Ack! Rafe Mair voting Green?!

[HEyHEY]

http://www.thetyee.ca/Views/2005/12/12/WhyImVotingGreen/?tyee_message=Comment+added%21#post47079

[V. Kid]

1. The Green Platform is too vague...

...and contradictory. On the one hand they want to eliminate poverty, that's nice but how do they plan on doing it? They also want to lower taxes, but how do they plan on paying for the stuff to eliminate poverty? They interject some intresting ideas, but I can't say I'd trust them to run anything or be given any power.

This is a bit off topic but. Hopefully we get some form of PR, so 'strategic voting' won't be that much of a problem anymore, so parties like them can get in...if they clear the barrier.

Anyhow here's another article about the Greens, which highglights this, and which is why I'd disagree with Rafe about voting for them:

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1134082211748&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

[HEyHEY]

2. ...

"On the one hand they want to eliminate poverty, that's nice but how do they plan on doing it?"

I always felt the same way about the Greens. Even provincially. I remember the Green guy in my riding last election on ever issue his answer was basically, "Well, we've gotta fix it" and it stoppped at that.

[MrPrax]

3. Vagueness and Trust Us...

are no stranger to any of the parties.

The Greens have problems (a lot of brain-dead libertarians and hippy capitalists), but I want to keep them round.

As far as Rafe goes, why not?

He's probably been burned or lied so many times by politicians of all parties that he prefers idealism like ambitious policies to eliminate poverty as opposed to social democrat schemes that summize the problem is simply a 'lack of opportunity and skills' and as such propose well-funded employment centers that try to teach junkies and youth gang members how to set up a hotmail accounts.

Social Democrat types then declare victory and move on to the next funding trough. In BC, we had an NDP government spend 40 million to create 9 near-minimum wage jobs. As a taxpayer, I would have MUCH perferred they just give them welfare for the next 20 years--a lot cheaper since this scheme was nothing more than a boondoogle.

The big problem is that social democrats anywhere in the west just won't pull the trigger and most people are a little confused by what it is they stand for? Many small 'liberals' are as bigoted, self-righteous and as wrong as their conservative counterparts. However, when it comes to economic fundamentals, they sing the same song.

Rather than deal honestly with housing and income problems, social democrats simply re-invent themselves as a 'third way'.

The Greens aren't anymore honest than the rest of the social democrats, but at least, they might be the in the same position the New Dems were; 'party of social conscience'.