Occupy Toronto Market Exchange

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"I have a degree in political science, thanks."
QUOTE jn_12

Reference to the above post #45.
(Thank you spider.)


Moving along . . .

You are really trying, are not you?


"I'm lucky that in Ontario the government will pay my interest on my $40,000+ student loan until I'm able to pay for it myself,"
QUOTE jn_12

Dear Sir. The Government of Ontario ain't paying your loan interest; the taxpayers of Ontario are paying in your stead.


"but most people in my situation in other jurisdictions just aren't that lucky."
QUOTE jn_12

I am taking for granted that you are referring to the U S of A, and as such, I believe you to be a bird-of-the-same-feather.*


"Even the most hyperbolic of commentators wouldn't associate the people protesting with Nazi Germany."
"But by all means, feel free to explain what this group has in common with Nazi Germany. I could use a good laugh."
QUOTE jn_12

If the above* holds, you will take note of my mention of some of the "sponsors" of that (your) Occupy Movement, the American NAZI Party

being one. Do read the word "American" in their name. The spelling of A M E R I C A (N) and "G E R M A N (Y)" differ. (Happy Birthday!)


"The fact is, no one is calling for the eradication of a class. No one has put a bounty on the heads of the "1%"."
QUOTE jn_12

Please do your due dilligence before posting. As noted in another of my entries I am not about to do a "Velikovsky" here for you.


"I'm lucky that my partner is working two jobs'"
QUOTE jn_12

There are many working two jobs, with some working three jobs, while there are others only one, but with long hours.

What is your point? Question: Why aren't you working?






Regards,
J T

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

Although I do not agree with all of your points; good post CityPainter!


"The death of North American manufacturing and demonization of unions"
QUOTE CityPainter

Just by taking a look at what happened at Inglis has shown that it was union militantcy that caused management to

finally pull the plug on the Toronto plant; the union of course, citing The Free Trade Agreement. Stephan Lewis must

feel so sorry for the "workers", being as he is continuing at the trough "alone now", but with public money behind him.

In the U S of A, visit Detroit aka Motor City, if you want to look at a union/progressive utopia. How about same-thing

Chicago? The unions have destroyed the urban areas with their feather-bedding by workers and their "leadership";

every week, another fiscal scandel. The auto companies have, for the most part, have only themselves to blame by

agreeing to outrageous wage/pension settlements along with the manner in which they were instituted.

End of union rant.


"missing that social safety net they so eagerly dismantled as "gravy"."
QUOTE CityPainter

A safety net is one thing, while having the public aka taxpayers being "hosed-down" is another.


"older generations are busy voting in no-tax no-gravy politicians whose policies will only double down on the same ideas that
caused our economic problems in the first place."
QUOTE CityPainter

Entitlements are through the roof with taxes supporting them. aka We don't have an income problem; we have a spending problem.


"hippie folks and outsider misfits waving flags of extreme yet almost quaint Cold War socialist, communist, and anti-capitalist groups --
I think the movement does have genuine support from many more center-left types . . ."
QUOTE CityPainter

As mentioned during an earlier post of mine, support is being supplied to state-side by The American Communist Party, The American

NAZI Party, The New Black Panthers, ACORN, Communist China, The Government of Iran, etc, etc. - All "leading lights" of the far left.

What used to be The Democratic Party in the United States has been taken over by their far left wing and it behoves them to be known

as Liberals, they now using the term "Progressive(s)". They ain't your father's Democratic Party! This could easily jump to Canada.


I have mentioned this before, and will again:

Many Canadians believe that The United States of America is a democracy; this is not true. The framers of their constitution feared

"Mob Rule", in that the party that has the most public votes wins and with their leader, governs. Of incidental note, there is no

mechanism to remove a sitting PM in Canada save for his/her being defeated by public election! In the U S of A, they are a republic;

totally different, with a different mindset as to what government (city/state/federal) can/cannot do to free men/women. Their thoughts

are for the individual rather than the group as in the above. (Mob Rule) In Canada, we have no "Registered" affiliations, no Electoral

College, no Executive Branch, no Senate as in the US form, no House of Representitives. The president may be a "lame duck",

or may be impeached, totally unlike our "Mob Rule" in Canada.


Just ask jn_12, he knows all about it. The American public in general, do not like what is happenig to their country as was seen during

the last election cycle, and they hate "Mob Rule"!



Regards,
J T

 

[mattelderca]

I am actually enjoying this exchange. Hearing a side(s) not tainted by the media(s) is enlightening.
I am not well versed myself and conveying an idea does not come naturally for me.

"I'm lucky that in Ontario the government will pay my interest on my $40,000+ student loan until I'm able to pay for it myself,"
QUOTE jn_12

"Dear Sir. The Government of Ontario ain't paying your loan interest; the taxpayers of Ontario are paying in your stead."
QUOTE JT

This is an interesting set of quotes.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I dropped by the park again today at about 1 p.m. It certainly hasn't become an energized mass movement. In true, earnest, left-wing style, people were being directed to break up into groups to discuss various issues, none of which involved either the visual arts or opera, and I got the impression that this is how it will go on ... until it eventually dissipates and people either go home or move on to something more fun.

