Ripoff oil prices

[bush_cheney2004]

Yeah thats the point I was making. Life expectancy is just one factor as is GDP. You dont need to be so defensive because the US is always ranked pretty high.

Sure I do...that's what makes it so entertaining. Do Canadians want to live forever....just to watch more American media?

[WIP]

Yeah thats the point I was making. Life expectancy is just one factor as is GDP. You dont need to be so defensive because the US is always ranked pretty high.

And the U.S. needs a dose of reality right now, since they still want to keep the myth of greatest nation on earth alive (just check out how President Obama feeds this rhetoric in his speeches, for a bipartisan example) while whatever metric you want to use as an example shows that America is in decline (except for that top 1% of course). http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why

[bush_cheney2004]

And the U.S. needs a dose of reality right now, since they still want to keep the myth of greatest nation on earth alive (just check out how President Obama feeds this rhetoric in his speeches, for a bipartisan example) while whatever metric you want to use as an example shows that America is in decline (except for that top 1% of course). http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why

The US is still the greatest nation on earth...for Americans. Many Canadians feel the same way about Canada, as they should. America in "decline" is your own admission that the USA must have some level of success.

Oh, and as is my custom:

312,000,000 vs. 34,000,000....and it is not just the weather!

[dre]

Sure I do...that's what makes it so entertaining. Do Canadians want to live forever....just to watch more American media?

No... but YOU wanna live forever so you can write two hundred thousands posts about nothing.

[bush_cheney2004]

No... but YOU wanna live forever so you can write two hundred thousands posts about nothing.

Yep....you have found me out! What tipped you off? Oh wait...I did!

[Moonlight Graham]

312,000,000 vs. 34,000,000....and it is not just the weather!

34,000,000 white people + 100,000,000 descendants of black slaves + 178,000,000 mexicans = America.

BAHAHA!!

[bush_cheney2004]

34,000,000 white people + 100,000,000 descendants of black slaves + 178,000,000 mexicans = America.

BAHAHA!!

Somebody has issues with population distributions....and people of "colour".

[Moonlight Graham]

312,000,000 vs. 34,000,000....and it is not just the weather!

Can you prove this? Have you done research into the actual reasons for the massive population difference?

[bush_cheney2004]

Can you prove this? Have you done research into the actual reasons for the massive population difference?

Yes...the reasons are many...and the result is obvious. Prove me wrong.

[M.Dancer]

Yes...the reasons are many...and the result is obvious. Prove me wrong.

There are so many reasons you could start a thread about it.

Fair to say that, with the Irish exodus of the 1850s on..they weren't looking to relocate to another dominion of the crown...and that same prejudice plays on many european immigrants to North America....the Republic or British North America..

[Moonlight Graham]

Yes...the reasons are many...and the result is obvious. Prove me wrong.

Prove yourself right. Back up your claim. What are some of these "many reasons"?

[M.Dancer]

Prove yourself right. Back up your claim. What are some of these "many reasons"?

Are you suggesting that the reason over 1.5 million Irish settled in the US between 1840-1860 rather than Canada was because of the weather?

Or perhaps that 2.8 Million germans settled in the US over Canada was the ease of learning english over....french?

[Moonlight Graham]

Are you suggesting that the reason over 1.5 million Irish settled in the US between 1840-1860 rather than Canada was because of the weather?

Or perhaps that 2.8 Million germans settled in the US over Canada was the ease of learning english over....french?

I have not made any claims as to why the US has a vastly higher population than Canada. I really have no idea since I haven't researched the issue.

What i do know is that weather has to be some part of the reason, how much i have no idea. Despite Canada having slightly more land area than the U.S., much of it is uninhabitable for any sane human being. Ie: The north of Ontario for instance is tundra, with permafrost (aka soil that is frozen year-round) in the ground and no trees able to grow above the ankles because of the frozen ground, cold temps, and insane wind.

If weather is no significant factor, than why is Alaska the #1 US state in terms of land area, but dead-last in terms of population density?

[bush_cheney2004]

Prove yourself right. Back up your claim. What are some of these "many reasons"?

I'm already right....312,000,000 vs. 34,000,000. That was easy.

M.Dancer has already told you why...where do you think the expelled Acadians went? Deportation and closed borders are the opposite of massive waves of immigration for booming settlements, expansion, transportation, farming, gold mining, etc.

Edited April 18, 2011 by bush_cheney2004

[M.Dancer]

If weather is no significant factor, than why is Alaska the #1 US state in terms of land area, but dead-last in terms of population density?

