FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Jun 24

How We Are Taught Is What We Become

by bcurry

Recently, a friend of mine, who is a retired teacher in Canada, made a very interesting point about the influences of teacher hiring on students at all levels of our schools.  The just of the position is that teachers are not always hired for their qualifications and teaching abilities, but are instead hired primarily on the basis of their core beliefs.  This is particularly true where religious beliefs are considered a primary criteria for hiring.  Now, such criteria do play an important role in religious-based schools where religion plays an central part in the curriculum and extracurricular activities.

In some states and provinces, teachers with certain values and beliefs are expected to promote those same values to their students.  As a result, students can often be indoctrinated into certain belief systems which will form the basis for their future abilities to critically think.  Even at the university level, there may be a tendency on the part of administrators to seek out professors with similar beliefs to those promulgated by the faculty at large.  Unfortunately, such beliefs can most often reflect antiquated value systems which are regressive and unresponsive to the changing value systems reflected in a twenty-first century society.  For this reason, young people leave these institutions with preordained and out-of-date biases and a fundamental lack of critical thinking capabilities needed in modern society.

Under these circumstances, the danger is that the affected young people will not be able to easily adjust to the ever changing value systems associated with the majority of people in North American society.  They will continue to have difficulties in dealing with such issues as inequalities, racism, sexual orientation, discriminatory practices, diversity, etc., etc.  While everyone has a right to commit to certain beliefs and opinions, they cannot extend that right to promoting intolerance and extremism.  After all, values affect opinions and attitudes which then subsequently lead to actions.  Such actions can often have negative consequences and contribute to greater divisions within societies.  Sometimes, they can even lead to violent actions.  The result is a more closed society or certainly a less open one.

Many challenges face today’s youth, and they cannot afford to be hard-wired.  They will need open minds to deal with tomorrow’s issues and to be able to quickly adjust in light of those very same issues.  Parents along with teachers and elders can play an important role in inspiring our young people without handicapping them with antiquated extreme beliefs, religious or otherwise.  We inherit our value systems from our parents, and develop our capacity for critical thinking through thought-provoking education institutions.  Hiring the right teachers to help provide them with the tools needed to function within a modern society is of utmost of importance.  Allowing young people to explore, without rigid restrictions, all facets of our histories, culture and governance is a must.  Maybe by doing so, we will then be able to narrow the evident divisions and intolerance existing today within North American society.

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Jun 12

The Rise of Conspiracy Theories in the U.S. and Canada

by bcurry

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a “conspiracy” as a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.  “Conspiracy theory” is defined as a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for an unexplained event.  Of course, in 2017, influencial QAnon surfaced with its origin in the American far-right political sphere.  QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as “Q”.  According to Wikipedia, the core QAnon conspiracy theory is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic child molesters were operating a global child sex trafficking ring, led by the Democratic Party and in particular former President Barack Obamak Hillary Clinton, and George Soros.  They were alleged to have conspired against former U.S. President Donald Trump prior to and during his term in office.  According to Media Matters for America, as of August 20, 2020, Trump had amplified QAnon messaging at least 216 times by retweeting or mentioning 129 QAnon-affiliated Twitter accounts, sometimes multiple times a day.  An article in The Atlantic in February 15, 2022 wrote that QAnon followers came to refer to Trump as “Q+”.  QAnon followers also had emerged in Canada, often accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his Liberal government as part of the same global movement.

Most recently, an ecoterrorist conspiracy theory emerged that accused environmentalists of setting recent wildfires in Canada in order to make a point about the impact of climate change in North America.  While totally ridiculous and contradictory in nature, this conspiracy theory emerged in social media and notably among certain ultra-right groups.  Maxime Bernier, a former Conservative federal foreign minister-turned fringe party leader of the People’s Party of Canada, said in a June 5 tweet: “I bet a good portion of the wildfires raging across the country were started by green terrorists who want to give their climate change campaign a little boost.” This conspiracy theory is nothing new as, for example, in California in 2021 some people claimed online that arsonists were behind several wildfires — but there was no evidence that environmentalists were pushing a climate change agenda.  Moreover, officials of provincial agencies investigating the causes of wildfires in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta have more or less determined such theories are bogus.  They note that there are several which are caused by humans, but these are almost always accidents and that recent lightning strikes were to blame for many of the wildfires.  Unless lightning is involved, a blaze classified as human-caused normally can be accidental, intentional or undetermined.  This does not exclusively mean arson.

