It's effective, efficient, and has maximum impact with minimum waste along the entire Canadian supply chain. Remember the old slogan: Nothing happens until a sale is made.
I deeply appreciate articles that teach me. Although I don’t know much about economics, I’m confident there are ways for Canada to free itself from US threats, if we think boldly and creatively. I’m impressed with the “buyer of last resort” concept you discuss. My question is, why is it so difficult to get the government to listen and act on sound ideas?
Economics is a hell of a lot more straightforward that people let on.
Why is it so hard to get governments to listen? That is a really huge question.
In my experience, they didn't give damn unless you could get something in the media. If the media didn't care, neither did they. Most of the people involved are highly ideological. By that I mean, they think the world does and should operate according to what they've read in a book or been taught. That includes politicians as well as bureaucrats. They aren't even aware of their ideology. They just think they're right. So there's no convincing them.
MLAs and MPs aren't given much freedom. Decisions are made by premiers or cabinet, and those are all informed by hired consultants who will tell the government what they want to hear.
And getting elected and re-elected is the only thing that matters, so unless your idea also somehow rewards party supporters or people in key districts, they won't bother.
There idea that governments are is supposed to govern for everyone doesn't exist, or has been lost.
And the entire problem politically and economically around the world is that people are working on autopilot from old ideas that don't work anymore. They have made a few people enormously wealthy. There are lots of people with lots of money who are thriving as everyone else sinks, and they don't want anyone to ruin their party. That is the very big picture.
It's because of all kinds of what I would call corruption, including the corruption of incompetence, straight through to all the other kinds of corruption.
There is actually corruption less at federal level in Canada than at the provincial and municipal level. There are far higher standards of ethics and oversight and audit, and greater transparency at the federal level, as well as more media attention.
There is far more corruption at the provincial and municipal level. One of the things that goes hand-in-hand with political divisions is corruption of favoritism, which involves rewarding your political friends, punishing your political opponents, and being indifferent to everyone else.
And finally, it's because there aren't many innovative ideas. Two of the sources of innovative economically progressive policy development used to be labour and the Catholic Church. Now, vast resources are poured by corporations and zillionarchs into think tanks, foundations and academic research to promote far-right policies. It's effectively a modern day economic ideology as state religion.
●Neolib economic paradigms are the water the polity swims in, thus alternatives are invisible.
●Neolib economic ideology is a state religion.
.
I don't know how things are in Canada, but here in NZ the permanent executive at the Treasury are economic advisors to cabinet but also Governor-General appointments- thus an incoming gov't cannot remove the executive / replace their 'official' advisers.
The permanent executive staff at Treasury are thus an effective 'deep-state', fully compatible with Neoliberal party policy but highly antagonistic to progressive alternatives.
I have read from a Canadian analyst that the Trudeau government has spent millions on “consultants”, and then typically ignored their reports. The inertia of this government is both exhausting and frustrating.
It's not the federal government that's the problem. The federal government barely runs anything. The provinces do, and they are actively obstructionist.
The problem with Canada is not left-wing policies, because there are virtually none. It's against the law to enact Keynesian policies in some provinces. Centrist, pro-market-pro-capitalist policies that were key to Canada's growth after the Second World war are punishable by law.
It's generally far-right critics screaming at centre-right politicians, accusing them of being socialists, or marxists, just for running a democracy and enforcing the law.
The reason Canada's economy is a mess is because for 50 years, we have had nothing but conservative economic policies. Conservative critics and voters have gotten everything they've asked for. Corporate tax cuts. GST cuts. Income tax cuts. Property tax cuts. When banks go broke, they get bailed out.
We've had free trade deals that have wiped out Canadian jobs and businesses. Governments have cut. They have downsized, they have privatized.
Governments have been doing EXACTLY what conservative voters and pundits want.
The result is the highest concentration of income and wealth, which means less for everyone else. The markets have been left to their own devices, and they have ravaged small and medium sized canadian business, there's less competiton.
The big reason governments don't do anything? The Fraser institute wants to pretend that in Canada everyone is equal, everyone pays the same taxes, and that the government is in charge of the economy, like it's a Communist country. It's ludicrous.
