Today governments across Canada at every level are demanding that we “must diversify our economy.”
Perhaps one should look back 20 years, even less, to see that Canada and the United States were VERY diversified at one time. We had lots of manufacturing, clothes, toys, household appliances and electronics etc. Made in Canada was a common stamp on labels. Canada especially was chugging into better standards of living AND with a very diversified economy.
Look at our labels today as to the origin of our products and you will see the majority ‘Made in China, Taiwan, Korea, India’ etc. Our need for cheaper products led to companies literally pulling out of North American and setting up shop in Asian countries that provided cheaper labor, and less cost to make products etc. (A recent article noted that Apple, Google and Microsoft are headquartered in China.)
So, to all the governments who are demanding we diversify, I suggest that Canada once was VERY diversified but corporate greed to get bigger profits has plunged us into a dependency on other countries. And even now we see we have lost control to countries where human rights and environmental standards are ignored, where ingredients banned in our country are found in supposedly monitored imports (example: thousands of dogs died in USA from pet food from Asia, baby toys had carcinogenic ingredients banned here). Often invoices of imports are ‘fixed’ to hide improper ingredients, sources etc.
Imported technology from regimes such as China are being considered by our Federal government without considering the security we are handing over to a communist country that is oblivious to any laws or human rights.
I would suggest that all imports from countries that have cheap labor and poor working conditions, substandard health and safety for their workers and reckless environmental standards be taxed by means of tariffs and duties. Consumers want cheap now but in the end, it is a high price to pay for our freedom and future prosperity. We have already lost our independence by allowing this very slow depletion of all the companies that we need to diversify, leave for cheaper labor and higher profits.
We are, I fear, near the ‘too late to turn around’ point. WE should all be very concerned.
