What is Occupy Wallstreet?

[kandrathe]

There is a philosophy at work here that suggests that 'giving' a hand to new parents is the sort of thing that prevents problems that are more costly to society later. In other words, it ain't a 'free hand out' when there is enlightened self interest involved.

I get it. But... What I was attempting to describe is that we have a whole different issue than Canada. The number of poor in the USA is ~39 million. The population of Canada is ~34.1 million. Birth rate (2009) in Canada is 10.28 per 1000. The birth rate in the US is 34.3 per 1000. We already have a deficit problem, so adding another cost to government without cutting some other expense will be politically difficult. And, as I attempted to show, our government spends more per capita than Canada on transfer payments. The other means would be to force businesses to provide this benefit, but the unintended consequence will be higher unemployment (esp. fertile females).

Also, I think there is a difference in the civic spirit of the average American, from the average Canadian. It's why they fled north in the first place.

It may come as news to you, but most Canadians actually did not flee the U.S. of A. to get here. Our citizens have arrived from all over the world. And even when there were arrivals from the U.S., (the so-called Loyalists and Late Loyalists) there was quite a lot more involved than fleeing anarchy.

Yes. I was attempting to make a joke/compliment. My ancestors didn't arrive until the late 1800's to early 1900's, and some of them ended up in Canada too.