Most recently, former President Trump is facing numerous federal charges that include willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements and a conspiracy to obstruct justice.  Trump has repeatedly characterized the investigation as being politically motivated, and in recent weeks his lawyers have sought to raise what they say are issues of prosecutorial misconduct.  His defence is implying that there is a conspiracy within the Justice Department and the F.B.I., spearheaded by the White House and the Democrats, to go after him in order to prevent him from running for president in 2024.  Trump continues to refer to the investigation by federal officials as a “witch hunt”, for which there is currently no evidence to support his claims.  Although the evidence against Trump appears to be overwhelming, a majority of his supporters state their belief that there is a conspiracy against the former president aimed at preventing him from running in the next presidential election.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump is the main culprit purposely promulgating conspiracy theories and continues to have the support of a large base of rank and file members of the Republican Party.  Even some notable members of the Party, including Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Republican Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida, have backed Trump’s conspiracy theory regarding what is often referred to as “the weaponization of federal law enforcement.”  When it comes to governance today, there appears to be no shortage of conspiracy theories, ludicrous or not.  What’s worst, a large percentage of Americans and Canadians appear to be accepting such theories as gospel.

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Jun 1

Why Government Advisory to Canadians Warns of Gun Violence Awareness in U.S.

by bcurry

Wow!  You knew it was just coming.  The Government of Canada is now warning its residents about mass shootings and the high rate of guns in the U.S.  We are all familiar with the high degree of gun violence in the States, but one is increasingly seeing random shootings in public places often visited by tourists.  These shootings tend not to be targeted, such as those in schools and religious institutions.  A study by the non-profit Gun Violence Archive shows where public mass shootings have been taking place between 1966 to the present.  Top of the list is retail locations — which are known to have high and uncontrolled foot traffic — followed by restaurants and bars.  The same organization notes that there’s been an upward trend of mass shootings and gun-related deaths in recent years, with more than 200 mass shootings having occurred in the first five months of 2023 alone. 

According to the Gun Violence Archive, in each of the three last complete years in the U.S., there have been more than 600 mass shootings which are when there are at least four injuries or fatalities. That’s almost two a day!  In 2022, there were 20,200 deaths as a result of guns and 38,550 injuries.  Even these stats could be an underestimation.  The worst of the mass shootings, such as the very recent one in a Dallas-area mall which left nine people dead including the gunman, and last year’s shooting in Buffalo at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighbourhood killing 10 people, made headlines worldwide.  All adding to the fear and validity of the advisory.

Moreover, it’s not just Canada that has issued an advisory with respect to travel to the U.S.  Other countries such as New Zealand and Australia have also advised their citizens to exercise increased caution while visiting, directly pointing to the gun violence issues.  While the U.S. is still a relatively safe place to visit, Global Affairs Canada does recommend that Canadians research the locations where they are planning to visit and be constantly aware of their surroundings.  In Canada, Canadians are not use to having mass shootings on a regular basis as they are very few and far between.  For this reason, they need to understand the serious differences as they relate to gun possession and right to carry laws in certain states in particular.  Let’s face it.  A bullet doesn’t distinguish a target between an American and a Canadian victim.

The need to take specific safeguards when visiting the U.S. has never been greater.  Tourism between our two countries has continued to be strong, particularly since post-COVID restrictions on travel have been increasingly removed in both countries.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security actually issued an official Active Shooter Reference Guide providing people with more information on how to protect themselves in an active shooter situation.  I would suggest strongly that Canadians travelling or working in the U.S. obtain a copy as a preparedness initiative.  The same advice would of course apply to Americans themselves.

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May 23

State Bans on Legal Abortion Having Other Effects on Affected Women and Their Doctors

by bcurry

In 1969, the federal court of appeals (Third District, California) in Jessin v. County of Shasta ruled that “voluntary sterilization is legal when informed consent has been given, that sterilization is an acceptable method of family planning, and that sterilization may be a fundamental right requiring constitutional protection.”  The increasing number of restrictions and effectively bans on abortions by certain states is having a major impact on remaining choices by women, including increasing the number of requests by women for voluntary sterilization.  Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, some women have considered or are considering permanent sterilization.  Sterilization is a serious matter which is not easily chosen by women who do not want children, often considered by women who believe strongly that they want autonomous control over her body.  Moreover, as the future of medication abortion remains uncertain, more and more women are opting for surgical fertilization.