Want to know why nothing works? Because for 50 years, governments have been persuaded to leave everything to the market to fix.
So why do we have a housing crisis? Why do governments sit and do nothing while people go bankrupt? Well, that's the market at work. That's what you voted for.
People are voting for a conservative ideology that, at its core, is one of neglect, abandonment, and sink or swim, because the market will fix it.
The whole premise of it is that government should not, and must not intervene. So if you are losing your business, or your house, and you can't pay your bills, well, that's the market at work.
Bleedin’ brilliant. I ran a business during Covid. The incentives didn’t make sense. And I was really glad I didn’t qualify for the wage assistance one because I knew people who did and the accounting was atrocious. This is an elegant solution that would actually work and works within an existing framework (companies are already set up to sell - to whom doesn’t change much internally). The trouble with many of the emergency solutions is not only do they not work, but they are a patch on top of what exists, applied with a “whatever work out the details later” approach that is extremely stressful later on.
Outstanding Post ! Absolutely ! & I hope Nathaniel Erskine Smith has Considered this and/or Discussed with you - as well as ‘actual Journalists & highly respected Exemplars ! It’s my belief that coherent Americans may be among our greatest Allies - am looking forward right this minute to examining & considering the Comments as well !
Am a huge advocate re the shared Canadian & American Freshwater Fisheries & Recreation Industries of The Great Lakes & shared Watersheds & Communities ! Am a former ‘farm lad from the southwestern Ontario watersheds feeding Lake Ontario, Lake Erie & Lake Huron, Lake St Clair & we share Lake Superior as well as The Thousand Islands & Mighty St Lawrence River !
Meegwetch for your inclusive article. I do have one request - can you comment on the European pandering to
Trump by France and England in the last few days? Give Trump's propensity for major meltdowns if he gets played, I feel this is a dangerous game to play
I deeply appreciate articles that teach me. Although I don’t know much about economics, I’m confident there are ways for Canada to free itself from US threats, if we think boldly and creatively. I’m impressed with the “buyer of last resort” concept you discuss. My question is, why is it so difficult to get the government to listen and act on sound ideas?
There are lots of ways Canada can react.
Economics is a hell of a lot more straightforward that people let on.
Why is it so hard to get governments to listen? That is a really huge question.
In my experience, they didn't give damn unless you could get something in the media. If the media didn't care, neither did they. Most of the people involved are highly ideological. By that I mean, they think the world does and should operate according to what they've read in a book or been taught. That includes politicians as well as bureaucrats. They aren't even aware of their ideology. They just think they're right. So there's no convincing them.
MLAs and MPs aren't given much freedom. Decisions are made by premiers or cabinet, and those are all informed by hired consultants who will tell the government what they want to hear.
And getting elected and re-elected is the only thing that matters, so unless your idea also somehow rewards party supporters or people in key districts, they won't bother.
There idea that governments are is supposed to govern for everyone doesn't exist, or has been lost.
And the entire problem politically and economically around the world is that people are working on autopilot from old ideas that don't work anymore. They have made a few people enormously wealthy. There are lots of people with lots of money who are thriving as everyone else sinks, and they don't want anyone to ruin their party. That is the very big picture.
It's because of all kinds of what I would call corruption, including the corruption of incompetence, straight through to all the other kinds of corruption.
There is actually corruption less at federal level in Canada than at the provincial and municipal level. There are far higher standards of ethics and oversight and audit, and greater transparency at the federal level, as well as more media attention.
There is far more corruption at the provincial and municipal level. One of the things that goes hand-in-hand with political divisions is corruption of favoritism, which involves rewarding your political friends, punishing your political opponents, and being indifferent to everyone else.
And finally, it's because there aren't many innovative ideas. Two of the sources of innovative economically progressive policy development used to be labour and the Catholic Church. Now, vast resources are poured by corporations and zillionarchs into think tanks, foundations and academic research to promote far-right policies. It's effectively a modern day economic ideology as state religion.
We need the separation of economics and state.
Great reply. Pretty much a manifesto
●Economics is more simple than.most people think.
●Neolib economic paradigms are the water the polity swims in, thus alternatives are invisible.
