IMF, You Come a Slammin’ Our Health Care, Now You’re a Back To Slam Our Economy, What Gives?

Remember when that charming little group out of Washington DC came a slammin’ our health care system not that long ago? The IMF, those rascally trouble makers! Well, two of their adorable economists came out with a report basically saying that our GDP growth can be limited if we don’t do as they say, basically:

The recent economic crisis could limit Canada’s GDP growth unless governments get rid of barriers to foreign ownership and policies that hinder the elderly from working, according to a report published Thursday.

Great! In other words, they’re basically telling us that we should forget retirement and work til we die.  Now, that would indeed be music to  Stevie Spiteful’s ears. The IMF has already had a head start on imposing those kind of conditions on Greece and Ireland in exchange for “bail outs” of their banking system.

As for foreign ownership. Well,  lessee, most of our jobs in production have gone to China. Call center and customer service jobs have gone to India.  Many corporations, if not most are already foreign owned, at least in part, anyway.

Of Canada’s top 500 companies a full 35% are foreign owned. From Mel Hurtig, “Also, foreign interests control more than 50 per cent of 35 different industries in Canada, including the manufacturing and chemical industries,” he said. “Exactly zero industries in the U.S. are controlled by foreign interests, and yet U.S. investors often call us nationalistic if we try to protect our own interests”

Interesting how we haven’t heard a peep out of the IMF regarding the US’s recent “Buy American” policies.  It’s also interesting how we’ve never heard them slamming the American health care system for being so discriminatory to those with pre-existing conditions or for only being inclusive of the richest.

It seems to me that the IMF would like to go back to pre-recessionary times, the American way with unabashed corporate greed and deregulation. This is about getting their corporate friends even richer.  Nothing more.    The sad thing is that the Harpercon cheerleaders; those who still live vicariously through the Americans are going to gulp that kool-aid real fast.  Make no mistake though, the IMF is pushing both Europe (first Greece & Ireland; how long before they attempt to take over other European nations’ finances?) and Canada on a race to the American bottom.

Take heart, boys n girls,  apparently, the Harpercons and at least some of the provinces are doing something the IMF actually approve of:

It also lauded the federal and provincial governments for cutting corporate income taxes and considering policies that would increase competition and productivity.

Somehow, I knew those dadblasted corporate tax cuts would be a big hit with those vultures.

As for “policies that would increase competition and productivity”…well, if sending the production to be completed in countries where labour standards are virtually non-existant and where 5 year olds work 12 hours a day in sweatshops for perhaps .50$/day…

Again, IMF, fuck off!  Really, Canada, like with drugs, can we just learn to say NO?