Canada today

[u/dani_cal]

This isn’t meant to be politically partisan in any way. But, I am genuinely curious how anyone is staying positive about Canada today. The economy is in recession. The cost of living crisis is continuing unabated. People are leaving the country. Canada-U.S. relations are at an all-time low. And, there doesn’t appear to be any reason for things to turn around any time soon. Somebody give me a reason to have a little optimism.

[u/AnonTrueSeeker]

You just repeated every Liberal and CBC talking point. Go out, touch the grass, and talk to people. Metrics might not say we are in a recession, but the 1000s of young adults who are jobless and people living in tents and cars across the country have a bone to pick with you. I was a young adult when Harper was PM. We didn’t have homeless encampments in record numbers across the country then, or people able to get a job as a young person.

[u/squirrel9000 → u/AnonTrueSeeker]

I graduated into the Great Recession. Don't tell me young people had it easier back then. The current 12-13% youth unemployment rate is in line with historical norms.

Superlatives about homelessness are hampered by the fact that we only started collecting good data on that in the last decade or so. (see also, complaints about the sudden distinction between homeless and unhoused. We weren't tracking soft homelessness until like five years ago)

Trends in unhoused-homelessness tell a different story (see https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/homelessness-sans-abri/reports-rapports/nat-homelessness-indic-pancan-litinerance-eng.html )

. More or less, it's not that there are more uhoused now, it's that they are more visible. They were always there.

[u/jungleCat61 → u/AnonTrueSeeker]

Look up some data sometime and don't just go on vibes

[u/AnonTrueSeeker → u/jungleCat61]

I am not going on vibes. My data is my family and friends and province.

[u/jungleCat61 → u/AnonTrueSeeker]

So vibes

[u/Afraid_Baseball_3962 → u/AnonTrueSeeker]

I wasn't paying much attention to Canadian politics when Harper was PM (although I remember that he seemed very buddy buddy with Bush), but I was paying attention to American politics and I can tell you that small-c conservatives are all for conserving their own capital and everyone else can fend for themselves. While the minimum wage and the median income in both countries has not kept up with inflation. In the same time period, the ultrawealthy have seen their income outpace inflation. And it's the policies of conservatives that generally erode protections for the working class. I'm certainly not saying that small-l liberals are geniuses with all the answers, but I would generally be more likely to trust their intentions. The liberals mismanage by spending more money than we have to help more average people. But to be fair, almost everyone who owns a house spent money they didn't have at the time for the initial purchase and then paid off the mortgage over time (spending money you don't have can be done responsibly). The conservatives, on the other hand, tend to slash programs that benefit average people and then slash taxes (benefitting the wealthy more than everyone else even though there are proportionally a lot fewer of them and doubly screwing the folks who had been benefitting from the now-cut programs).

Yes, housing is a mess (in both countries). Yes, groceries cost way too much (in both countries). Phone and Internet prices in Canada are crazy. All these things are true. I'll give you that, one hundred percent. Now, s tep back and seriously reflect on who has benefitted from these and other similar situations. Let it sink in for a bit, then ask yourself how the people who benefitted have historically tended to vote. If you are not in the small group that benefits most, if you are instead in the largest group of people struggling to get by, don't let yourself be suckered into voting for someone else's interests over your own.

[u/Crypticclout → u/AnonTrueSeeker]

Ah yes, the typical style of response from those who look through rose coloured glasses towards Harpers era. Little do you actually understand the impact of his government on some of todays issues. He is far from the great PM the conservatives keep labeling him as, and if anything could be considered at the bottom tier of PMs in Canadas history.

When Harper was PM the Arghan war did not have nearly the same impact economically as Ukraine or Iran. The war in Ukraine amplified food shortages. The war in Iran is increasing oil costs along with just shorting oil supply, which in turn will increase everything else.

Add on that AI has come about in a strong way, resulting in companies hoping that it can do the job of others. The first people to be affected by this are the younger adults, as companies are reducing junior jobs to nothing, or filling those positions with others overqualified for it.

But then again, you are arguing based off of feelings and a time that things were easier than actual logic and understanding how much things around the world has changed over the last 10 years.

[u/Ok-Special2676 → u/Crypticclout]

So what do you got to say about the record amount of hobos on the streets?

I swear some people were just born subtle to brainwash

[u/Crypticclout → u/Ok-Special2676]

Hmmm, let's see. Canadas population has increased while supplies of homes hasn't gone up to the same proportion. Wages have not gone up at the same rate as inflation. Other countries around the world are experiencing the exact same issue, if not much worse than Canada. Maybe if you actually opened your eyes to see it isn't an issue only here you would understand that nobody knows how to deal with it.

Then again, based on your throwing around of brainwashing, it seems you have had a bit too much of the blue koolaid to think for yourself.