Umm....?? I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why immigrants don't flock to alaska,,,, opportunity high on the list...

Weather is not a factor when immigrants decided to choose the US over Canada....Think King George...

[August1991]

Apparently, you define quality of life strictly by consumerist measurements such as home size, or having the newest electronics crap....

Obviously, you are not a woman who has had to live in a small apartment with a small kitchen or hang clothes to dry in the winter.

WIP, I venture to argue that the reason many immigrant families stay in North America is because of women. They love it. Finally, they are free.

America is a place for women.

[dre]

Umm....?? I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why immigrants don't flock to alaska,,,, opportunity high on the list...

Weather is not a factor when immigrants decided to choose the US over Canada....Think King George...

Weather/climate IS a factor.

Slavery accounts for about 35 million people in the US, and their proximity to mexico accounts for another 35 million.

Canada does not have any 3rd world neighbors.

The US has a higher birthrate than Canada as well.

But a lot of clearly is that the US is a gigantic economy capable of absorbing a LOT of immigrants. It lead the latter part of the industrial revolution and was THE place to go if wanted to make a better life for yourself. Its always just been a great place to live.

[WIP]

Obviously, you are not a woman who has had to live in a small apartment with a small kitchen or hang clothes to dry in the winter.

WIP, I venture to argue that the reason many immigrant families stay in North America is because of women. They love it. Finally, they are free.

America is a place for women.

When I was growing up, I never had my own bedroom, something that is expected even by first time home buyers today...hell, they even expect a small bathroom with each bedroom....which is understandable if you're paying $300,000+ for a place to live. I lost a lot of my old documents and links when my desktop crashed a month ago, and one I can't find now was from a psychology journal that showed self-perceived happiness and personal satisfaction has been in decline since the 1950's. All the while, we've been designing bigger homes, new cars and consumer products, especially home electronics that weren't even conceived of 50 or 60 years ago, and yet people are less satisfied and feel more anxiety with life!

Part of the reason is that we are, on average, more isolated than half a century ago...people have fewer friends, and most people work longer hours to buy the things they think they need. All good indications that materialism is a poor standard for measuring quality of life. The central problem is that personal status needs are determined by how we believe we measure up with our peers.

When I lived in a new suburb, there were a lot of things that I thought I needed because of what most of my neighbours had. After moving back into an old neighbourhood, all of a sudden having a new Lexus would have been a bad investment...an invitation for car thieves or burglars, expecting other expensive stuff at home.

[Bonam]

Part of the reason is that we are, on average, more isolated than half a century ago...people have fewer friends, and most people work longer hours to buy the things they think they need. All good indications that materialism is a poor standard for measuring quality of life. The central problem is that personal status needs are determined by how we believe we measure up with our peers.

Why complain about the average? If you think you see a certain trend you don't like, just don't follow that trend yourself. Not hard. Go out and spend time socializing with your friends instead of sitting at home watching your big screen tv or comparing your car to that of your neighbour.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Bonam

[TimG]

Part of the reason is that we are, on average, more isolated than half a century ago...people have fewer friends

Based on what evidence? Communication has killed the notion that one must make friends with the people in your neighborhood. Instead people find communities which are dispersed around the world. That does not mean people have fewer friends.

[bush_cheney2004]

Weather/climate IS a factor.

But it is not the primary factor

Slavery accounts for about 35 million people in the US, and their proximity to mexico accounts for another 35 million.

Cite please on those slave stats....some folks do not have slave ancestors (see Barack Obama). The southwestern US actually was Mexico!

Canada does not have any 3rd world neighbors.

Do polar bears on ice floes count?

The US has a higher birthrate than Canada as well.

Must be the weather?

But a lot of clearly is that the US is a gigantic economy capable of absorbing a LOT of immigrants. It lead the latter part of the industrial revolution and was THE place to go if wanted to make a better life for yourself. Its always just been a great place to live.

Now you're talking....it is estimated that 7 to 10 million Canadians have emigrated to the US since 1860. Not as many Yanks headed north.

Edited April 24, 2011 by bush_cheney2004

[WIP]

Why complain about the average? If you think you see a certain trend you don't like, just don't follow that trend yourself. Not hard. Go out and spend time socializing with your friends instead of sitting at home watching your big screen tv or comparing your car to that of your neighbour.

