Saturday, December 03, 2005

Johnny B Good

I know I have been slagging John Bowman who does the CBC Election Blog, here and here and we have been having it out in the comments, with irreverance and at least a friendly sense of humour about my criticisms of his blog. And to give the guy credit, his latest blog on CBC covers all the bases about the party blogs and includes the BQ and the Greens. And while I have complained about him giving the Conservatives too much coverage this time around he says it like it is, their weblog sucks, warmed over press releases.The guy listens and responds. So this is a way of saying good on ya Johnny boy. And I am still waiting for your take on the babble dust up.

A Profitable Economics Debate

I want to thank Reg for his comments here . Where we had a short spat back and forth. We are actually having a great ongoing debate on real life economics, here. The wiff and woof of daily life as Canadian workers trying to make ends meet.

Now this is rather unique cause Reg is a Blogging Tory, and you all know what I think of them, and yet we are able to have a civil discussion, and an interesting one at that,over one of the hot button issues that supposedly divides us politically; economics. And we agree, stranger still.

Until you note that this is a Libertarian blog, and one of the principals of libertarianism is to debate between the left and right since we share several common values arising from classical liberalism;distrust of the state, belief in self government, respect for the individual, and a sense of social responsibility. Don't believe me, then check out Kevin Carsons libertarian blog.

Anyways I see Reg has been kind enough to link Le Revue Gauche as a daily read on his website links. I am honoured. Especially when right whingnuts attack the left with comments like 'we are evil' or don't get it when it comes to economics. Such as this comment which was left in response to my article Housing Bubble, Debt Boom

galbraith said...Could you possibly be more economically illiterate? Money not flowing to your beloved social bureaucracies in taxes immediately becomes part of capital markets, providing lower interest rates. But I wouldn't expect the Marxists in your public education schooling to have let you in on that fact. They're too busy trashing the very companies that their own retirement funds are invested in.

This comment is particularly ironic considering most of the data in the article is from such respected capitalist publications as the Financial Post and the Report on Business, as well as clippings from other MSM sources. Facts they call them. And I am accused of being economically illiterate. Because my analysis is based on an understanding of Marxist economics.

Thats the other irony of bveing called economically illiterate, my article Social Insecurity The Phony Pension Plan Crisis has been published online, by autonomist marxists, who also publish right wing economists as well as left wing ones. I think in general the Libertarian Left and the Autonomous Marxist movement has a higher level of tolerance for this kind of debate than the Neo-Cons do.

When Reg first commented here I was expecting another
galbraith, since I checked his site and found he was a Blogging Tory. And while we initailly disagreed and still do on Labour Sponsored Investment Funds, he took up the challenge, made good points and we have been having a great dialouge ever since.

Now for those of you that believe that there are two solitudes between the Left and Right...these are the solitudes of dogma. Reg and I will continue our economic debates, or not, but we welcome your contributions. I think its interesting that both of us agree that the basic economic issue in Canada is NOT tax cuts, but capital invesgtment or the lack of it.

For background here are my articles on the economics of daily life and I look forward to your comments Reg.

Jobs Not Tax Cuts


More Income Trust Fallout

Air Canada Profits From Bankruptcy

State Capitalism By Any Other Name


What's good for GM is bad for Workers

Canada's Billion Dollar Rip Off

It's the Labour Theory of Value, stupid

Corporate Canada Plays Hide the Sausage


Corporate Canada is in the Money

We Need a Living Wage
NEO LIBERALISM A FAILURE IN CANADA

Social Insecurity Appendix