Close Reading

The thing is…\n1. It’s not only refugees in the streets…During summer most homeless people choose to sleep in the parks coz the weather is good and then as the weather changes they go back to the shelters..\nThere has been a lot of refugees coming to the country..now imaging adding those number of refugees plus the homeless people trying to go back to shelters..it became overwhelming \nBut this is all part of an ecosystem..\nIt starts with the lack of housing in the city..there are more people than the city can hold..\nThis leads to the people who are in shelters not being able to move to their own apartments (which the government helps them pay for) and if they don’t move out they can’t be able to create space for the homeless to move into shelters.\n2. However since that second TikTok was shot (the one with the mayor talking). The government has released an additional $210 million to help with housing refugees and therefore I think the situation is getting better now

It’s not just Toronto it’s the effort Canada that has turned to shit just like the usa it’s not an isolated thing so don’t go moving to any other part of Canada thinking it’s going to be much better than Toronto because it’s not just like here in the usa outside of New York chicago Miami Orlando Atlanta Las Vegas San Francisco Bay Area other places in the usa are just as bad they just don’t highlight them Dallas and houston is just as bad as San Francisco so is Colorado and Seattle even Louisiana Mississippi Alabama even Tennessee Missouri are in shambles and have been for decades the entire usa is in free fall so is france Paris London the entire u.k germany is starting to collapse again as well including Great Britain Poland Sweden is also on a major decline all western countries haven’t grown at all in the entire 20th century and that’s bad

Am a kenyan Canadian and living in canada is the best decision I have ever taken. Lot of kenyan are paying agencies to come to canada through visit permit. People should blame agencies who promise them jobs not canada government . When you come to canada through visit permit you need to change to work permit or study permit. Actually there are thousands of kenyan who have come through visit permit and they are claiming refugee status. Canadian Government is doing its part by giving all claimed refugees shelter and give the money for upkeep. When you have visit permit you can't work in canada but you can convert it to work permit which is not easy but an expensive process. You need to get a company that can process you lMIA that labour market Impact assessment . You need skills to get a company to apply you Lmia or uende China ya maji you pay Indians who have companies in kenya $30-$40 to apply for you lmia. Or you can convert your visit permit to study permit and universities here are damn expensive. Getting a Canadian to marry you for status is very hard. In short am trying to say if you do not come through work permit or landed immigrants life wil be tough use the money you are paying agencies to start something in your country. They are so many opportunities in canada if you have the right papers or status. As for me am a happy single mom who as accomplished alot here and I love canada .

If I were rich I STILL wouldn't want to live in Toronto/GTA. I'd move immediately to Tokyo or some other part of Japan. Even if you could afford to live in the GTA why would you when there's so many nicer and more safe and peaceful places to live in? \n\nI've seen enough of Japan to know that that would be the place I'd love to live in. Somewhere where you don't have to worry about crime and violence happening in your city everyday. No shootings or stabbings or robberies or carjackings or scams etc. and where the vast majority of people are nice, kind and friendly and non-violent and non-criminal.\n\nThere's a Twitch livestreamer that I watch regularly that lives in Tokyo and he regularly leaves his $3000+ bike all over the city almost without a care in the world. All he has to do to secure his bike is to lock his bike wheel to the frame without even having to attach it to a pole or bike stand etc. so that no one steals it. That is when I knew that Japan is the place for me. When you can leave your expensive stuff alone and come back and its still there. That is the kind of society I wish to live in and be apart of.

Nice Vlog, narrated factually with great recollection of all challenges.....Enjoyed from Innisfil, Ontario in this part of the world since 1968.....still loving IT!!!!

