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Canada has the advantage of lots of productive land, mineral wealth (oil), well educated and productive workers, sane managers and decent government policies. Now wonder they are living better than much of the American working and middle classes.
In the US our government has been bought by the super rich and the policies that support concentrating wealth from the productivity of many into the hands of the corrupt few are the result. Canadian policies are the recipe for long term prosperity and ours will inevitably result in near term boom for the few followed by a major crash and depression for the rest of us.
That is because Canada is much more socialist than the US. In both countries, (let's assume) everyone gets equal opportunity in the beginning, but it's the outcome that is different in the two countries. In the US, outcome is very different based on a person's capability. However, in Canada, outcome based on a person's capability is much less apparent than it is in the US.
Sure America's middle class really shot to the top and shined after WW2 as we were the king of the hill them- but the interesting question is why Canada's middle class is now doing better than America's- they have the same issues we do with manufacturing being shut down as it moves overseas for cheaper labor, and they have to compete now on the same world market as we do for pretty much everything being cheaper to produce in places like Asia. So it would be really interesting to find out what the major differences are that have caused them to continue to rise while our middle class has stagnated. Does Canada have a major, thriving industry (any type of industry) that pays well and employs large numbers of people? Is it something to do with being a small population, easier to manage a good ratio of good jobs to people when dealing with that size of population vs. 300 million people?
It's because the value of property in Canada is heavily inflated. That home in Vancouver is worth 2-3x more than the same home in Seattle. Because of this the Canadian middle class is 'richer' than any other middle class on paper. In addition to this, the rest of the world is recovering from a recession that didn't hit Canada as hard. Many economists believe that Canada simply delayed her recession and are predicting the imminent burst of Canada's economic bubble. Hopefully this is not the case, but I certainly wouldn't bet against it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScooterMcTavish
This is an interesting statement.
In a way, this had nothing to do with politics. However, it has everything to do with politics.
As a Canadian, I find it fascinating the influence large corporations have on government policy in the US. Through large campaign donations and lobbying, to an observer, it seems industry is pulling the strings of the puppets. So it has nothing to do with politics - it is the corporations that have caused this.
This same scenario can't fly in Canada. Sure, lobbying can take place. Sure, people can donate to campaigns. However, there is no secret fund PAC or Super PAC money. There is media that is not "assigned" to cover or spin news a specific way. The media here actually report the "ahem" news. People actually pay attention, because as although there is partisan bickering, our incredulity is not strained or destroyed by the media.
My word, people here from government were forced to pay back for NHL tickets they were received from a crown corporation. This is a matter of a few hundred bucks, not thousands.
The simple fact is corporations do not have morals. Their job is to make money. If though well-placed spending they can influence government to continue to support insane policies (see: gun control) they do. It is why they exist, and they are doing their job. In Canada, lobbying has much less success, and any politician that backed down from environmental or financial legislation at the behest of a corporation would likely be murdered in the press and at the polls.
And this is why it is all about politics. If the politicians refuse their favors, refuse to be influenced by lobby groups and PACs, and represent the people they are elected by, then the whole corporate manipulation system breaks. If we recognize that corporations can not be trusted to do anything other than make money, and put the proper checks in place to keep their influence over politics under control, then the politicians have done the right things.
And when regulations are stripped away because corporations have lobbied long and hard, we get examples such as the financial meltdown of 2009. Tell me how the elected officials were looking out for the interests of their electorate?
It does fly in Canada, and it does so more smoothly than it does in the US. That is why I can go fill up my gas tank in Montana with Albertan oil for a cheaper price than someone in Calgary can. And this is why that computer that sells for $1000 in Seattle sells for $1500 in Vancouver. Corporations have less competition in Canada and are able to gouge the average working Canadian. They do so with less resistance than in the US and the power of corporations attract less attention in Canada than in the US. It is ironic that while Canadians are looking in disgust at corporations in America, Canadian corporations have a stranglehold on the Canadian consumer to such an extent that Canadians are willing to cross the border to buy goods from American corporations.
Saudi Arabia's economy is even more fragile and dependent on oil than Canada's. That Saudi Arabia is "richer" than Canada now bears little weight. Canada has a significantly stronger and more balanced economy.
In a way, this had nothing to do with politics. However, it has everything to do with politics.
As a Canadian, I find it fascinating the influence large corporations have on government policy in the US. Through large campaign donations and lobbying, to an observer, it seems industry is pulling the strings of the puppets. So it has nothing to do with politics - it is the corporations that have caused this.
I agree with you. The US has now created a political system where everything is driven by external money and power. As was evident in the 2012 elections, you now need to raise at least $1 Billion in order to run for President. The 2012 Money Race: Compare the Candidates - NYTimes.com
You have members of Congress who spend much of their day making phone calls for fund-raising and many that have been outright bought out by various lobbies. The legislations that passes - even the wording in the Bills are sometimes written by the lobbyists themselves.
In a sign of Wall Street’s resurgent influence in Washington, Citigroup’s recommendations were reflected in more than 70 lines of the House committee’s 85-line bill. Two crucial paragraphs, prepared by Citigroup in conjunction with other Wall Street banks, were copied nearly word for word. (Lawmakers changed two words to make them plural.)
This same scenario can't fly in Canada. Sure, lobbying can take place. Sure, people can donate to campaigns. However, there is no secret fund PAC or Super PAC money. There is media that is not "assigned" to cover or spin news a specific way. The media here actually report the "ahem" news. People actually pay attention, because as although there is partisan bickering, our incredulity is not strained or destroyed by the media.
We dont know if the same wouldn't fly in Canada because Canada does have Wall-Street kind of money. There just isnt much to lobby the Government for.
A lot goes on in Canada with the oil industry. But again, it is not on the same scale as the US.
The federal and Alberta governments struck up a secret, high-level committee in early 2010 to coordinate the promotion of the oilsands with Canada’s most powerful industry lobby group, a document obtained through an access to information request reveals.
The committee brought together the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) with deputy ministers from Natural Resources, Environment Canada, Alberta Energy and Alberta Environment to synchronize their lobbying offensive in the face of mounting protest and looming international regulations targeting the Alberta crude.
Environmental organizations criticized the existence of a committee they said they were hearing about for the first time.
You also have to take into account that it isn't just about GDP.. It is the net worth of the average person and the value of Real Estate in Canada has pushed net worth up! It isn't just about their income it is the value of their assets in combination!
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