Canada is a "do economy"........the USA is a "think economy". Canada is a service based country......where spa treatments are more important than IT work. We don't have many industries that are our own. They are all American.....the USA owns us.....all the head offices and research centers.. (thinking jobs)....are in the USA........we are the "do economy". Canada is a land of "blue collar workers"....where white collar work has 0 value....that is why everyone is driving taxis.
But things are going to get worse in Canada. Whatever jobs there were......all the jobs are going to India..................so be prepared. Do not invest in higher education. It will not pay off. I have been here for 40 years. I know better.
I would not call Canada a land of opportunity by any estimation, at least not anymore - with the US economy on very shaky ground, Canada is sure to suffer a decline in its standard of living very soon, since our economy is entirely dependent upon exports to the US.
A lot of Canadians want to talk about tolerance , yet talk about the their southern neighbor and you could almost literally see horns coming out from their foreheads (Canadians). You talk about equality and yet you have people called new Canadians begging for an opportunity , not outright jobs, but an opportunity to land that job.
Hank, the Do vs. Think thing isn't really true. If a Canadian IT company starts doing well, it is bought out by US interests and the best jobs shipped south. That's one of the many, many flaws of NAFTA.
At the same time we have managed to hold on to a lot of our manufacturing jobs and we do have a sizable knowledge based economy. Most of that is either very small companies or owned by US interests though.
We do invest in higher education. We have a larger percentage of university grads than the US does. The jobs aren't always there for them when they graduate, largely because of the NAFTA thing that I mentioned earlier, but we do make the investment.
We can watch it from a much safer distance if we get the hell out of NAFTA.
We can and are diversifying our markets.
Canada's Immigration
mmm Hank why so many come here then?
Canada's population grew faster than nearly all of its major industrialized counterparts over the past decade, topped only by the United States, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.
From 1994 to 2004, the Canadian population grew at a rate of 1 per cent – the second fastest pace among the Group of 8 nations.
The United States ranked first with growth of 1.1 per cent over that period.
the sheer volume and amount of trade done between the US and Canada is astronomical.....its the largest trade volume between two nations on the planet....to say that pulling out of NAFTA and ceasing trade with the US is ridiculous...if our economy has any bearing in mind...
what will happen to the Ontario manufacturing sector and its retail trade , Canada's economic engine would come to a halt....... what you think.....that we would make cars for the Chinese and the Europeans?
Canada is also a consuming nation.....and racking up our debt would be inevetable..... of course oil and other resources will hold value but can Canada's entire economy be based on resource...will we be able to keep our standard of living?
People around the world have mostly come to the conclusion that whatever the American Dream may have been, is farce now. Atleast here in Europe, the general idea is that the US is not the place to go, not even on vacation.
Why would it be inevitable. If we limited the amount of foreign ownership, it would encourage diversification.
I just heard that canada's ecomony is booming, the interest rates are going up 
yours however is in da tank....shove your bragging up you cheddar 
I will go find a link about it tho. 
Quote: Originally Posted by AndemYou have to admit, Andem that although the US accpets more immigrants than any other country, many folks who are unsuccessful in immigrating to the US fall back on their second choice, which is Canada.People around the world have mostly come to the conclusion that whatever the American Dream may have been, is farce now. Atleast here in Europe, the general idea is that the US is not the place to go, not even on vacation.
Quote: Originally Posted by AndemYou have to admit, Andem that although the US accpets more immigrants than any other country, many folks who are unsuccessful in immigrating to the US fall back on their second choice, which is Canada.People around the world have mostly come to the conclusion that whatever the American Dream may have been, is farce now. Atleast here in Europe, the general idea is that the US is not the place to go, not even on vacation.
funny innit?
Huge problem. Foreign investors (Americans) tend to cut and run when the economy slips.
That's only because Canada does not possess climates that mimic those found in Africa, Mexico, and the Middle East. It's purely a matter of tempurature.
How could anyone take you seriously funny innit?
Pulling out of NAFTA will allow us to play by the same rules as the US, since the US refuses to honour the agreement. I also pointed out that trade between the US and Canada was growing faster before the FTA and NAFTA than it has since.
We built cars here before NAFTA though, and we would continue to build them and to sell them into the US market. The idea that getting out of NAFTA and diversifying our trade means that we could no longer trade with the US is ridiculous.
Why would it be inevitable. If we limited the amount of foreign ownership, it would encourage diversification.
well, you are simply wrong on your point that trade was growing faster before NAFTA.
The simple fact is that trade between the USA and CAnada has risen dramatically and as a result Canada does have a multi billion dollar trade surplus with the US. Before free trade exports accounted for significantly less of Canada's GDP than after.
Pulling out of NAFTA is liberal wet dream, a few problems and they want to scrap the whole thing....
you assume too much.....pulling out of NAFTA would be a slap in the face of the US....and if you think that trade would be normalized.....**** I'd be surprised if the US diden't ban Canadian exports......although our oil is of value to them.....there's the Alberta factor again..
Trade was still growing at a faster rate before NAFTA. What you are doing is the equivalent of driving a car at 100 kph, then slowing down to 90 kph and claiming that you never would have reached 90 kph if you continued driving 100. Do your research.