Originally posted by Dulcimer
The government pumps out massive loads of cash to its citizens (toronto etc, the big cities) because it knows that they are the key to winning the elections.

Really? You realize how much money Toronto pumps into the coffers versus how much we actually get back in services? Our Public Transit absolutely sucks. Roads are perpetually under repairs in some places. We would be shrinking if it weren't for immigration and emmigration(hell Canada's growth rate would be shrinking if it weren't for Immigration) Our entire system needs to be re-thought out. The reason no-one except the Liberals can get elected nowadays is because Ontario has experience with the alternatives and didn't like them very much. Had the NDP in power in the 80s in Ontario and the Cons in the 90s all our politicians are curropt and/or inept.

My Point is we are all getting the shaft one way or the other...

[edit on 15-8-2005 by sardion2000]

hey canada, come and get your money


I dare ya

And that is just the kind of statement that earn you high praise in international relations. Hey pay your bill you deadbeats.

hey canada, come and get your money

Typical childish response i've come to expect on ATS.


[edit on 15-8-2005 by sardion2000]

jeesh, touchy touchy. I guess I should have added the internationally recognized symbol for sarcasm in my post, arc>. my bad.

The GDP for American is ~$16 Trillion a year.....

i dont like to turn these type of posts and threads into bashing...but if canada..wants to do anything...well when i say that i mean bc..becuase i am from bc and im right near the border...we need to man up and start throwing our weight around...we are consistently screwed over and need to do something...

sanctions..could happen...what if we shut off all our electricity we send to you..or our water...all our supplies..what would hapen...america is huge...we have what you want....you have soo much...why dont you pay us back what we rightfully deserve

wow havnt seen this mny fellow canadians on the same thread in a while, anyways though ive been hearing of this for a while and agree we should leave the NAFTA

GO CANADA

also one other little question is when will the U.S. finally respect are doller at i htink .82 cause a lot of things from the states are still being calculated at .65ish

Good to see so many voices from across the Dominion of the North.
Uh, I study risk for resource insurance trusts. I say we shouldn't worry too much about the softwood thing despite what our various Premiers say. I think we should be very worried that the VP "Virtual President" Dick "Chicanery" Cheney is paying a visit to Syncrude in Sept. from his undisclosed location. 5B is small change compared to the second largest known reserves of oil on the planet. Secure oil supplies makes America's foreign policy easier to execute. This is high risk. Our US Ambassador is a Carlisle dude. (Check the BoD for yourselves) Things that make you go Hmmm Eh?
Any thoughts... are we toast as Canadians?

The United States is very interested in the Alberta Oilsands. I made a thread about it in Peak Oil. (too lazy to get link)

Fresh water will also be a concern for us in the future.

Yah, I read Premier Klein got in touch with VP Cheney to ask about settling the Cattle border closure. Cheney is apparently the Oil man in the administration, and assured Klein when he went to Washington he would look into the matter.

So I do not doubt your thoughts at all.

Dallas

I don't think we'll see our $5 billion anytime soon.

A few months ago, Canada and the UK levied sanctions on some US products in retaliation for other trade agreement issues. Specifically the Byrd Amendment, which allows the US govt to pay out the levies collected on items such as timber, steel and beef to the companies who initiated the complaints. I've read we are considering more sanctions, if we can get WTO approval (which shouldn't be very hard).

The US government hasn't given out this $5 billion timber money yet but they are going to begin within the next year, I expect.

It's obvious why Canadians are upset about this but for any Americans reading this thread, here is why you should be upset too. Before the Byrd Amendment was enacted this money went into your pockets, via the Customs Bureau. Now it is given to big business instead.

Now, if this money is paid back (yeah right, I know it's not gonna happen anytime soon) that money has to come from somewhere, and I'm pretty sure the timber companies aren't going to give it back.

[edit on 15-8-2005 by Duzey]

Think I'll email Prime Minister Martin and find out just what Canada's plan is regarding this debt. 160+ billion to crush Iraq's war machine. Suppose the southern DC boys can pay a debt to a NATO Partner.

Dallas

EDIT: Done. PM Martin's been asked via Email.

[edit on 15-8-2005 by Dallas]

Yeah, so? The US owes China 15 times what it owes Canada. Canada will have take a back seat to China for the time being and most of the rest of the world.

Who is going to make us pay off the debts?

Dallas, if you get a response I hope you will post it here for us to see.

I hope we have a plan that involves more than just saying 'pretty please with a cherry on top can we have our money back?'. I'm all for further trade levies.

Originally posted by Frosty

Who is going to make us pay off the debts?

Your dollar will drop. It doesnt matter if you pay off your debts, your economy will kill itself.

[edit on 15-8-2005 by Dulcimer]

The American dollar has been droping since the bubble popped on Internet Businesses and stocks of said businesses. Euro is dropping, yuan is undervalued, the rubble is on the rise.

The backbone of Canada's economy is the US. The US relies heavily on Canada as well as China and Mexico. I don't think any feud will arise over this debt.

What I can't wait for is when the real estate market will crash and prices will go back to what they should be. This get the US economy above its 4% growth rate and help the American dollar rise once again. But then again I have no idea if this'll happen.