Saturday, October 14, 2006
The Second Coming of Trudeau
Michael Trudeautieff. I like the sounds of that. Apparently Iggy does too, reflecting about his time working for Trudeau:
"Let's be clear. There was one Trudeau, and there is not going to be another. But if you had to ask me who does inspire me about what it is to be a leader in this country, I think he rewrote the book." Liberals rejoice! Trudeau has risen!
While our country tries to clean up the multi-culti mess that Trudeau left as a legacy, Iggy's out there platforming on more of the same. On Quebec and multiculturalism, Trudeautieff thinks that, "You can be Quebecer first and Canadian second, or Canadian first and Quebecer second, in the order that suits you." Or Al-Qaeda first, and Canadian second - I suppose.
Some folks just don't see the advantage in this Trudeaupian quasi-culture. This Mennonite heritage of mine just isn't working for me, so I've developed a new cultural-schedule for myself. Monday, Wednesday, Friday's I plan on being Scottish first, Canadian second. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'll live out my dream of being African-American. Weekends will be sort of like Folklorama - a different taste each night.
I've always liked golf and scotch, so if that doesn't get me into the Scottish club, I don't know what does. As a two-day-a-week African-American, I figure I'll be able to listen to Hip Hop a little louder - and as Canada's only white black man, I should finally qualify as a "visible minority", hurrah! Furthermore, by keeping my weekend cultures random I should be able to deliver the final blow to this sense of cultural identity that was impossed on me against my will.
My first choice of second culture was going to be Judaism. My dad always hoped that I would somehow turn out Jewish. I had to reconsider my cultural choise, when reminded of Trudeau's anti-Semitism, and Iggy's recent Anti-Israel remarks.
Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature, was arrested earlier in the year for "Insulting Turkishness". Yes, it's a law that is still on the books in Turkey. It would be a fitting charge for Michael Trudeautieff. Not only because his remarks are an insult to Canadianess (more of an insult to sanity, actually), but because he sees a Canada that has no Canadianism (or is that Canadianity?).
The Nobel committee went further this year, also denouncing Trudeaupian economic policies. The Nobel Peace Prize was a big pat on the back for Capitalism. Muhammad Yunus won the award for starting a bank in Bangladesh that loaned small amounts of money exclusively to the extremely poor. Thats right, one of the central pillars of capitalism - The Bank - has won the Nobel Peace Prize. How is this greed-based-organization lifting millions out of poverty? Pretty simple:
It's a great demonstration in building wealth, as opposed to the tired old idea of wealth re-distribution. There's a name for folks like Trudeau and Trudeautieff: Antique Liberal.
"Let's be clear. There was one Trudeau, and there is not going to be another. But if you had to ask me who does inspire me about what it is to be a leader in this country, I think he rewrote the book." Liberals rejoice! Trudeau has risen!
While our country tries to clean up the multi-culti mess that Trudeau left as a legacy, Iggy's out there platforming on more of the same. On Quebec and multiculturalism, Trudeautieff thinks that, "You can be Quebecer first and Canadian second, or Canadian first and Quebecer second, in the order that suits you." Or Al-Qaeda first, and Canadian second - I suppose.
Some folks just don't see the advantage in this Trudeaupian quasi-culture. This Mennonite heritage of mine just isn't working for me, so I've developed a new cultural-schedule for myself. Monday, Wednesday, Friday's I plan on being Scottish first, Canadian second. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'll live out my dream of being African-American. Weekends will be sort of like Folklorama - a different taste each night.
I've always liked golf and scotch, so if that doesn't get me into the Scottish club, I don't know what does. As a two-day-a-week African-American, I figure I'll be able to listen to Hip Hop a little louder - and as Canada's only white black man, I should finally qualify as a "visible minority", hurrah! Furthermore, by keeping my weekend cultures random I should be able to deliver the final blow to this sense of cultural identity that was impossed on me against my will.
My first choice of second culture was going to be Judaism. My dad always hoped that I would somehow turn out Jewish. I had to reconsider my cultural choise, when reminded of Trudeau's anti-Semitism, and Iggy's recent Anti-Israel remarks.
Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature, was arrested earlier in the year for "Insulting Turkishness". Yes, it's a law that is still on the books in Turkey. It would be a fitting charge for Michael Trudeautieff. Not only because his remarks are an insult to Canadianess (more of an insult to sanity, actually), but because he sees a Canada that has no Canadianism (or is that Canadianity?).
The Nobel committee went further this year, also denouncing Trudeaupian economic policies. The Nobel Peace Prize was a big pat on the back for Capitalism. Muhammad Yunus won the award for starting a bank in Bangladesh that loaned small amounts of money exclusively to the extremely poor. Thats right, one of the central pillars of capitalism - The Bank - has won the Nobel Peace Prize. How is this greed-based-organization lifting millions out of poverty? Pretty simple:
The idea is that a small amount of money for a goat or some chickens can translate into disposable income, and that can be used to purchase a path out of poverty.
Many of the lenders come back again and again, from borrowing for a few animals through to borrowing for a tractor or another piece of equipment that the whole village can use.
And even though borrowers give no collateral, more than 98 per cent of the money has been repaid.
It's a great demonstration in building wealth, as opposed to the tired old idea of wealth re-distribution. There's a name for folks like Trudeau and Trudeautieff: Antique Liberal.
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It's quite a stretch to call Muhammad Yunus' accomplishment "greed-based." In fact, it's closer to "wealth re-distribution." The existing banks were extorting these people, something capitalism does nothing to curb.
Muhammad Yunus noticed this, and in an effort to redistribute wealth, he helped them out by setting up interest-free loans, which are definitely unheard of in the capitalist system. I don't see how interest-free loans are greed-based, but I do see how the story makes for easy rhetoric.
Muhammad Yunus noticed this, and in an effort to redistribute wealth, he helped them out by setting up interest-free loans, which are definitely unheard of in the capitalist system. I don't see how interest-free loans are greed-based, but I do see how the story makes for easy rhetoric.
That is in fact, not true. These loans were not interest free. http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/10/15/d6101501096.htm Yunus talks about the interest rate. It's not 0. It's not compounded over time, however - basically a flat borrowing-rate.
It's greed-based, as in the virtue of greed, not the sin of greed.
It's greed-based, as in the virtue of greed, not the sin of greed.
The link you gave provides a quote from a bank manager who left to work at a private bank, I don't see any quotes from Yunus. Wikipedia claims the loans are interest free, which some (not all) are. In any case, it was Yunus' hand, not the invisible hand that helped these people. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a capitalist, but it's nonsensical to thank the market for this.
Your right, the quote is from a former manager, not Yunus himself. "Grameen Bank charges simple interest rates while many other financial institutions charge compound interest rates. If you compare the two kinds of interest rates upon completion of repayment, you will find that Grameen Bank's interest rate is about 7 per cent points lower than the compound interest rates. Besides, Grameen Bank's loans are supervisory. Therefore, it has extra-overhead costs compared to a commercial bank's loans,"
I think the facts speak for themselves though. How do you think this this "bank" grew from a $42 loan, to billions of dollars? The professors salary? This is exactly the kind of thing hardcore-capitalists have always preached. Watch your nearest payday loans place, there is clearly a demand to borrow small amounts of money - only in Canada up till last week we were charging an arm and a leg. It's the old "give a man a fish, or teach him to fish" metaphore.
Now I'm going to go to one of my current favorite pasttimes: hammering on Joe Volpe.
I think the facts speak for themselves though. How do you think this this "bank" grew from a $42 loan, to billions of dollars? The professors salary? This is exactly the kind of thing hardcore-capitalists have always preached. Watch your nearest payday loans place, there is clearly a demand to borrow small amounts of money - only in Canada up till last week we were charging an arm and a leg. It's the old "give a man a fish, or teach him to fish" metaphore.
Now I'm going to go to one of my current favorite pasttimes: hammering on Joe Volpe.
I wonder about how capitalistic you actually are, RP. You sure don't ever come out swingin on behalf of any true capitalistic ideals, that's for sure.
Besides, every time you lose an argument, you declare that you'll 'never read this blog again', which certainly doesn't drive any points home, other than to illustrate your poorly constructed Liberal ideology and its allergy to facts.
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Besides, every time you lose an argument, you declare that you'll 'never read this blog again', which certainly doesn't drive any points home, other than to illustrate your poorly constructed Liberal ideology and its allergy to facts.
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