Yes actually I do have a comment or two. I think that Toronto has become the victim of either its own success as a multicultural, diverse and growing metropolis or the perceived idea that Toronto is the place to be. And what that brings with it? Yes, people who are interested in living the life and those who can afford it pay it. You said it very well, the city has become unaffordable to most people but the wealthy or at least those who are getting paid the best salaries and those who bank on real estate take advantage of this, be it the hype or reality since also, most job opportunities are still there. So to me the problem is with the lack of contro of the real estate market. And people who cant pay but for whatever reason live there just have to pay the price. The refugee situation is not surprising to me at all. We are struggling with affordable housing for crying out loud but we are also advertising to the world that we are that welcoming and peaceful society that those people can be part of. But at what cost. Toronto cannot continue like this if it will still be considered as a city for the people and not the wealthy and chronically increasing poor. No wonder they chose a progressive for a mayor and not a conservative or hard line liberal because people want change but not radically. People want to live in the best city they can having all necessary services and in peace and safety. So, there are so maby layers to pill here but again, the main reason why things have gotten the way they are is because they let real estate run unleashed. All the best, Alina.

This is part of a deliberate policy all over the Germanic christian/anglo Saxon christian/ anglo American christian world in Europe uk uas canada Australia new Zealand to create a multi faith multi ethnic LGBTQ society to replace the white christian population //

I get all the angst about how this city has changed, but I'm not ready to leave yet. It's worth noting that what is happening here is happening in major cities all through western civilisation to some extent (or will soon be), especially in similar cities like Sydney and Melbourne. I know that the Toronto I knew and loved is gone, but these problems are medium term issues. I don't think it's going to stay this way forever, and there are good things happening as well. Life is full of ups and downs and right now this is the down part.

You have said it all ,that's why poverty is on the high side in this part of the world .

Oh dear Lord please touch President Biden heart for the Venezuelans, \nLord, these people are just looking for survival,they are looking for jobs,\n\nLord their Government did this to them,\nI pray oh Lord please open America/Mexico Border for the Venezuelans,\n\nLord we are all part of the Americas, please god let us help our neighbors, even the salad we had for dinner,came from the Mexicans hands,\nOh god,Mr Biden please I beg you,\nI beg you god.

All Govt. of Canada and its supporters should give part of their houses to homeless and give subsidies as their support services and give contract to China for building small houses in North Canada and as built by China in Africa in 3 days almost 20,000. It will raise pubic im,age and votes bank by the existing Govt.

America doesn’t understand politics. It’s been a set up from the start. Go back to the murder of the indigenous, the rebranding is the indigenous to “coloured”, the chattel slavery of blacks and trace it forward to now. You’ll find all your answers to the economic and social chaos caused in part by the monarchies of Europe and the Corporation of America.

Until you experience the horrors they have gone through don’t throw stones in glass houses the immigration system has been broken for years if people waited until it’s their time no one would realistically get through since there is a 20 year backlog and children who were brought here 20 years ago have been thrown out because they themselves were still not approved a decade or more later. Part of the issue is red state lax gun laws allowing cartels easy access to heavy machinery that can be taken back across the border. Do you really think corruption isn’t running all the way to the top and that the American government has not helped worsen the issues when any of these countries want control of their own fossil fuel. Consider how many rich people get to jump in line or border patrol on both sides being able to keep out legal crossings if you can’t pay their fees. If you fight the cartel military or government you will find yourself dead imprisoned and or tortured and if they are fleeing to save their family and willing to leave their whole life behind to go to a country whose language they don’t speak do you really think they can walk all the way to the border wait in a single file line hope they can request asylum and then wait 40 years to maybe get a call back for a hearing these ppl are forced into a rock and a hard place and for the majority of American politics most politicians have no interest on really figuring out a comprehensive and compassionate system to help get immigrants out of dangerous situations America barely cares about it’s homeless citizens veterans mentally or physically Ill every country is having serious issues because often leaders are really only looking out for themselves

All the things he is saying are part of quality of life - safe and clean environment, more opportunities, respect based on human being whether you are poor or rich, individual rights, less exploitation, gender neutral society, less discrimination and many others i can mention, so please remind what were the things which were not good, you have to work anywhere now, world is very competitive now and its no longer about becoming rich by doing normal job its about living in better place,, that is my aim i always wanted to live in good place even if i earn less.. also a poor person has no security in India he will face problems from rich to police to administration, and about Canada because every Tom dick and harry has moved to canada.. tum wahan pe kaam rahe ho or crore kharch kar rahe ho , mujhe ek baat bata india main koi start karega to 5 crore main kitna time lagega,,.. achi skill. what a joke,, 10th pass se aage tum parna nahi chahte ho to skill ke baat kar rahe ho ......or india main aish isliye hai ke tum kuch bhi kar lo or paise de ke sab ok ...also bhai is only talking abt blue collar jobs, it depends what skills you have to contribute..

