Episode 2, Part 2. We are not America, nor do we want to be. I am Canadian, and always will be. My values protect the we. I have a prime minister, not a governor. A former banker, the real art of the dealmaker. We are quick to say sorry, because we are humble. But do not mistake that for weakness, because we will rumble.

Like our Canadian maple, we can be sweet. We prefer to deliver our words face to face, not through a tweet. Our Canadian tuxedo is a hit in 2025. Ten toes down and elbows up. We thrive.

Welcome to the Crazy Times Canada podcast. Happy that you could join us. If this is the first of our podcasts that you're taking in, welcome. And if you're returning, welcome back. We appreciate it. In part one, we focused on the very different value systems held by America and Canada. And today we will show how we walk the talk.

Canadian society functions well because there is congruence between our values and how our society is structured. And since our values is the we ethos, the outflow of that is an enviable social safety network. First up, our popular healthcare system. It is not perfect, but it's ours, it's available, it's free, and it works. It is available at no charge to all Canadians, not only citizens.

and includes our annual physicals, vaccines, most surgeries, disease care and management with no concern for pre-existing conditions or illnesses. Most things except for cosmetic procedures or similar optional services are included under a healthcare system. This means that if the Canadian gets ill or has an accident or is born with a condition or life happens,

It will not result in us having to worry about a bill at the end of the treatment. For Canadians, it is unimaginable the idea of facing bankruptcy because of being sick. Next up, maternity and paternity paid leave. For the last 20 plus years, Canada has had a full one-year maternity or paternity paid leave. Parents can share the leave up to a combined 12 months. Now there's even an 18-month option, but

12 months is the standard. It also includes your job being held and guaranteed upon return to work. No such benefit exists in America. Many US politicians have talked about it, but it always gets defeated, federally. It is ironic as Roe v. Wade was struck down by the US Supreme Court as part of the pro-life movement. It does not matter what side of the issue you are on to see that it is illogical.

Without maternity and paternity paid leave, does it not make it harder for individuals and families who are forced to have unplanned children? Speaking of which, there is even a move in some states to make it more difficult to acquire birth control. How does that help anyone? And how can a society exist that has no safety nets for those pregnant, no help for new parents, and makes it difficult for people to protect against pregnancy?

Is the expectation a sexless society? In Canada, we make birth control accessible. Childbirth and aftercare are included in our healthcare system. There's an automatic child tax benefit to parents once they file their first tax after the child is born and receive benefits of up to $560 per month for each child from birth until they turn 18. No such benefit exists in America.

Another safety net? Truth in Canadian news. And this is a big one. We're going to spend some time here. Canadians who mainly get their news from social media or other unregulated forums believe that Canada's news is like the US news outlets. Not at all. The news by regulated outlets in Canada can usually be described as formal and expressionless or formal and friendly, as they are only allowed to deliver the news, not present feelings about the news. In other words, the news must be objectively truthful. Canada, I'm going to take you through a quick journey on how pervasive and consequential America's decision to deregulate truthfulness has destabilized its entire society. In 1987, America repealed the fairness doctrine.

The fairness doctrine required that if the news being presented was controversial or had bias, that there was a requirement for the other side of the argument to also be presented. At this point, I'm going to inject a commentary. From a Canadian perspective, wouldn't it have been much simpler and societally responsible to make the law about telling the truth? Truth has no sides. Continuing - 
In addition to the repeal of the fairness doctrine, the FCC does not regulate cable TV. That combination of a lack of care for the protection of truth led to the creation of the news network in 1996 to appeal to a conservative base. Without those regulations and with a focus on their corporate and cultural agendas, it pushed a narrative that bent away from the truth.

And over time, became the biggest contributor to the polarization of America as they chose to misinform an outright lie while creating a narrative that mainstream media, air quotes, could not be trusted. The full bait and switch. Literally, the liars told their audience to not trust those media that told the truth, and their audience believed them.

This resulted in their viewership, which is half the American population, becoming ill-informed, angry, distrustful of any other sources of news, and living in an alternate reality. In other words, a complete indoctrination, leading to full polarization. In Canada, news is regulated by the CRTC, a government body responsible for regulating radio, TV, and telecommunications.

In Canada, we have a law that governs broadcast news, TV and radio. This law called the Broadcast Act simply states, licensee shall not broadcast programming that contains any false or misleading news. That is the law in Canada. The law and the regulations were done to ensure Canada is protected from becoming a society where there is not a common set of shared truths. So whether you listen to CBC, City Pulse, City TV, Global News, CTV or other licensed news networks, they cannot share false or misleading news, full stop. If you go to the internet for your news, that is unregulated. This is singularly the biggest danger to Canada's own democracy and peaceful society, and is the main contributor to America's own polarization, and has expedited the current political climate
which in America is like a tinderbox. Canada, just look to the south. Is that where we want to be in five years or even two years? Canada's laws and regulations regarding truthfulness in our news were put in place to protect Canadians and Canada. However, since America cable news and social media have no borders to Canada, in this one area, the rest is up to us as Canadians. We need to want and actively seek truth. Choose a Canadian news outlet, heck, choose a bunch, if you do not trust any particular one. And know that while what they communicate may differ from what you saw online, they are telling the truth. 

Having said that, we are all humans and they will make mistakes. But a mistake is not a lie and they will correct it later. That is not in any way equivalent to the intentional lies on social media. Let's give each other grace and focus on having a common source of truth to protect Canada and our society. 

Which leads me to the question - Who do we want to be? Lots have happened since January 20th, 2025. Tariffs, the threat of tariffs, insults by America.

The good news is that it has served to unite most of us. It has fired us up. We understand the need to be able to stand on our own. Now, provinces are talking amongst themselves to strategize on mutually beneficial economic wins by removing barriers and enabling intra-Canada trading. We're forming new alliances and are taking steps to fortify our military and artillery. We are in discussions to establish new international trade partnerships. We are reminded of the bountiful resources that we readily have in Canada. Our people, freshwater in abundance, forestry, and thanks to Trump, we have learned that we have critical minerals, which he envies. 

We are Canada, rich in culture, strengthened by our peoples and the quality of our talents in all fields needed to be competitive into the future. We are truly amazing. As of now, most of us remain informed. However, a growing number of us are leaning into misinformation, but it's not too late to course correct. We need to insist from the CRTC that our broadcast act is never diluted and continues to require truthfulness in our news. 

And then...

We need to seek truth like we seek life-sustaining water. Whether on social media or in a conversation, we are jointly responsible for not sharing falsehoods or information that we are not sure is true. We are each responsible for protecting Canadians from misinformation. Just doing this one thing can stem the root of polarization that is starting now in Canada. Remember our reputation in the world.

Remember, our ethos is the we. We care about each other and look out for each other. We're not perfect, and we know that we can do better. But America has chosen who it wants to be. The world is looking to Canada to step more into the leadership space. You will recognize these words. God keep our land glorious and free. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

So today, elbows up and arms linked, we stand on guard for Canada. 

We end each episode with questions to make us reflect and in some ways, maybe a call to action. As we look to the south at our neighbours, we are scared for them as we see the chaos, the fear and uncertainty and the dangers. We are sympathetic, but also a bit scared for ourselves and the rest of the world.

What are your fears for the U.S.? What are your fears for Canada? Are there opportunities in this moment for Canada? Are we ready for that moment? And what does each of us need to do to personally meet this moment? 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 do so. As well, we're looking for listeners who may be interested in joining us on our podcast to present their point of view. We're hoping to have panels and individuals with different 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.