It&#x27;s not as if Norway is tanking right now; it is possible to have resources and not be a banana republic.  But the Conservatives didn&#x27;t make that transition in Alberta during the decades of power that they enjoyed there, and they didn&#x27;t federally over the last decade - and they had the mandate to do it (Canadians, contrary to all evidence, believe that the Conservatives are competent stewards of the economy).  They absolutely deserve blame here - this current downturn in demand was not even unlikely.<p>With the Conservatives there&#x27;s an unspoken deal: we&#x27;ll cut social programs, which will hurt, but the economic benefit will be worth it.  Canadians in this case neither get their cake (economic growth) nor eat it (social spending), so what exactly have the Conservatives delivered?