ‘issue’ by the opposition, a supposed ‘contempt of parliament.
That issue has no traction except for the most rabid of partisans within the leftist parties.
Joe (or Jolene) Sixpack cares about not paying more taxes, not having government get in their way, and making sure the economy is healthy, so he (or she) can earn a good living.
Iggy is pathetic with his mindless, drippy sentiments, and Laydown carries the torch for the mythical classwar. Lizard May needs children to hold her signs, and Gilles is a footnote in the rest of Canada.
BS
Did you say something?
cgh – your issues are the real issues facing Canadians. Health care was invented by a vile, racist CCF gument in Sask who was led by an avid student of Stalin and Stalin’s pal Hitler. Medicare is a ponzi scheme to hire a bunch of political hacks to ‘advise’ (not scrub wards or serve decent food, they spend time shuffling papers and ‘consulting’ in nice offshore places where they can ‘establish’ retirement plans away from the mediocre care here). Jack Layton used the private Shouldice Clinic to fix his own hernia – Cuba has the best private hospitals in the world…for profit hospitals focus on serving their clients – patients – because the health of patients is tied to the economic health of the institution! People who can afford to save for half million dollar houses to live in could save for a health crisis; my mom and dad always had an emergency fund and they kept themselves and us kids healthy with big doses of outside and hearty food (supplemented with cod liver oil and vit C in the winter). Hospitals are for crisis problems not hang nails. Doctors should not be used for social visits on the public dime, if a person wants to visit with their doctor they should do it on their own dime, IMO. Everyone at our house drank coffee and the adults smoked cigarettes. Not one died from cancer and they lived long lives. My Mom is 90, she still does her own housework in her own place.
People in the boomer generation have paid heavily for the medicare Canada has and we did not have an option like investing in private health insurance. A plan to pay us back and move on to a more practical system would be the best option in my opinion, a plan that considers contributions via taxes would eliminate a lot of freeloaders who moved to our country for free health care would save money and would be just. The out of control costs will bury us if it continues on the track we are on now.
The whole health care is the #1 issue thing is just manufactured hogwash from the pollsters. They probably ask what’s the number one issue for you this election: sidewalk maintenance, dryer lint or healthcare?
BTW Stewart your guy insists there will be no coalition. Are you saying he’s a liar? I’m thankful we will not get to find out since Harper will have a majority and the Liberals will get a new Leader soon.
You know, I always like reading the comments from the bottom up. When I see names like Davenport or Bill Stewart I hit the scroll button.
Davenport
There are many agreements that come up for renewal, including equalization, that negotiations are constantly happening on. Perhaps this election is about equalization. Or perhaps it should be about education, and the amount of money the feds transfer to the provinces, or perhaps it should be about the Federeal SPending power…..goodness whatever hobby horse someone appens to have and tries to toss into the election. Is health care the reason parliament failed to come to an areement, is it the main focus of the budget, was it even the trumped up charge that the opposition vited the government in contempt on.
Nope.
We can disucss helath care every election and as someone pointed out it isnt even a federal jsurisdiction. The negotiations are just that for the moment, negotiations between bureacrats. Options and costs havent even been worked out on any side. Why would you you push an issue that isnt an issue unless there was another agenda.
Dr Day is lobbying for a change, one I happen to have sympathy for, but he is a lobbyist with one issue. The media, well lets just say they would love to have this discussion because anything that is outside the status quo they get to hammer the conservatives on.
Yes lets have a discussion that includes privatization without costs, without real facts or prior debate in 3 weeks when demagougary is at its highest.
There are many issues that will emerge over 2 years, the health care negotitations are one of them. But does it have anything to do with the discussion that we are having? Not really. Rigth now the biggest issue we are facing is how soson we get out of debt, how much will come from tax increases, ow much from growth and how best to ofster that growth.
All parties are saying deficit gone no later than 2015, some are promising cuts, ome are promising tax increases, some only imply eiter.
The other part of this election is really around the margins, who do you want making decisions on million things governments make decisions on. A group that will, according to the math, reliant on the Bloc and the NDP or one that will be able to at worst play all three players or ideally have the fortitude to actually implement an agenda without distraction.
If health crae negotiations really are that important then one way or another we need a majority government to prevent from being carved up by the provinces, like Martin was.
Too busy at the moment for all the comments.
I did a thread search for “Kim” and “Campbell” and got no matches. Recall her immortal words: “An election campaign is NO time for debating issues.” Or words very close to that.
As to Canadians “deserving better” that’s naive Robert. Canadians, like all electorates, get what they want and the political aluminum-siding salesmen simply deliver it.
*
break out the smelling salts… the almighty tyee
has finally gone one toke over the line.
*
Great post Robert, thanks. As we in the USA are in the process of going to a single payer system, our politicians who support it should have some answers to those same questions. I’ll make sure they are asked.