Considering sterilization is however very expensive without private health insurance.  In addition, it has been reported that some people seeking sterilization procedures across the U.S. are being turned away.  Patients who don’t have children and are in their childbearing years are reporting difficulties finding physicians willing to sterilize them.  Some reluctance by physicians may stem from studies that suggest patients who are sterilized at age 30 or younger are about twice as likely as those over 30 to express regret after getting the procedure. However, other studies had mixed results and found that some women feel less regret over time.

Believe it or not, some observers are even anticipating that there’s going to be attacks on other forms of “contraception”.  In 1965, the Supreme Court ruled in the Griswold v. Connecticut decision that banning contraceptives violates a married couple’s right to privacy. However, Justice Clarence Thomas opened that door by suggesting in his concurring opinion in Dobbs that other precedents, such as this ruling, should be revisited.  Where does it all end?

More recently, Republicans used their new power in the House of Representatives to push through legislation that could subject doctors who perform abortions to criminal penalties, underscoring their opposition to abortion rights even as they stopped short of trying to completely ban the procedure.  Fortunately, the bill has no chance of passage in the Democratic-controlled Senate.  However, in several states there are already laws which could end up in doctors being charged with a criminal activity when an abortion is performed, even in cases where the pregnant woman’s life in jeopardy.  In the past, the vast majority of abortions in the U.S. occurred in the first trimester, before the point of fetal viability, which is currently at about 23 weeks.  Now, several states, including more recently Florida, have passed legislation prohibiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.  In the case of Florida, the law ends Florida’s long-held role as a destination for women from across the Deep South seeking abortions and will force them to travel farther, to states such as North Carolina or Illinois, for care.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the new Florida law also prohibits doctors from prescribing medication abortions through telehealth and prevent the dispensing the pills by mail. This makes Florida’s six-week ban even more restrictive than Georgia’s.  The law also bars state funds from being used for a person to travel outside of Florida for an abortion, except for when it is a medical emergency or when federal law requires it.

Horrendous impacts are being revealed daily on women being denied access to abortion.  There is little doubt that the “right to choose” in under attack in America, literally taking away the rights of women wanting autonomous control over their bodies.  The latest impact, somewhat more extreme than others, is one where young women are increasingly choosing surgical fertilization due to this evident lost in choice.  Doctors who base their decisions on the needs of their female patients are also caught up in this environment, trying to discern what is legal or not instead of what’s best for the patient’s health, both physical and mental.

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May 15

Investigation Into China’s Meddling In Canadian Politics Could Lead to Witch-hunt

by bcurry

There is little doubt that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has attempted to meddle in Canadian politics over several decades.  Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong wrote in a recent statement. “It’s long past time for the Trudeau government to come forward with a robust plan to counter Beijing’s foreign interference operations here on Canadian soil.”  Recently, we learned that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) informed Mr. Chong that they were aware of a Chinese diplomat’s threats to his family in Hong Kong.  This alleged intimidation created further outrage among the opposition members who continue to call for a full public enquiry into the CCP’s attempts to interfere in Canadian politics at the local, provincial and federal levels.  The federal government is currently looking into the matter through an independent review as to whether a full public enquiry is needed.

However, anyone and any organization that has had dealings with or received funds from Chinese sources is now under greater scrutiny, whether deserved or not.  The first instance of note was related to donations apparently given to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, which of course can be indirectly connected to his son, current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.  However, the Foundation is an independent non-profit organization whose mandate is to provide generous financial support for doctoral research by outstanding Scholars, and to support the development of future engaged leaders who inspire innovative approaches as they blaze new trails in the Social Sciences and Humanities.  Being devoted to educational endeavours and scholastic research, there is no proof of any direct influence on the federal government attributed to previous Chinese funding to the Foundation.  However, the optics are not great!

Now, it has been reported that Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow, and a veteran New Democratic Party politician, has won support of a group aligned with China.  However, Chow has been defending democracy activists in Hong Kong and was among a handful of federal MPs who stood in the House of Commons and commemorated the Tiananmen Square massacre and attended Tiananmen vigils.  Toronto has a large Chinese community, so Chow has had meetings to reach out to Toronto’s community of mainland-China immigrants, some of which unfortunately were organized by the CCP branch that spearheads Beijing’s influence and interference efforts worldwide.  In fact, she’s not the only prominent Toronto-area politician to have rubbed shoulders with the group.  Current Liberal Trade Minister Mary Ng posted pictures of her celebrating the lunar New Year with the same group in 2019, praising its efforts to promote “diversity and inclusion.”  As for Vancouver, CSIS reportedly noted that Chinese diplomats tried to get sympathetic candidates elected in last year’s municipal vote, in part by using groups that represented Beijing’s interests.  Ken Sim, who won the mayor’s race in a landslide, has denied that such interference played any part in his victory.  It would now appear that no Canadian politician of Chinese descent is immune to being investigated by the media over possible support received from CCP-affiliated organizations in Canada of which there are several.

