Thread: Is CANADA the new AMERICA? How Canada Stole the American Dream

How Canada stole the American Dream

Article highlights;

"As of 2005, the median family in Canada was worth US$122,600, according to Statistics Canada, while the U.S. Federal Reserve pegged the median American family at US$93,100 in 2004. Those figures, the most recent available, already include an adjustment for our higher prices, and thanks to the rising loonie Canadians are likely even further ahead today. We're ahead mainly because Americans carry far more debt than we do, and it means that the median Canadian family is a full 30 per cent wealthier than the median American family."

"In Canada the average amount of personal debt per person is US$23,460. In the U.S. it's a whopping US$40,250. And all those numbers are from 2005, just before their housing market slipped into a sinkhole. If you looked at the numbers now, you'd find that Americans are even further behind, because their largest asset — their home — is worth significantly less."

"In 2004, the average Canadian worker put in 35 hours of work per week, while our American counterparts put in 38. Only 30 per cent of Canadians work 45 hours a week or more, compared to 38 per cent of Americans. We also get — and take — much more vacation time. Employed adults in Canada get about 17 vacation days a year, and we take 16 of those days, leaving just one on the table. In the U.S., they get 14 days of vacation, but they only take 11, making them the world leader in yet another category: the working drudge."

"After digging through the data, here's what we found: the staid, underpaid Canadian is dead. Believe it or not, we now have more wealth than Americans, even though we work shorter hours. We drink more often, but we live longer and have fewer diseases. We have more sex, more sex partners and we're more adventurous in bed, but we have fewer teen pregnancies and fewer sexually transmitted diseases. We spend more time with family and friends, and more time exploring the world. Even in crime we come out ahead: we're just as prone to break the law, but when we do it, we don't get shot. Most of the time, we don't even go to jail."

"Be it sports, health care, business or wealth, Americans are still competing to be the best. And it's true that the best in the U.S. is the best you'll find on the planet. But when you look at the medians and the averages, their accomplishment pales. As the hard numbers in this report show, Americans have shorter lives, poorer health, less sex, more divorces, and more violent crime. Which may mean that perhaps America isn't the greatest nation on earth. After all, you can't judge a nation by the best it produces, you have to judge it by the success of the average Joe. And the average Joe in Canada is having a way better time."

Full article: Special Canada Day Report: How Canada stole the American Dream | Macleans.ca - Canada - Features

And you did it without an armed revolution?!

(Or a Vietnam.)

Do Canadians have "province rights" as a guise to keep the hosers in their place?

Canada is the same socialist hellhole its been for decades. The United States has just gone downhill dramatically as a result of the U.S. government.

Originally Posted by Davocrat

And you did it without an armed revolution?!

(Or a Vietnam.)

To quote the Daily Show's AMERICA: The Book's "Excuse me would you mind if I told you how we do it in Canada" section: "We've been busy declaring our independence for over 200 years, sort of!"

In the glorious year of 1982 we were granted the power and privilege to amend our own constitution and create a Bill of Rightseqsue document. We now have all the powers of an independent sovereign state 26 years and going, except we still have an appointed governor general that represents the Queen. The Queen is also our head of state and on all of our money. We also have to pledge allegiance to her when we take up government positions.

We own.

LOL! With respect Colin, while I find all that impressive, are you not in danger of emulating certain Americans, insofar as you are sounding rather self-congratulatory?

No offence intended, nor any diminution of Canada's impressive achievements, but the Americans on this board might be entitled to feel a bit miffed at all this "look at how much better than you we have done" stuff, might they not? :waving:

I am waiting for the Canadian invasion of the US. Seeing how 90% of Canadians can walk to the US in one day, the invasion would be a swift one. HIDE YOUR BEER!

Originally Posted by Leo

LOL! With respect Colin, while I find all that impressive, are you not in danger of emulating certain Americans, insofar as you are sounding rather self-congratulatory?

No offence intended, nor any diminution of Canada's impressive achievements, but the Americans on this board might be entitled to feel a bit miffed at all this "look at how much better than you we have done" stuff, might they not? :waving:

Nah, I still love the states. My plans to enter post-graduate studies in either economics or political science at an American University (preferably in California or Texas - somewhere warm!) haven't changed.

The US has endured in recent years some of the worst economic conditions in decades, suffered under incompetent administration, endured global hostility and huge socio-economic difficulties. Yet even during the mediocre at best times it remains statistically comparable to its Northern neighbour who has enjoyed the largest economic boom in its history within the last 10 years. I think this is a testament to American dynamism and culture and I firmly believe that things will eventually even out or return to the historical norm of US economic superiority.

The article's points just surprised me. It's been our historic claim to fame that we supposedly have a higher quality of life despite Americans being wealthier. This latter assumption doesn't seem so true anymore, at least for now.

I've found all of this pretty interesting and a little depressing. Although I'm pleased for our northern neighbor, good bunch them. The last 7 plus years has not been our best foot forward.

That is a very interesting article, and not to go off topic, but I have been seeing some violations of civil liberties in Europe, and does any of this happen in Candada?

The governement intervention in the economy seems to be working well on some levels, but is there also more government intervention in normal life?