Sunday, August 26, 2012

John Robson on equalization fraud

Make It Go Away:
Equalization makes us poorer, encourages bad policy and fosters bitterness. Unfortunately we can’t just take it out behind the barn and kill it with an axe. ...
Not to mention that it's fraudulent:
Satirist P.J. O’Rourke says, “Beyond a certain point complexity is fraud … when someone creates a system in which you can’t tell whether or not you’re being fooled, you’re being fooled.” So take Canada’s multi-billion-dollar equalization program … please. It’s so complicated even experts have trouble with it, and regular citizens are excluded completely.
... equalization is arbitrary. Devised with theologian Soren Kierkegaard's "covetous eye on the outcome," it provides dense technical cover for political shenanigans involving billions of dollars.
This much complexity is fraud, plain and simple.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very complex figurings of why Hydro Quebec's riches are not by a long shot computed in the calculation of whether Quebec is a have-not province or not.

Sean M said...

Thats a great quote by O'Rourke... one could add "bilingualism", "multiculty", and "Indian affairs" to the list of imposed tribal legislation that sets out to fool and deceive. It's nobody's business where the money goes, and would be to "divisive", or "complicated" to explain. Love Robson too... equalization is just another in a long list of Government imposed rackets.

Anonymous said...

i have said for years that things that are simple are made to appear complex. this is done in order to make the average person think that the ones handling any given job or circumstance are superior....... old white guy.

Dollops said...

Obfuscating complexity - the playground of lawyers.