... but seriously folks. Mav does make a point. If you are going to risk all of your assets, credit rating, pension plan, and ability to collect unemployment insurance to start up a business, and then it grows to become a success, you deserve more compensation than the likes of me, who works nine-to-five and leaves his work at work.

Mav's point about unions asking for more than a job is worth, is HALF right. Maybe it isn't the guy stocking liquor store shelves for $30,000 who is overpaid; maybe the guy stocking Wal-Mart shelves for $16,000 is grossly underpaid. My biggest problem with unions is that there aren't enough of them. Retail and restaurant employees work horrible hours, under disgusting conditions, for starvation wages ... and almost none of them are unionized.

According to any economic principles I've learned, opening trade barriers always causes upheaval. Union jobs will leave Canada for smaller countries. But as more jobs are created in Mexico, unions will eventually be formed, the standard of living will increase, and less companies will find it worthwhile to uproot and move to Mexico. Unfortunately, this will all take time - just like it took time for our factory workers to organize and improve conditions. If all trade barriers were lifted tomorrow, this entire process would probably be complete in about 40 to 50 years, and there would be some very rough patches between now and then.

That's all.

Commie freaks.

Paul