POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: Joe K on May 15, 2014, 06:45:25 pm
-
New York Times Opinion Piece, talking about how the "American Dream" has moved to Canada and parts of Europe.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/opinion/kristof-its-now-the-canadian-dream.html?hp&rref=opinion
The article is sobering and reveals a sad state of affairs in America. If you get a chance, read the comments, as they are poignant and polite and they explain a lot of the difference between the States and Canada. When folks ask me about the basic differences between the two countries, it's hard to describe, but the comment below, is an excellent start.
NYT Comments Section: Posted by gregory910 Montreal:
"The Canadian Dream is funded by taxes; you will never see a panel of political candidates here holding up their right arms like obedient puppets, pledging, "No new taxes," as if taxation were a socialist plot. We don't blindly believe that deregulation and privatization solve anything; in a country that is larger than the US but with the population of California, we want the government to take care of certain things. It's not socialism; it's the will of the people as expressed through democracy.
We have a low threshold for idiocy; in Canada Ted Cruz is considered an out-patient off his medication; in Texas, of course, he's a god. We don't have laws that make it illegal for students to become smarter than their parents, and nowhere in Canada is there a movement to teach creationism as an alternate "theory" to evolution. We enjoy an actual separation of church and state.
We don't labor under the curse of any form of your second amendment. We can go out for a burger or visit a school without wondering if this is where the scheduled weekly mass shooting will take place. If you're packing heat, you're either a cop or a criminal; guns are simply not part of the Canadian demographic landscape.
Most importantly, Canadians don't feel automatically entitled to anything (other than universal health care). We don't believe we should all be living in McMansions with Porsches in the garage and reality show cameras following us about. There are no Canadian Kardashians to keep up with."
Joe
-
Canada is still one of the few countries left that bars permanent residence status to HIV+ persons.
So there's that.
-
But I agree with the gist of the article. The US has gotten to a sorry state of affairs.
And many of the people most adversely affected seem completely unaware or uninterested.
-
i was just asking the other night... where in the world can i live and not be a criminal just for being me
hiv positive, bisexual, cannabis user... illegal in here in georgia, and its worn thin on me right now
-
Canada is still one of the few countries left that bars permanent residence status to HIV+ persons.
So there's that.
That's not true. If you marry a Canadian or are sponsored by a Canadian you can get residency and eventual citizenship.
Joe
-
No. What I said is true.
You can do a workaround to the restriction barring pozzies by marrying a Canadian, but an individual, or couple wanting permanent status can and almost certainly will be barred permanent residency due to their HIV+ status - unlike almost all developed countries including the US.
Nothing wrong with pointing out the virtues of your country, and there are many, but be able to see the warts too. It's legalized discrimination.
-
Nothing wrong with pointing out the virtues of your country, and there are many, but be able to see the warts too. It's legalized discrimination.
I straddle both countries, Canadian-American here, who just happens to live in Montreal now.
Joe
-
If I were you I'd stay in Canada. ;)
except in the winter.
-
Waking up from the American Dream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYGc8-L_NmE
-
We have a low threshold for idiocy; in Canada Ted Cruz is considered an out-patient off his medication; in Texas, of course, he's a god.
This sums it up! It is hysterically accurate. Gone are the days of Ann Richards, Sissy Farenthold, Lloyd Bentsen - now TX will be linked for the immediate future to a bat-shit crazy Canadian who gene pool is definitely in need of a bit of chlorine.
-
I wrote in another thread that I am optimistic that change is coming in America and I would like to know if others see the same room for optimism .
We had food service workers marching in the street today demanding a living wage . The statistics are that 52% of all the food service workers are on government assistance and are taking action and organizing against the corporations that are posting record earnings on their labor ... its fundamentally unfair to employees and unsustainable in the long run .
-
pessimistic, nihilistic, willing to take direct anarchist action. the damage was done long ago, the fix is in. if you're not 1%, they will use you. if they have no use for you, you're lost
i'm not gonna lie, except for my meds, i want it all to crumble and fall
the dream is dead. the fantasy is a pipe dream. whats left is the lottery. the america way to move up the social classes. win money bitches
-
As a Canadian living in the US I have to agree with the vast majority of Joe's post.
While I do believe there are fundamental differences between Canada and US, it is a little dangerous to make too many generalizations without pointing out that there are wide ranges within the cultures of both -- at the risk of sparking debate and without any statistics, here are a few of my quick stream of consciousness observations:
Having lived in a number of both Western Canadian and US cities - there are more public parks in Canadian cities.
The vast majority of Canadians (even the conservative ones) believe the science behind global warming.
One thing Canada should be ashamed of are the Athabaskan Tar Sands environmental disaster.
The cultural diversity, and acceptance, in Western Canada far exceeds the cultural diversity and acceptance in the Western US - particularly in rural areas.
I wrote in another thread that I am optimistic that change is coming in America and I would like to know if others see the same room for optimism .
I do see optimism for the US, and believe it will come as more of our youth stand up and get engaged. I hope the whole conservative backlash we are seeing is actually the last gasp of a dwindling conservative movement.
pessimistic, nihilistic, willing to take direct anarchist action. the damage was done long ago, the fix is in. if you're not 1%, they will use you. if they have no use for you, you're lost
i'm not gonna lie, except for my meds, i want it all to crumble and fall
the dream is dead. the fantasy is a pipe dream. whats left is the lottery. the america way to move up the social classes. win money bitches
Zach; You gotta get out of the rural south. Although if you come to the NW you will have to put up with gigantic snails and banana slugs.
-
Zach; You gotta get out of the rural south. Although if you come to the NW you will have to put up with gigantic snails and banana slugs.
I used to be overly cautious answering the doorbell that I might mistake a census taker for a Watchtower. Now, it's doorbell ringing Gastropods. Yes, they are huge. Yes, those antennae look like they could do an alien probe better than ET. And, yes, I have a bag of salt ready for the invasion of the Banana Slugs. At least they aren't mosquitos and fire ants. I still say they have the ability to jump - they're everywhere.
I went to college down in Texas and (back in the day) it certainly wasn't this deep red state that it has become. I don't know what exactly has transformed it - but it's certainly depressing and hopefully short-lived. There was a time, believe it or not, you could actually see as many Mondale/Ferarro bumper stickers as you could Reagan/Bush! The trend is that it's turning 'purple' - I won't hold my breath.
-
The South is bringing this country down.
-
As a Canadian living in the US I have to agree with the vast majority of Joe's post.
I just want to clarify, the remarks concerning a Canadian view, in my original post, were from the NYT comment section, by a reader in Montreal. They were his words, not mine.
Joe