The CRTC is Canada’s governing agency for Radio, Television and Communications. It was created in 1976, and frankly hasn’t evolved since then. The organization is in the pocket of Canada’s sole owner of 90% of our copper phone cable infrastructure, Bell Canada, and has repeatedly acted to limit innovation potentially problematic for, or competitive to, that company.
In theory, the CRTC should act to protect consumers, improve competition, and ensure that our country remains technologically progressive. In practice, its done the exact opposite for the past 10 years. The CRTC has crushed Bell’s DSL competition, stifled innovation, and enforced a status quo that is beginning to make Canada positively backwards compared to the rest of the world.
Wonder why the iTunes store or XBox Live Marketplace suck in Canada? Why we have no NetFlix? Why in an age where even my parents are interested in digital content, there’s almost none to be obtained legally in this country? The CRTC is the reason why.
The agency needs to be dissolved before things get even worse. Already we get half the service of our neighbours to the south, for twice the money. Don’t even think about comparing our country’s infrastructure to Japan’s — we might as well be using smoke signals!
If you’re Canadian, and you don’t realise how bad you have it, try making a phone call to Bell or Roger’s customer service departments — their duopoly in Ontario basically ensures that you won’t ever win.
If you’re Canadian, and you’re starting to get some inkling that maybe you’re getting screwed by your TelCo/Cable Provider, trust me: you are.
We like to try to point the finger at the current and previous President for the financial troubles our economy is in. But the reality is that the ball started rolling on this debacle decades ago. Here’s an interesting opinion piece on exactly when this started. I tend to agree with the author…
We weren’t always a nation of big debts and low savings: in the 1970s Americans saved almost 10 percent of their income, slightly more than in the 1960s. It was only after the Reagan deregulation that thrift gradually disappeared from the American way of life, culminating in the near-zero savings rate that prevailed on the eve of the great crisis. Household debt was only 60 percent of income when Reagan took office, about the same as it was during the Kennedy administration. By 2007 it was up to 119 percent.
Read the rest here, and maybe we won’t repeat the same mistakes in the future.
We haven’t got a terrible lot to be proud of lately. We have a ton of land that no one really wants to live on, a generally inept government, a weak currency, a relatively laughable military, slow technology up-take, high taxes and a less-then exemplar health care system.
Having lived in the States and seen both sides of the border, I can say with confidence that there are pros and cons to both countries. Some of Canada’s cons are particularly frustrating.
A group of students from Humber College, here in Ontario, built a radio, from scratch, with which they successfully contacted the International Space Station. If you watch the video, you can see reflected in that group the passionate message of the astronaut they’re talking to, one Sandra Magnus (to be fair, a pretty cool American). And you can really see what makes Canada great…
First of all, these are students. Geeky kids, with a somewhat greasy prof, who intuited their way to a unique and effective solution, using a fraction of the resources that an Ivy League school might have. Humber is not an impressive institution. But even there, approaching the bottom of our post-secondary barrel, the level of education Canada offers is vastly above-average.
Secondly, take a look around the room, and see the different, unique and un-assimilated people-groups represented there. This isn’t a classroom full of sameness. From our smallest colleges to our loftiest institutions, we are not a melting pot. Instead of a culture that demands an elimination of distinctness, we embrace it. We learn to work together with people of different backgrounds, different passions, and different beliefs. No (good) Canadian presumes superiority due to race or creed, and none of us fear the other because of our differences.
While its true that there are absolutes, and that, at the end of life, each of us is going to find out who picked the winning team, the reality is that faith means we have no proof. And the Christian faith means that we live like Christ did — not standing for injustice, certainly, but not in fear or hatred of those to whom our Truth has not been revealed, either.
There’s lots of things Canada doesn’t get right, but we can be proud of the fact that we have figured out, like the astronaut looking down at our lonely blue rock, that we’re all in this together, and we’re better off communicating and working together through peace than we are through war.
And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
I think most of the world would really like to that statement to be true.
If you didn’t see it (and I did not, unfortunately) you should read it. Here’s hoping the man is who he says he is!
This is why the guy is uniting people, not pushing them apart. Imagine if both the ardently religious and irreligious were able to be this respectful of each other. Imagine if Christian’s could again be effective enough that people would want our leadership.