Which is not something I do....I don't even spend a lot of time on this forum, unlike some people who seem to be here 24/7 and post 50 or 60 comments a day! I'm too old to care about trends these days....which you know very well is not something that young people, especially teenagers, can escape from! The advertising they get bombarded with tells them they don't look right, don't have the right clothes, or can't afford their own car. Most people today are like hamsters running on their spinning wheel, never getting enough of what they think they need....and that's the magic fuel of our consumer-driven economy!

[Pliny]

Which is not something I do....I don't even spend a lot of time on this forum, unlike some people who seem to be here 24/7 and post 50 or 60 comments a day! I'm too old to care about trends these days....which you know very well is not something that young people, especially teenagers, can escape from! The advertising they get bombarded with tells them they don't look right, don't have the right clothes, or can't afford their own car. Most people today are like hamsters running on their spinning wheel, never getting enough of what they think they need....and that's the magic fuel of our consumer-driven economy!

Happiness cannot be redistributed, as much as you think it is contained in materialism and thus that is what should be redistributed. You would foist off this crap on the poor and disadvantaged or is the idea that everyone should be equally poor and disadvantaged? Why not allow people to live in the misery of their materialism as they see fit?

The forcible redistribution of wealth makes neither the wealthy or the poor happy. It makes both disgruntled. The rich feel robbed and the poor feel humiliated. The rest of the beneficiaries smugly feel like they are getting something for nothing which is the definition of stealing - so they feel less than honourable and more like criminals. Of course, that feeling is supposed to be ignored and they are supposed to maintain self-esteem. A sort of transfer of the "self-righteousness" that governments, politicians have in stealing the wealth in the first place.

[WIP]

Happiness cannot be redistributed, as much as you think it is contained in materialism and thus that is what should be redistributed. You would foist off this crap on the poor and disadvantaged or is the idea that everyone should be equally poor and disadvantaged? Why not allow people to live in the misery of their materialism as they see fit?

The forcible redistribution of wealth makes neither the wealthy or the poor happy. It makes both disgruntled. The rich feel robbed and the poor feel humiliated. The rest of the beneficiaries smugly feel like they are getting something for nothing which is the definition of stealing - so they feel less than honourable and more like criminals. Of course, that feeling is supposed to be ignored and they are supposed to maintain self-esteem. A sort of transfer of the "self-righteousness" that governments, politicians have in stealing the wealth in the first place.

So, if progressive taxation....or forcible redistribution as you call it, makes the rich feel cheated, and the poor feel humiliated, why doesn't reality reflect your social libertarian theory? We can go through a whole list of social issues from physical and mental health, drug abuse, violence, incarceration, social mobility, teen pregnancy, social cohesion, and find that the more equal societies...regardless of what method they achieve relative equality, do better than the less equal societies.

http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why/evidence

Edited April 27, 2011 by WIP

[GostHacked]

When I was growing up, I never had my own bedroom, something that is expected even by first time home buyers today...hell, they even expect a small bathroom with each bedroom....which is understandable if you're paying $300,000+ for a place to live. I lost a lot of my old documents and links when my desktop crashed a month ago, and one I can't find now was from a psychology journal that showed self-perceived happiness and personal satisfaction has been in decline since the 1950's. All the while, we've been designing bigger homes, new cars and consumer products, especially home electronics that weren't even conceived of 50 or 60 years ago, and yet people are less satisfied and feel more anxiety with life!

All that materialism will not buy happiness. You buy some new stuff, enjoy it for a short while, then when the next big thing comes out, you sell the old, buy the new, and the cycle repeats itself.

Part of the reason is that we are, on average, more isolated than half a century ago...people have fewer friends, and most people work longer hours to buy the things they think they need. All good indications that materialism is a poor standard for measuring quality of life. The central problem is that personal status needs are determined by how we believe we measure up with our peers.

Part of the lifestyles we live in these modern times. Spending more time working to buy those things of entertainment all while spending less and less time with family and friends. And there is no sense measuring yourself against others, it's a waste of time and I would suspect when one constantly compares him/herself to others, they become less satisfied with their life, not based on who they are, but based on what they have compared to others.

When I lived in a new suburb, there were a lot of things that I thought I needed because of what most of my neighbours had. After moving back into an old neighbourhood, all of a sudden having a new Lexus would have been a bad investment...an invitation for car thieves or burglars, expecting other expensive stuff at home.

I just want a nice little place out of town. I don't hear the birds chirping as much anymore. The city noise is starting to get to me. Nice small house, nice deck and a couple acres in the back yard.