XX ([info]dans_la_reine) wrote,
@ 2009-02-18 01:26:00
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Oh Obama... Oh Orwell... Oh hell am I still awake...
Yes, by all means let's open NAFTA. Then you can pay back the billions of dollars owed re softwood lumber. Obama's looking like a traditional political opportunist. History has shown us american presidents want to protect their own economy while exploiting our oil & gas to do it. NAFTA already guarantees the americans get charged cheaper prices for our resources than they would sell for on the open market. How is opening NAFTA do anything but fuck us over because we are the little guy dependent upon the head honcho- is that ethical? Is that the new way? hell no, it's the same old same old.

IF OBAMA PROPOSES TO OPEN NAFTA TO MAKE IT MORE FAIR AND EQUITABLE FOR CANADIANS BECAUSE HE REALISES WE GOT FUCKED OVER BY OUR GREEDY POLITICALS I'll be the first one hopping back on the OBAMA TRAIN.

Anthony St George: "I'd like to apologise to americans for our softwood lumber. Just because we have more trees than you doesn't give us the right to sell you wood that is cheaper and better than your own."

why oh why do I get so irritated by usa...

Eight billion dollars for high-speed rail lines, including a proposed line between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. This little bit wasn't even in the House version of the bill. It started in the Senate as a $2 billion project, and came out of the conference committee costing a whopping $8 billion. Gee, now who would that benefit? Oh yeah, the Senate majority leader is from Nevada, Harry Reid. "despite vows by President Obama that the legislation would be kept clear of pet projects" washington post looks like some more same old same old.

Is Obama the same old greedy political wrapped up in a blanket of social reform. I'm thinking yes.

ggl must be my smug canadian donut eating self

Rick Mercer's Report: Canadians have no idea how our country works. When asked who is our head of state 75% couldn't answer the question. Who can blame them really, the answer is ridiculous- the queen. lolol omg.



a-hahahaha thank god for the comedians kiss,


XX


PS< I wasn't even supposed to talk online today or yesterday because of deadlines but the world is just a joke waiting for me to giggle. Now it's after 1am and I still have work to do. grrrr I was supposed to get up early to refine it and now I only have time for a nap. wah.

PPS< I added some levity toward Obama in the comments section because I am an argumentative lawyer type no no that's not how I want to phrase it. a-hem I am able to see all sides of argument because I have that kind evolved dual thinking mind. hah.

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[info]haddayr
2009-02-18 03:04 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, the shiny is wearing off of Obama.

I am sorry you have to live upstairs from such a loud, immature, bossy and violent neighbor.

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Oh I argue both sides for the fun of it
[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-18 05:05 pm UTC (link)
well, on the other side of things, there is social reform (which was badly needed) and the guy can't be expected to change the "rich get richer" overnight. I am not sure about the idea of fighting debt with gross huge oinkoink stimulus/debt but mortgage restructuring is good because your country's banking system was a holy mess. Also I am interested in what he has to say re afghanistan. Things are getting worse over there and about half our country wants to bring the troops back home. I think there might be need for another surge (because i have been in contact with troops and medical over there for my work it is very sad) rather than taliban negotiation but I am interested because I would rather troops stay alive.


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[info]versengtemasse
2009-02-19 06:57 am UTC (link)
Don't indulge her! Canadians dislike NAFTA because they think that they could get a better deal if Mexico were left out!

And you, dans_la_reine! Obama does not--I repeat: Not!--want to change NAFTA. He approves of free trade. During the campaign he had to deflate a rumor that an adviser of his reassured some Canadian minister of the positivity of free trade. Nobody is talking about it over here except for rust belt grumblers who would rather complain than compete! There are too many states that need free trade.

Lastly, Reid the Mormon should bring home the pork, but should instead rebuild Hwy 93 to make a major thoroughfare between Las Vegas and Phoenix, or produce heavy rail between the two cities. Building a high-speed rail system stems from his past as a gambling commissioner who sees Vegas as a playground for Californian disposable income and has lost sight of long term goals of creating a diverse and viable income for big, empty Nevada. Pity them.

I wish I could yell at you both in person!

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[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-19 12:31 pm UTC (link)
lolol

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[info]haddayr
2009-02-19 04:07 pm UTC (link)
Aw. You could yell at me any time you want. We can still yell! I was against NAFTA from the start because it screwed over Mexico and Canada, but mainly Mexico. It's part of why I didn't vote for Clinton the second time.

I'm not indulging her -- I'm just assuming her facts are correct and reacting to them.

My main shiny-wearing-off thing with Obama has been regarding his actions in the torture department -- staying the course with the Bush administration's defense tactics as well as closing Guantanamo Bay in the slowest way possible. His signing of that order seemed like political theater to me if it wasn't going to have any bite behind it.

I voted for him. I want him to succeed domestically. I was thrilled he became president. I still am quite happy he IS president. But for me, especially in the war area, the shiny is wearing off.

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[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-19 08:02 pm UTC (link)
Lol I thought he was joking because of all the ridiculousness. Canada doesn't want mexico out loletc!etc!

