Canada Talk » The Truth about Canada

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About this Book
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Renowned as a passionate Canadian, bestselling author Mel Hurtig has combed through world statistics to see how Canada really measures up — and the results are astonishing, and often shocking.

This book is about how Canada has changed, very much for the worse, in the last twenty years. As a result of these profound (often hidden) changes, we are no longer the people we think we are. To take one example, the Canadian media usually leaves us with the impression that Canadians are really heavily taxed. Yes, compared to the U.S.A., the usual point of comparison. No, compared to other countries with our standard of living, other OECD countries, for example; there we come in 23rd on the high-tax scale.

The shocks in this book build up, chapter by chapter. How do we rank in the world in voter turnout? Try 109th. Number of physicians per 100,000 population? Try 54th. Our rank in reducing pollution? 126th out of 146 countries.

Some of the statistics are internal, comparing Canada then and now. They back up two of the book’s most powerful themes: the failure of Canadian big business to turn record profits into ongoing investment in our country, and (no coincidence) the sellout of our assets at a rate that no other country would allow.

This statistics-based book ranges across all areas of our lives — including health, wages, productivity, culture, the media (“the most concentrated in the world”), and much else. Mel Hurtig’s message is that we can’t do anything to fix the direction we’re drifting in unless we recognize it — and recognize The Truth About Canada.

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At 214 doctors per 100,000 we are in 54th place in the world…A 2007 poll revealed that over 2 million Canadians have tried but failed to find a family doctor during the previous year…Canada now has about a third fewer doctors per population than other OECD countries.

Total per capita health spending in the US is almost two and a half times the OECD average. In Canada it is one and a quarter times the OECD average.

Canada has the fourth highest obesity rate out of the 30 OECD countries.

Canada has the lowest percentage of OECD adults smoking tobacco daily.

Canada’s overall environmental performance is far behind other OECD countries with a rank of 28th out of 30.

In a February 2005 study comparing 141 countries, Canada ranked a horrendous 126th in reducing our pollution.

Canada, with 0.5% of the world’s population emits 2% of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions… 46% of Canadian industrial greenhouse emissions in 2002 were attributed to exports.

The Canadian industrial average is 3.8% of revenues spent on research and development. For the energy industry it’s 0.75%. For the oil and gas sector it’s 0.36%.

In 1989, 15.1% of children in this country were living in poverty. By 2006, that percentage had grown to 17.7% or almost 1.2 million children.

In 2006, Canada’s poverty rate was worse than 18 other OECD countries.

In one month in 2006, 753,458 Canadians obtained food from a food bank; 41% were children.

More than 4 in 10 First Nations children are in need of basic dental care…Diabetes is 3 to 5 times more common than the Canadian average and tuberculosis is 8 to 10 times more common… Aboriginal people are about 3% of Canada’s population, but they make up about 20% of all prison inmates…58% of Natives living on reserve aged 20 to 24 have not finished high school.

In social spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product, Canada is in 25th place out of 30.

In most western European countries low-paid jobs are between 8% and 12% of the total; in Canada they make up 21% of all jobs.

During the first half of 2007, Canada’s private sector dropped some 90,000 jobs, the largest decline in over a decade and a half.

In the five years before the Free Trade Agreement came into effect in 1989, employment in Canada grew at an average annual rate of 2.9%. In the five years from 2001 to 2005, it grew at only an annual average rate of 1.84%.

The 1990s saw the highest rate of unemployment in Canada of any decade since the great depression.

The US prisoner rate per 100,000 population was 725 in 2004, compared to the OECD average of 132.4 and Canada’s rate of 107.

Corporate profits: in 1992 before taxes they were 4.7% of GDP. In 2006 they were up to 13.9% of GDP, the highest in history…Since 1990, the average after inflation increase in hourly earnings until 2006 was only 10 cents.

In January 2007 the top 100 Canadian CEOs made between $2.87 million and $74.82 million. Meanwhile, the average Canadian worker earned about $38,000 a year and the average person working for a minimum wage made $15,931 a year.

By 2005 the highest 20% of Canadian families owned 69.2% of all net worth… The poorest 40% owned only 2.4%.

In 2005, over $22.3 billion of foreign controlledcorporate profits left Canada, mostly for the US.

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http://www.mcclelland.com/catalog/displa...8b9780771041655

So what it is exactly you're trying to say?
That Canada isn't heaven?
I think all the readers of this forum are well aware of the fact that Canada isn't a heaven on earth...or some kind of Shangri-la.

We have foodbanks down here, a disgrace for any country in the "rich west", no matter where.

So Canada doesn't rank highest on every topic in the OECD.
Don't forget there's about 241 countries monitered......

One thing I know for sure....The Netherlands,my native country, beats Germany as well as Canada by a long shot.....on population density
The Netherlands is on the 25th place worldwide, with an average of 395 people per square km.
Germany is on place 53, with 232 people per sq. km.
And Canada: 230th place.......2,3 people per square kilometre.

That about says it all for me, more than numbers without comparison.
It would take me half a year to compare the numbers in the book you quote with Germany and The Netherlands......
All in all: it doesn't matter.
On some points our native countries score higher, on others Canada.
Either way: it won't change our minds.

Kuba hat 596 Ärtze pro 100 000 Einwohner (Quelle: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th Ed.).

Immigriere dorthin.

Sry nicht persönliches, aber vom Beruf her hasse ich Statistiken, die so in den Raum geworfen werden.