The case of Michael Chong has led to the expulsion by the federal government of the Chinese diplomat accused of attempting to intimidate him as a Member of Parliament and outspoken critic of China’s regime.  This is the first high profile case acted upon involving findings by CSIS, and there could potentially be others.  The danger is that, under the current environment, more Canadians of Chinese descent could unjustly become the targets of the media and security agencies simply because of their ethnicity.  One commentator compared the current situation to that of the McCarthy era in American history that saw U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy produce a series of investigations and hearings during the 1950s in an effort to expose supposed communist infiltration of various areas of the U.S. government.  Numerous Americans suffered unfairly and severely simply from investigations by his Senate committee and its widely publicized indiscriminate allegations.  One can only hope that we will not see a similar witch-hunt taking place in Chinese communities across Canada.  Chinese Canadians have every right as citizens not to be unjustly targeted.  Cooler heads need to prevail during these difficult times.

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May 10

America Wanted to be Great Again.  Now It’s Just Sick!

by bcurry

I know what I’m about to write is controversial.  However, it is true and the facts bear it out.  During and after the pandemic, the U.S. like a lot of countries went through very difficult times.  Over a million Americans died due to COVID and many more were ill and now face what has become known as long COVID.  The rate for COVID-related deaths was the highest on a per-capita basis among industrialized countries.  Although a vaccine existed, a large number of Americans refused to get immunized and even prevented their children from being protected against this horrific disease.  Now, corporate giants are buying up primary care practices at a rapid pace in order to institute what is now referred to as corporate medicine.  In order to take advantage of the growing privatization of Medicare and an aging population, deals are being made which will risk shifting the balance in health care from quality treatment to profits.  Today, nearly seven in ten of all American doctors are either employed by a hospital or a corporation, with primary care doctors increasing simply becoming employees.  It’s all tied to billing.  As for Medicaid coverage, as pandemic protection expires, states are again determining which people are eligible for the health insurance program.  Millions could potentially lose access to their current coverage. 

Then there is the issue of abortion.  More and more states have placed either greater restrictions on legal abortions or have effectively banned abortions within their states.  Anti-abortion factions have even initiated lawsuits aimed at questioning the safety of medication abortion, the method used in more than half of abortions in the U.S.  They are trying to block legal access to mifepristone, a drug approved years ago by the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) as being safe.  The Justice Department strongly disputed the claims in these lawsuits The F.D.A.’s rigorous reviews of mifepristone over the years repeatedly reaffirmed its decision to approve mifepristone, which blocks a hormone that allows a pregnancy to develop.  In addition, where states have placed strict prohibitions on abortions, doctors are complaining that the health of pregnant women can be seriously endangered due to their inability to perform an abortion for medical reasons, resulting in needless suffering.

Then there is the record number of mass shootings so far this year in the U.S.  To date, there have been 22 mass killings in 2023, defined as four or more people killed, not including the perpetrator.  According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit publicly sourced database, there have also been at least 202 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, leaving 792 victims injured and 276 dead.  The archive defines a mass shooting as at least four victims struck by gunfire.  Military-styled assault weapons, used in most of these shooting are everywhere, and apparently easily purchased by anyone without stringent background checks.  As usual, Republicans and gun owners offer their condolences and prayers, often alluding to some form of mental illness as the primary cause.  While mental illness is a concern, studies have shown that the majority of the shooters acted because of other motivations, including hate and anger directed at particular groups and individuals.  There appears to be no end to these tragedies in sight.

Then there are the growing actions by certain states over transgender youth.  Over the past three years, Republican state lawmakers have put forward a barrage of bills to regulate the lives of transgender youths, restricting the sports teams they can play on, bathrooms they can use and medical care they can receive.  The people pushing these laws include Christian conservatives — among them some of the same figures who fought the legalization of gay marriage.  Medical groups have overwhelmingly rejected arguments by conservative activists emphasizing parental control and child protection and calling transition care harmful.  They note that transgender people have higher rates of depression and suicide.  Research shows that transition care — which can involve puberty blockers, hormones or surgery, though minors rarely receive surgery — can improve mental health.