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[info]versengtemasse
2009-02-20 06:10 am UTC (link)
My information came exclusively from this article:

http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13110404

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[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-19 08:13 pm UTC (link)
from the NY times:

As a candidate, Barack Obama courted votes in the Rust Belt by suggesting he might renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, a pact he criticized as not “good for America.”

“Canadians in particular are free traders, they’re part of the global world,” said Paul Cellucci, who was ambassador to Canada in the first term of Mr. Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush. “They would clearly resist efforts to be protectionist. And for a country where one-third of its gross domestic product is exports to the United States, can you blame them?”

At a briefing with reporters on Tuesday, Denis McDonough, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Mr. Obama intended to use his visit to “underscore the importance of what is already a very robust trading relationship” and to “look for ways to grow on that as it relates to new and entrepreneurial and innovative technologies on energy and green technology.”

That is a far cry from the language of Candidate Obama. He said in a Democratic debate last year that the United States should consider leaving Nafta if the agreement could not be renegotiated. And at another point he sharply attacked Mrs. Clinton, his chief Democratic rival, for what he asserted was a shift in her stance on Nafta.

“Ten years after Nafta passed, Senator Clinton said it was good for America,” Mr. Obama told the crowd at that time. “Well, I don’t think Nafta has been good for America — and I never have.”

CTV news

But Tuesday night in Ohio, where NAFTA is blamed for massive job losses, Obama said he would tell Canada and Mexico "that we will opt out unless we renegotiate the core labour and environmental standards."

so you tell me what the truth is. it is all political doublespeak. I hope he doesn't fuck us over. I hope. but it isn't a fact that he won't. Are we supposed to act as if things politicians say during primaries are irrelevant and meaningless? Are we supposed to just accept as fact that politicians say things in the heat of the moment that they don't mean and thus we should should just collectively self-induce amnesia?

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[info]versengtemasse
2009-02-20 05:55 am UTC (link)
Well, yes. A candidate must charge hard to the political fringes to win the primary elections, then charge to the middle to win the general election. Obama didn't say these things in the heat of the moment (although the primary process is physically and mentally challenging), but as a calculated move to become president. TO learn their true intentions, you have to look at voting records and independent, responsible appraisals (mostly from Washington think tanks).

On the campaign trail, during the Michigan primary, John McCain accurately told voters that the car manufacturing jobs were gone forever and Michiganders needed to retrain themselves to participate in the new economy. He was crushed in the election, however, by Mitt Romney, who promised $20 ba-ba-ba-billion in corporate welfare to lure back the car companies. So don't blame the candidates for telling lies--blame the populace for encouraging them.

And it seems to me like Obama is repeating the Republican anti-tax arguments. In bad times like these, it would be irresponsible to block free trade. Later, in good times, he'll argue that the prosperity depends on free trade. Also, I would argue that Republicans, who like free trade though they hate foreigners, added Buy American clauses in order to force the president to overturn them, reducing his popularity. They are playing a cynical game wherein they want the stimulus to pass, but they want to be on the record as opposing it.

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[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-20 11:51 am UTC (link)
well, we are in agreement re shady, shifty, traditional political :)

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[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-19 08:28 pm UTC (link)
"My administration is committed to making sure that even as we take steps to strengthen the U.S. economy, that we are doing so in a way that actually OVER TIME will enhance the ability of trading partners, like Canada, to work within our boundaries," he said.

"And my expectation is, is that where you have strong U.S. competitors who can sell products and services, that a lot of governors and mayors are going to want to try to find U.S. equipment or services, but that we are going to abide by our World Trade Organization and NAFTA obligations just as we always have."

forgive me but JUST AS WE ALWAYS HAVE isn't very promising.

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[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-19 08:28 pm UTC (link)
CBC news

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[info]versengtemasse
2009-02-20 06:06 am UTC (link)
I can't argue this because I don't know of any US trade breeches, except for the long standing beef disputes with Canada and South Korea. What have we done to make you so angry?

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[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-20 11:50 am UTC (link)
beef, softwood lumber, got the way better deal re resources via nafta

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[info]hobik
2009-02-18 07:20 pm UTC (link)
Of COURSE Obama is just a shill... just like ANYONE who can manage to get elected in this country. I guess it's possible that slow change will happen, but our whole system is fucked... I always vote third party, but thanks to the way campaigns are financed and carried out, the common belief is that my vote "doesn't count." Dude, if you're choosing between two ASSHOLES, how much does your vote really count anyway? Not that Obama is an asshole; I kind of like him, or want to, anyway.

SIGH

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[info]dans_la_reine
2009-02-18 09:45 pm UTC (link)
I hear you, baby. It is the same in canada atm.

940,000 voters supporting the Green Party sent no one to Parliament, setting a new record for the most votes cast for any party that gained no parliamentary representation. By comparison, 813,000 Conservative voters in Alberta alone were able to elect 27 MPs.

I want to like both Obama and Joss Whedon ggl but it is hard. I feel like Bonnie Tyler.

btw Vibrate came on my last.fm and rufus plaintif cries reminded me of you. idk either but it is true.

"My phone's on viiiiibrate for you" lolomg.

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