There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?
Recent Articles
- Justice for Indigenous Peoples is Long Overdueby Ryan McGreal, published June 30, 2021 in Commentary
(0 comments)
- Third-Party Election Advertising Ban About Silencing Workersby Chantal Mancini, published June 29, 2021 in Politics
(0 comments)
- Did Doug Ford Test the 'Great Barrington Declaration' on Ontarians?by Ryan McGreal, published June 29, 2021 in Special Report: COVID-19
(1 comment)
- An Update on Raise the Hammerby Ryan McGreal, published June 28, 2021 in Site Notes
(0 comments)
- Nestlé Selling North American Water Bottling to an Private Equity Firmby Doreen Nicoll, published February 23, 2021 in Healing Gaia
(0 comments)
- Jolley Old Sam Lawrenceby Sean Burak, published February 19, 2021 in Special Report: Cycling
(0 comments)
- Right-Wing Extremism is a Driving Force in Modern Conservatismby Ryan McGreal, published February 18, 2021 in Special Report: Extremism
(0 comments)
- Municipalities Need to Unite against Ford's Firehose of Land Use Changesby Michelle Silverton, published February 16, 2021 in Special Report
(0 comments)
- Challenging Doug Ford's Pandemic Narrativeby Ryan McGreal, published January 25, 2021 in Special Report: COVID-19
(1 comment)
- The Year 2020 Has Been a Wakeup Callby Michael Nabert, published December 31, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
- The COVID-19 Marshmallow Experimentby Ryan McGreal, published December 22, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
- All I Want for Christmas, 2020by Kevin Somers, published December 21, 2020 in Entertainment and Sports
(1 comment)
- Hamilton Shelters Remarkably COVID-19 Free Thanks to Innovative Testing Programby Jason Allen, published December 21, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
- Province Rams Through Glass Factory in Stratfordby Doreen Nicoll, published December 21, 2020 in Healing Gaia
(0 comments)
- We Can Prevent Traffic Deaths if We Make Safety a Real Priorityby Ryan McGreal, published December 08, 2020 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
(5 comments)
- These Aren't 'Accidents', These Are Resultsby Tom Flood, published December 04, 2020 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
(1 comment)
- Conservation Conundrumby Paul Weinberg, published December 04, 2020 in Special Report
(0 comments)
- Defund Police Protest Threatens Fragile Ruling Classby Cameron Kroetsch, published December 03, 2020 in Special Report: Anti-Racism
(2 comments)
- Measuring the Potential of Biogas to Reduce GHG Emissionsby John Loukidelis and Thomas Cassidy, published November 23, 2020 in Special Report: Climate Change
(0 comments)
- Ontario Squanders Early Pandemic Sacrificeby Ryan McGreal, published November 18, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
Article Archives
Blog Archives
Site Tools
Feeds
By A Smith (anonymous) | Posted March 30, 2009 at 17:09:47
Ryan >> People need to live somewhere. Houses prices would never have inflated as they did if the reckless financial mechanisms that led to the housing bubble...
Starting in 2002 and ending in mid 2006 (tinyurl.com/426qvt), median home prices rose between 10-30% year over year. If the government workers who calculate inflation had included actual home prices and not just borrowing costs (due to low interest rates)in their calculations of inflation, this problem would never had existed. Government gave the lenders access to cheap money for too long and the result was too much lending.
>> As usual, you assume causality in a manner that reinforces your prejudices. The recession was not caused by an increase in government spending...
From 1993 to 2000, real increases in government spending increased an average of 1.16% per year and real GDP went up 3.73% per year. From 2001 to 2008, real government spending grew at 2.35% a year and GDP grew at 2.16% a year. What is it about these numbers (tinyurl.com/czx4yr) that are untrue?
>> In this particular case, I can't point to a web page that explains keynesian economics. You'll need to go out...
Anyone unwilling to consider a strong correlation (backed by actual numbers) simply because it attacks their political beliefs, shouldn't be taken seriously.
Look at Japan (tinyurl.com/69q499), they did the Keynesian drill in the nineties and it was a disaster. Conversely, Canada cut spending, to reduce the deficit and we were one of the best performing economies in the world (1993-2000).
>> I claimed only that when the economy goes into recession caused by a panic and collapse in financial markets, the government needs to step in as the lender and borrower of last resort until the private economy recovers.
Why? What is it about the government that gives them the expertise to know who is a good borrower and who isn't? That's what lending is all about, giving money to people in the hopes that they can produce a positive return on capital. If the government simply borrows money and gives it to companies who will destroy more of it, how does that help anyone?
If government wants to help the private economy, the best way to do this is to slash it's own consumption and give tax breaks to the private sector. Of course, why would government cut their own meal ticket when they can just charge it to the taxpayer funded credit card?
Permalink | Context