O Canada, O America

By Dan Cadman on May 19, 2014

We Americans sometimes seem to view Canada as a kind of Legoland version of our own country — one in which we see pretty much our own values, worldview, language, and culture, albeit not with the perfect clarity one might find in, say, a mirror or a well-executed still life painting.

But that, of course, isn't the reality. Although our countries and peoples are both neighbors and friends, and along the shared border intermarriage and extended families comprised of both Canadian and American citizens are common, Americans should make no mistake: Canadians are very much their own people.

One of the ways the differences sometimes show through clearly is in how we each approach our immigration policies, which can be vastly different. My Center colleague David North has commented on this from time to time in his writings and blogs, as have James R. Edwards and John Rhodes.

Although Canada prides itself on its generally liberal political outlook and cultural plurality, there is also a streak of pragmatism that in the last several years we seem to be lacking, at least where immigration matters are concerned.

In our country, we even argue about the desirability of deporting criminal aliens while the immigration agencies charged with enforcing the law and upholding public safety let such criminals go by the tens of thousands. In our country, "Big Tech" oligarchs argue in favor of a broad, steady, and cheap supply of foreign labor, while college graduates cannot find decent employment and the middle class steadily shrinks.

Canada, on the other hand, seems to be connecting the dots between unemployment and underemployment of citizens on one hand, and the importation of foreign workers on the other.

News outlets are reporting that amid a review of all of the country's temporary foreign worker programs, Employment Minister Jason Kenney is poised to introduce new rules to require employers of such workers to pay higher wages (thus making them less attractive as potential employees), and also linking the number of temporary foreign workers a company is permitted to the Canadian unemployment rate, effectively creating a cap on their use.

Even more remarkable, although the plan has drawn the ire of certain business sectors, unions have endorsed the proposals. Compare that with, for example, the ILGWU and SEIU — two unions in this country so heavily dependent on illegal aliens for membership that they are effectively hostage to those members' desires and demands, including a broad-based amnesty.

The comparison between our two countries could not be more sharp where these matters are concerned. Canada, ostensibly the more liberal of the two countries, seems to have maintained a modicum of common sense in its immigration policies.

I wonder where ours has gone? Northward, perhaps, across the border to a less hostile environment?

 

Topics: Canada