Over all, the list goes on and on and on.  I have not even touched on issues related to climate change which several state governments continue to ignore and disavow.  I used to look up to the U.S., but no more.  Its policies now represent the elements of one very sick society.

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May 6

Child Labour Is No Longer An Issue Found Only In Third World Countries

by bcurry

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor released an update of its annual child labor report – representing the most comprehensive research product at that time on the state of child labour in over 130 countries worldwide.  The release included International Labor Organization (ILO) figures estimating there were still over 152 million child labourers and 25 million forced labourers worldwide.  In 2016, 23 countries, including Canada, made a significant advancement in their efforts to address child labour, more than ever before.  The former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta asserted that: “We must make these injustices a relic of the past.”  However, the Labor Department which is supposed to find and punish child labour violations, noted that inspectors in a dozen states said their understaffed offices could barely respond to complaints, much less open original investigations.  The same department noted dozen of cases of young migrant workers who were killed since 2017, the last year the Labor Department reported any such data.

One now has the state government of Iowa introducing a bill aimed at rolling back labour protections for children, allowing them to work longer hours and take jobs that had been previously prohibited. The measure would permit children as young as 14 to work in roofing, construction and demolition, provided they are part of educational or apprenticeship programs and a parent has granted permission for the work.  A law passed in Arkansas in March eliminated work permits and age verification requirements for workers younger than 16, and similar legislation is advancing in Missouri.  Other similar child labour proposals have been introduced in Minnesota, Ohio and Georgia.  Wisconsin legislators on Monday introduced a bill to allow children as young as 14 to serve alcohol in restaurants.

One cannot believe that Americans could justify sending 14 year olds into what are definitely considered hazardous or inappropriate workplaces, employment situations considered as too hazardous for young people in many states and countries.  For example, in Ontario, Canada, children under 14 cannot work in an industrial establishment of any kind.  Children under 15 cannot work in a factory.  Children under 16 cannot work in a logging operation, in a mine, or in construction.  We’re not talking here about delivering newspapers or helping out in a restaurant or on a farm, as long as the use machinery and tools are not included.  This does not mean that child labour doesn’t exist in Canada as recent labour standards violations and employment-related deaths and injuries have demonstrated.  Indeed, workers between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely than any other group to suffer serious injuries, according to statistics gathered by the Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (WCBC).  Investigations and inquests consistently find a major cause to be the lack of proper health and safety training, especially related to younger workers.  Between 2011 and 2015, the WCBC reported that 33 young workers aged 15 to 24 died in work-related incidents.  Every year, young workers between 14 and 17 are killed or injured on the job, often in workplaces deemed to be hazardous, including roofing, construction, transportation, industrial sites, farming and forestry.

Arguing that giving 14 year olds work experience is all fine and dandy, but not when it comes to potentially risking their lives.  I have dozens of examples over the years where preventable workplace tragedies happened involving young workers, especially in hazardous workplaces.  14 year olds should be in school until such time they are mature enough to take on certain employment opportunities.  There is no place in a modern and ethical society which places children in unsafe conditions, most often for the purpose of profiteering by certain businesses.  Why should we take advantage of the desperation of some families who are living below the poverty line and receiving inadequate social assistance, especially migrant families?  If we continue to promote child labour, then we are no better than those third world countries where unfortunately it exists in large numbers.  There is no excuse to expand the use of child labour either in Canada or the U.S.!

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Apr 30

How We Treat Elders is a Reflection of Our Societal Values

by bcurry

Statistically, we are living longer in North America because of better nutrition, health care and medical innovations.  As a senior myself, I have a lot of concerns about how we treat elders.  COVID demonstrated how inadequate our long-term care facilities and senior residences were and continue to operate.  First and foremost, the issue of increasing longevity is a major one given that we have an aging population.  In addition, we have a society that is still primarily focused economically and socially on youth as was the case for much of the mid-twentieth century and on.  The fact that the U.S. has a current president who is over eighty should tell us something, instead of raising concerns over his age in terms of a possible second term.  Ageism is a factor in our everyday lives.  Take it from someone who has faced it first hand.

