Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Little Kremlin on the Prairie

My friend Rolf Penner, a libertarian-minded Manitoba farmer, has gone on Youtube to make the case against the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly.

12 comments:

Platty said...

I'm still waiting to hear someone, anyone, come up with a convincing argument to challenge what Rolf Penner is saying here.

If there are so many farmers that want to use the CWB, then let them, and allow those, like Rolf, sell privately if they choose to do so.

I'll believe the Liberals are sincere about this when they start calling for Eastern farmers to be regulated by the CWB as well.

I have a feeling I'll be waiting a long, long time....


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Unknown said...

If the Canadian Wheat Board is such a great and beneficial institution, it should have nothing to fear in allowing competition.

Iain G. Foulds said...

... I wonder what would happen if I sat on the street corner, a bushel of wheat at my feet, holding a sign "Wheat for sale!"

Monkey Loves to Fight said...

I too think that farmers should have the right to freely sell their wheat on the open market, but in reality this has less to do with freedom and dictatorship but more collectivism over individualism. The left and the dominate view in Canada at the moment (more so in the East though than West) is that we are stronger together than divided and that the general interests of the collective should supercede that of the individual. The problem here, is who defines the collective interest and never mind whenever government is given more power, they often abuse it.

As for the Liberals changing their tactics, actually theirs makes perfect sense. In the riding affected by the Wheat Board, the Tories won by astronomical margins, so even if most don't support the CWB, support for ending the CWB monopoly is probably lower than the Tory vote in most of the ridings in the CWB area and the Tories already are opposed to the CWB monopoly.

zolton said...

How much do Americans subsidize their wheat industry? Hmmm
Was that plebiscite on the issue a fair one?
Or was the question loaded and more votes were given to farmers who own significant pieces of land.
Why can the government overstep laws to do what they what to in this case?

Doesn't seem like this farmer is suffering to me, he has a nice big screen tv! I am the son of a wheat board worker and we don't have anything close to as luxurious.

You guys only listen to one side of the issue. I would hope that you go out and listen to the voices of the farmers for most of them want to retain the wheat board!
Wake up and get a clue!
Your advocating a worse way of life for these farmers!
Nafta round two! How much did the farmers loose after NAFTA round one? About 60% of their income!
Why do you fail to see that writing Canadian economic law in the United States is fuking retarded for Canadians!

Iain G. Foulds said...

... Mr. Lunn... you are absolutely correct.
... This is purely an issue of the principles of collectivism vs. those of individualism- is the product of one's labour and investment to be considered one's own, or common property to be distributed by the state?
... It is so simple. However, does Mr. Harper have the courage to teach this truth?

Anonymous said...

Where the heck do you see a big screen TV? The only thing I see here that comes close to that is the blue blind that is down on the window we see over his left shoulder.

By the way if you take a look at the wheat boards latest annual report you will find a column that lists the total amount paid to employee's. When you divide that number by the number of employees the average salary is just over $90,000 per year.

You poor thing, I really feel your personal pain. It must be time for another one of those $1000 stress bonuses. LOL

zolton said...

To summarize
"If the Canadian Wheat Board is such a great and beneficial institution, it should have nothing to fear in allowing competition."
Right and if people knew what the facts were then this decision would be an easy one!
IE: We sell our grain for more and is it higher quality unlike the privatized grain.

Facts unlike the rhetoric "By the way if you take a look at the wheat boards latest annual report you will find a column that lists the total amount paid to employee's. When you divide that number by the number of employees the average salary is just over $90,000 per year."
This is total hogwash! I wonder how many lies were spread by Americans to de-legitimize the CWB.
The fuking hilarious thing is that you believe in it!
Lets all call Inky Mark tomorrow and see what his constituents say on the Wheat board?
I wonder what would mark do represent the wishes of his constituents or bow to the pressure of the MIGHTY HARPER?
Should the control of food be in the hands of some asshole looking out for his own bottom line? or in the hands of the people that make up the country?

Anonymous said...

Look up this web address...

http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/about/investor/annual/pdf/06-07/2006-07_annual-report.pdf

Go to page 79 of the report, look under "administrative expenses". The human resources column comes in at $39 million.

Divide by 430 people and the simple average is 90K.

Which comes from screwing farmers. You must be very proud of your mom or dad zolton.

zolton said...

Anonymous your the one who is attempting to "screw the farmers". Your just filled with so much rhetoric that you can't see that!

Anonymous said...

It's spelled "you're" not "your".

Are you using a wheat board dictionary by chance?

Platty said...

Zolton

If the CWB creates such a fair market place for farmers, why not regulate all Canadian farmers, not just those in the West?