"Jack Layton underestimated the dangerous nexus created when economic decisions are taken out of the hands of consumers and shareholders and placed in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats. His ideas would have made Canada and the world poorer, with the most vulnerable being the first to suffer." So wrote Mark Milke, senior fellow with the Fraser Institute.
Someone who knows far more than I about politics and economics thinks Layton would have been a disaster. "...good intentions (and Layton had them in spades) do not necessarily lead to good outcomes. They are never enough to create a country of peace, prosperity, order and good government," Milke added in his column today. On the contrary, when politicians are given too much arbitrary economic power you get banana republics because governments can then deny or approve this or that business development instead of developing laws and regulations to manage them.
Layton's problem was that he believed too fervently in the ability of bureaucrats and politicians to direct the economy properly. They don't. When more control over economic decisions is given to people who already have a ton of it, the potential for corruption multiplies. Just a fact. By the way, welcome to the Conservative government of Alberta! As Lord Acton said, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Jack thought everyone was a noble-minded as he. Please.
Never underestimate the Canadian voter. Sure everyone liked Jack, how could you not? Nice guy, but in the end we wouldn't give him the keys to the car.
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Your right - but he also inspired a great number of ass sitting people who DO NOT GO OUT AND VOTE - to do just that Vote.
ReplyDeleteThis article is excellent and not character
damaging. Congratulations.
I never maligned Layton's character, just his policies and hypocrisy.
DeleteWatch for The Widow Chow to run!