009 – Lost / Unions / Global warming and the carbon market / Sicko Comments Off on 009 – Lost / Unions / Global warming and the carbon market / Sicko Jun 142007 We delve into the enigmatic world of the TV series Lost, proposing that it transcends linear storytelling and serves as an allegory for group therapy in a psychiatric setting. The island symbolizes an institution where troubled characters confront their inner demons, with “the others” representing doctors and administrators, and deaths signifying cures. This interpretation explains the show’s mysteries, from the black smoke as encroaching reality to flashbacks revealing real-life traumas, and it highlights a shift in television toward thought-provoking narratives that challenge viewers. Shifting focus, we examine Canada’s manufacturing woes amid global trade pressures from the US, Japan, and South Korea. Union demands and high labor costs—$75 per hour for Big Three autoworkers versus $45 for Toyota—undermine competitiveness, as evidenced by Ford’s recent quality wins in JD Power ratings failing to offset these disparities. Strikingly, from 1996 to 2005, Canada lost 208 days to labor disputes per metric, far exceeding OECD and UK averages, deterring investment. The rising Canadian dollar, fueled by US war expenditures, exacerbates this, while government hybrid incentives spark counterproductive rebates from competitors like Honda. Environmental regulations, high insurance, gas prices, and Ontario’s minimum wage hikes to $10.25 further strain the sector. In education, Thames Valley School Board’s $9 million shortfall from declining enrollment underscores monopoly inefficiencies, where 80% of costs are salaries yet crises persist regardless of student numbers. We touch on the University Students’ Council’s new ethics codes post-spoof controversy, a lesson in humor’s absence, and Europe’s carbon markets, where free permits yield utility profits but burden consumers—another green tax scheme. Finally, we critique Michael Moore‘s Sicko, which ignores Canada’s doctor shortages and champions socialized medicine that demands police-state controls to function, enslaving professionals while fostering a “me, me, me” blame game. True care thrives in markets, not monopolies. As always, pursuing freedom and reason keeps everything just right.