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It's (understandably) easy to criticize the US. However, Canada is not a paradise, either. Let's compare Seattle and Vancouver, for example, 2 ciites of similar (population) size 3 hours drive from each other. In Seattle, bums and homeless are all over downtown. You can easily see them, even as a tourist. Now, it's a little different story in Vancouver, BC, which has its share of poor, bums and homeless, as well. The situation is not better than in Seattle, I'd say. However, in Vancouver, homeless and (mentally ill) drug addicts all congregate in one place, downtown Eastside. And it's suits the local government just fine, who wants very much to sell Vancouver as the best place on earth to the outside world.
Not that you don't see homeless sleeping in the street anywhere else in downtown, you just don't see as many of them as in Seattle, where homeless are spread out more, as they don't have their own "neigbourhood" .
Why, Vancouver doesn't want to disturb their residents and tourists who bring money and walk around wondering how beautiful the place is! They dine in fine restaurants in Gastown, while, only 1 block away, those people shoot heroin on the street. And why bother? Now, all those homeless, mentally sick people have their own neighbourhood, their own "community" so to speak, where they live like a "family" together, sleep on the street together and shoot drugs together. The neighbourhood, they can relate!
So, guys, let's forget about the US for a moment, although I know, it's an extremely hard thing to do! Let's not turn this thread in another US bashing thread, but talk more about the situation in Canada, and admit, that yes, even in Canada not everything is perfect and there are things to improve. Because, right here, in Vancouver income disparities between rich and poor are as huge as in the US, and real estate is not affordable for the majority of population. Capitalism at its "best"!
And the situation among immigrants is not much better, either. Don't forget, all those people were managers, doctors and other professionals in their home countries once. They sold all their possessions, quit jobs and move their whole families for a better life in Canada. And it's a shame that many of them (as well as some Canadians, believe it or not) have to leave Canada and move to the "dreadful" USA for better career opportunities.
And this is why "Occupy Wall Street" spread out to Canada, among others. It's because not everything is perfect here. Because many people are not satisfied with their lives and how some things are done here, and about opportunites given to them.
I know, there are a couple of Americans on this forum who are huge fans of everything Canadian. Which is fine. Canada is a great country. I just hope that these people won't lose their excitement once they cease to be tourists and move and start living in Canada, looking for jobs in their areas of expertise, try to integrate, and at the same time, start seeing things they didn't see before and realize that there are some problems in the Canadian society, as well.
Last edited by movingwiththewind; 10-18-2011 at 03:28 PM..
It's (understandably) easy to criticize the US. However, Canada is not a paradise, either. Let's compare Seattle and Vancouver, for example, 2 ciites of similar (population) size 3 hours drive from each other. In Seattle, bums and homeless are all over downtown. You can easily see them, even as a tourist. Now, it's a little different story in Vancouver, BC, which has its share of poor, bums and homeless, as well. The situation is not better than in Seattle, I'd say. However, in Vancouver, homeless and (mentally ill) drug addicts all congregate in one place, downtown Eastside. And it's suits the local government just fine, who wants very much to sell Vancouver as the best place on earth to the outside world.
Not that you don't see homeless sleeping in the street anywhere else in downtown, you just don't see as many of them as in Seattle, where homeless are spread out more, as they don't have their own "neigbourhood" .
Why, Vancouver doesn't want to disturb their residents and tourists who bring money and walk around wondering how beautiful the place is! They dine in fine restaurants in Gastown, while, only 1 block away, those people shoot heroin on the street. And why bother? Now, all those homeless, mentally sick people have their own neighbourhood, their own "community" so to speak, where they live like a "family" together, sleep on the street together and shoot drugs together. The neighbourhood, they can relate!
So, guys, let's forget about the US for a moment, although I know, it's an extremely hard thing to do! Let's not turn this thread in another US bashing thread, but talk more about the situation in Canada, and admit, that yes, even in Canada not everything is perfect and there are things to improve. Because, right here, in Vancouver income disparities between rich and poor are as huge as in the US, and real estate is not affordable for the majority of population. Capitalism at its "best"!
And the situation among immigrants is not much better, either. Don't forget, all those people were managers, doctors and other professionals in their home countries once. They sold all their possessions, quit jobs and move their whole families for a better life in Canada. And it's a shame that many of them (as well as some Canadians, believe it or not) have to leave Canada and move to the "dreadful" USA for better career opportunities.
And this is why "Occupy Wall Street" spread out to Canada, among others. It's because not everything is perfect here. Because many people are not satisfied with their lives and how some things are done here, and about opportunites given to them.
I know, there are a couple of Americans on this forum who are huge fans of everything Canadian. Which is fine. Canada is a great country. I just hope that these people won't lose their excitement once they cease to be tourists and move and start living in Canada, looking for jobs in their areas of expertise, try to integrate, and at the same time, start seeing things they didn't see before and realize that there are some problems in the Canadian society, as well.
Good post.
Certain things are materially different in Canada and the US though. Two things jump out. The US political system is so bogged down because of the way it's set up (Senate filibuster rules, obscure procedural blocking), that nothing gets done. It is hard to overstate what a disaster this is, because the US has real problems, and things NEED to get done. Canada's parliamentary system deals much better with actually getting things done. Second, Canada limits campaign contributions and the US doesn't anymore after Citizens' United. US politicians need to raise tens of thousands of dollars a day just to be competitive in the next race. As a result, they are beholden to the wealthiest. Canada sensibly won't tolerate this policy.
Canada certainly has its problems, as you state. But there are some fundamental issues that undergird the rest of society where Canada has an enormous advantage.
The US political system is so bogged down because of the way it's set up (Senate filibuster rules, obscure procedural blocking), that nothing gets done. It is hard to overstate what a disaster this is, because the US has real problems, and things NEED to get done. .
Americas rightwing totally ignores the fact that the Republican arm of their government have been total obstructionists since their current President came to power, they then blame their leader for things not getting better.The recent quashed jobs bill being a prime example of how to shoot yourself in the foot.
Americas rightwing totally ignores the fact that the Republican arm of their government have been total obstructionists since their current President came to power, they then blame their leader for things not getting better.The recent quashed jobs bill being a prime example of how to shoot yourself in the foot.
Dead on.
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Let's not turn this thread in another US bashing thread, but talk more about the situation in Canada, and admit, that yes, even in Canada not everything is perfect and there are things to improve. Because, right here, in Vancouver income disparities between rich and poor are as huge as in the US, and real estate is not affordable for the majority of population. Capitalism at its "best"! 
