I've read this thread and just thought it would be ok to add a couple of things since it's so far off topic and has gotten a little philosophical (no offence is meant, just checking, ha, ha and I'm not even sure yet what I am going to say exactly, but its my observation and I haven't seen it here yet, maybe I missed it becuase this is a long thread :-)

Just would like to make some comments to show that it isn't with out REAL reason that "Canuck Bucks" as they call them ... "Ca-Sucks" Just a little joke! Sorry I'm not good with puns. And maybe for those on the board who seem to be Canadians and I haven't heard any mention from them of the more fundamental problems facing your nation (I don't think it is the US or NAFTA alone keeping the Canadian economy in check. I like Canada myself, I think it's currency has problems for 2 reasons (others sure, I guess). 1st is historically it has been an economy based on selling off it's natural resources (it is so rich in much of what the developed nations have already stripped themselves of, i.e. lumber, still mineral rich {a large and entirely new diamond field was discovered there over the past 6 years or so, not to mention the largest nickel mine in the world 5 years ago} it has these things in abundance…. BUT it had been an economy set up to just cut it and "ship it out" with very little labor value added. And I am not just talking about lumber here. It was basically a very good working policy for a land that was resource rich with a small population. But now "commodities" have really been in the "crapper" (to use the technical term here). Since 1995 or so commodities have been in a bear market around the world for all sorts of reasons. This has happened before, but has not been so deep for so long with no relief, it has normally been more cyclical and prices have gone up and down not just down and stayed there like now. This has put a real crunch on Canada, kinda like if you had bought a supply of nothing but great S & G boats to sell at a good price and once you were all stocked and set up to sell .... The bottom dropped out of the market because everyone wanted the strippers someone else was selling for a price you could only go slowly broke on (not a great analogy, but just show you can have good product and still have prices change by demand considerations beyond your control, but it's a little late once you have committed yourself to a certain inventory and business strategy). So Canada has had a hard time first because it has the wrong "product" now because prices are down because of competition and the power of the US as THE only super power (gives the US LOTS of temporary {most likely} power and power just naturally draws money). Canada has not been quick enough to change its economy over to adding labor value to its resources before it ships them. First because the "old" way always worked before and "slumps" in prices were just that "slumps". Now it is finally dawning on them (politicos) that it is a changed world, prices are down and could stay down for God knows how long. 2nd because it is not easy to "re-build" an economy for any government…. And that brings up the other and last issue…. The socialist (see below if interested) governments of Canada had for many, many years run themselves at a "deficit" in their budget. In other words these poitocos (just like here in the US) like to keep spending more than they have (makes them more powerful and people don't notice it as much right away if they "borrow" the extra money instead of raising taxes (don't need to make the people angry by facing them when they can get it through the "back door of "debt') or NOT spending (a dirty word to most politicos, especially liberal or socialist, like Canada's past and present administrations). So Canada's currency is also weak because IT HAS A HUGE NATIONAL DEBT. Not many people want to hold or invest in a currency from a country that is up to its ears in DEBT (thanks to the government's past spending, this money is all gone and hangs around their neck like an albatross dragging them down). There is a risk to even hold Canadian $$$ because you can literally lose money (value) just by having some of it in your account, who in the world would look to buy this currency ... the answer is NOBODY! .. Would YOU??) All this has been a double whammy for Canada because at the same time that they owe a lot of money ... Their "products" (read the remaining natural resources) are worth less and they don't make much profit by selling them now. This is exactly the opposite of what they (those politicos again) were "counting" on when they came up with the "excuses" for spending money they didn't have and borrowing to do it. I myself have seen the real value of some Canadian equities I hold drop just by the currency losing value. This is partly due to the actions of the socialist government there (it is not just their socialism that makes their record so miserable economically, but it is a big part of the reason this country has been "stuck" in the mud so long). Canada's politicos are steeped in a philosophy that does not lend it self to bold and aggressive reforms (read let personal initiative and creativity take over and get the government out of the way). But of course "Canada's people, can't do THAT, they "NEED" the government to do things FOR THEM, cause only the government "knows what is best" HA, HA, HA. Funny, yes, but that is what Canada's government philosophy is, whether they admit or not (they don't) and most surprising to me is somehow Canadians seem to buy this line and let the government "run" there lives in a way that is not possible in the US (yet anyway).

Others on this thread have mentioned democracy and socialism. One at least wanted to deny that Canada has a socialist government. Oh the Queen and parliament mean it's not socialist I suppose!! It may not be an absolute socialist state, but it is pretty close and there is no real question of that. The taxes are confiscatatory and I don't care if that "includes" "free" health care, besides which it is amazing how many Canadians have to cross the border to get what the government calls (elective) procedures but which real people (who have the choice, meaning money) do not want to get on some government "list" and wait for many months if not YEARS. So if they would like to get this procedure at THEIR ("selfish") timetable rather than the timetable of some government "panel" they have to cross the border and can get what they want by paying cash on the barrel head. That just shows one way how well socialism works (it is the same in G.B. but they do not have the same option of crossing the border so easily. And it does show the benefits of more freedom (you don't see Americans going to Canada for "procedures" cause they don't have to. Yes I know veryone here is not rich and that is "bad", but hard work here can bring more people greater succsss than anywhere else in the world) As for US being a democracy, that is the common assumption. The US is rather (and more precisely) a "Representative Republic", which is quite different from a democracy in many, many fundamental ways. But I have rattled on enough for one night and if anyone is still reading this, I would not have the gall to make them listen to another page of me saying what is wrong with the US economy,,,,, Ha, HA!!