British Expats

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-   -   Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/will-you-still-emigrate-when-canadian-recession-kicks-733741/)

Steve_ Sep 28th 2011 4:42 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 9646251)
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye...

Do you read other forums? Being opinionated on the internet transcends nationality.

Well I meant it more broadly than just this forum, whinging about something and offering some opinion about something to me is the British national pastime, I often hear Americans, Australians, etc. make that observation as well if they've spent any time there. I think originally it developed as a result of a jingoistic island-based (therefore more homogenous) society but it is perpetuated nowadays by the fact the the UK is a very crowded country so people sit around moaning as a release valve.

As for being opinionated on the internet, yes that is the case - but my observation from being a member of various forums is that the British contributors are clearly the experts at offering one, lol.

Steve_ Sep 28th 2011 4:49 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by MikeUK (Post 9646261)
I suspect that the US will suggest a shared economic union similar to Europe with proportional representation, bye bye sovereignty, bye bye provinces, hello new states
Long live the united states of North America (USNA)

It will never happen because the US is so much larger in population than other North American countries, and those countries would fear a loss of sovereignty, plus Americans by and large are pretty xenophobic. It's not like the EU where the UK, France and Italy have similar-sized populations and Germany is smaller than any two of those countries.

I think there will be more bilateral treaties between North American countries that will lead to more integration, but you only have to look at some of the problems with free trade between provinces or States. States in the US are constantly in a competition to get business X to move there and there are many restrictions on inter provincial trade in Canada. Differing levels of tax, differing environmental standards, differing methods of govt procurement, can't even agree on how to do car insurance or whether to have a licence plate on the front. The one that always blows my mind is that each province has its own security and exchange commission, even the Americans are more integrated than that!

el_richo Sep 28th 2011 4:57 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by Steve_ (Post 9646389)
Well I meant it more broadly than just this forum, whinging about something and offering some opinion about something to me is the British national pastime, I often hear Americans, Australians, etc. make that observation as well if they've spent any time there. I think originally it developed as a result of a jingoistic island-based (therefore more homogenous) society but it is perpetuated nowadays by the fact the the UK is a very crowded country so people sit around moaning as a release valve.

As for being opinionated on the internet, yes that is the case - but my observation from being a member of various forums is that the British contributors are clearly the experts at offering one, lol.

I believe you're more British than most then ;)

ExKiwilass Sep 28th 2011 5:00 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by Steve_ (Post 9646378)
Look at the housing prices in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary etc. and compare them with most of the US. I'm not saying it's universally the case but it is often brought up as an issue when trying to get Americans to move here. Obviously it's not as bad as NYC but compare say, Washington to BC. Detroit/Buffalo/Rochester to southern Ontario.

One of my pet peeves frankly is getting people from all around the world to move to Canada and not making enough of an effort to get Americans to move here, some of the stuff I hear coming out of the Alberta immigration minister about going over to Germany/UK to get welders and heavy-duty mechanics and bus/train drivers - surely there are plenty of them in the US who need work?

But Americans apparently don't like moving here, if you look at the CIC breakdown for grants of permits and permanent residency very few of them do.

From their perspective it's a lot of paperwork to live on the other side of a line on a map and then you've got a higher cost of living, mortgage as well so that's the problem.

Still, given the state of their economy, healthcare and public education system, you'd think there'd be more of a chance at present.

I thought the US was the 5th largest immigrant group to Canada...there were some Americans getting sworn in as Canadians when i went to my ceremony.

MikeUK Sep 28th 2011 5:26 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by Steve_ (Post 9646400)
It will never happen because the US is so much larger in population than other North American countries, and those countries would fear a loss of sovereignty, plus Americans by and large are pretty xenophobic. It's not like the EU where the UK, France and Italy have similar-sized populations and Germany is smaller than any two of those countries.

My expectations are that the offer that would come from the US would to all intention be a proposal that dissolves sovereignty of the absorbed small countries into a bigger US lead group.

When the neighbors have the climate and resources they need, and they are still in major position of power, and we are still beholden to their economy, I don’t see us having much ability to object. Whilst they don’t need us, or want us and can get what they want at the price they’re willing to pay we’re fine. But just like the big corporate world if you can afford to buy out your supply chain and vertically integrating will help you survive, then you’ll do it.

ExKiwilass Sep 28th 2011 6:42 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by MikeUK (Post 9646467)
My expectations are that the offer that would come from the US would to all intention be a proposal that dissolves sovereignty of the absorbed small countries into a bigger US lead group.

