why white people suck and the MEC

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

As an aside and a particularly local one at that, next time your downtown on Granville and Hastings, look at the homeless demographic. Predominantly white and aboriginal males. I realize you said poverty.

Whats your thoughts on social justice or how much socialism is required to provide justice (and or "equality")?

The people living in poverty includes more than just the homeless.

The short version of my answer to your question is it will take one generation - 25 years or so and is solved via integrating the social welfare system and the education system. To make it work though the public has to buy in en masse and be willing to support higher taxes to provide the resources needs to break the cycle of poverty. Unless we take the steps to stop the cycle of poverty where it begins, with children, we are never going to solve it after the fact by trying to rehabilitate people after they have already grown up in the cycle of poverty. The cool thing is that eventually social welfare costs will plummet and far less people will need some form of social assistance.

Or for the super short TL/DR version, maintenance is way cheaper than repairs.

Posted by: tungsten

Posted by: XXX_er

they were  elected by non whitey's ..

By not votin g.

Ya they went for Dim sum instead

Posted by: Brocklanders

Ya but the funny thing is they don't sell anything cheaper. They used to be a bare bones operation but all of a sudden became like boutique outdoor gear shop. I have pretty much stopped shopping there, way rather support my LBS's.

But where else can you one stop shop for Levis jeans, North Face 1996 Retro Puffies , Adidas hoodies, and Patagonia down sweater vests?

Posted by: PaulB

But where else can you one stop shop for Levis jeans, North Face 1996 Retro Puffies , Adidas hoodies, and Patagonia down sweater vests?

Every rapper's dream winter ensemble, just add in the Timberlands.

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: PaulB

But where else can you one stop shop for Levis jeans, North Face 1996 Retro Puffies , Adidas hoodies, and Patagonia down sweater vests?

Every rapper's dream winter ensemble, just add in the Timberlands.

are those the work boots for people who dont actually work?

Posted by: Adam-West

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: PaulB

But where else can you one stop shop for Levis jeans, North Face 1996 Retro Puffies , Adidas hoodies, and Patagonia down sweater vests?

Every rapper's dream winter ensemble, just add in the Timberlands.

are those the work boots for people who dont actually work?

Nah homes.  You're thinking of Blundstones. 

Isn't MEC diversified enough now that they sell UA and NIKE?  Also I thought more than 5 brown guys can't hang out together or the cops will be called.

Might be too white but it would be nice if they brought back the Rad pant and fleece pants,

its almost impossible to find fleece pants for base layering inside Gortex or rain wear pants

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

As an aside and a particularly local one at that, next time your downtown on Granville and Hastings, look at the homeless demographic. Predominantly white and aboriginal males. I realize you said poverty.

Whats your thoughts on social justice or how much socialism is required to provide justice (and or "equality")?

The people living in poverty includes more than just the homeless.

The short version of my answer to your question is it will take one generation - 25 years or so and is solved via integrating the social welfare system and the education system. To make it work though the public has to buy in en masse and be willing to support higher taxes to provide the resources needs to break the cycle of poverty. Unless we take the steps to stop the cycle of poverty where it begins, with children, we are never going to solve it after the fact by trying to rehabilitate people after they have already grown up in the cycle of poverty. The cool thing is that eventually social welfare costs will plummet and far less people will need some form of social assistance.

Or for the super short TL/DR version, maintenance is way cheaper than repairs.

There is no short answer to this question and I was trying to differentiate between homeless and poverty. Technically, someone working in Hospitality making minimum wage will be below the poverty line and will have their annual MSP fee waived but they're probably pretty far from homeless at the same time. Whereas, obviously homeless people dont have jobs, or much else. And yes I do equate homeless with drug addiction.

I think the fact you say even higher taxes is required is a joke since nationally we're at what, 28-34%? How much more can honest people be taxed who want to help vs the people who are coming here for 6 months a year, game the system and then jetset elsewhere. For the record, I dont believe in socialized housing in one of the most ridiculous housing markets. Especially for the homeless. If anyones going to provide for the destitute, addicted and homeless, they need more than free or subsidized housing.

