A war in Georgia is a little too much unsettling on what is a day that supposedly represents a movement toward world peace and mutually respectful competition. Wars also don’t improve air quality, although the Olympics are having a momentary positive effect if you don’t count the planes that took the athletes to compete, and the energy to make and transport the throw-away junk souvenirs.
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Also disappointing, but not really surprising is that Jim Prentice has again let Canadians down. When he’s not looking out for American businesses that want to sue children and dead people for downloading music, he’s defending Bell and Telus who want to charge you to get cell phone spam. This does fit with the Conservative trait of defending large businesses who want you to pay through the nose. Remember fees for using bank machines? Jack Layton was there for you, and Stephen Harper got a stern talking-to from the bankers.
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Zach Bell | 08-Aug-08 at 6:24 pm | Permalink
When it comes to cell phone fees, consumers can always try voting with their dollars. I know it’s a novel idea, but consumers really can take responsibility for themselves I think.
The ATM fees thing was ridiculous. The NDP’s position was (and still is) that a business should not be able to charge you for using their resources to access an outside service. I get a number of free ABM transaction if I use machines from my bank. If I use another bank’s machine, why shouldn’t that bank charge me a premium for utilizing their service?
Again…there is an ability for the consumer to be responsible and I think many people are more than capable of taking advantage of that ability.
Saskboy | 08-Aug-08 at 8:25 pm | Permalink
Yet in both cases the businesses have both long ago made huge money from the implementation of their fees (which do not exist in other markets of the world such as the UK. EDIT: At least not typically among major banks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATM_usage_fees ). The fees are not going into upgrading or improving the ubiquitous systems, they just add to things like record profits for the Big 5 banks.
M@ | 08-Aug-08 at 9:44 pm | Permalink
The olympics? In China? A movement towards world peace?!
Is it 1936 again? Because peaceful facades quickly veneered over oppressive, violent regimes seem to be in style.
Saskboy | 08-Aug-08 at 9:54 pm | Permalink
Thus my wording “supposedly represents”.
Caucasus | 08-Aug-08 at 10:58 pm | Permalink
ADMIN EDIT for HATE SITE LINK: War just broke out in the Caucasus
Heavy fighting in South Ossetia
Quote:
Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists have been exchanging heavy fire just hours after agreeing to a ceasefire and Russian-mediated talks.
Russian media reports said Georgia had launched a tank-led attack on the separatist stronghold of Tskhinvali, with at least 15 killed in shelling.
Georgia says its aim is to finish “a criminal regime” and restore order.
Moscow has called on the international community to jointly work “to avert massive bloodshed and new victims”.
At Russia’s request, members of the UN Security Council are holding a rare emergency session to discuss a response to the escalating violence.
Zach Bell | 08-Aug-08 at 11:36 pm | Permalink
Saskboy, the answer to making the banking market more equitable to consumers is not regulating how they charge their customers for various services. The same applies to the cellular telephone industry.
In the case of banks, the answer is to abolish the bank act. The bank act gives enormous power to big banks and creates incredibly restrictive regulatory requirements for credit unions or smaller independent banks. A bank like CIBC can create money on the spot and use it for a loan. A credit union MUST lend against deposits held in their accounts for instance. Not what I would call fair.
In the case of cellular telephones, the answer is to abolish the CRTC which does more to assist collusion among major cellular carriers than it does to encourage a competitive market.
Saskboy | 08-Aug-08 at 11:41 pm | Permalink
How will we stop interference on channels?
Zach Bell | 09-Aug-08 at 1:10 pm | Permalink
Let the free market take care of that. Radio stations in Canada and the United States for instance broker independent agreements between each other so as not to broadcast into their respective local markets.
Believe it or not, cellular providers can bargain between each other for use of frequencies. If they don’t want to barter in some cases, a consumer can always drop a provider for terrible reception.
As it is now, cellular providers broker complex agreements that provide A Sasktel customer for instance, coverage all over Canada using towers from different companies.
They can do it…you can choose. Have some faith in the consumer muh man.