●Neolib economic ideology is a state religion.
.
I don't know how things are in Canada, but here in NZ the permanent executive at the Treasury are economic advisors to cabinet but also Governor-General appointments- thus an incoming gov't cannot remove the executive / replace their 'official' advisers.
The permanent executive staff at Treasury are thus an effective 'deep-state', fully compatible with Neoliberal party policy but highly antagonistic to progressive alternatives.
Yes. We need a separation of economics and state.
Far-right policies. I would’ve guessed left.
I have read from a Canadian analyst that the Trudeau government has spent millions on “consultants”, and then typically ignored their reports. The inertia of this government is both exhausting and frustrating.
It's not the federal government that's the problem. The federal government barely runs anything. The provinces do, and they are actively obstructionist.
The problem with Canada is not left-wing policies, because there are virtually none. It's against the law to enact Keynesian policies in some provinces. Centrist, pro-market-pro-capitalist policies that were key to Canada's growth after the Second World war are punishable by law.
It's generally far-right critics screaming at centre-right politicians, accusing them of being socialists, or marxists, just for running a democracy and enforcing the law.
The reason Canada's economy is a mess is because for 50 years, we have had nothing but conservative economic policies. Conservative critics and voters have gotten everything they've asked for. Corporate tax cuts. GST cuts. Income tax cuts. Property tax cuts. When banks go broke, they get bailed out.
We've had free trade deals that have wiped out Canadian jobs and businesses. Governments have cut. They have downsized, they have privatized.
Governments have been doing EXACTLY what conservative voters and pundits want.
The result is the highest concentration of income and wealth, which means less for everyone else. The markets have been left to their own devices, and they have ravaged small and medium sized canadian business, there's less competiton.
The big reason governments don't do anything? The Fraser institute wants to pretend that in Canada everyone is equal, everyone pays the same taxes, and that the government is in charge of the economy, like it's a Communist country. It's ludicrous.
Want to know why nothing works? Because for 50 years, governments have been persuaded to leave everything to the market to fix.
So why do we have a housing crisis? Why do governments sit and do nothing while people go bankrupt? Well, that's the market at work. That's what you voted for.
People are voting for a conservative ideology that, at its core, is one of neglect, abandonment, and sink or swim, because the market will fix it.
The whole premise of it is that government should not, and must not intervene. So if you are losing your business, or your house, and you can't pay your bills, well, that's the market at work.
Very interesting article. Do you have a link to the study on the dollar amount that stays in the community when you buy local vs big box vs Amazon?
Bleedin’ brilliant. I ran a business during Covid. The incentives didn’t make sense. And I was really glad I didn’t qualify for the wage assistance one because I knew people who did and the accounting was atrocious. This is an elegant solution that would actually work and works within an existing framework (companies are already set up to sell - to whom doesn’t change much internally). The trouble with many of the emergency solutions is not only do they not work, but they are a patch on top of what exists, applied with a “whatever work out the details later” approach that is extremely stressful later on.
Thank you. And yes, the accounting would be much more simple.
Great article. I appreciate the free education.
Outstanding Post ! Absolutely ! & I hope Nathaniel Erskine Smith has Considered this and/or Discussed with you - as well as ‘actual Journalists & highly respected Exemplars ! It’s my belief that coherent Americans may be among our greatest Allies - am looking forward right this minute to examining & considering the Comments as well !
Am a huge advocate re the shared Canadian & American Freshwater Fisheries & Recreation Industries of The Great Lakes & shared Watersheds & Communities ! Am a former ‘farm lad from the southwestern Ontario watersheds feeding Lake Ontario, Lake Erie & Lake Huron, Lake St Clair & we share Lake Superior as well as The Thousand Islands & Mighty St Lawrence River !
🦎🏴☠️🍁
Great stuff, Dougald!
Meegwetch for your inclusive article. I do have one request - can you comment on the European pandering to
Trump by France and England in the last few days? Give Trump's propensity for major meltdowns if he gets played, I feel this is a dangerous game to play
Learn to read.
.. you’re here to ‘contribute .. something .. to someone ? 🦎🏴☠️🍁
Ted, you have the essence of a troll