Mar. 14, 2007: Quality, Not Quantity

Population: Quantity or Quality?

This is worth reading and discussing since Andrew Coyne makes valid points about larger vs smaller populations. My caveat is that, until we have the security aspect straightened out, immigration and acceptance of questionable refugees must be considered first, in the interests of Canadian citizens. Questionable entrants, those immigrants and refugees who do not choose to be tolerant and to accommodate themselves to Western culture, as well as those questionable because of their criminal backgrounds and/or criminal gang ties, such as the triad members who have entered, must be prevented from entering Canada and remaining. Get that Charter amended, reign in the courts who accord rights in defiance of logic; do something to protect us from that aspect of the Trudeaupean folly that would put the rights of strangers ahead of the rights of Canadian citizens. Because of lack of security checks or other laxity, immigration has been far from an unalloyed blessing.

Certain groups have brought their extremism and hatreds with them. I do not think we should be importing any more of them. Fill in for yourself which groups have proven to be part of what I describe. It may be politically incorrect to mention this but, since I am hardly pc, I am saying stop! until we decide as a country what our values are and what we are willing to protect to maintain our Western freedoms and democracy. Catering to disaffected entrants who hate us but want our prosperity or the space Canada affords is not the answer. Turf the worst and consider the best, for a change.

Disregard the leftist/liberal/Liberal need for voters which has unduly influenced immigration, buttressed by the appointment of immigration commissioners and members of the courts with a left/Lib slant, a need for voters which has been blatantly fulfilled to the detriment of the long term good of Canada. Don't call me racist; I am concerned about Western values, not colour. There is a difference. Canada must draw immigrants who will add positively to Canada, not come here, then whinge about their rights which, if they don't get what they want, all of a sudden become accusations of racism. Getting CBC to rant on about diversity and multiculturalism will not always paper over the problems anyone with ears to hear and eyes to read can learn. Canadians are talking and turning off the LiberalPropagandaOrgan in droves.


Let's be the Alberta of the G8
Immigration has made us wealthy in people, too , Andrew Coyne, National Post, March 14, 2007

www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.ht
ml?id=1410adfc-f59f-43eb-b5ef-e753524989e4

In recent times, the Prime Minister has taken to referring to Canada as an "emerging energy superpower," a reference to our bounteous oil wealth. But perhaps it's time to start reckoning our assets in a new way, in terms of the only productive resource that really matters: people. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Canada, the emerging population superpower.

[....] More than that, numbers do count in this world. Bigger countries, as a rule, are more exciting, diverse, consequential places than smaller ones. France is more interesting than Liechtenstein. Japan has more impact on the world than Bermuda. Bigger countries not only have a greater chance, statistically, of producing those truly extraordinary individuals, an Einstein or a Bill Gates, they also attract more talented people, in the same way and for the same reason that people move to the big city from smaller centres. They allow people to live larger lives, both individually and, in the clout they wield in the world, collectively. Alberta's rapid population growth in recent years has made it a force to be reckoned with in confederation. Why should we not aim to be the Alberta of the G8?

Perhaps if we had one-fifth the United States' population, rather than a 10th, we would look upon our neighbours with less defensiveness, less envy disguised as disdain. Perhaps we might begin to treat them less as big brothers, and more as rivals, for indeed we would then be theirs. Perhaps the 21st century might belong to Canada, where the 20th passed us by.

Andrew, I do not necessarily think bigger is better, nor do I wish Canada to be a world power. Has it ever occurred to you and others like you, perhaps with visions of dollars dancing in your heads, as Canada becomes even more prosperous, that prosperity for some of us is not reckoned in dollar terms? There is a quality of life which a Hong Kong (yes, prosperous, but unbearably noisy, for example) or a Paris (great art, great galleries and museums, extraordinarily rude restaurant personnel, of which I have met the rudest samples ever, from North Africa), a New York (Yes, it has the Metropolitan or Lincoln Centre, but have you ever made the mistake of trying to read a newspaper in a NY restaurant, while eating breakfast when the waiter wants you to leave so he might do ... whatever?). I could go on. I love Canada without some of what wealth and power bring. With the seeming death of rural areas, particularly where the farmers are not big business farms, the death of small towns, I would protest that loss.

My Canada needs to be a haven of relative peace, quiet, contemplation, time for family and friends (You can't make loads of money that way!), time for families to play with children, to join them at games, music, all the activities which make for healthy families and happy people. Money and business are not everything. Some of us want just enough to live a decent life without frills and luxury, but such that it gives a life that, at its end, may be described as rich. Another loonie in the pocket won't do it and massive immigration so that more people may make more and more loonies definitely won't do it.

It's quality, not quantity, that I want. Maybe others feel the same. The least you could do is ask. Memo to the Immigration Minister: Ask us!






Conrad and the CBC

Mention of the CBC above reminds me of the CBC glee today, emanating from all corners, in endlessly talking, under the guise of reporting news, anything negative that may be dredged up about Conrad Black. You will hear the "news" repeated endlessly. I don't know whether Black has done anything wrong or not, but CBC's bias is enough to have me at least tending toward Conrad Black's camp. At least Black produced good newspapers, for which he will always be remembered fondly, along with his mode of speech.