cktimes.ca Archives for Notes from a Garage


Notes from a Garage

With John Gardiner

Letting government ruin your life, government propaganda and bad negotiating…

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Off on a bit of a rant this week……railing about the government…..railing against government-sponsored gambling. Am really fed up with all the government gambling that goes on in this country. I am so deadset against all these government lotteries, I can’t even begin to tell you. Here we are in the worst recession since the 1930’s, people are losing their jobs all over the place, there are foreclosures and bankruptcies galore, and every second commercial on Canadian TV is encouraging people to gamble. That’s right, folks….take your last pay cheque over the slots so your “mini holiday” can start. Gawd, does this sort of thing make my blood boil. I fully understand that gambling has always been with us and that people will gamble whether you want them to or not….it’s sort of like prostitution and drugs and drinking. There just isn’t any way to get rid of them….they’re part of the human condition. But it surely ain’t right that it’s the government running some of these things. It’s bad enough when the criminals are trying to ruin your life, but when the government is after you as well, what are your chances? No, I’m completely and totally against government-sponsored gambling…..government has no right whatsoever to ruin your life….and you read that here first.

And now….more about the government. What’s with all these advertisements on Canadian TV about how well the economy is working and how well the government “stimulus” package is working….These are nothing more than Conservative propaganda and who’s paying for them now that the country is running a $55 billion deficit? Oh yea, I’d say the economy is really humming along now that we’re spending money we don’t really have. I think my personal economic situation would improve considerably as well if I could spend, say even $1 million I don’t have. Come on you bunch of hypocrites and truth-stretchers…..how about a little honesty for a change. And how is the stimulus funding going to help anyway? It’s supposed to provide bridge funding for people who have lost their jobs until they can find another one. So, the guy in the auto industry that used to make $30 per hour is now helping build a bridge for $15 per hour thanks to the stimulus package…but there’s likely a job at Wal-Mart for minimum wage in his future….it’s the way of the world these days. And my opinion is that the North American economy is never really going to “recover” because the manufacturing base is gone. The people who built the cars and TV sets were the same people who bought the cars and TV sets. That’s what nobody seems to understand about this giant shell game…..but it’s true….strange, but true….

Now to Bombardier, the little Canadian company that grew into a big Canadian company making snowmobiles for the Canadian market. It now makes all kinds of things…trains and airplanes and other neat stuff. So, it just landed a huge contract to build high speed trains for the Chinese market. But this will not result in a single Canadian job at this “Canadian” company because production will be carried out in China. Wow! I don’t know how we get into these deals. Whenever we want something for the Canadian market these days, we build it in China. And when something’s needed for the Chinese market – even though it’s being supplied by a Canadian company – it’s still built in China. It’s no wonder our economy is in chaos – we seem to be locked into a lose-lose situation with the People’s Republic of China. Who negotiates these lop-sided deals where we always end up with no jobs. No, I’ve read a number of times about Bombardier getting government grants and other government assistance…..and this is how they pay us back….I’m pretty sick and tired of it….but there’s no end in sight….

Boy, there’s some real ranting for you this week…..hope you’re enjoying cktimes.ca, our good news newspaper on the internet…..take care, take a breath and remember, “Hew to the line; let the chips fall where they may.”



John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.