🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3o66tj$sgu@canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca>, umcroall@cc.umanitoba.ca
(Stuart Croall) wrote:

>>Sounds reasonable... but how do you force businesses *not* to automate
>>their services? Unilateral decrees might work well in this newsgroup ;-),
>>but it's a little tougher to enforce them in the real world.
>
>Now I'm not saying we should force anyone to do anything, but governments 
>do offer incentives to do various things, and if automation is one of 
>them, perhaps it shouldn't be.  I'm not sure.
>
>>But remember, the unemployed are supported by taxes, and big businesses
>>don't give a damn as to where their tax money goes, mostly because they
>>don't pay any! So it's definitely more efficient for the taxpayers, but
>>the contrary for the businessmen. And, of course, the latter have more power
>>over government decisions.
>
>Well, tax the corporations through their nostrils then!!!  Maybe we can 
>tax foreign controled companies more to encourage companies not to 
>liquidate their assets to American (or other) investors.  Really, I just 
>came up with that, and no, I don't have any research or facts to back it 
>up.  It might be a little nutty.  I'll look into it for all you folks who 
>desperately want to debate me...

Good idea in theory, but in parctice it *is* a little nutty since, as far
as I understand, something like two-thirds of the Canadian economy
(government not included ;-)) is controlled by foreign capital. If those
out-of-country stockholders unite and decide to, oh, say, close down
several percent of their holdings and fire several thousand workers, there
are going to be problems...

-- 
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->  I suspect there are many truths, and therefore do not trust
->  anyone who claims his is the only one." 
->  Louis L'Amour
->
-> "I come from downtown,
->  Born ready for you,
->  Armed with will and determination,
->  And grace, too"
->  The Tragically Hip
-> 
-> Dmitry Nekrasovski    
->
-> sdecont2@bnr.ca