This video is fantastic, and well worth the 40 minutes, or so. But if you can’t put that much time in, and you’re a Christian, watch the first 15 minutes so you can hear the man’s testimony.
My favorite quote: “People are tired of seeing faith used as a tool of attack.” Amen, brother!
Not just because they elected a black President, or because they kicked the NeoCon junta out of office, but because of the grace with which they greeted this event.
Even those who vehemently rooted for McCain have, for the most part, said “Well he’s not the guy I voted for, but he’s our President and we’ll support him, pray for him, and hope for the best.” And those who rooted for Obama, have for the most part, now been able to acknowledge McCain’s strengths and honor his contributions.
I have to admit, its not the maturity I expected after having witnessed (and maybe for the first time really paid attention to) the kind of mudslinging and heated debates that go on during an election. But its good to see that our neighbours are capable of putting aside their differences and supporting their leader — even if they voted for the other guy.
Of course, not everyone is so mature. A Canadian I know, who used to be a youth pastor, implied on his Facebook status that Obama only won because he’s black. Its not the first time I’ve heard this sentiment, either. Somehow, despite the man’s Ivy League education, 10+ years of political experience, expertly run campaign, and clear and passionate speaking, there are people who believe Obama won on some kind of sympathy vote. That this is affirmative action extended to the Presidency.
I could not be more disgusted by this notion, and I guess a little afraid.
Afraid that somewhere in America’s less-progressive Southern underbelly is brewing a plot to assassinate him, simply because there are people who still can’t see a person’s value, despite his color. That these people undoubtedly call themselves Christians is abhorrent to me. It seems a strange thing to pray, but I will be praying for the safety of the new American President and for his family.
Regardless of his stance on certain issues, the man and his new position represent a new generation of America taking hold of its future. His election is historic as a symbol of change. Some of those changes will be good, some will be difficult and may force the nation to re-evaluate its values, and some of those changes will probably be bad too. But its progress, and its about time.
This, I think, ends my temporary foray into political blogging — at least until the Democrat’s power is in full swing, and I start getting ticked off at them for the things they’ll do wrong. If only there was some kind of “moderate” party we could get elected!
Anyway, we now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging! Coming up next: more pictures of the most adorable kids on the planet, more ponderings about the effectiveness of Christians in our world, and maybe a rant or too about “going green.” Plus there’s a Star Trek movie and a new James Bond coming out that are sure to evoke some kind of opinions from me…
Last night, we watched actual live TV for the first time in months. We got it over the Internet, from MSNBC.com. Obviously I’m referring to the presidential election coverage. We pretty much had it on all night, along with a CNN.com map showing electoral results by State.
One guy on Reddit suggested that this was like the night before Christmas. I kind of have to agree — I was on the edge of my seat every time the results were about to be refreshed. Things were looking a little shaky as the middle States started submitting results, and McCain re-gained some ground. But then the west coast weighed in, and it seemed like it was over. I went to bed with Obama holding 284 seats in the Electoral College.
I woke up at 6am from a nightmare that somehow McCain had turned it around while I slept. I pretty much raced downstairs to check online to make sure that didn’t happen. Turns out I didn’t need to worry — Obama won a resounding victory:
I am proud of America this morning. Not just because they’ve made history by voting in their first black President, but because they booted out the NeoCon gang that has done their level best to crush their country under their oppressive foreign policy, their irresponsible economic decisions, and their vile hatred and fear.
Things can change now, and I sincerely hope they do. That Obama keeps the promises he’s made during his campaign — that the man is more than just flowery speeches. I’m concerned that the Democrats control the Presidency and the Senate. I would prefer a more balanced arena — power corrupts, and no one should go unchecked. But I’d rather have this situation then an all red one, so the best thing to do now is to pray for our leaders, that they can figure out how to fix all the problems we’re in…
Read my friend Jon’s post on politics — he’s actually an American! We don’t agree on everything, but here’s some interesting points:
It doesn’t need to be a two party system
The Federal Reserve is mostly run by foreigners
There are people working to get rid of the IRS!
But his best point: do your research before Tuesday! Don’t vote on automatic — find out what the candidates actually plan to do with your country!
Anyone but McCain ‘08 — I’m not letting up until election day! Its time for some changes…
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