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Cons of the USA:
- Asinine politics - outsourcing, H1B visas, bad leadership in two parties, aggressive role in international affairs, not so "free trade" with China
Cons of Canada:
- Excessive immigration in Vancouver and Greater Toronto Area
Xenophobic? The cons of both countries are their immigration systems. How many forms do you have to fill up (and how much paper is wasted) due to the bureaucracy? Making it easier to become "legal" by streamlining it is hounded down by the Nativists in the U.S. as amnesty.
Xenophobic? The cons of both countries are their immigration systems. How many forms do you have to fill up (and how much paper is wasted) due to the bureaucracy? Making it easier to become "legal" by streamlining it is hounded down by the Nativists in the U.S. as amnesty.
The US job market doesn't particularly help its own. Why should native born Americans compete for jobs that American employers hand out to foreigners who are willing to come here and work for far less? Doesn't that depress wages and lower the standard of living? Doesn't it screw a lot of Americans over especially young college grads who are trying to get jobs? What about the software industry?
The US job market doesn't particularly help its own. Why should native born Americans compete for jobs that American employers hand out to foreigners who are willing to come here and work for far less? Doesn't that depress wages and lower the standard of living? Doesn't it screw a lot of Americans over especially young college grads who are trying to get jobs? What about the software industry?
Yes it can screw it up. In some areas of our industry we have a bit of that too.
Should I be able to work there, I'd only like to compete with Americans for jobs based on skills, experience and attitude alone. I already make more money here than I could in the U.S.A., I have no interest in immigration to take a job that pays less than the average American salary. If anything, I would hope that I could help bring your average wages up.
I don't believe one can get a real feel for any country unless they have lived there for at least 1 to 2 years. As a Canadian having lived in Ontario Canada for 56 years, having lived in New York State or the past 10 years, I can find both things that I like and dislike about both countries in the areas of each country that I have lived. Regardless of which area of either country you live, other areas of that same country are going to be different. To generalize that Ontario is the same as the rest of Canada is no more valid than saying that New York state represents all of the US. Different areas of both countries have there uniqueness.
Also for the uniformed. Health care in Canada is not FREE. Cheaper than the US yes, but not free.
Canada Cons
- way too cold for far too long
- really low wages
- higher cost of living
- HIGH HIGH taxes
- incompetent government, terrible
- police powertrippers, not as accountable as american coppers
- the accent, soooo annoying imo
- devoid of culture except for french canada
- annoying government television adds
- government meddling in private citizen affairs
- TONS of hicks and simpletons
- sad but popular belief that canada is the best place in the world
- legions of crusty, conservative retirees
- sometimes, too liberal
- lower opportunity for professional development
- speed limits are too low
- large and pointless disparity on price for some items, like cars
- monopoly services in many areas such as phone, cable, etc
US Cons
- awful president
- garbage laws like the patriot act
- corrupt government, democracy hypocrisy
- annoying immigration laws, especially for professionals
- impossible legal immigration program
- higher violent crime rate
- sometimes too conservative, redneck lawmakers
- higher pollution
- terrorism target
- xenophobic attitude to anything non-american
- crowded in places
- Friendly attitude generaly towards others
- Strong belief that Canada is the best country in the world
- Universal HealthCare
- Technologicaly advanced society
- High standard of living (as ranked by the UN- higher then the US in fact)
- Highly tolerant society
- High level of Culture- interesting mix of everything
- Extremely high level for professional development in most sectors
- Strong Goverment leadership
- high level of personal freedom
- High Life expectancy partly due to an excellent healthcare system
Cons
- Taxes are high
- Telecom Monoply exists in most of Canada
- Hospital wait times can be high for non life threatening illnesses
- Weak goverment leadership from some politicians
- High living expenses when compared to the US
- Weak military compared to what we are should have (end of WWII for example)
- And this goes with the above- reliance on others for security
Interesting discussion! Although, shouldn't we focus on the more permanent aspects of each country instead temporary things such as the president and the housing slump!?!
From what I know about Canada:
Pros:
- Laid-back and generally friendly people
- High quality of life
- Health care available to those who need it
- People are always willing to help each other and are not selfish
- Low degree of racism and more of a "melting-pot" culture
- A stable middle class
- Still has much open space
- Low Crime
Cons:
- No diverse weather (mostly cold for much of the season)
- Prices of consumer goods are higher
- Economy is too dependent on USA
- Culture is becoming watered down and influenced by America
- The constant threat of Quebec becoming its own nation
The USA:
Pros:
- Very diverse weather
- Consumer goods at low costs
- Abundant job opportunities
- Lower taxes
- No Quebec situation here - All states and territories are very united (not true in the past though)
Cons:
- Politicians bought off by lobbyists
- Broken health care & Social Security
- High crime
- Middle class being squeezed out
- Racism & segregation - more of a "salad-bowl" culture
- Culture replaced by SUVs, NASCAR, yuppie chain restaurants, and cookie-cutter houses
- Low quality of life
- Americans share the idea of greed and individualism instead of helping the community and each other
Very good discussion and im very surprise there hasn't been a fight between the two countries over who is "better" i guess that goes to show you that are country's really act like neighbors. i can only add on the part of Canada because i have not ever been to the US and i can only add from the point of view of a Nova Scotian because i do relies a lot of things change from one end of the country to the other and i am on the end ha ha.
pros-
Universal Health Care
Education system is pretty good
A lot of people volunteer(a.k.a. we not me kind of place)
we are a melting pot(if you have never heard of this it means we have people from many back rounds,races,colors,etc)
Cons-
Taxes are little higher
Longer waits for some parts of health care
Freedom of choice in US is greater. Just among places like hot humid Florida, hot dry Arizona, cold snowy Boston, cold dry Minneapolis, drippy but mild London-Vancouverish Seattle, 60 degrees year round San Francisco, mountain snow and sun Denver, mountain sun with less snow Santa Fe, I can choose among about every climate available on earth just in the lower 48.
Canada's downtowns are better. DC, Boston, Chicago, etc are good, but the lame downtowns in major cities in Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, etc just don't have comparisons in Canada.
Canada's cities have better school systems. Upper middle class and wealthy people who live within the limits of major U.S. cities rarely send their kids to public schools.
U.S. GDP per capita is still higher, and there's greater choice among professions simply because the population is nine times higher.
Canada's tax burden is obscene, particularly without the need to fund a large military.
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