Big Government

It’s not just the ostriches. Farmers of all sorts of animals are doubting the competency of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Cattle, elk and poultry farmers have all raised concerns with government-ordered cull operations. It turns out that the CFIA has a reputation for bad communication and inconsistent decision-making when it comes to culls.

Let’s clear something up: There is no such thing as “government-funded.” That phrase gets thrown around too often in press releases and campaign speeches, as if it describes some magical pot of money the government pulls from the clouds. But every cent the government spends comes from you. It’s taxpayer-funded. It’s money taken from your paycheque, your gas tank, your grocery bill, your property, your business. Every government “program,” every “announcement,” every “investment” they brag about is done with your money.

Subsidies are in the news. Two in particular: film tax credits and EV support. It’s a sordid tale of doomed subsidy competitions among governments.

Film and movie subsidies have existed for over three decades. The blockbuster Minecraft , released April 4, had brought in US$409 million in ticket sales by May 19, almost 15 per cent of total North America sales over that period. On average in the past four decades, the top 1,000 movies have generated two to three times their production costs, a handsome return to the producers who own the intellectual property rights. Big money is clearly involved, especially for Hollywood producers.

In a world where parental rights are increasingly under attack, one question looms large. Who truly owns your children?

I’m not talking about ownership like a refrigerator or a pet. I mean, who bears the responsibility, the authority, and the accountability for raising your child? Who teaches them morality? Who tells them what’s right and wrong? If you’re a parent of faith—particularly a Christian—the answer should be obvious. You do.

Oh, so you meant to tell me that the area of the nation that subsists entirely off the backs of the American working class, has been enriching itself? They live in D.C. because they work in D.C. How could we have ever known that the scum of Washington weren’t acting in our best interest?

In a recent “PBS NewsHour” panel discussion, Washington Post Associate Editor Jonathan Capehart criticized President-elect Donald Trump for selecting cabinet nominees designed to “wreck Washington.” Underlying Capehart’s critique is his assumption that Washington in its present form doesn’t need “wrecking.” The majority of Americans disagree with that assumption.

In Canada we also work to support a bloated and entitled liberal-left vote bloc called the public service.

There are 306,110 federal government-issued smartphones in circulation right now. Canadians can be assured that many government decisions are being made on these devices, particularly through messaging apps.

But how many of these discussions are taking place on disappearing messaging apps, which evade the country’s transparency laws?

“One of the dangers that democracies face is that of the machinery of government morphing into a political party with its own culture, traditions, methods and, needless to say, interests — above all that of self-perpetuation. Thus, the US has a third, invisible party, besides the Republicans and Democrats.”

In Canada the machinery of government has been co-opted by the Liberal-left.