In my 70 years I have seen this nation become a service nation. I feel it's lack of manufacturing is it's downfall. All Canada's financial problems can be attributed to a central cause, the lack of jobs.
I recall that every family had disposable income. Dance halls were everywhere, and after the dance people went out to restaurants. When you drove down a small town at night the neon signs were everywhere. The town was lit up like a Christmas tree starting from town limits and ending at town exit. You could swear it could be seen from outer space.The tops of high buildings revealed the 10 or so industries that kept the machinery going. No such thing has looking for jobs 100 miles away from home. A person could hop from one job to another in a village. The selection of jobs was among businesses that were stable and established and could provide actual retirement options and a promise of decades of service. Now our options are burger joints and gas outlets.
Town council was conscious of the health of the town. Mayors were constantly seeking replacements for businesses prior to their closing. They were elected on their business and promotional experience, not on their family history and how nice they were. Today, it's subsistence management. He and council cater to the effects of manufacturing loss, such has dealing with shoring up dwindling community funds and ensuring vital public structures remain afloat. They constantly deal with 'finding ways' to make up for losses, and finally ending up presenting one more disliked answer to the problem, raising taxes.
Canada is suffering from a reality of what happens when you make the wrong decisions. We listened to the president of the US when he suggested we buy their fighter jets, this after we surprised them and made them nervous when we came back to show them the fastest fighter in the world, the Arrow. We could have a strong manufacturing base in ship building. This proved in the war days when Canada was asked to produce fast and maneuverable frigates for the Atlantic crossing. The ships we produced drowned the German wolfpacks, and it failed because of us. No credit to Canada, but we watch as the US plays this up to their credit. Now we are being reprimanded by them every time we think sales of our reactors to other nations, again we let ourselves be pulled by the nose ring by them. Sell to whom ever we please. If Russia offers a good business deal, trade.
We sell off our natural resources to ingrate nations. We let our own families suffer with rediculous hydro fees while we sell it cheaper to the US.
But now Canada is a pot bellied consumer who demands to be fed. It could beat out the US in manufacturing any day if it desired it. But it decides to sit and watch our dwindling pile of natural resources being sold for pennies to other nations who became wealthy manufacturers on our contribution. Nor do they give Canada any respect. It has become the weak laughing stock of the world. That country that jumps when the US snaps it's fingers.
Part of that problem can be attributed to disloyalty of the wealthy in this nation. Our unions must share the blame as well. The usual closure of a town company had a familiar pattern to it. Companies would do well and employees were happy to have a job paid out by piecework. A disatisfaction would set in, and unions would push for higher wages. The company would try to accomodate for a while until profits were no longer viable. The company would seek out cheaper places to set up. Eventually the Asian market would provide the answer the company needed. Canadians could have seen this slowly happening and stepped in.
The problems we have now can all be attributed to this one cause. OHIP, public pension funds,closing of 'mom and pops',rise in heating fuel(as well as secondary causes),no disposable income,burden on the poor family, cost of that loaf of bread, baby food, and many more.
When Canada finally decides to wake up and contribute to the world by manufacturing goods, it's resources will be gone unless it acts now. It needs to establish some uncomfortable policies now before it's too late. The wealthy need incentives to keep money and businesses at home. The union needs to be restrained in these rebuild days. Their contribution in the scheme of things needs to be reviewed. Bargaining groups between staff and company need a new change of attitude. Workers need to be less demanding.
Towns and villages need to elect members on competence not charisma. His requisites would be international trade,promotionable abilities, the willingness to travel and sell the town's advantages. They need to offer business startup incentives such has free hydro and low cost commercial lots for building. A cut could be made on building construction materials, anthing to get them here. Finally workers need to have a good attitude and be reasonable and show some loyalty to their company and not bad mouth it behind their back.
So either we go on with this and leave the same legacy to our kids, or we get up and roll up our sleeves and fix problems. Start asking these questions to our candidates. Ask them their plan for economic recovery and on presenting Canada to the world. Put charisma,looks and who they know, and their relatives aside for this critical analysis. This method was safe in good times after WW2 in the 50's and 60's where mistakes could be absorbed. Forget the contributions that public servant "dad" offered, there is no guarantee the son will be the same. Forget about partisan loyalty, look deeper. We are looking for skills and a good pr man with a 'go get 'em' attitude and willing to challenge other nations on our capabilities, as well as present a deaf ear to the US.
We can build our own military, Jobs. We can build our own cars, Jobs. We can build the best liners and freighters, Jobs. Bombardier should not be the only company shoring us up. Our forests and minerals are being sold off. Why not ensist on criteria that the nation sets up companies here first. Let them prove contribution and incentive before we sell them our dwindling spruce(etc).
Our global policies have us spending on all sorts of silly adventures that offer us no guarantee of good returns. We listen to wealthy nations who, lacking patience or skills in diplomacy, or by their own fault set up bad relations, have adopted beligerent muscle flexing policies which would drag other nations in potential 9/11's. Remember, these would need to be contended with by our grandkids who would not understand why they were targeted. Unlike ourselves, other nations use generational wars.
