So dear reader, since I became more involved in politics, a few things have me scratching my head. I thought I would share my thoughts with you.
Why is it that, when your income tax is deducted from your paycheck, it is calculated on your gross earnings (meaning your earnings BEFORE ANY deductions are made)? Now, flash forward to when you start to collect your Canada Pension Plan, you are taxed on your CPP as income. So, you are now paying income tax on the same money twice. How does the government get away with this? It is, in fact, money deducted from your pay to give back to you, should you need a pension after you retire. And now, the current government wants YOU to pay that money out to people who have just come to Canada having never worked here.
Now on the same topic of pensions, our Military is the ONLY military in the world that pays into its’ own pension fund (to my knowledge). This money is paid out as a regular pension after one retires from the military. Think of it as a Military version of an RRSP. Now if you, a regular Canadian citizen, were to invest in an RRSP it would not get deducted from your CPP. The government forces our Military to pay into their pension program toward their retirement or medical discharge and then makes them fight for it (then makes them fight for it). Once they start collecting CPP (which is deducted from their pay also) the Government claws back that very same pension into which they have paid. Then, the government takes the money that they have STOLEN from the veterans to cover governmental spending.
Another thing that has got me wondering is this: why is it that, if you buy a car like a Honda (that is manufactured in Canada by Canadians) you have to pay an IMPORT tax on it, yet when you buy a so-called domestic brand that is made in the USA or Mexico (but NOT in Canada) there is no import tax? To me, this is just plain evidence that the real power in Ottawa is American Big Business. We are being taken for a ride here folks. We export raw materials to countries like the US and China, who then refine it only to sell it back to us at a HUGE mark-up. Why is this, you ask? Because over the last 30 years our government has been bought and paid for by multinational companies that do NOT have your best interest at heart. They only care about the money they can make and how they can make the most yet pay the least. According to the NAFTA, we are ONLY allowed to have five petroleum refineries here in Canada, and we ship out the raw product to the US to make the people at Shell, Texaco, and BP rich. We export raw logs all over the world, only to import it as lumber and paper. We have mills sitting empty and falling apart, with workers who no longer have those jobs because governments in other countries care more about their workers then our government does about ours.
Here is something else for you to ponder. A 16 year old boy is taken to a distant land to shoot our troops and build bombs. People tell you he was only 16 and could not know that what he was doing was wrong because adults told him it was the right thing to do and he just did what he was told and therefore he could not really be at fault, yet a 16 year old girl screams at the UN about Global warming and everyone says kids these days know far more then we did at that age because of higher education standards and the internet. SO.. the BOY is Stupid, but the GIRL is Wise beyond her years. (Now don’t go thinking I am saying Global warming doesn’t or does exists. That is a topic for a more scientific post) But you can not have your cake and eat it to. They were both raised in developed “First World” nations and it can be argued that they have both been indoctrinated into their beliefs. That just goes to prove my argument more.
One last thing. Why do we as a nation turn our backs on our veterans? YES I admit that I am very biased on this topic, but, as veterans, we are pulled out and dusted off once a year to show off to the citizens. Every other day we are forgotten, not by each other but by the public. No not you specifically, dear reader, but in general. The Gods know I love Canada, but I want to share a recent post on Facebook by a fellow veteran as he sums it up far better than I can.
“Canadians are reverting back to the pre Afghanistan days. Out of sight out of mind mentality. What Canadians need to realize is that our military is the finest fighting force in the world. We don’t have the strength in numbers or the super budget that other countries have. Despite this our troops perform their duties better than any country in the world. This has been proven again and again. In fact other countries often honour our veterans with medals for our service in their country when Canada can’t do the same. Canada, wake up and realize that we have a younger generation of veterans that joined, went to WAR, came home and got out of the military with severe injury, physical or mental or both. Many have committed suicide or are living on the streets. They didn’t serve long enough to get a pension and many give up the fight with VAC. Our government doesn’t even have the balls to ensure that Canadians are educated on veteran issues. The leaders debate is the perfect platform to present the issues to Canadians. They say the topics for the leaders debates were chosen from comments made by Canadians on what was important to them. Going back to my first comments, out of sight out of mind. Recruiting is always an issue, through attrition the military needs a constant flow of new people. People that need to be trained in a timely manner in order to maintain a high quality of knowledge and leadership. If the Canadian public was to know how injured veterans and serving members were treated recruitment would be even tougher.
CANADA YOU NEED A STRONG MILITARY “ALWAYS” Do not forget the many serving members and veterans that have given YOU the opportunity to live in the greatest country in the world. Many have GIVEN THEIR LIVES IN THEATRE AND MANY HAVE GIVEN UP AND TAKEN THEIR LIVES AFTER COMING HOME. Many gave up because of the lack of help from our countries leadership. Now I know the response will be “We have programs” They just have to reach out to get the help. That mentality is 100% ass backwards. Some people do reach out, many are too damaged to reach out. WE NEED TO REACHOUT as a country, DND NEEDS TO REACHOUT to veterans in many cases. VETERANS AFFAIRS needs to REACHOUT.
Right now it’s veterans reaching out to veterans. It’s our duty to each other to do this as veterans. We have each other’s 6 (back for you civilians)
DO YOUR DUTY GOVERNMENT AND DON’T KEEP KICKING MANY VETERANS TO THE CURB.
The military deserves your utmost attention in this election for its the military who defends you or assists when you need it most.
The exclusion from the leadership debates of military and veteran issues is
THE BIGGEST SIGN OF DISRESPECT TO SERVING AND RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES
THE POLITICIANS SHOULD BE FULLY ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES
BZ to all serving members and to all my veteran brothers and sisters.
CHIMO”
So, I will leave this here for now. Why is it that I, a high school drop out, can see the things that make people scratch their heads in confusion, yet our current cadre of politicians can seem to understand them?