Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Because asking the average Canadian to contribute as much in taxes in their lifetime as they will use in services is politically untenable. And that’s what you have to do to account for an aging population and declining birth rates - some combination of bringing in lots of new taxpayers through immigration, substantially increasing taxes on younger workers, and cutting health care and pensions for seniors.
Turns out voters hate all of those options. And that’s not just a Canadian thing - it’s true of every developed country in the world. We live in societies today where many people are retired longer than they worked. These unprecedented demographics present an unprecedented challenge to the delivery of public services, and no government in any country has figured it out. Which is one of the reasons why populism is on the rise everywhere.
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Also, I think the Canadian dream of owning a single detached house with a backyard is disappearing. We are now forcing people to live in little boxes i.e. rowhouses, townhouses, condos, apartments etc. with all the parking and pollution that comes with it. No wonder they don't want kids.
I have a friend that owned a pair of gerbils who lived in this little plastic cage for 5 years. When my friend expanded the size of the cage by adding plastic attachments, the two gerbils started having kids in large numbers.
Canada is a big country with lots of room. I think we can still build these small detached houses in great numbers, as they did during WWII. However. the main purpose for developers in to make as much money as fast as possible, and so the Canadian dream is vanishing.