Wieso, Statistik ist doch eine feine Sache.
Ich übernachte seit Jahren in der Dachrinne, weil es statistisch erwiesen ist, das die meisten Menschen im Bett sterben und es stimmt. Ich lebe immer noch.
Wenn man wieder die Umsatzzahlen nicht sind, was sie sein sollen, gebe ich einfach die statistisch wahrscheinliche Steigerung im Folgemonat zu Besten. Das mache ich seit über 10 Jahren so und bisher ist es nicht aufgefallen.
Schreibt, was ihr wollt. Wir kommen ja doch alle in das Land wo Milch und Honig fließen.

Zitat von dhc-beaver

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Wir kommen ja doch alle in das Land wo Milch und Honig fließen.

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Und wenn du uns auch noch verräts wo das ist, könnten wir auch dahin ziehen

Zitat von seto1

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Und wenn du uns auch noch verräts wo das ist, könnten wir auch dahin ziehen

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I'm not sure how old you are, but either way I do hope it will take many, many years for you to reach that place

Zitat von yeti

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So what it is exactly you're trying to say?

Um ... I did not write a single word ... I quoted this article, that is all. Not too hard to understand, is it?

It would take me half a year to compare the numbers in the book you quote with Germany and The Netherlands......
All in all: it doesn't matter.
On some points our native countries score higher, on others Canada.

My inted was to inform people about this book and what it is about. Nothing more, nothing less. I skimmed through those statistic and thought some of them were interesting. You almost act, like I insulted your "sacred" country, even though it seems you are not living in it.

Either way: it won't change our minds.

Interesting. Are you the spokesperson for the rest of the board?

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Zitat von toronto07

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Have you ever been to Canada? And if yes, where about ?
Unless you are self-employed and have enough money to to buy property in a remote, rural area, you will end up in a house with a garden as big or small as the average garden in Germany. Land is very expensive here and unless you can afford to buy a large property you might as well be better of in Germany. I have a big garden here, but the garden of my relatives in Germany is even bigger and cheaper!

By the way: I'm not trying to be negative. I just thought the exact same thing as you before coming here just to wake up to reality within a few months. Good luck anyway!

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Of course I have been to Canada, to BC to be more precise....From Vancouver to PG, to Golden, Fernie, Midway, Osoyoos, Fruitvale, Williams Lake, Bella Coola etc, etc etc.
More than once. Even more than twice
You can't judge a book by it's cover....

Now for you: have you even been to The Netherlands, especially in the west where I live.....I'd practically die for a german sized garden.......and yes: I have been to germany too, many a time.

And yes: I do know you have to bring money with you to buy a property in Canada.
Then a highly poplutated area is handy, because houses sell for lots of euros down here, but thta's all it is handy for I'm afraid....

I know you're not trying to be negative, but you do sound a tat paternalistic.

Zitat von toronto07

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Have you ever been to Canada? And if yes, where about ?
Unless you are self-employed and have enough money to to buy property in a remote, rural area, you will end up in a house with a garden as big or small as the average garden in Germany. Land is very expensive here and unless you can afford to buy a large property you might as well be better of in Germany. I have a big garden here, but the garden of my relatives in Germany is even bigger and cheaper!

By the way: I'm not trying to be negative. I just thought the exact same thing as you before coming here just to wake up to reality within a few months. Good luck anyway!

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Ich denke mal rural ist berechtigt, aber "remote" nicht unbedingt.

Wir hatten in Ontario eine 92 acre Farm...bezahlbar. Und die war nicht am "a.. der Welt" sondern bei Hamilton, On ( OK...zaehlt vielleicht fuer einige so... )
Und wir sind weder reich noch selbsstaendig.

Natuerlich gibt es unbezahlbare Anwesen mit ein wenig Land aber eine allgemeine Behauptung aufzustellen dass es nichts bezahlbares gibt ist so nicht ganz richtig, meines Erachtens.

I deleted my post to comment on Hedonist and Toronto07.
Have it your way.

Have a nice day you all

Mel Huritg's Buch sollte gelesen werden, nicht nur weil es allerlei, sogar schockierende Fakten enthält.

Was hier nicht zur Sprache gekommen ist, ist seine Bewertung und Beunruhigung über den Trend in dem Zeitraum
seiner Beobachtung. Der ist schon recht bemerkenswert.
Canada today ist nicht mit Canada vor zwanzig Jahren oder sogar früher zu vergleichen.
Wir haben mehr Gesetzte, Regulierungen, red tape und eine ach so tolle Bill of Rights.
Nur die Freiheiten die es mal gab sind alle bis in die Unkenntlichkeit erodiert.
Von Natur, sozio poltitischen und wirtschaftlichen Entwicklungen ganz abgesehen.

Relative zu Europa mag es sich vorteilhaft ansehen, aber ohne die Bedingungen zu erfuellen, die ich hier mal aufgezählt habe, sollte man von Kanada die Finger lassen. Dig mal ins Archive.
Flashy Literatur und viele Bücher die bereits Nostalgia herauf beschwören lesen sich gut aber Realitäten sind anders.
Die älteren Bücher von A.E.Johann beschreiben eine vergangene Zeit und deren Menschen, aber viel unterschwelligen Gefühle, Gegebenheiten sind im Prinzip unverändert.
Kanada ist älter geworden aber nicht unbedingt besser, schade.
Politisch korrekt hat auch hier gehaust.