Welcome to the Western Civilisation! If you are disappointed go back home for good. Covert racism is nothing new it's part and parcel of colonisiam and you of all people should know that.

He's making it sound like racism dosen't exist back in Nigeria, lol. Nigeria isn't excluded from racism, what we have here is Tribalism and nepotism which is even far worse than racism. The world is encompassed with different backgrounds different cultures and and personality so you are bound to Encounter racism wherever you go, just that it is limited in some places but still exist nevertheless. \n\nAs for the employment sector in Nigeria in comparison to Canada, my God. In Nigeria, You can be a graduate of a medical field with BSC or higher or Even a bachelor's of Law and still be jobless for several years unless you are self employed or have a strong connection, a friend of mine has a undergraduate degree in medicine but works as a shoe maker seeing there is no Job available and she skilled in shoe Making trade. The unemployment rate here has been increasing rapidly and on top of that the cost of living dosen't make up for that, even cost of living going high where no one understands and of course you have the bad governance to blame for that. Education system is here is also terrible, why would one be spending 8 years for a 5 year course due to Asuu strike, all these little things can be overlooked by the government but they are part of what dampens the growth of the economy NGL.\n\nNot saying Canada dosen't have it own downfalls, it does like the housing crisis and all but IMO I see they still strive better, one of which would include bringing in foreign workers of skilled Trade to help improve the economy, they go as far as sponsoring visa application and the employers go as far as getting LMIA for foreign workers and the health care system appears to be more stable based on what I have experienced. The educational system is also okay, my sis got funding worth $15k for her tuition whereas her tuition is $20k, they already paid up to 75% of it for her Thesis, mind you I said funding not scholarship, they are totally different. \n\nNot tryna criticize either country before some trolls attack me in my comment section but am only stating my experience and what has been happening in both sides of the fence, it as easy as that.

As a Canadian now living in Arizona who is a retiree I simply love the weather and I have some wonderful friends. I prefer to be here and enjoy the snow free areas and amazing weather. That said I had an appendicitis operation on easter weekend. Even with medicare and a supplemental insurance I will be paying about 2600.00 U.S. I still have a totally Canadian worldview for the most part and simply have to keep quiet most of the time when it comes to discussions about things going on here. ie. Red vs Blue. I recognize that I am in a foreign culture and for example the passion for guns is a odd odd concept for me. Growing up hunting and owning guns makes me even more puzzled. ie. guns are for harvesting game. period. As long as I remember that American culture has some really odd things about it. (I draw the comparison to some nation abroad that believes in female circumcision or something) then I am fine. I tend to be easy going about it all and I survive fine here.

This guy is typical Nigerian. He forgot the fact that he made the choice of going to Canada and he can move out of Canada if he wants. \nThe most important part of his comment was when he revealed the fact that in Nigeria, you play why performing your job, but in Canada, you have to do your job as stated. \nHe will end up living all his life in Canada with his family.\nNigeria is county that belongs to elites, whose impunity has no metrics.

Age is an important factor while considering immigration. For folks less than 30, Canada will offer you a great opportunity if you are focus and knows how to develop your skills or career. For Folks that have worked the better part of their lives in their home country, say from age 40, DO NOT sell all you have worked for back home and bring the money to Canada, the system here is designed to swallow all that money in a short time. For these group of people do not immigrate because you want a better life for your children, but your primary focus will be what can I do in a short possible time that can earn you money to survive this economy. Housing is the most important factor and do a lot of research on where to settle that will fit your income and provide better job. Also make sure you are re-trainable. Be prepared and that includes all members of your family. Wife and husband and all their adult children must be ready to hit the ground running and find whatever job within a short possible time. Paying bills become a less burden if all members of the family are contributing their own share. It is not like back home where the man is the brad winner and takes care of others responsibilities.

