This is in response to a letter written by Kel Derek titled Simple Economics.
I am not a particular supporter of the NDP but I hate to see the spread of misinformation. Mr. Derek seems unaware that the most fiscally responsible government in Canadian history was the social-democratic government of Tommy Douglas.
He delivered more than 16 years of balanced budgets in a dirt poor province whose infrastructure he improved considerably, and where he then established Medicare.
It is no wonder that in a contest held a few years ago Douglas was voted the greatest Canadian who ever lived.
In more modern times, other provincial NDP governments have quite good records. For example there’s the Manitoba government which was led for many years by Gary Doer.
The Scandinavian countries have all had social-democratic governments off and on for decades, and appear to be functioning better economically and socially than Canada.
They have managed to be successful even though they have relatively high taxes. How very strange.
Mr. Derek also seems unaware that for some time, corporations have used little of their profits and investments to create employment in their own countries. Instead many have outsourced decent jobs to low and slave-wage areas like India and Bangladesh.
In the western world, these policies have produced hundreds of thousands of the working poor who make barely enough to survive.
This obviously contributes to the erosion of the middle class and if that continues we risk causing the breakdown of society.
The same corporations that have received large tax breaks and government subsidies have, by their ruthless actions, impoverished whole sections of society while enriching mainly themselves. Now that really is simple economics.
Sharon Ramsdale
Vernon
