And then you realize that the population of Canada is 10% of US. Canada should be compared to the Nordic countries vs. US in terms of quality of life etc.
Why? Does a larger population size automatically reduce quality of life?
Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
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Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#12[flagged]
I agree with most of your points, I live in Toronto as well, but in regards to homelessness here I wonder how much of that has to do with climate - warmer cities must attract larger homeless populations I would guess.
Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#13[flagged]
California and Vancouver has more homelessness because you can survive in the streets with the weather there far easier than Toronto. It also has a network effect, their friends are out there so they want to go. More homeless people the more community they have and less hassle from the police. Same with drug users, the more junkies around the more drug dealers there will be to serve them. Most of those westcoast home…
Vancouver is bad. For sure.
The biggest problem is certainly drug use. I've never been there, but I've heard horror stories, and exchange horror stories from California.
My other points, especially health care, still stand - and Chicago is comparable, weather-wise, to Toronto, and still contained far more visible homelessness, and things like needles on the sidewalk, that I just rarely, rarely see here.
Weather aside - Chicago, with a population of 2.7mil, reported 86,324 Chicagoans were homeless in 2017[1], vs. 9200 in Toronto[2], which has a population of 2.9mil. [1]https://www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/ [2]https://homesfirst.on.ca/info-stats
Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#14[flagged]
I agree with most of your points, I live in Toronto as well, but in regards to homelessness here I wonder how much of that has to do with climate - warmer cities must attract larger homeless populations I would guess.
Yeah, it's the health care, gun violence, poor leadership, and ICE that really throw me off. It actually scares me. To think of all those poor families who are being treated worse than animals from ICE alone - well, let's just say I try not to think about it, and just be grateful I'm in a country that sees that as what it is - abhorrent.
Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#15[flagged]
I didn't downvote you, but I see no data, only anecdotes, poor forms of argumentation ("most of us ..."), and outright mistruths (your health care is in no way, shape, or form "free") ... and HN tends to downvote this sort of content.
Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#16Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#17And then you realize that the population of Canada is 10% of US. Canada should be compared to the Nordic countries vs. US in terms of quality of life etc.
Why should population size be important? I know tiny sample sizes can produce curious results by luck, but I don’t buy that applying to multi-million populations. It seems to me that the difference is worth understanding.
Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#18And then you realize that the population of Canada is 10% of US. Canada should be compared to the Nordic countries vs. US in terms of quality of life etc.
I have never understood why people assume that just because the US is bigger than other OECD countries that it can't have the same levels of happiness, or the same quality/cost of healthcare and education etc.
Why do you think the US should aim lower simply because it has more people?
Why don't you think per-capita comparisons are valid?
If anything, the US should be better than smaller OECD countries because it gets a huge benefit from scale.
It feels like you're simply giving up "because we're bigger" on even trying to just equal other OECD countries.
Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#19[flagged]
From my personal experience I have nothing but happy memories from my visits to Toronto. Yes, the winters can be brutal but so is the case with most of the New York state. Toronto seems more diverse, clean and in general, a happy place. <3
Re: Most Canadians Are Now Better Off Than Most Americans
#20And then you realize that the population of Canada is 10% of US. Canada should be compared to the Nordic countries vs. US in terms of quality of life etc.
Can you explain your logic?