 

[donoreo]

I dropped by the park again today at about 1 p.m. It certainly hasn't become an energized mass movement. In true, earnest, left-wing style, people were being directed to break up into groups to discuss various issues, none of which involved either the visual arts or opera, and I got the impression that this is how it will go on ... until it eventually dissipates and people either go home or move on to something more fun.

Like the next batch of iPhone 4s come in stock and they go line up to buy one.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Well, just about anything would be more fun than spending a night in a soggy tent in that park - a couple of nights ago we had a terrible downpour ( I was woken up twice, in the Winter Palace, by branches from the big tree out front of my place falling on the roof ... ), though the majority of them are fairly young, and the novelty of being able to camp out in a park must be a bit of a thrill I suppose.

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"the novelty of being able to camp out in a park must be a bit of a thrill I suppose."
QUOTE Urban Shocker


Unbelievable! Camping out in a city park during a rainstorm!

I would have thought that a good 25% (being hardcore socialists) would have "Occupied" a communist branded bar

which is situated not two blocks from "their' campsite. After all, not only could they be out of the weather, but be

toasting the likes of Lennin and Stalin, at the proprietor's expense of course.


Regards,
J T

 

[jn_12]

"I have a degree in political science, thanks."
QUOTE jn_12

Reference to the above post #45.
(Thank you spider.)

I mentioned my degree in political science only because you have assumed I know nothing about this topic or politics in general. I am simply stating that I'm fairly certain I've invested more time on this topic than most people and for you to make the assumption that I know nothing and need to use my computer to educate myself is the exact opposite of the truth.

"I'm lucky that in Ontario the government will pay my interest on my $40,000+ student loan until I'm able to pay for it myself,"
QUOTE jn_12
Dear Sir. The Government of Ontario ain't paying your loan interest; the taxpayers of Ontario are paying in your stead.

Yes taxpayers are, because in Ontario we believe that access to post-secondary education shouldn't be only for those who can afford it. Those of us who grew up in families that lived paycheque to paycheque depend on public investments in things like education, health care, etc, so as to ensure that we can better ourselves and contribute in the future. I wholeheartedly look forward to the day I get a paycheque, knowing I'm paying back into a system that got me to this point.

"but most people in my situation in other jurisdictions just aren't that lucky."
QUOTE jn_12
I am taking for granted that you are referring to the U S of A, and as such, I believe you to be a bird-of-the-same-feather.*

Yep I am referring to people in the US, because they as a society have decided not to take care of those who need it and their society has suffered greatly for this decision. For someone who visits an urban issues message board, I would assume you're aware of the issues facing most American cities and so you understand where I am coming from.

"Even the most hyperbolic of commentators wouldn't associate the people protesting with Nazi Germany."
"But by all means, feel free to explain what this group has in common with Nazi Germany. I could use a good laugh."
QUOTE jn_12
If the above* holds, you will take note of my mention of some of the "sponsors" of that (your) Occupy Movement, the American NAZI Party
being one. Do read the word "American" in their name. The spelling of A M E R I C A (N) and "G E R M A N (Y)" differ. (Happy Birthday!)

It would take a very massive stretch of the imagination to assume that simply because an extremely fringe group like the American Nazi Party is in support of the movement, that the beliefs of the people protesting coincide with Nazi beliefs. It's also pretty ironic (and hilarious) that both "the communists" and "the Nazis" are on the same side in this argument. Unfortunately (in this case), we live in a society where freedom of speech and association are allowed, and any person, or any group can claim support for anything they want. If the American Nazi Party suddenly said they supported McDonalds, should the world boycott it? What kind of control would McDonalds have over such a situation? When you're talking about a democratic grassroots movement like we're seeing with the "Occupy" protesters, there's no organization or leader to denounce claims of support. The fact is, you'd be hard pressed to go down to St James Park and find anyone lecturing on the need for white power. It's quite the opposite.

"The fact is, no one is calling for the eradication of a class. No one has put a bounty on the heads of the "1%"."
QUOTE jn_12
Please do your due dilligence before posting. As noted in another of my entries I am not about to do a "Velikovsky" here for you.

By all means, if you can point me in the direction of anything that suggests that these protesters are calling for the eradication (meaning the deaths) of an entire class of people, then I'd love to see it. I'm not talking about one or two extremist nitwits who might be suggesting such a thing. I mean large groups of protesters demonstrating with violent imagery or rhetoric. I'll save you some time: You won't find it.

"I'm lucky that my partner is working two jobs'"
QUOTE jn_12
There are many working two jobs, with some working three jobs, while there are others only one, but with long hours.
What is your point? Question: Why aren't you working?

Thanks for acknowledging that some people work long hours or multiple jobs to get by. In some cases, it's necessary, sure, as there isn't a catchall reason for why people need to work apart from the fact they need money. But, maybe that wouldn't be the case if earnings were on par with what they were for the last generation or the generation before that? It's not just that the rich are getting richer, it's that the rest of us are getting poorer.

