What would Putin do?

That's quite a story there in Ontario. That's a province so far underwater they can't even afford doctors or teachers anymore, a fact belatedly revealed to the government only with the release of the Drummond Report that has been commented on here before.

So it's a bit of a slap in the face for Ontario taxpayers to see 150 million dollars walk out the door to satisfy the extortionate demands of some foreign hedge funds.

I think the reason that governments so frequently cave to this kind of extortion is that virtually everyone working for the "public" wishes they were on the other side of the table. And they know that in the fullness of time they will be!

That revolving door just keeps on spinning, and sooner or later everybody who helped facilitate this sell-out of the people of Ontario will be more than handsomely rewarded. That's the way things work.

That's why the public interest needs more Putins on the government side. Somebody who can roll up his sleeves, look the vultures in the eye, and give them the government's best offer;

"Gentlemen, I regret to inform you that when we are finished here you will all be in jail. How long you will be in jail will depend on how quickly we can come to a reasonable resolution of these issues."