He's not socialist, MAV. He just likes staying in power, and will do or say anything that serves that end. The other parties have made it easy for him by fracturing themselves into political oblivion.

I appreciate the jobs that come from the USA. But there has been a slow shift in this country, in that more and more Canadian businesses are taken over by American money, simply because America HAS more money. That is unfortunate, from a Canadian point of view, but inevitable. It has nothing to do with socialism, it's just the facts of life here. Only legislation such as Switzerland has, regarding who is allowed to own the majority of shares of a domestic company (foreigners or citizens of the nation) could possibly change what has been happening, which is the buying out and taking over of this country by Amerian and East Asian money. You will never see such legislation in Canada, because foreign money controls Jean Chretien, who is no socialist, and controls his political opponents as well.

I don't know what cigarettes cost here, or beer either, cos I don't smoke or drink beer. I know our gasoline and our taxes are higher here. I also know our social services are better. That's a tradeoff I can live with at this point.

We have had a "conservative", tax-cutting government in Ontario now for a number of years, and things have gotten a lot worse for: poor people, low income people, middle income people, hospitals, schools, roads, towns, municipalities, water treatment facilities, and all social services. Things have gotten a lot better for banks and the rich. The glorious tax cuts do NOT seem to be helping the 95% of the people who aren't rich.

Gasoline, by the way, has continued to get more and more expensive, despite that conservative, tsz-cutting government. Oh, and a few people died because of polluted municipal water after the funding was drastically reduced to water inspection facilities..that never happened before in my lifetime.

Yet the banks have never been happier or done better.

Funny, isn't it?

- LH