(One of the) First thing we need to do is reimpose restrictions on foreign ownership of land. In both China and the Phillipine's, non citizens cant own land. And yes, I'm a racist for stating this obvious fact. Go back to 1997 when those laws were relaxed and the average home price in Vancouver proper was $3-400,000. That was a detached home on more than 1/16th of acre.  I realize this is impossible without basically sinking the Canadian economy, or at least the local BC economy but I say fuck it, start it up, again.

Or perhaps the green cash crop will provide and answer for all of Canaduh's needs.. lol/sigh

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

There is no short answer to this question and I was trying to differentiate between homeless and poverty. Technically, someone working in Hospitality making minimum wage will be below the poverty line and will have their annual MSP fee waived but they're probably pretty far from homeless at the same time. Whereas, obviously homeless people dont have jobs, or much else. And yes I do equate homeless with drug addiction.

I think the fact you say even higher taxes is required is a joke since nationally we're at what, 28-34%? How much more can honest people be taxed who want to help vs the people who are coming here for 6 months a year, game the system and then jetset elsewhere. For the record, I dont believe in socialized housing in one of the most ridiculous housing markets. Especially for the homeless. If anyones going to provide for the destitute, addicted and homeless, they need more than free or subsidized housing.

Of course there is no short answer, but I wasn't about to type out a dissertation for you on the subject. Why are you wanting to differentiate between homelessness and poverty though? You asked me about social justice and I gave you a brief yet straightforward answer. I'm honestly not sure what to make of your reply. Dealing with poverty, homelessness and addiction requires a broad set of sometimes distinct policies but all of which are inter-related. The number one reason I don't think the poverty issue will ever be solved is exactly due to your response - most people are not willing to pay a little more in the short term even if it means paying much less in the long term. Add to the fact that there are negative attitudes towards those living in poverty and in particular towards the homeless and it becomes an even harder sell to convince people that eliminating poverty is actually in everyone's best interests. So you say that "they" need more than social housing, which is very true, yet you aren't willing to help pay for that more. So how does the problem get fixed?

If a study showed that if every working Canadian contributed an extra .5% of their income for the next 15 years that we would be able to virtually eliminate poverty would you be willing to do it? What if that number was a full 1%? The ripple effect of taking care of poverty, if done right, is potentially huge.

Marginal income tax rates are already has high as 53% in Canada, how much higher should they go? The size of the pie is limited.

The question should never be how high should taxes be, it should be what do we want and then tax to pay for it.  Either that or bake larger pies.

Posted by: chupacabra

The question should never be how high should taxes be, it should be what do we want and then tax to pay for it.  Either that or bake larger pies.

Except our economy doesn't exist in a vacuum, and creating a larger pie is tough when you have significantly higher marginal tax rates than your closest competitor for talent and capital.

Also I am getting YouTube ads for this Mec diversity signaling now, ugh.

Posted by: grambo

Posted by: chupacabra

The question should never be how high should taxes be, it should be what do we want and then tax to pay for it.  Either that or bake larger pies.

Except our economy doesn't exist in a vacuum, and creating a larger pie is tough when you have significantly higher marginal tax rates than your closest competitor for talent and capital.

Also I am getting YouTube ads for this Mec diversity signaling now, ugh.

This is the biggest downfall of capitalism and free market economies -  it only takes one guy carving out a bigger piece of pie due to some sort of advantage or pure greed to upset the whole apple cart and then everyone is doing what they can to chase bigger profits. Until the majority of people are interested in doing what's best for all instead of what's best for themselves inequity will exists and there will be people who are willing to run over whomever or whatever in order to get what they want. The planet is dying because of this.

web picts of racially ambiguous couples waking up with that smile in an MEC sleeping bag, my inner background music is playing Joe Jackson singing " is he really going out with him "