I Miss Picking on Canada

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What has happened to Americans being able to make fun of Canada and its residents? An old favorite joke:

“Living in Canada is like living upstairs from a really great party. You hate the noise, the yelling, and the bottles and cans lying around the next day. But really, you just wish you were invited.”

No more. Now the Canadian dollar has surpassed us in value. Their government, though painfully conservative by my northern friends’ standards, puts our right-wing operation to shame. They have a national health care plan, though it’s considered “socialist,” “communist,” or a “taxpayer boondoggle” in this country, depending on who you ask. Of course they have a winter that puts our chilly season to shame, but other than that, things look pretty good up north.

Oh well. Maybe we’ll invade Toronto, loot their museums, set up a provisional government, and take their oil. We’ve got some practice with this, and in all likelihood, Canadians will greet our tanks with flowers and music…

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McCain staffers really blew it on this one… From the Sept/Oct issue of Contingencies, the magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries. McCain: We should create “[n]ationwide insurance markets that ensure broad and vigorous competition will wring out excess costs, overhead, and bloated executive compensation.” Wow. Sure thing, buddy. I’d love to have my insurance, in addition to my personal retirement account, be at the mercy of the Wall Street Gods who I’m sure have my best interests in mind…

But to be fair, in a speech McCain gave on March 25th, he saw the disaster looming on the horizon. "In financial institutions, there is no substitute for adequate capital to serve as a buffer against losses. Our financial market approach should include encouraging increased capital in financial institutions by removing regulatory, accounting and tax impediments to raising capital." Oh, wait. Strike that, reverse it.

McCain: 13, Obama: 1

It’s started. The race to November 4th begins.

Same Bad team, same Bad channel.

Fox News: “Loaning to minorities and risky folks is a disaster." Hmmm…

A persuasive ad on the burgeoning green movement.