Armed security on all borders would open up plenty of jobs\nmillions actually, if we wanted to have a secure border we would this is all part of the evil plan

We need to remember our history. The United States played a huge part in the instability of the countries that are seeing a mass migration. Dont forget the Death Squads through Latin America. The U.S. government consistently backs corporate whores that steal the people's resources. The immigrants flee to the nearest neighbor with a more stable economy and a greater protection of ALL PEOPLE who make it to U.S. soil.

This may be accurate from presentation part, but see the actual reality, if canada is that much attractive for skilled immigrants, it should be world leader in technology or manufacturing but it is not as life is very harsh here. For most professional except IT your education is not valid or you have to go through very length process of validating your education and getting in main stream to get the job some time it takes years of continuous job like effort. Salary structure is garbage compared to USA. It is impossible to find an affordable house or apartment which you can rent, forget about buying.. Tax system is upto moon. Healthcare is broken and on top of that Black money is dumped from all over the world in real estate. Canada is a broken country and it heavily relying on international students and wealth immigrants to run their country. You are welcome here if you have shit load of money otherwise think 100 times before you come to this country.

I had to sell my condo because of all the drug addict population increasing in my neighborhood downtown and the government put some injection sites all around downtown Toronto ; it has become disgusting and dangerous because all those people just trash everything they touch and wherever they go, and then because I didn't agree with all the discrimination taxes and xenophobia from the government's part. I am glad I was able to get the hell out before the total collapse of the economy and real estate prices and I don't regret it 1 minute. Canada sucks really.

Dude, Vancouver is the Bel Air California of Canada. You never use Vancouver as an example. That's like someone referencing Bel Air in comparison to the entire United States. That's where all the rich and upper-class people live, whom aren't the majority. But ya, Canada sucks. I live in the worse part of Canada. We call it, Quebec. lol Trust me bro, Quebec is the most isolated part of Canada. Canada is going to end up like Venezuela. It's actually heading there faster than I predicted it would.

No,, ? the odd good thing does not make it worth it ,,, small towns maybe ok , if the Sharif's not nuts its ok,, , and your not black , or brown or in the south part of America,,, my brother spends 7 months a year in Florida, yes weathers , nice yes if you have money it's ok,, yes if you're in a gated community , ok but ,,,, went to visit Atlanta with black friend to visit had to have his friend clear it to get out of car and to house ,, great once in but scary till then and they all carried guns ,, stayed all night, couldn't ? sleep , left in morning and never gone back ?,,, sad , very very sad ,,, it's a beautiful place,,, I would like you to name some place that haven't had shooting,, GOOD LUCK ?

The really sad part is the Democratic zeitgeist was all in favor of the socialist Venezuela until it went to shit and now the people who's country was destroyed by it they refuse to offer sanctuary to

Sad! But it’s all about control! God gave earth to man without borders! So who put borders??‍♂️” you” did! All races put up boundaries like the fence around your house. You’re not taught to love an embrace; but to reject, to fear, question, locally unite and disagree. And best part of all.. despite the many tears, hunger, torture, deaths, an pain. “You” the people; we the people in all countries think ? God understands an loves us more an we are going to heaven. I recommend you do a little homework and check Gods resume! He has never been for the masses! So let’s keep these fences upon all these boundaries lines an watch people an kids die an suffer. In hell there are no boundaries either. Ie “bottomless pit” ignore me; check Gods resume. And keep watching tv and voting ?️ for borders, we live good now..

There definitely should be a carbon tax imposed on all imported foods, but definitely not for anything produced locally (which means anything besides animal products wouldn’t be affordable for most for the better part of the year, which is healthier for society)

Oh bhai, if no one will go to construction work , transport work, mason, carpenter work and build homes, what will you sell.. everyone cannot and should not be into business , we need doctors, other professionals, is there anything other than real estate and weddings in Indian diaspora , counting dollars , thinking about parents and next generations, could we name 10 plants, 10 birds of Canada , 5 rivers of Canada , trails , outdoors , you hardly see any desi , cycling , yes we are animals of gym workouts, but there are more than this , sunlight , cool night sky, lying under a tree , walking bare foot, we are victims of greed , falsehood , at the end we got be cremated .. Waheguru bless all .. please do not copy .. bricks and cement wood buildings , kill and cause climate change, being part of climatic catastrophe is not the best thing , greed will never end .. it is a fire ? which is pretty much taking over the globe.. there is life after death .. and karma before death with determine it.. there are more billionaires on the planet ..

