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Our neoclassical statistical economist Dr. Dale Orr of the global consulting firm DRI-WEFA takes the United States' economic system as the absolute benchmark to be replicated by the Canadian business and political leaders and says that the reasons Canada has lagged behind the United States is traced to higher taxes and higher governmental debts.

We understand by now that the United States is not really the economic model other countries have to follow as the gospel of the Free Market, that is the gospel of making money with money, is inherently flawed and as the economic growth of any country cannot be disassociated from the fundamental societal and democratic aspirations of their people.

We have shown in our writing how the higher economic growth of the US has been characterized by an increasing violence and an increasing inequality among people. Also, we have shown that Canada has lagged behind the United States in terms of growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) mostly for copycatting the economic policies of the United States while at the same time using the philosophy of the Free Market, that is the gospel of making money with money, within their circles of friends of friends in politics, in governmental bureaucracy, and in business.

Our economic and financial system is in disarray as highlighted by the recent collapse of the Enron Corporation, and I find interesting that our business gurus continue their useless statistical correlation studies within a decrepit social and economic system.

I am asking at this time why there are no widely publicized studies reporting the statistical correlation between wealth inequality and violence at home and abroad. Instead, we have to hear yet another biased speculated linear correlation as Dr. Dale Orr says "If Canada and the United States had the same debt burden, we could increase health care spending in Canada -- now about $70-billion annually -- by about 50% without raising taxes."

Our elitist business gurus live in their ivory towers while they tell us to live in the world of "if" and it is about time that we all live in the world of the living.

References:
Pertinent articles in Ensign

Tax burden unchanged in 7 years. Larger tax load than in U.S. and bigger national debt cited in new report for sliding dollar, fall-off in foreign investment Alan Toulin, February 27, 2002, Financial Post http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20020225/157234.html

Saskatchewan Party Caucus News Release, June 19, 2001 Independent Analysis Says 2001 NDP Budget is Based on Assumption of Economic Failure refers to study by Dr. Orr.

DRI-WEFA home page

National Post, Tax Report, February 2000, by Jill Vardy, Flow of money into Ottawa could finance a host of treats, relies on a series of quotes from Dr. Orr.