Episode 1, Part 1 we are not America, nor do we want to be. Welcome to the Crazy Times Canada podcast. Happy that you could join us. Continuing with the lay-up from Episode 1, we are excited to discuss today's episode. As Canadians, we are good neighbours. We're not ones to tell our neighbours how to live unless it impacts the rest of us.

We would normally stay silent, but considering that Trump threatened to annex our country and pull us in as Americans, and while we're not concerned that would happen, it is time that we make it clear what it means to be Canadian and why Canada is great. Being as close as we are, both geographically and in our media, we see everything that happens in the United States. 

Many of it we disagree with for ourselves...but do not judge as we believe that America's sovereignty allows them to decide on who they want to be as a nation and as a society. A cursory look may appear that we are similar peoples. We dress alike, eat and entertain similarly, and enjoy a comparable way of life. Until recently, beyond being allies, we have always been close friends. We share a border and historically our economies are quite intertwined. But, like many close friends, we are very different peoples, starting with our values. 

The American ethos is me and mine. The Canadian ethos is we. If I stopped there, it would explain everything else about our differences because that is fundamentally what separates us. My rights is an outflow of the attitude of me and mine.

I will contrast that with Canadians' approach of our freedoms. In America, my rights do not protect your rights as only mine counts. The most obvious example of that is America's protection of the Second Amendment rights. The law states, a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, which speaks to the time

in which this was written. Early America, when their democracy and concept of democracy was still young, still new, and still unproven. This basically states that if the government became tyrannical, that the people had the recourse to arm themselves against the government. That sounds fair and prudent. It was also a time when they did not have automatic and semi-automatic guns or even rifles. It was a time of muskets.

Do see comedian Jim Jeffries' comedy clip on gun control for a demonstration. Absolutely hilarious. The reason why this right, as interpreted in modern day, is so destructive to the American society is that only the rights of the gun owner is considered and without context. Why would someone need a semi-automatic gun for protection?

What is the point of open carry in a civilized and advanced society? Do you know that only four states plus DC prohibits open carry? That is absolutely chilling, a concept for Canada or almost any other first world country. How is that not intimidating for those who do not own a gun? What about the rights of others to feel safe from guns?

Even in the face of mass shootings of innocent people in schools, grocery stores, churches, concerts, movie theatres, dance clubs, it ends in cognitive dissonance as to why gun laws and regulations cannot be drafted in a way that balances the rights of the gun owner and the safety of the society. On December 14th, 2012, just days before the kids would break for Christmas,

A gunman went into the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and shot and killed 20 children, mostly six-year-olds, and six adults, primarily teachers trying to protect them. Americans were upset for a long while, but in the end, there were no major or enduring change to their gun laws. Where was the protection of the rights of those 20 very young children, or the six heroes? Or the other children who saw too much that day and lost their innocence, or the parents of the children who died just days before Christmas with presents already under the Christmas tree - lives that would never be the same. Canadians have the freedom to own guns with strict regulations and restrictions, and those who choose not to have a gun do not feel threatened by those who legally choose to own them. However,

More importantly, Canadians have a society that generally feels safe and where the instinct is not towards gun ownership. It feels free. Rights, freedoms, sound similar, but they are different as enforcing one's rights can lead to restrictions on another person's freedom. Regulations. Just want to clear something up as I have heard the word regulations used almost like a bad word. 

Do you know what regulations are? They are the action item after a law has been passed. So if a law says that our water must be drinkable, the regulations are the guides and checklists that ensures that the water delivered to our homes by companies and government is drinkable. As you can see, regulations are put in place for society's protection. So always push back or question someone who does not like regulations. 

Which takes me to the following example. Me and mine extends the resistance by businesses in certain sectors from being regulated in ways that protect the American society in favour of profits or expediency. Do you remember what happened in Texas back in February, 2021 in the middle of a winter storm? Their entire power system went down leaving over 4 million Texans having to fend for themselves, even to be able to keep themselves warm. Over 200 people died from lack of food, water, and heat. Some say as much as 700 died directly and indirectly. 

Why? A failure to winterize a Texan traditional power infrastructure. The root cause? A lack of basic, common-sense regulations requiring the winterizing
of the power infrastructure. First, in the aftermath, the politicians and leaders lied to the public in order to deny their own culpability, knowing that by muddying the waters with those lies, it would almost assure that adequate regulations would not be put in place even after, with no conscience of the unnecessary deaths of somewhere between 200 and 700 fellow Texans over those days.

As with everything else, Canada has strong laws and regulations regarding energy, including electricity. Many joke that Canada is too regulated. However, as mentioned in our previous podcast, Canada ranks third in the world for the ease of doing business. Perception of scarcity. That ethos of me and mine also extends and fuels fears rooted in scarcity...that there is one pie that they all must share. And if there is a person over there, they must want to share or take my pie, meaning less pie for me and mine. Sadly, that attitude leads to scapegoating, authorizing, and a callousness for others suffering because my survival is dependent on others having no access to the pie. 

Canadians may not have necessarily put thought on this, but know instinctively that this is a false and flawed perspective and narrative. Canada is also a land of opportunity, and we know that there is not just one pie. In fact, there is no scarcity, as we all have opportunity to make pie. And what's more, there is room enough for as many pies as can be made. So, if I choose to make 10 pies that does not make it less possible for my neighbours to make their own 10 pies or even 20 pies. 

As long as we have a society that allows all of us to rise, then there is no fear of other successes. In fact, it inspires us to accomplish our own and once reached, to go even further. We rise together. No need to fear each other or tear each other down. To that point, Canadians can have that attitude because in Canada, our values, driven by the we ethos, inspires our social safety net. 

Learn and compare our social safety net in Part 2 of this episode. 

We end each episode with questions to make us reflect, and in some ways, may be a call to action. Those questions will be asked in part two of this episode. 

In closing,thank you for listening to our podcast. Your voice matters. Respond to this podcast through inbox, DM, or leave a voice message. We want to hear your feedback. And when you respond, do remain respectful and constructive. Also, we would love to mention your comments on our future podcast. So please let us know if you give us permission to use them. As well, we are looking for listeners who may be interested in joining us on our podcast.

to present their points of view. We're hoping to have individuals and panels with differing viewpoints to flush out ways that we disagree and either reach agreement or understanding. Please stay engaged, share, and tune in to our next episode.

Crazy Times Canada Podcast.