Author | Lightnews

TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 11m

Any politician like Poilievre who suggests it's easy to solve our current dilemma is lying to you. We're actually lucky to have a PM with an impressive background in economics to help us navigate this complex shitstorm.

TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 11m

That doesn't take into account global insecurity and meeting our NATO commitments, Trump's tariffs, the cost of climate change-sized natural disasters, the impact of AI and automation, and everything else kicking our asses right now.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 11m

We basically have five options: 1) raise taxes, 2) cut benefits, 3) increase immigration, 4) sell off resources, and/or 5) cut costs, all of which are unpopular in different ways. And we will need to do all 5 of them just to get through the next 20 years. Sacrifices are not optional.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 11m

If you think times are tough now, wait until we have 10 million retirees and ~22 million workers. OAS alone is set to double in the next 10 years and will be 1/4 of the federal budget. A lot of our problems - housing, hospital waits and medical staff shortages - are largely demographic.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 2h

The three-strike rule isn't the way to go about this, jailing people is expensive and our holding centres are at capacity already. The focus should be on restitution for property crimes and jail for violent crimes.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 2h

I agree on affordable housing and doing things to reduce the cost of living, but we are already starting to do those things - the housing accelerator fund, Carney's modular homes proposal, bans on foreign buyers, etc. However, most housing cost issues are municipal or provincial jurisdiction.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 2h

Canada gives about 1/60th of the federal budget in the form of foreign aid. About 25% of that is aid to Ukraine to buy weapons and fight Russia.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 2h

If we don't give money to other countries, they end up coming here. Also, studies show that aid to other countries is generally a good investment as those countries choose to trade with us. Also, it prevents other countries like China from buying those countries and their resources.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 2h

Based on CERB, I think more people would elect to drop out of the workforce than UBI proponents realize. A quarter of Canadians took CERB.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 2h

CERB is why I would never support UBI. I had neighbours who quit their jobs to live off CERB. Other neighbours who own business who had employees ask to have hours cut so they could qualify for CERB. I had neighbours who took money they weren't eligible for don't want to pay it back.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 3h

What would you do? Serious question.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 3h

They know they're lying but believe it's okay in the eyes of God because they're doing it for a greater good. Trump, the imperfect vessel, is helping them turn America into the Christo-fascist nation they've always wanted.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 19h

Republican/Trump logic: "Don't vote for Mamdani, he will destroy New York!"

Also: "If you vote for Mamdani, we will destroy New York!"

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 1d

Two possibilities: A) like Project 2025 he knows exactly who this person is but wants to pretend he doesn't; or B) he has no idea who this person is and is being controlled and manipulated by his handlers. And yet Biden's use of Autopen is the problem.

TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 1d

They will release the Epstein files - once they've been carefully scrubbed of all references to Trump.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 1d

Addicts also used to be able to beg for change or squeegee windshields. Some of that money could be spent on food. Nobody carries change anymore, which means people are likely hungry and malnourished on top of their addictions, which is making their health worse and spurring more crime.

TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 1d

I'm not advocating for locking up the homeless, but rather addicts - many of whom happen to be unhoused. The drugs are different now, they are causing long-term damage to brains and bodies that can't be reversed. They can make users angry and psychotic.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 4d

There's really no reason that First Nations shouldn't own or have stakes in the companies doing the work. They should also receive training so they can supply the workforce and partake in the spinoff business opportunities.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 4d

First Nations has legal precedents here and could stand to be huge beneficiaries in terms of jobs, infrastructure and other investment, but I do think both sides need to work quickly to come to that mutually beneficial agreement. Come to the negotiations with a list of requests and a plan.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 4d

Prosperity also gives Canada the means to help out around the world, rebuild our peacekeeping capabilities, support women and human rights, fund our transition to renewables, etc. It's not all bad or all good, it's just convenient for the times.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 4d

It could also speed up the transition to electric vehicles and solar/wind. It will give us a market for our resources, including natural gas to displace all the Chinese coal plants.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 4d

I get that China are the bad guys, but what exactly is Canada to do with the US attacking its allies and ramping up into a dictatorship - we can't eat our principles. A trade agreement with China will help us wean ourselves off of dependence on the US, keep our standard of living high, etc.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 4d

I mentioned this to a conservative co-worker and they thought Poilievre was right to keep it secret because the Libs would just copy it. Is that so bad though? It's not a chem test, it's the country he pretends to care about while trashing at every opportunity. He's allergic to cooperation.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 4d

If he really cared then he would share his magical plan to save the country, and then fight for it in Parliament. This is the party that didn't release a platform until the last week of the last campaign despite having two years to do it.

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TheyCallMeMitch @hobbitlover.bsky.social · 4d

Methinks the cuts to funding is the plan after all.

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