In other societies, elders are treated with much more respect and consideration.  These seniors often have experienced things, such as wars, persecution and severe poverty: things which none of our younger generation has ever really had to face head on.  Many immigrated to the U.S. and Canada after the Second World War in search of better opportunities for themselves and their families.  Their stories represent the history of post-war immigrants who fled following the collapse of European countries and the emergence of the Soviet Union, and their efforts to create new productive lives in both countries.  I myself was an immigrant making up this historic migration when my parents came to Canada shortly after the war.

For those who fought in the war, we frequently recognize them as the “greatest generation”, many shaped by the Great Depression and who represented the primary generation composing the enlisted forces in World War II.  In past years, they had an important place in our society in light of their sacrifices and experiences.  They passed on their values of working hard and sacrificing for their families, especially their children.  Now, many who were part of the so-called greatest generation are slowly disappearing.  They are no longer there to serve as valuable role models for my generation and our youth.  Instead, in our micro-family society the role of elders has been diminished and diluted to the point of blatant obscurity.  In most cases, they are no longer living with their children and their families.  They are often placed in senior residences and long-term care facilities.  Some seniors are fortunate enough and financially able to stay in their homes with available home care.  However, for some seniors, this possibility is unaffordable or simply unavailable.

Interestingly, it’s somewhat ironic that both countries have federal governments where the elected representation is one with more seniors proportionately represented in comparison to the general population.  For example, the 118th Congress is the third oldest since 1789 and the average age of Congress has been climbing since the early 1980s.  Today, the average age in the U.S. Senate is 63.9 years, and 57.5 years in the House of Representatives.  In Canada, the average age in the federal 39th parliament is about 52 years.  The Canadian senate has more seniors because members, appointed by parliament for their experience and past contributions to Canadian society, can sit in the Senate until the age of 75.

When it comes to governance, including the judiciary, there is much more recognition of the value of knowledge gained through life’s experiences.  Unfortunately, this recognition is not always carried over into our daily lives.  One only has to listen to the stories of our elders to realize their important contributions to our society, no matter how small and distant.  They are part of our history which needs to be recorded for posterity, thereby becoming part of their legacies.  The next time that you encounter a senior, take the time to listen to their personal histories and stories.  After all, they helped to contribute to our society’s foundation and to those changes which helped us evolve into today’s modern society: socially, politically and economically.  We owe it to the elders not to simply ignore them, but to treat them humanely with the respect they deserve as invaluable assets.

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Apr 26

Why the Fraser Institute’s Interpretation of Public Sector Stats in Canada is Misleading

by bcurry

When we think of government employment and operations, we tend to think of employees working away in government offices — i.e. some huge hidden bureaucracy.  Back in June 2015, the Fraser Institute released a report which noted that the public sector share of employment starting in 1992, declined from 26.1 percent to 22.3 percent by 2003.  Subsequently, it also noted that there had been an increase, with a peak of 24.4 percent reached in 2010 and then a slight decline to 24.1 percent by 2013.  As a result, persons looking at the report would immediately use such information to highlight that one out of four jobs in Canada are in government at different levels: federal, provincial and local.  The fact of the matter is that this perception is somewhat misleading depending on which definition of public sector activity one is using.  They then allude to U.S. stats which suggest that one in eight jobs is in the public sector. This comparison is misleading given the differences in public sector definitions between the two countries and the various activities which employ greater private sector resources in the U.S., such as in higher education and health care.

In Canada, besides public administration, public sector entities are found in the form of numerous government business enterprises (GBEs), active in various industries such as utilities (e.g., hydroelectricity), retail trade (e.g., liquor boards and cannabis stores), transportation (e.g., ports), finance (e.g., deposit insurance), leasing (e.g., convention centres) and recreation (e.g., nature parks).  For example, because of universal health care and health insurance in Canada, the vast majority of medical services are publicly funded, and health practitioners are deemed to be part of the public sector.  In addition, colleges and universities are primarily publicly funded.

Subsequently, the large size of the general government in Canada is primarily because of extensive social protection programs combined with the universal health care and public education systems.  In 2022, Statistics Canada reported that the expenses in 2021 of the 6,135 public sector units (as defined by the agency) amounted to 48.6% of the total gross domestic product (GDP), with consolidated general government expenses alone representing 44.9% of GDP.  These stats would place Canada’s public sector share of the economy in the same allocation as countries such as Great Britain, Sweden and Norway for example.

