A great article in today’s Financial Post explains how Canada’s really the most fiscally conservative G20 member right now.  Ironic, eh?  Flaherty and Harper don’t want any more government intervention in the markets right now.

Canada has the world’s best and most safe banking system currently.  Corporations here aren’t going bankrupt and can still issue medium-term bonds.

But today Harper and Flaherty suggested they’d consider following in the US footsteps by bailing out part of the auto industry.  The only reason apparently is that with the huge US bailout of the auto industry, if Canada doesn’t do the same thing Canada’s industry would be so much less competitive.  How unfair!

You know, the reason it needs to be bailed out anyway is all about excess.  People don’t need new cars every three years!  And people are sick of buying gas guzzlers!  And we need hybrids and cleaner energy cars anyway!  I say let GM fail… that’s what capitalism is supposed to be about.  GM should have an obligation to its pensioners, of course - but otherwise people need to find work elsewhere.  It’s the way things work.  Maybe I wouldn’t be so harsh if it were an industry like health care, which actually helps people.  But frigging air-polluting, sickness-inducing fat-making machines - let it go.  Cars have hindered society as much as they have helped.  Let a new structure and new, cleaner method of transportation rise up in its place.  Down with GM!

I won’t like it if I see Obama bailing the car industry out.  There’s gotta be a better way.  Maybe bail them out only if they only produce hybrid and fuel-cell…. now *that* would make sense.