This is gonna be a dark chapter in Canadian history. \n\nWage slavery, wage suppression, how Canadian citizens got absolutely screwed because of the liberal government. Man oh man. Let's just hope history gets written by the victors when the liberals aren't the victors. \n\nThe worst part is when the Canadian government traded away the future of Canadians and the country for cheap labour, to appease corporations and surpress wages and nobody protested.\n\nI have no idea if this is Machiavellism or what the motive is for those behind these decisions but I like in particular the Austrian school of economics which talks about time preference of societies. Those with a low time preference defer consumption and save money for the future while those with a high time preference discount the future and are more concerned with the present. I believe it all links back to Nixon leaving the gold standard and giving countries the ability to print money at will. Societies with a low time preference are riddled with crime while those with a high time preference aren't. \n\nPoliticians don't care.

The Canadian immigration system is fair and easy to understand. Unfortunately Canadian employers always ask for Canadian experience. In no other country was I ever asked this. After immigrating to Canada and failing for many years I finally moved to the US where I have been far more successful and happier. Just returned from a trip to Toronto where I have many good friends. The traffic is a nightmare and the housing is unaffordable. Canada is wasting all these highly skilled immigrants. They need to provide housing and effective labor force integration. They need to recognize foreign qualification and cut the insufferable red tape. It was an issue when I was part of an IEP (Internationally Educated Professionals) conference over 18 years ago and I see it has not changed. Given a free choice most immigrants would chose the United States. Why? Because despite all the craziness, Americans only care if you can do the job. And they are very welcoming. There is a positive energy that anything is possible. And I am now a very proud American. I will do anything for this country. Canada is a great country but it is wasting their new immigrants.

This Canadian lived in Orange County CA for 10 years. I took my the 12 year old with me. I had been offered my dream job and was paid enough to have a good standard of living. However, I lived in an immigrant community to save money as I found many of the high schools were horrid compared to Canada. I had not realized the school to school inequality to be so extreme and my kid changed to independent study at home. So with a Canadian elememtary education, they graduated high school a year only while skipping no courses..\n\nMy kid had medical issues and even with good HMO insurance, we could never get a decent diagnosis until it had gotten so bad that their digestive system was so wrecked. I finally sent them back to Canada for the surgery that we could not get in the USA. It seemed the insurance companies kept getting in the way. And in one case a doctor went all religious on us. After 6 years of almost continuous pain they finally got relief for a decade until the prior damage came back to haunt them However, after a year of university ib Canada my kid went to a private university in the eastern USA. They have decided to remain in the USA and now in their mid 30s, they make really good money anf have top line medical insurance which pays for the ongoing care they need because of the damage caused by delays when a teenager. \n\nI found life in the suburbs of Orange County nice but the OC is not a good place to meet people. When after 10 years there, in 2010 I returned to Vancouver to care for my elderly mother. I had been living alone for 6 years by then and was offered the first job in Vancouver anything close to me dream job there. and I returned to Canada at age 59. I had been approved for a green card in 2008 but there was a 6 year wait for it to come through. But I noticed the racism in the USA start breaking out all over the place when Obama got elected. And it has gotten worse and worse every year. Especially with 45 enabling it so much. \n\nMy circle of friends in Southern California are mainly good people and not at all like what we call MAGA-hats now. Except one who thinks 45 was the greatest. Politically, the USA is on the path that Germany was on in 1933 and I fear for the US Democracy if the Orange One gets in again. Even my kid and their spouse have bug out plans to head to Canada just in case. This is why my kid, while having a green card has never taken US citizenship. Besides, being a Canadian has not affected things the two times they got security clearances \n\nWhile most Americans are good people, it seems that about 25% have gone just plain loco and care nothing about democracy. And appear to prefer the USA to be a totalitarian theocracy \n\nI was there long enough, paying the maximum FICA taxes for 10 years to get a small pension from Social Security and I have Medicare Part A. I can afford to buy parts B and D but I see no reason. I have even better coverage in Canada for way less cost. The USA has a nice warm climate in many places and I just loved that. But otherwise y'all have too many people who want to turn the place into an intolerant police state and to return the country to 1950s levels of intolerance, So in my retirement, I will stay here in Canada. Even though I could go and move in with my kid in the USA and get onto US Medicare.

