#1
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: +
so an anti-tax referendum has been successful in british columbia. this means that the province's sales tax will revert from a reformed system that was value-added to one that has a somewhat narrower base and applies to manufacturing intermediaries. the widespread belief on the left was that the government's reform passed costs from "business" to "consumers", so this is essentially an anti-austerity move. but it linked up with part of the right-wing which is anti-tax, and used a lot of anti-tax rhetoric. so it was an odd mix. leading business groups bankrolled the campaign to keep the tax, while labour led the fight against it. so labour sees this as a victory and thinks that it will lead to tax reform under a social-democratic government that will shift the burden onto business and the rich.

the thing is, it is an incredibly minor issue in the grand scheme of things. the shifts involved in tax distribution, even using the exaggerated labour numbers, are small. while the left has united around a "fairer taxes" mantra, i think it is ridiculous to assume this would get through too - much of the same people who are upset at a "tax grab" are going to line up against any tax reform that really does raise taxes significantly, and next time business will join them enthusiastically. so it seems like a perfect storm of reformism: a sort of crass economism mixed with essentially conservative rhetoric. it doesn't even make basic policy sense, anyway, since all leading social-democracies have heavy value-added taxes - and, often, moderate corporate taxation. so it is obviously opportunistic. which is fine, but it is a dead end.
#2
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: ~
the odd part of the debate too was that it was entirely driven by myths. like governments implementing the reform (ontario and BC) said it was "strong medicine" that would benefit the economy greatly, while it is just a small beneficial change really (and any distributional consequences could easily be fixed by rejigging income tax rates a tiny bit). but labour depended heavily on saying it was a conspiracy for big business to grab money from people, and that it wouldn't have any effect on investment, and that it would cause horrible inflation in prices and so on. most of the left-heterodox economists intervene against the tax, too, as they are linked to the NDP which opposed the tax. it was very instructive to see people ostensibly trained in economics to just line up against the tax because it would supposedly start a debate about fair tax levels. so somehow running hard against "tax grabs" will translate into support for massive tax increases.

it has really made me dislike all the left-wing policy people in canada because it is just sham leftism. they'll line up behind their team and push their position for the mildest of possible reforms and all the while pretend they are strong against imperialism and so on. so it is no surprise that when the NDP saw the war on Libya they said "yes" and when they saw G20 arrests they demanded the government hire more police officers.
#3
tardy on these heaters
Post rating: ~
is ron paul running for prime minister in canada
#4
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: ~
harper is pretty libertarian but it is really exaggerated by people who really want to hate him. like they'll back him on libya and then go "warmonger!" then they'll say he's killing the planet with the tar sands and then support a tax cut on gasoline. everyone in the world other than me is dumb, as you know.
#5
[account deactivated]
#6
tardy on these heaters
Post rating: ~
me same
#7
Post rating: ~
issues that actually matter are not decided in the political sphere, they are hammered out in back rooms by "wise fathers." this is how democracy works. "the more you know." - a little saying we have right here in this modern america.
#8
desire be, desire go
Post rating: ~

getfiscal posted:
the odd part of the debate too was that it was entirely driven by myths. like governments implementing the reform (ontario and BC) said it was "strong medicine" that would benefit the economy greatly, while it is just a small beneficial change really (and any distributional consequences could easily be fixed by rejigging income tax rates a tiny bit). but labour depended heavily on saying it was a conspiracy for big business to grab money from people, and that it wouldn't have any effect on investment, and that it would cause horrible inflation in prices and so on. most of the left-heterodox economists intervene against the tax, too, as they are linked to the NDP which opposed the tax. it was very instructive to see people ostensibly trained in economics to just line up against the tax because it would supposedly start a debate about fair tax levels. so somehow running hard against "tax grabs" will translate into support for massive tax increases.

it has really made me dislike all the left-wing policy people in canada because it is just sham leftism. they'll line up behind their team and push their position for the mildest of possible reforms and all the while pretend they are strong against imperialism and so on. so it is no surprise that when the NDP saw the war on Libya they said "yes" and when they saw G20 arrests they demanded the government hire more police officers.



id imagine any "policy people" are going to be pretty heavily invested in the status quo. unless the policy in question is marxist minutiae or the organization of their groupuscule

#9
Post rating: ~

germanjoey posted:
issues that actually matter are not decided in the political sphere, they are hammered out in back rooms by "wise fathers." this is how democracy works. "the more you know." - a little saying we have right here in this modern america.


they're also called the illuminati. don't ask me how i know this cause i'm not giving out my phonenumber or meeting anyone irl

#10
[account deactivated]
#11
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#12
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I didn't even know about the PR referendum until this week and I live in the damn province.
#13
Post rating: +
There was something in the mail last week, but I threw it right in the trash