When the neighbors have the climate and resources they need, and they are still in major position of power, and we are still beholden to their economy, I don’t see us having much ability to object. Whilst they don’t need us, or want us and can get what they want at the price they’re willing to pay we’re fine. But just like the big corporate world if you can afford to buy out your supply chain and vertically integrating will help you survive, then you’ll do it.

but, it's not the corporate world.

and i think you're wrong about not having much ability to object. the us is not as wealthy or as strong as it once was. plus, it is quite divided. an attempt to take over canada would divide it even more imo.

MikeUK Sep 28th 2011 7:21 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by Kiwilass (Post 9646601)
but, it's not the corporate world.

and i think you're wrong about not having much ability to object. the us is not as wealthy or as strong as it once was. plus, it is quite divided. an attempt to take over canada would divide it even more imo.

I think you're right at the public level, both sides would fragment and split

But at the corporate level a lot of that take over has already occurred, it’s just merging the two governments that the corporations invest and lobby in..

IMHO the public may vote in the different parties, but the candidates of all the parties don't even get a 'shoe in' without serious corporate sponsorship, driving a) the party funds and b) their election funds.. The US system is totally driven by the corporations, we are slowly following suit, with possibly only some of the NDP putting up a resistance

Unless the US fails economically, and the rest of the world is currently trying to prevent that happening, I think that we will gradually align until you can’t see the difference and the US will be in the driving seat

trevorandjo york Sep 28th 2011 8:03 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 
You two guys need to get together and solve the arab/Israel problem. You speak as if you could merge two huge soveriegn nations over a coffee.

Moderator, we have lost the thread, please, please delete it all.......please.

iaink Sep 28th 2011 8:10 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by trevorandjo york (Post 9646767)
You two guys need to get together and solve the arab/Israel problem. You speak as if you could merge two huge soveriegn nations over a coffee.

Moderator, we have lost the thread, please, please delete it all.......please.

LOL, can you imagine the precedent that would set! Not going to happen.

Its just a typical BE thread. only with fewer swearwords than usual.

Pretty Flowers Sep 28th 2011 8:37 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 
Fewer swear words

How about buggery bollocks! does that help?

I didn't emigrate to Canada for love or money, although I'm richer in one now and poorer in the other. I came here for both a better quality of life, which on balance I think I have, and a new start, which I guess I also got in some respects.

With regards to the impending/ extant recession, I think that I would likely have still come if the economy was in recession seven years ago...

MikeUK Sep 28th 2011 8:44 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by trevorandjo york (Post 9646767)
You two guys need to get together and solve the arab/Israel problem. You speak as if you could merge two huge soveriegn nations over a coffee.

Moderator, we have lost the thread, please, please delete it all.......please.

It’s easy to merge to sovereign nations together, if you have the same agenda and an uninterested selfish electorate

But a Muslim monarchy blended with a Jewish theocracy!

That's a long way apart, two opposed religions and two different styles of government combined with an almost stupid belief that they alone are right…

We need a few small revolutions on both sides (corporately leveraged) first, a few scandals of the righteous to undermine the legitimacy of the ruling ideals, followed by a progressive degree of public disinterest in government before corporate agendas get in:fingerscrossed:

iaink Sep 28th 2011 8:48 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by MikeUK (Post 9646848)
two different styles of government combined with an almost stupid belief that they alone are right…

Sorry, are we talking about Canada and the US again, Ive lost track...

Still if the gap between poor and rich keeps growing at the current rate then revolution might not be out of the question.

JonboyE Sep 28th 2011 8:53 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 
http://yougodisco.files.wordpress.co...land-shirt.gif

Wasn't one of the Bush era arguments that it was blasphemous to try and conserve oil, or use alternate fuels, because God has given us all exactly the amount of oil we need. I don't see why the same argument cannot be applied to drinking water.

trevorandjo york Sep 28th 2011 8:56 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by iaink (Post 9646855)
Sorry, are we talking about Canada and the US again, Ive lost track...

Still if the gap between poor and rich keeps growing at the current rate then revolution might not be out of the question.

The gap between rich and poor has always been wide, only now the poor expect more. Once, food alone made you better off than most, what is the measure now?

back on track...

Anyway flower, i am glad your life is better in Canada, hope you're looking forward to the winter, do you ski, skate or hibernate to avoid the permafrost?

Pretty Flowers Sep 28th 2011 8:56 pm

Re: Will you still emigrate when the Canadian recession kicks in?
 

Originally Posted by MikeUK (Post 9646848)
It’s easy to merge to sovereign nations together, if you have the same agenda and an uninterested selfish electorate

But a Muslim monarchy blended with a Jewish theocracy!

That's a long way apart, two opposed religions and two different styles of government combined with an almost stupid belief that they alone are right…

Tell that to two of my closest friends, one a Muslim and the other a Jew and married to each other :eek:

They're very happy together so it could happen! :thumbsup:


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