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I keep hearing people harp about how creative and inventive Americans are compared to those stoic commies in Canada, but is that even true nowadays? What does America actually produce that's innovative these days? Miley Cyrus? Ugly SUVs? Windows 10? I would argue that the tech boom of the 90s was the last time America really shone in terms of innovation, since then it's been very crass and other countries produce better stuff really.
I would argue considering the size of Canada's population relative to the US Canadians are actually MORE innovative than Americans and pretty much every other country. Basketball, ice hockey and the telephone (sorta - Bell was born in Scotland but I'd still consider him a Canadian and he invented it in Canada) are all Canadian inventions. Canadians are also hugely influential in pop culture, they just don't really play up their Canadianness. It seems like every other comedian is Canadian and every other movie is filmed in Canada.
I keep hearing people harp about how creative and inventive Americans are compared to those stoic commies in Canada, but is that even true nowadays? What does America actually produce that's innovative these days? Miley Cyrus? Ugly SUVs? Windows 10? I would argue that the tech boom of the 90s was the last time America really shone in terms of innovation, since then it's been very crass and other countries produce better stuff really.
I would argue considering the size of Canada's population relative to the US Canadians are actually MORE innovative than Americans and pretty much every other country. Basketball, ice hockey and the telephone (sorta - Bell was born in Scotland but I'd still consider him a Canadian and he invented it in Canada) are all Canadian inventions. Canadians are also hugely influential in pop culture, they just don't really play up their Canadianness. It seems like every other comedian is Canadian and every other movie is filmed in Canada.
California alone makes more than us with about the same population. If it was a country it would have the 8th highest GDP, Canada is about #11. We don't really have anything approaching Silicon Valley. California also has double the number patents with about the same population, and Texas also has more. Actually California is a bout as innovative as Italy which has 2x the population. If you think that the US doesn't create anything valuable, I wonder what you think Canada has created that is so great? Blackberries?
California alone makes more than us with about the same population. If it was a country it would have the 8th highest GDP, Canada is about #11. We don't really have anything approaching Silicon Valley. California also has double the number patents with about the same population, and Texas also has more. Actually California is a bout as innovative as Italy which has 2x the population. If you think that the US doesn't create anything valuable, I wonder what you think Canada has created that is so great? Blackberries?
GDP and patent volume is overrated. What proportion of the patents are junk? How much of the GDP is actually enjoyed by the average Californian? BC is an unequal society, but California is FAR more so. The rich are very rich, the middle class are poor and the poor are Third World poor in California. I grew up in the Bay Area and I've spent a lot of time in BC. Most of what Silicon Valley does nowadays is just release new versions of 20+ year old products. Most of the innovation was done a long time ago in the 80s and 90s, nowadays it's just a cash cow.
GDP and patent volume is overrated. What proportion of the patents are junk? How much of the GDP is actually enjoyed by the average Californian? BC is an unequal society, but California is FAR more so. The rich are very rich, the middle class are poor and the poor are Third World poor in California. I grew up in the Bay Area and I've spent a lot of time in BC. Most of what Silicon Valley does nowadays is just release new versions of 20+ year old products. Most of the innovation was done a long time ago in the 80s and 90s, nowadays it's just a cash cow.
Whatever you say. I live here. All of your threads are trying to put Canada on a pedestal where we can't possibly live up to your expectations. I am flattered but you have no idea what you're talking about. Perhaps you can make a list of Canadian inventions since 1990.
Canadians are fairly innovative but we do underperform the US, mostly because we don't have the right local venture capital ecosystems. California and Silicon Valley in particular does so well because they have incredible local venture capital investing in innovation and producing great new products all the time. Kitchener Waterloo is doing well in part because it's attracted some capital from there, but it's still harder to get funding then if you're in the area. There's a great demand for venture capitalists with strong knowledge of non-digital industry nodes, like the Montreal Biotech sector. This access to venture capital is the missing element that would get the gears of innovation really moving in this country and it's not an easy fix.
Whatever you say. I live here. All of your threads are trying to put Canada on a pedestal where we can't possibly live up to your expectations. I am flattered but you have no idea what you're talking about. Perhaps you can make a list of Canadian inventions since 1990.
People put California on a pedestal. California is the poorest, most unequal state with terrible schools, flaky and self-centered people, little public transit and a newly inhospitable hot and arid climate thanks to climate change. It's like Florida without water.
I don't think Canada is more innovative than the States, I just don't really see how it's less so considering most new products today from the US aren't original at all but are merely new versions of old products and/or cash cows or very tacky and corporate. I'm not just talking about tech, but about cultural products like music too. Given its size Canada produces better quality music than the United States, and many "American" movies have Canadians behind them.
I don't think Canada is more innovative than the States, I just don't really see how it's less so considering most new products today from the US aren't original at all but are merely new versions of old products and/or cash cows or very tacky and corporate. I'm not just talking about tech, but about cultural products like music too. Given its size Canada produces better quality music than the United States, and many "American" movies have Canadians behind them.
I keep hearing people harp about how creative and inventive Americans are compared to those stoic commies in Canada, but is that even true nowadays? What does America actually produce that's innovative these days? Miley Cyrus? Ugly SUVs? Windows 10? I would argue that the tech boom of the 90s was the last time America really shone in terms of innovation, since then it's been very crass and other countries produce better stuff really.
I would argue considering the size of Canada's population relative to the US Canadians are actually MORE innovative than Americans and pretty much every other country. Basketball, ice hockey and the telephone (sorta - Bell was born in Scotland but I'd still consider him a Canadian and he invented it in Canada) are all Canadian inventions. Canadians are also hugely influential in pop culture, they just don't really play up their Canadianness. It seems like every other comedian is Canadian and every other movie is filmed in Canada.
Where are you hearing this? I've never heard this, but I don't hang out in hookah bars either...
Last edited by raggedjim; 04-09-2015 at 02:46 PM..
Reason: Can't spell hookah...
Where are you hearing this? I've never heard this, but I don't hang out in hooka bars either...
... off topic, and I don't disagree with you, I think valsteele is being overly dismissive of US innovation and unrealistic about Canada's level of innovation - but what exactly do you think people smoke in hookah bars? Your comment implies that you may have been... greatly misinformed about what sorts of things are consumed there.
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