There is no doubt that the nature and range of industries in which the public sector is involved underlines its economic breadth and influence in Canada.  The public sector represents many workers who provide valuable services to Canadians, including health workers, teachers, firefighters, paramedics, hydro workers, park wardens, police officers, inspectorates, public transit workers, etc., etc.  As one can see, many public sector workers are employed in what are deemed as essential services.  To maintain these services, there has to be an adequate number of experienced and qualified public sector workers.  Wages and benefits have to be competitive with those offered in the private sector in order to attract and retain skilled workers, especially in the current period of labour shortages.

On the one hand, the Fraser Institute is known to be a pro-business entity and tends to take a more anti-government stance in its research and analysis.  On the other hand, in the most recent report released by Statistics Canada in 2021, it noted that public sector expenses (48.6% of GDP) saw a significant reduction from their unprecedented high levels reported in 2020 (58.8% of GDP).  Governments at all levels are attempting to reduce their annual debt levels, back to levels found prior to the pandemic.  It can be anticipated that public sector employment is most likely going to decline in post-pandemic years, particularly with the reduced need for certain services and programs introduced by governments during the pandemic.

To imply that public sector employment in Canada is somehow out of whack, is to ignore the importance of the role of governments in the country at all levels.  Given the scope of the Canadian public sector, the numbers are entirely reasonable and acceptable.

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Apr 19

What Does the Acronym “DINC” Stand For, And Why Has It Resurfaced Today?

by bcurry

During the early eighties, young people who were economically struggling were putting off marriages, children and buying homes.  They represented what became known as the DINC generation, that is to say “dual income no children”.  More recently, the acronym was expanded to DINCWAG, or “dual income no children with a dog”.  The acronym has again surfaced today.

Today’s younger generation, be they millennials or Generation Z, are facing tough economic times as a result of COVID and the current inflationary situation, where high interest rates and soaring housing prices have excluded many from the market.  In addition, rents in major urban centers are at an all time high and new residential construction was greatly impacted by COVID and problems with supply management.  Even in the high-tech industries, more and more layoffs are occurring.

Since the boomer period following the Second World War, birth rates in North American have been slowly declining.  Few people are having three or more children anymore and, with more women participating in the labour market and having professional careers, women are delaying having children into their thirties and even forties.  However, despite new fertility techniques, women are often restricted to having only one child as they become biologically older.  As well, a growing number of people are deciding not to have children, citing concerns such as climate change and inequality.  One suspects from recent studies that this situation will most likely become the norm in our society.

Even Elon Musk has entered into the debate by proclaiming that ‘civilization is going to crumble’ if people don’t have more children.  Musk further added that too many “good, smart people” think there are too many people in the world and that the population is growing out of control.  What does Musk mean by ‘civilization’?  Within his assertions lies an underlying perspective that what the industrialized countries need are more people born to so-called “smart people”.  This gets a little to too close to Adolf Hitler’s obsession with ‘racial purity’ and use of the word ‘Aryan’ to describe his idea of a ‘pure German race’ whereby the ‘Aryan race’ had a duty to control the world.  There are far right extremist white groups in North America who believe that current immigration levels from so-called ‘third world’ countries are diluting the population.  They are thereby loosing their traditional white privilege status, and feel threatened.  Such groups push for white women to have more children, thereby maintaining political and economic control within the society.  Don’t even talk about interracial marriage with these folks!

Let’s get real!  The so-called DINC phenomenon has more to do with the economic realities of our times.  It’s tough to have children in an age when the costs associated with raising children in our society are much greater than in the past.  Child care is not cheap and often women or men do not have access to adequate and affordable parental leave after the birth of a child.  The higher costs of higher education alone can be a major consideration, given that most parents want their children to graduate with a degree and go on to more lucrative employment.

With the current labour shortages in several sectors, the U.S. and Canada cannot afford to not use immigration as the primary means to fill jobs with skilled labour.  These jobs include everything from agricultural workers, construction workers, truckers to workers in the services sector.  Let’s face it, the DINC phenomenon is real and one sees it in communities on a daily basis.  The phenomenon has been gradually growing and was expedited by the COVID pandemic, which in itself has had an enormous impact on the world of work in North America.  New technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), are having a major impact and are creating a good degree of uncertainty among the younger generation.  Uncertainty is the key word.  Dealing with it will continue to be a difficult challenge for young couples today and into the near future.  Perhaps Elon Musk might want to come down from his pedestal and recognize the realities of the age in which we live.

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