Tories axe academic freedom

[Asher]

Yeah, but for most people they stay within Canada.

[Asher]

And what part don't you understand about quants contributing to squandering trillions?

The part where it was relevant to the conversation.

[Fake Boris]

The part where it was relevant to the conversation.

It only takes a few years to recover the subsidy costs of most real degrees, from income tax.

We'll never the cost of teaching you the bull**** you do.

[KrazyHorse]

And what part don't you understand about quants contributing to squandering trillions?

Are you so stupid that you actually believe that stock market losses = real wealth destruction?

[Fake Boris]

I understand that.

I also understand that despite this, the effect on the lives of billions of people is real. These guys are probably responsible for much more disruption than the few dozen millions going to humanities departments ever will.

I don't have the required knowledge to assess the amount, but the basic point works.

[KrazyHorse]

I also understand that despite this, the effect on the lives of billions of people is real. These guys are probably responsible for much more disruption than the few dozen millions going to humanities departments ever will.

You have no idea how much they contributed on the upside, nor how much they contributed on the downside.

Neither do I. Thinking that you can assign a number to something as complex as that (or indeed that ANYBODY can) is pure rationality bias.

[Asher]

I also understand that despite this, the effect on the lives of billions of people is real. These guys are probably responsible for much more disruption than the few dozen millions going to humanities departments ever will.

You have no idea how much they contributed on the upside, nor how much they contributed on the downside.

Neither do I. Thinking that you can assign a number to something as complex as that (or indeed that ANYBODY can) is pure rationality bias.

Really, this thread is just reinforcing the assertion that people like Boris don't get anything useful out of their school. They still can't think or comprehend the real world.

[Fake Boris]

You could get a quick, approximate number.

Take the banks that obviously went down because of highly abstract, improperly managed financial instruments (i.e. that would have lost money but not gone bankrupt otherwise).
Then sum up the bailouts...

[KrazyHorse]

Take the banks that obviously went down because of highly abstract, improperly managed financial instruments (i.e. that would have lost money but not gone bankrupt otherwise).

Take what about them? And how do you know how much money was actually lost rather than how much was simply shuttled to smarter or luckier investors?

Then sum up the bailouts...

Why would I do that?

There is residual taxpayer value in whatever's been disbursed (may range from 50% to 150% depending on who you ask). If there is a shortfall, much of it has gone to transfers to individuals and corporations. What you need to ask is how much is actually gone, rather than how much has disappeared into people's pockets.

You really haven't thought about this at all, have you?

[Fake Boris]

KH, we're in a worldwide recession.

I understand that often money just gets reshifted, but when the mistake is massive, the disruption costs everyone.

[Jon Miller]

If I was a political leader, I would do my best to make it so that the countries brains don't leave.

JM

[Fake Boris]

If I was a political leader, I would do my best to make it so that the countries brains don't leave.

JM

Interesting. It's a well-known fact that McGill costs Quebec a lot, because so many of its graduates tend to leave.

I don't really care. I just think it's a good idea to keep a city's culture thriving thanks to its universities (and with different languages to boot).

We still get the reputation of being 'bigots', but the truth is that Quebec does more for its English universities than any other province does for French ones.

[Wezil]

Don't worry Boris, Harper is running on borrowed time.

Matter of fact, before the Harper Boys jump all over me, I'm taking new avatar bets on the next election.

Harper vs. Ignatieff = Iggy win

Any takers?

[Asher]

I'm not convinced Harper can beat Iggy either.

The Tories need a new leader, like me.

[Asher]

We still get the reputation of being 'bigots', but the truth is that Quebec does more for its English universities than any other province does for French ones.

That's because there are no French people in other provinces (except NB).

No one cares about French.

I do not comprehend why you felt compelled to make this comment. People in Quebec speak English, people in the RoC don't speak French. Oui?