Canada is a sleeping lion, time to wake up before it's too late for our kids.
I recall that every family had disposable income. Dance halls were everywhere, and after the dance people went out to restaurants. When you drove down a small town at night the neon signs were everywhere. The town was lit up like a Christmas tree starting from town limits and ending at town exit. You could swear it could be seen from outer space.The tops of high buildings revealed the 10 or so industries that kept the machinery going. No such thing has looking for jobs 100 miles away from home. A person could hop from one job to another in a village. The selection of jobs was among businesses that were stable and established and could provide actual retirement options and a promise of decades of service. Now our options are burger joints and gas outlets.
Town council was conscious of the health of the town. Mayors were constantly seeking replacements for businesses prior to their closing. They were elected on their business and promotional experience, not on their family history and how nice they were. Today, it's subsistence management. He and council cater to the effects of manufacturing loss, such has dealing with shoring up dwindling community funds and ensuring vital public structures remain afloat. They constantly deal with 'finding ways' to make up for losses, and finally ending up presenting one more disliked answer to the problem, raising taxes.
Canada is suffering from a reality of what happens when you make the wrong decisions. We listened to the president of the US when he suggested we buy their fighter jets, this after we surprised them and made them nervous when we came back to show them the fastest fighter in the world, the Arrow. We could have a strong manufacturing base in ship building. This proved in the war days when Canada was asked to produce fast and maneuverable frigates for the Atlantic crossing. The ships we produced drowned the German wolfpacks, and it failed because of us. No credit to Canada, but we watch as the US plays this up to their credit. Now we are being reprimanded by them every time we think sales of our reactors to other nations, again we let ourselves be pulled by the nose ring by them. Sell to whom ever we please. If Russia offers a good business deal, trade.
We sell off our natural resources to ingrate nations. We let our own families suffer with rediculous hydro fees while we sell it cheaper to the US.
But now Canada is a pot bellied consumer who demands to be fed. It could beat out the US in manufacturing any day if it desired it. But it decides to sit and watch our dwindling pile of natural resources being sold for pennies to other nations who became wealthy manufacturers on our contribution. Nor do they give Canada any respect. It has become the weak laughing stock of the world. That country that jumps when the US snaps it's fingers.
Part of that problem can be attributed to disloyalty of the wealthy in this nation. Our unions must share the blame as well. The usual closure of a town company had a familiar pattern to it. Companies would do well and employees were happy to have a job paid out by piecework. A disatisfaction would set in, and unions would push for higher wages. The company would try to accomodate for a while until profits were no longer viable. The company would seek out cheaper places to set up. Eventually the Asian market would provide the answer the company needed. Canadians could have seen this slowly happening and stepped in.
The problems we have now can all be attributed to this one cause. OHIP, public pension funds,closing of 'mom and pops',rise in heating fuel(as well as secondary causes),no disposable income,burden on the poor family, cost of that loaf of bread, baby food, and many more.
When Canada finally decides to wake up and contribute to the world by manufacturing goods, it's resources will be gone unless it acts now. It needs to establish some uncomfortable policies now before it's too late. The wealthy need incentives to keep money and businesses at home. The union needs to be restrained in these rebuild days. Their contribution in the scheme of things needs to be reviewed. Bargaining groups between staff and company need a new change of attitude. Workers need to be less demanding.
Towns and villages need to elect members on competence not charisma. His requisites would be international trade,promotionable abilities, the willingness to travel and sell the town's advantages. They need to offer business startup incentives such has free hydro and low cost commercial lots for building. A cut could be made on building construction materials, anthing to get them here. Finally workers need to have a good attitude and be reasonable and show some loyalty to their company and not bad mouth it behind their back.
So either we go on with this and leave the same legacy to our kids, or we get up and roll up our sleeves and fix problems. Start asking these questions to our candidates. Ask them their plan for economic recovery and on presenting Canada to the world. Put charisma,looks and who they know, and their relatives aside for this critical analysis. This method was safe in good times after WW2 in the 50's and 60's where mistakes could be absorbed. Forget the contributions that public servant "dad" offered, there is no guarantee the son will be the same. Forget about partisan loyalty, look deeper. We are looking for skills and a good pr man with a 'go get 'em' attitude and willing to challenge other nations on our capabilities, as well as present a deaf ear to the US.
We can build our own military, Jobs. We can build our own cars, Jobs. We can build the best liners and freighters, Jobs. Bombardier should not be the only company shoring us up. Our forests and minerals are being sold off. Why not ensist on criteria that the nation sets up companies here first. Let them prove contribution and incentive before we sell them our dwindling spruce(etc).
Our global policies have us spending on all sorts of silly adventures that offer us no guarantee of good returns. We listen to wealthy nations who, lacking patience or skills in diplomacy, or by their own fault set up bad relations, have adopted beligerent muscle flexing policies which would drag other nations in potential 9/11's. Remember, these would need to be contended with by our grandkids who would not understand why they were targeted. Unlike ourselves, other nations use generational wars.
Canada is a sleeping lion, time to wake up before it's too late for our kids.
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