Part of the problem is generational. The boomers are the most selfish of all modern generations. They were given a silver platter after WW2, yet they hoard and keep everything to themselves and leave nothing for the latter generations while expecting to be cared for in their old age. Let's put them in their place, let them figure out their old age on their own.

There is NO PART of the US that’s safe. Churches, malls, concerts …. Jesus H. Christ … when will you people SEE that you can’t be trusted with firearms? Yet you all have ‘em. Nuff said.

Canadian here. I’ll never forget visiting Disneyworld and hearing the people sitting across from me complain they weren’t allowed to bring their guns into the park. They didn’t get why it was an issue. It was horrifying and mind blowing. It’s that part of America gun culture that makes me very sure I’d never move there. I know it’s not all Americans, but knowing an American family is out there annoyed they can’t bring weapons into a family theme park is enough.

We have different notions of medical treatment. In India, indiscriminate use of antibiotics and other drugs by street corner chemists is part of the exploitation by pharmaceutical companies. All is not so wonderful.

As a German with a chronic illness my top no. 1 reason to not move to the US would be the same: How the heck would I pay for my medical needs without going broke? The other reasons are just as valid. The political climate is terrible with too much extremism everywhere, there's lots of bigotry and intolerance towards marginalized groups and that insanity with weapons everywhere, the secular state being undermined by religious zealots and a few other things would have me screaming all day. I'm also always baffled about how much of a multiverse the US are in the sense that everyone just lives their life in their own bubble. It's sometimes literally like every little city or county is its own state, again with lots of negative side effects like nepotism and corruption because the sheriff and county judge are cousins or such. I'm sure it would indeed depend a lot where you live and how you earn your living, but for the most part it just sounds and looks unattractive to move to the US unless you're part of the upper echelons of society and need not worry about any of these things.

Fairly obvious you're a truntliKan and have your head in the sand when you don't see the 'in your face' political-religious-racism all around you.\nIf you're not part of the solution...

I enjoy vacations in the USA and have visited about half of the States. It's an awesome place to visit but the best part alway is coming back home to Canada. PS I have a lot of American friends and I love them all ..to me they are no different than my Canadian friends.

I was never interested in moving to the States but I think my reasons are different then most.\n\nStarting in my teens, I couldn’t understand why anyone would willingly live somewhere you couldn’t wander in the wilderness without worrying about things like poisonous snakes and poisonous bugs. I couldn’t understand what was so great about swimming in the sea if you have to worry about what part of the beach and how far out you go. How can swimming be fun? Lakes and rivers are much better. \n \nWhen I got older, I couldn’t understand how anyone could enjoy summer when the sun goes down so early in the evening. I left Vancouver, BC partially because the summer days are shorter then home and the winters are too dark. Even on an overcast night in winter up here, the light reflects off the snow and makes the night brighter. Do I like -30C or colder when it happens? No. I can’t walk the dogs because their feet might freeze but they’re idiots and will wrestle in the house if I don’t.\n\nNow that I’m almost 60, I note that all of my American cousins who had duel citizenship have moved back to Canada upon retirement where the conversation rate makes their pensions worth more and after 3 months they qualify for BC medical.\n\nThe guns, healthcare, right wing “Christians”, loss of human rights and potential for violence are why I don’t want my daughter to ever move there.

This hard to understand for people from the usa, but the usa is not interesting at all. Most Americans don't understand what seems ok to them is plain crazy for people from modern country. 40 years ago Québec (my part of Canada ) was more modern than usa right now on almost any social topic, from human rights, religious stuff in public instand of being private, better economy law, , egality, ect. The way nothing is rational, the way all the politic is done on blind ideology is just plain scary. Sad, but usa is NOT a modern country on a lot (almost all) topics.

