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Why Canada Should Join the EU

economist.com

471–480 of 823 posts

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#471

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This isn't true. There are about 1 million international students in Canada and they aren't cherry picked. Basically anyone who gets into any of the strip mall colleges in Ontario gets in, and many of them are basically just diploma mills "selling" Canadian immigration status to anyone willing to pay. There is nominally a requirement to be self sufficient financially but it just requires showing you have 20k CAD in a…

Being an international student isn't "immigration status" -- it's temporary by definition. There's a potential path to PR from there, but by no means guaranteed. I'd have to go look up the conversion rate, but my understanding is the majority of international students are returning home after, or at least that used to be the case.

> but my understanding is the majority of international students are returning home

Your understanding is outdated

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#472
post #180

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Inheritance goes to young people in the same family. I doubt that is holding back the young people who get it. Immigration keeps salaries low which is great for companies bad for young people. Immigrants of a similar age want the same type of housing. Young people starting out cannot afford their parents home. They compete for the same resources. Older generations are least affected.

a) Inheritance is a problem because instead of property going back onto the market it is instead like you say kept inside families and typically used as investment properties. b) Immigration isn't keeping salaries low. Companies are. Because they have eliminated unionisation and so workers have no means to demand for higher wages. And with so much remote talent companies always have a backup plan in case there is a s…

How did you just argue both that companies need backup plans to keep wages low in a supply shortage and also that immigration, which solves supply shortages, does not keep wages low; and not see that those claims are contradictory?

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#473

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Lol, no dude, it's not "hestitation" It's "get my country's name out of your mouth" material.

Haha, fair enough! Let’s just hope no one ends up eating their own words if Greenland - or even Canada - starts rethinking their options... Arctic politics can shift fast, and it’d be a shame to see China further sink its teeth into the region while closer ties with people who actually share similar cultures and values were on the table. But hey, I’ll happily shelve this take if Denmark and Canada keep things locked…

As a Canadian, the idea of becoming part of America makes me absolutely sick to my stomach.

Our country has problems, yours is broken.

It's been broken since its inception. Giving every state an equal representation in the Senate and an outsized representation in Congress meant that it was ALWAYS going to break.

I the 70s a few people tried to change this by abolishing the electoral college and ensuring you vote directly for the president at a 1 to 1 ratio. Unfortunately, that was shot down by some selfish liberals who thought they'd get more representation in particular situations (they won't for anything more than shilort term). There hasn't been a proper chance to fix it since.

Now Democrats simply do not have any power whatsoever. If Republicans don't want to let something pass, they just hold it up in the Senate. Something Mitch McConnell has done relentlessly.

Oh, and since the senate has to approve Supreme Court appointments, they've taken control of that too. McConnell blocked Obama's picks, using the excuse that it was an election YEAR. That handed the pick to Trump. That evil little man then let Trump have appointments much closer to an election.

Now your Supreme Court is fully stacked with Republicans. Some of which engage in open corruption.. And they're wiping out decades old rights. Anything is on the table.

Youre living in a country that has fallen into fascism and don't even know it.

Also, states being able to run their elections has allowed for an absurd level of corruption. Some states specifically design their voting districts for a particular outcome.. Like come on..

Anyway, I'm hoping for a CANZUK alliance or joining Europe. I will reluctantly flee the country if our sovereignty is threatened by the US.. Which is unfortunately looking more and more possible.

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#474

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Weak countries need the protection of Germany and France

Germany has no domestic military power to speak of, military is comically underfunded. No nuclear deterrence. Not sure what kind of protection you're thinking of. We can send beer to your enemy in hopes they opt for boozing rather than shooting.

They need the economies of Germany and France.

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#475
post #207
post #156

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Canada has a population of 40 million in a land area larger than the USA. That's hardly "too many people". Too many people in a handful of dense urban centers maybe, but overall the country is basically empty.

Our land sucks. I live in Vancouver and can't grow decent: tomatoes, raspberries.

My family and I have no issues growing either of these on the island or lower mainland. This sounds like a you problem.

You don't want to believe a stranger on the internet? Take a cruise through Delta sometime in early summer.

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#476

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I get some amusement out of people who are afraid of other cultures. Having a lot of cultures smooshed together is a culture. How do you think you got the culture you have now? Pro tip: the culture that existed when you were 12 years old might seem like it's the most emotionally 'correct' but it represents a blip in time and is no more or less significant than what came before or after it. Have some sense of perspect…

How do you mix a culture that throws gays people off roofs with a culture that celebrates gay people? To me it's pretty obvious not all cultures are good to mix with.

Obviously by creating a culture that celebrates gay people before throwing them off roofs.

Which isn’t terribly far fetched - apparently some gladiators were basically sports stars, with death.

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#477

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Idk the Amish are pretty chill for not integrating. And if immigrants come and integrate into existing gang culture, would you actually be happy? I think it is ok to just say “we don’t want poor immigrants. We want immigrants with something to offer.”

What do you mean by not integrating? What is "integration" mean to you?

What does it mean to you?

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#478

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We don't really let "poor" immigrants into Canada. The system here attempts to cherry-pick in people based on a whole points system, with "I have money to buy a house" and "I have a $$ profession" being being points contributors. We actually have the opposite problem, to some degree. Acquiring more skilled talent from abroad has depressed skilled labour compensation here. And acquiring people from abroad with $$ to i…

This isn't true. There are about 1 million international students in Canada and they aren't cherry picked. Basically anyone who gets into any of the strip mall colleges in Ontario gets in, and many of them are basically just diploma mills "selling" Canadian immigration status to anyone willing to pay. There is nominally a requirement to be self sufficient financially but it just requires showing you have 20k CAD in a…

Many (most?) of those community college international students don't have a path to permanent residency. If they didn't already have a Bachelor's degree before coming, I don't think they will ever have enough points to stay permanently.

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#479

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That's because those immigrants came here because they wanted to be Canadians. These new immigrants have no desire to integrate.

The anecdote I have heard is that the USA is a melting pot and Canada is a mosaic. I do notice when I travel to the USA that people seem much more integrated and buy into the USA culture and lifestyle. Here in Canada you just get a bunch of mini communities who do not integrate.

USA used to be quite a bit more mosaic before the advent of national television.

Most of that’s left of that is place names and weird foods in some areas.

Re: Why Canada Should Join the EU

#480

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Generally, countries with expanding economies and a lot of physical space do not have issues with immigration. The US has its problems, but the argument generally has been over the extent of immigration, and not against immigration entirely (minority extremists notwithstanding). Canada is interesting in this regard, because it has a lot of land but a contracting economy.

because it has a lot of land Canada has a lot of land... but the majority of it is in the very cold northern part that people don't generally want to live in.

We're, uh, solving that problem
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