Harper minion, the Diminutive Jimbo Flaherty, is said by the Montreal Gazette to have given a "stern fiscal warning" to the United States.
Tiny Jim, to take a Dickensian liberty, told New York's business elite that America must tackle its deficit if financial markets are to retain confidence in America's ability to manage its debt.
Evidence that this was just more meaningless lipflap from Tiny Jim (copyright) was the noticeable absence of any suggestion that the US stop spending more than the rest of the world combined on military expenditures, wrap up a couple of its pointless wars or start taxing the rich like they were rich. I guess it's okay to point out a nation's deficit but bad form to mention what lies behind it. Way to go Jimbo. Now, hurry back to Ottawa. Steve wants his limo washed in time for the weekend so you've got some real work to do.
I've often wondered what on Earth the Harpercons would do if the US really really crashed. Maybe a dark fear lurks somewhere in Jimmers mind the US might soon fail...
ReplyDeleteBoris, I'm pretty sure we'll find out soon.
ReplyDeleteI suppose we'd have a pretty extended "deer in the headlights" period. That's what we got from Harper during the initial crash. Despite all the warnings (Krugman, Stiglitz, Roubini and others) and the obvious imbalances in the US economy, Steve claimed no one could see it coming even though they plainly did. And then Steve panicked and prorogued Parliament. Finally when he had to let Parliament back in he turned up with an unfocused, ineffective stimulus/recovery budget. Steve was too cowardly to make bold investments in infrastructure so he dribbled it out to us to build new decks on our cottages and looked the other way.
ReplyDeleteIf it happens again, I don't think Steve has a Plan "B". Flaherty isn't bright enough to do any better.
Its amazing he did not endorse the Ryan Plan
ReplyDeleteIn both the US and Canada talk about fighting deficits is just cover for getting rid of programs conservatives don't like.
ReplyDeleteas per Steve, The story on the CBC site (http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/06/15/flaherty-us-deficit.html) says that Flaherty did mention Ryan.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody have any further info on what he said? I suspect he was as stupid about this as about endorsing the Celtic Tiger as it was melting down, but I continue to hope against hope that FinMinJim has found a brain.
as per Steve, The story on the CBC site (http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/06/15/flaherty-us-deficit.html) says that Flaherty did mention Ryan.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but if Flaherty is looking for something that will balance the budget, Paul Ryan's plan doesn't balance anything until 2040.