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Comment by mb7733 | Hacker News Reader

It's interesting to me how often you comment things like this about Canada.

What exactly is your relationship with Canada that you find it necessary to chime in like this everytime the country is mentioned?

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There seems to be a smug moral superiority among Canadians that they are somehow better than the Americans. Having lived in both countries and many other places in the world, I have not come across a more mediocre, conservative, lethargic, non innovative, risk averse culture than modern day Canada. It wasn't always like that but the last 50 years have been a disgrace. They are only getting by because of their small population which will change soon because tax payers need to be brought in and only the bottom of the barrel will immigrate there due to a lack of exceptional skills / industries in the country. Places like the US and UK are where you can really flourish if you want to push humanity forward. When Canada's only industry is real estate you know it is a country filled with risk averse people sitting on their bums on top of a house like a lazy dragon and waiting for it to appreciate. Also if you have been there recently, nothing works there anymore especially their healthcare and airports.

As a Canadian, I vehemently want to disagree with this comment, but I have a difficult time doing so. Our government failed to rein in the housing market and it became easier to just sit and watch your house appreciate than strive to do better. For example, there were years recently where average houses in cities across the country appreciated more than average incomes in those same cities - I.e. the house “earned” more than the owner. With that kind of nonsensical scenario, why would anyone feel motivated to work harder? Just leverage up and buy another house.

I hope this corrects. Good times make weak men, weak men make tough times, tough times make strong men, strong men make good times. I think we are heading toward tough times.

You weren't kidding, this guy is angry.

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