The Off Topic Topic

[CountDeMoney]

Woof.

[Admiral Yi]

I read in The Economist that the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund has $760 billion in assets and owns 2.5% of European market capitalization.

[derspiess]

I read in The Economist that the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund has $760 billion in assets and owns 2.5% of European market capitalization.

And they just elected a conservative government   

[Jacob]

And they just elected a conservative government   

Exactly.

You need a soft socialist government to responsibly build up the economy and the nation's reserves; then you can elect neo-cons to squander the money on ill-conceived "free market" reforms.

[Barrister]

And they just elected a conservative government   

Exactly.

You need a soft socialist government to responsibly build up the economy and the nation's reserves; then you can elect neo-cons to squander the money on ill-conceived "free market" reforms.

[derspiess]

And they just elected a conservative government   

Exactly.

You need a soft socialist government to responsibly build up the economy and the nation's reserves; then you can elect neo-cons to squander the money on ill-conceived "free market" reforms.

  I like you, Jake.

[Jacob]

  I like you, Jake.

[Jacob]

Well, to be fair to Harper he's not much of a neocon and he's been pretty fiscally responsible so far. He hasn't gone and privatized Canada Post or the Medicare or otherwise handed over the nation's revenues to his buddies in private enterprise.

[Admiral Yi]

Well, to be fair to Harper he's not much of a neocon and he's been pretty fiscally responsible so far. He hasn't gone and privatized Canada Post or the Medicare or otherwise handed over the nation's revenues to his buddies in private enterprise.

Are Canada Post and the Medicare money-makers for the Canadian government? 

[crazy canuck]

You need a soft socialist government to responsibly build up the economy and the nation's reserves; then you can elect neo-cons to squander the money on ill-conceived "free market" reforms.

[crazy canuck]

Well, to be fair to Harper he's not much of a neocon and he's been pretty fiscally responsible so far. He hasn't gone and privatized Canada Post or the Medicare or otherwise handed over the nation's revenues to his buddies in private enterprise.

Are Canada Post and the Medicare money-makers for the Canadian government? 

I bet there are a lot of private courrier companies and private health companies that would love to bid for the delivery of those services using the argument that the private sector can do the job more efficiently.

Thankfully we recognized that most of the time they just add to the cost and reduce the level of service.

[Ideologue]

Now you know that can't be true.  The State cannot do anything capably.  Probably not even fight a war, run a prison, or police its streets.

[Jacob]

[derspiess]

Just paid a speeding ticket online.  It was my first in ages.  Stupid speed trap a month ago a few miles past the Indiana-Illinois state line.

INDIANA SUCKS ASS

[Admiral Yi]

How much over were you?

I thought it was totally cool in Canada that they have mongo signs on the highway explicitly stating that speeding fines don't start until you're 20 klicks over the posted speed limit.  I tried to keep it at 119 the whole time.