Tabernacle is for the “Tabernacle” part if the alter in the Catholic Church and as the Catholic Church was hugely politically powerful historically the curse words which are most outrageous are religion related such as Tabernacke said with as snarl… the actual body of Jesus as believed by a Catholics is stored there inside a chalice in the form of mass consecrated bread discs … also “Colice” the word for chalice where the bread discs are stored in a golden goblet as bread discs and the priest turn them into the actual bid up of Christ… “este” or host is the term for the little bread discs that are so the actual body of Christ… all the lrcious is actually believed by practicing a Catholics… I am just sharing… No offence intended ….

Tyler it doesnt matter where you live do you care about your fellow man or not to ignore the issue because you have avoided it sovfar is denial of the problem after all if your not part of the solution your enabling the problem

Well, as a Canadian, I guess i'll pitch in.\nWould I move to the US? The short answer is no. But I will explain more in detail.\n\nFirst, I do not see any advantages to the US compared to Canada. Americams often tout their country as the beacon of freedom and the land of opportunities, but I don't feel that Canada is so different there. We're actually higher on the world freedom index, and its not like our economy was in shambles and everyone dirt poor... We pay more taxes, fine, but we also get more services in return, and that last part has the advantage to remove a big layer of worry. Like, for healthcare, I don't have to worry if i'm covered by insurance or not, or if the insurance carrier will drop me on some technicality. I'm a citizen. All the basic needs are covered; no questions asked (and the healthcare quality is not half bad. We just prioritize urgent cases over non-urgent; so if you go to the hospital for something non-urgent, you will wait, and more urgent cases will pass before you. Annoying when it happens, but I understand and agree with that in the end)\n\nSecond, I do see a lot of disadvantages. All the points raised in the video are valid, from the private-sector healthcare system, the gun control laws (or lack thereof), the social policies and legislation in some states; they don't agree with me.\n\nI think it comes down to some specific social and cultural ideas that are prevalent or at least present in a substantial manner in the american society. Bear in mind that I am generalizing here, not every american believes these points, but many do. I'm talking about ego, nationalism/patriotism, secularism etc.\nI feel that the US often has a really overinflated vision of itself. Like, the idea that America is the best. At everything. Wich is factually not true, but this idea also poisons the debate on many issues, and tends to limit social introspection that could lead to real advances.\n\nI've also noticed that the american basic school system is strongly patriotic. Everyone in the US is taught a lot about the US themselves in school, but not much about the rest of the world. Not great for open mindedness and introspection when you have little comparison points.\n\nAndlets not delve into the religious aspect. I've seen a poll somewhere where 48% of americans were AGAINST the separation of church and state. For me thats not only insane, its dangerous. It fits the individualistic mentality where people can more easily start thinking that their way is THE way. It creates a very polarized society much more prone to high volatility.\n\nSo, yeah, no, I wouldn't live in the US. I'd much rather stay in Canada where i don't have to worry if I get sick or hurt, if some agressive drunk idiot in a bar is armed, or if some fundamentalists from some religious congregation is gonna be able to try to politically force their point of view.

I am from Brazil, moved to Canada 9 years ago, now I am Canadian citizen. I was once asked by a American colleague why did I not immigrated to the USA, the answer is: it was not even in the list of possible countries. In fact it is on my top list of places not to move to. \n\nYou have a good insurance through your job? That only means you have one more reason to fear losing it or stay on a particularly bad one if you don’t have anything lined up, if you have a chronic health condition, then you are straight out hostage to your employer. Even if you do have good insurance your bills may one day go beyond the maximum and you still risk bankruptcy. \n\nIf you do go bankrupt, in any civilized country you can’t go to jail for debt, in the USA you can, the country with the highest incarcerated population in the world in absolute numbers and relative too. To add salt to the injury it is a country that did not completely make slave work illegal, it is still legal if you are not a free citizen and your prison system exploit that.\n\nSo it is a country that you can become slave because you got sick.\n\nThen there are the guns… the fact you think you are exempt of school shootings says it all, if you live in a small city it would not affect you? Are you really saying mass shootings never occur in small cities?! This is an excerpt:\n\n“The massacre that killed 10 people at a high school in Texas last week was just the latest to happen in a small or suburban city. Of the 10 deadliest school shootings in the U.S., all but one took place in a town with fewer than 75,000 residents and the vast majority of them were in cities with fewer than 50,000 people.”\n\nIt is all part of the gun culture, the absurd of making guns easily available and viewing guns as toys, a culture were people think taking your life is a proportional response to trespassing. \n\nIt is all closely tied with all the warmongering you are ok with all the taxes you pay going to your military to kill people outside your country yet you take exception in using a fraction of that to save your own citizens lives.\n\nIt is a place which put low value in the human life and well being, favour punishment instead of prevention and rehabilitation, keeps most of its population in a constant sense of despair and helplessness…\n\nIt is no wonder the USA has the highest number of psychopaths(over than 3000 versus the second next at 166), have kids going nuts and shooting others at school.\n\nIt is not a sane culture, it is not a good place to live and if you are well informed you won’t.