And unlike Spider (whose sentiment I find baffling, nevermind the fact you agree with him) I don't believe that someone who has invested 6 years of time on an education along with plenty of accompanying job experience should be pumping gas or serving french fries in any society. And even then the fact is I've applied to many jobs like that, but they don't want someone who is overqualified and likely to strive for something better in their career. As I've already said, I've sent out literally hundreds of resumes in the last 18months. For many of the positions where you actually get a response as to why you're not getting an interview, it's often because upwards of a 1000 people are applying for each open position. Even with my education, job experience, skills, etc. I've had one interview in 18 months, and it wasn't even in person, it was over the phone. I'm not alone. Many people are in a similar situation. Why should so many educated and skilled people be struggling to find work? Why aren't there enough jobs to go around? Why are jobs leaving North America for Asia? Why are governments signing trade agreements that allow this to happen? Why can't qualified individuals find adequate work here? Why aren't job ads that say things like "do not apply if unemployed" illegal? How many layoffs have we seen in the last 3, 5, 10 years? how little job growth have we seen? So many questions and they're all tied to this movement.

I can't speak for everyone, but what's my point, and what's my main issue in this movement? My point is that there are too many people like me who can't find work, and it is going to have serious long term repercussions for many jurisdictions if it's not fixed soon enough.

Oh and PS. Can you learn to quote? it's actually incredibly easy to do and only takes a second. At least do so out of consideration for others on this board.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Dropped by the park again today at 1:40. The pep rally by the bandshell continues, with a larger group of people this time. The march to City Hall was to begin at 2 o'clock but I drifted away. As I left the park at the south east corner I chatted briefly to a couple of young women, who looked to be about sixteen, who were daubing paint on canvas for banners. No artistic talent whatsoever but needs must in a political movement and they were gamely mucking in to do their bit for the war effort. I bruited my idea of a nice big statue - something along the lines of the Goddess of Democracy during the Tiananmen protests - but neither of them had ever heard of the statue or the Tienanmen Square protests.

 

[Urban Shocker]

A stirring anthem would be nice, too - a Marsellaise to rally the forces.

And their idea of street theatre is fairly unimaginative to date. They could set up some fun events next time they're marching on Bay Street, I think - set up a fake guillotine and drag some evil capitalist bankers in pinstripes and top hats out of their corporate towers maybe.

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"I can't speak for everyone,"
QUOTE jn_12

I have taken the above out of context, but it does apply to your quote below as well.


"Oh and PS. Can you learn to quote? it's actually incredibly easy to do and only takes a second. At least do so out of consideration for others on this board."
QUOTE jn_12

1) In reference to both of the above, which side of your mouth are you speaking from? Gasp! Sorry, I forgot; it is the left side. (ROTFLMAO)

2) The "escalation clause" seems to be alive & well with you herein, so allow me to take it to the next level pre my departure:

Salt is to be had at many locations throughout this city; please avail yourself for personal use.


Regards,
J T

30

 

[spider]

JN_12: In order to enhance my appreciation of your problem please explain to the less enlightened of the board members and me what is "Political Science", why would one spend 6 years and $40,000 to attain certification and what would one expect to do with that diploma?

If University attendance is not to confused with a trade school and graduation is to be considered proof that the holder of the diploma is a better person for their efforts in a purely academic sense why would it appear on a resume?

I am reminded of a family member who spent years attaining a diploma in Marine Biology and on graduation promptly joined the Police force.

 

[jn_12]

JN_12: In order to enhance my appreciation of your problem please explain to the less enlightened of the board members and me what is "Political Science", why would one spend 6 years and $40,000 to attain certification and what would one expect to do with that diploma?

If University attendance is not to confused with a trade school and graduation is to be considered proof that the holder of the diploma is a better person for their efforts in a purely academic sense why would it appear on a resume?

I am reminded of a family member who spent years attaining a diploma in Marine Biology and on graduation promptly joined the Police force.

I actually have two degrees. A bachelors in Politics and a Masters in Urban Planning. Both are very practical degrees with obvious potential paths, I think you would agree.

 

[spider]

I actually have two degrees. A bachelors in Politics and a Masters in Urban Planning. Both are very practical degrees with obvious potential paths, I think you would agree.

It doesn't matter if I agree, but it does matter if potential employers agree. Obviously they don't.

 

[jn_12]

I find it hilarious that you would make such huge assumptions and try to diminish my education. What's your beef?

It doesn't matter if I agree, but it does matter if potential employers agree. Obviously they don't.

And actually that's not the case at all. The issue is that every position I apply to, there are literally 1000 applicants give or take a few hundred. Even contracts for the smallest towns in Ontario are seeing 100+ applications. For many positions, because of the massive amount of layoffs that have occurred and people working from contract to contract (due to the lack of full time positions being offered), it's fairly common for individuals with two or three times the experience required applying for positions meant for people at the entry level. For example, one recent position that I received feedback from had 1053 applicants, and they hired someone with 10+ years experience. This was for an entry level position where 1 to 2 years of experience (which I surpass) was the requirement. This is a very common problem and as I said before, it's going to have massive implications. There's a reason why they're calling people in their 20s "the lost generation". It's not going to be a pretty sight a decade from now.