Davenport and Bill Stewart will go the way of the John Crosses and other assorted glowball warming fearmongers who used to wag their superior tongues and fingers at everyone on this board. funny how an 8 month winter shuts up these dweebs. Once the Harper goovernment assumes its 197 seat majority on May 2, people will remember Iggula for only his lies about his poor upbringing and bad teeth. It is the economy Bill and Davenport, people want, and want to retain their jobs, The lieberals will kill millions of jobs simple as that.
@James: “BTW Stewart your guy insists there will be no coalition. Are you saying he’s a liar? I’m thankful we will not get to find out since Harper will have a majority and the Liberals will get a new Leader soon.”
Hey hey no need for personal insults. What did I do to you? Ignatieff my guy. I hate the guy. He’s a neocon defender of the US invasion of Iraq and of US exemptionalism. I am a democratic socialist.
However, in fairness, Ignatieff categorically denied a coalition with the BQ and I’m sure he’ll stick to that. As far as what kind of arrangement he’ll make with the NDP it will depend on the results. For instance, if the Liberals were to squeeze out a minority win, I don’t think he’d play ball with the NDP and simply go it alone as Harper did. If the election yields a Conservative minority, then he’ll have to make some kind of formal arrangement with or make some serious concessions to the NDP.
Either way, stick a fork in Harper, he’s done.
I am not totally sure, but based on other occasions when he has commented on threads here, I have a strong suspicion that the democratic socialism that Bill Stewart is talking about would be similar to that which took power in Petrograd in October 1917.
Last week Liberal media told us to shut up there is no coalition afoot, Justin let’s the coalition cat out of the bag the Media ignores that truth. The media is slathering for a coaltion of leftards, do they care that our economy would grind to a screeching halt? No, do they care that Iffy’s carbon tax would destroy our industrial growth and business investment? NO. All Liberal Media cares about is Harper not winning a majority so they can sell the coalition of dirt bags as legit. Will the public allow a Coalition, no they will not.
“I’m hoping for a democratic socialist party to form government.”
Disgusting.
“democratic socialist” “military intelligence” and all kinds of other oxymorons.
“However, in fairness, Ignatieff categorically denied a coalition with the BQ and I’m sure he’ll stick to that.”
Heh. You probably believe in the Tooth Fairy, too.
LIke abortion, judicial despotism to free speech, heath-care, education or Immigration. None of these politicians has the guts to even mention them. Let alone have alternatives that work. Health-care is digging us a new grave nationally.
Take for instance companies are now using your own medical problems to get rid of people. Think I’m kidding?
My own Job forced me to consent to seeing my records.
JMO
Jema, I agree with you. With respect to my list, if I had to prioritize them it’s items 2 and 3 which are the most important. We’re in two WARS for Christ’s sake. At no time has there ever been a serious discussion over the strategic interests or objectives that Canada has in either of them, by ANY political party.
And there is no clear end in sight for either one. At least in WW2 there was an obvious and defined end, the demolition and unconditional surrender of all Axis powers. But today, neither we nor any of our elected officials, government or opposition have any idea of what the end should be and will be. Given that, they similarly can have no idea of the resources required to achieve an end which has not been defined.
I am grimly reminded of the tar baby.
This is governance gone AWOL by the entire governing class and the electorate and the media with a vengeance.
This dominant issue of the elections so far is the Press.
Does the press still have enough credibility to affect an election like they have for the past forty years?
I believe the broadcast leaders (CBC, CTV, G&M) are actively trying to find this out. They are pulling out all the stops and refuse to talk about any issues whatsoever. Us hick voters are just amoeba in a petri dish.
$80 for an ambulance. YOU must be in BC. I paid over $900 in Sask ten years ago!
Another question: Why, in BC, if we have public health care, are we paying so much each month for our MSP (medical services plan)and getting so little in return???
Ah Ken, I’m disappointed. Thought you knew me better than that. While democratic socialism has been used by many people in numerous ways, I use it designate two things: 1. the centrality of the democratic ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. 2. an anti-authoritarian, anti- state socialist commitment to a socialism from below.
Ideals, both democratic and socialist, must be nurtured and cultivated in people not imposed through revolution nor from above (i.e. America’s favoured way of spreading its elite dysfunctional democracy).
But make no mistake capitalism, although a necessary development, is the disease, and one day people will be sick of being sick.
Bill Stewart
Socialism will never work dude. It goes against human nature. It why millions have died from the monsters who take total control.
No one sane votes their Individual rights away to a special group of bottom feeders using a Dogma that has laid waste a multitude of Nations.
It has never worked & never will.
Think Zimbabwe.
Bill Stewart at 12:38 AM
“capitalism …is the disease”
You fat cat elistist snob! How dare you malign the common sense exchange of goods and services in the open market. It provides you with the lifestyle you have come to feel entitled to.
You likely float around in a whackademic environment. Sucking down a civil service income feast garnished with an indexed pension on the backs of us working stiffs.
And by the way, ‘capitalism’ as you reference it betrays a marxist interpretation. That tainted perspective from life in your insular echo chamber calls out for some re-education a la Khmer Rouge.
Try living under socialism. Move to North Korea and see how you like it. You’d starve.