Never. I would shoot myself before I would move to the USA (finding a handgun might be tough as they are generally not available at my local convience store) Health care is a very small part of it. 5 friends over 20 years being returned from the USA in body bags. US culture is very infantile and toxic. I have tried once for 2 weeks 20 years ago and I literally cried when the plane crossed back into Canada. Racism was so much more extreme than I could imagine. The worship of the Money God was horrible. Also all the small things like the fear enhanced news programs and desentization to human rights and lack of freedom. ???

Seriously? McDonalds and Starbucks? We don't have McDonalds and Starbucks? News to me bro! We have amusement parks too and FYI, healthcare is totally free, we don't have to pay for it, not ever, not any procedure, period. Gun violence, need I say more. I like that there is the second amendment and that you can carry firearms BUT there has t be a better way of implementing it, too much gun violence, school shootings, mass shootings, it's just too scary to live there. I go to the US and I am always shocked by how people treat the service industry, waiters, waitresses, anyone that is in a position of service are treated like CRAP (for the most part), customers don't say please or thank you, they are not polite ay all, never got that, entitled people everywhere. The attitude that America is the greatest country in the world, where do they get off? America is the only free country? I think not. Abortion issue, the new bullcrap happening with TRANS and LGTBQXYZ and I have to play along with their mental disorders and fantasies, no thank you. I do not want to walk down the street in fear of my life, why in GOD's name would I want to live in a country that is the equivalent of a school bully.

You enumerate conditions to be ok in the USA, for ex live in the city, live in a secure part of the city or of the country… have a job and you’re ok for healthcare which in the end is still expensive and does not even cover. everything. Here tHe comfort comes from not only I’m 100% protected but ALL Canadians are. What we have in our social net, so does everybody else.

Of course you do not have a discussion about children getting slaughtered in schools. Sadly you have all become Numb to it, and seems to sadly accepted it is part of your daily lives. How that happened is pathetic to us. Australia had one school shooting decades ago now, and in less then 2 weeks all assault rifles, etc were outlawed. Now that is leadership, which the average American now knows they never deserve.

Lack of affordable housing -- lack of housing in general -- is the main reason people already living here are being priced out and why so many refugees and immigrants cannot afford the cost when they move here. When these people come to Canada for a better life and/or to escape the suffering that they were living in, they cannot bring their homes with them. It is the government's responsibility at all levels to ensure that these newcomers have a place to go when they come here. A homeless shelter should not be the answer. Buy up office spaces and convert them (if safe to do so with whatever codes need to be met) into affordable housing units. For years we've been seeing hundreds of news articles about vacancies in office buildings being at all time highs, yet only a handful of them are being converted. 500,000 people a year entering a country where there isn't enough housing for them (let alone the people living here already) is irresponsible on the government's part. If this is your pledge, at least give these people a better life and not send them to shelters or onto the streets as soon as they arrive. If Canada is to truly be a safe haven for immigrants and refugees escaping their hardships, it's paramount that the government does what it can to make these people actually feel like their life will change for the better. I'm all for immigration since it helps the economy and knowing that Canada can put people in a better position for themselves and their families, but it's the lack of preparation from the governments that makes me question their pledge in this way.