Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests. In April, PM Justin Trudeau announced more funding for infrastructure to further his housing program. A program that is hoped will accomplish two things both not usually mentioned. The first is to sway young voters to stick with the Liberal Party because they are fleeing. The second is to help urbanize as much of Canada as possible. The second goal is justified because of environmental concerns, but also includes vote buying. City dwellers require more government supported services such as public transportation and this often drives votes to the Liberal party. There is also money to get people to use public transit in the 2024 budget. Much of this is also a coverup of the disaster Trudeau’s immigration policy has wrought. Part of the housing program is to bribe communities to change their zoning laws to get money from the federal government. This is to change the landscape from the ideal single-family home to anything else. The Budget 2024 document lists the types of homes that will meet the requirements: “duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, small multi-unit apartments”. When fully implemented this will significantly increase the population density of communities. These changes can be in blatant disregard of homeowners protests as was the case in Calgary. To afford the tens of millions of dollars being pumped into the economy to facilitate vote buying, more taxes will need to be collected and greater national debt will have to be shouldered. A warning to young voters: even if presently you can benefit by the largesse of the Liberal Party, you will be paying for it later in life. Looking at your life-long personal economic situation, this is not a plus but a trap. As reported by Jen Hodgson (Trudeau says ‘older folks’ have ‘too much house’ to shift blame for housing crisis/ Western Standard, 11 Jul 2024), Trudeau has listened to advocates who want to force older Canadians out of their homes. The ideas to accomplish this are creating a surtax on homes and making seniors depending on government handouts. If you read Hodgson’s report, you will find some of the most muddled-headed thinking that flies in the face of facts and even contravenes other government policies. But all is fair when the PM declares “fairness."The creation of large metropolis in the modern period was driven by the first two waves of the Industrial Revolution from 1760-1914. The factories, often heavy industries, required a large workforce. Centralization was crucial to make this efficient and this came with crowded conditions and limited living space. At the same time, inventions from the steam tractor to the modern harvesters meant fewer hands were required for food production causing many workers to seek employment in the new factories. Massive social changes followed. Starting in the 1960s digital technologies increased and much of the factory production moved overseas. The need for a large workforce living in a high-density city has been considerably lessened. Limited living space limits the number of children. This is a common factor in the depopulation bomb affecting most modern countries in Japan, across Europe, the USA and even in Canada. Historically, cities trying to provide services and facilities always fell short. Social isolation is commonplace in large cities despite the millions who live there because of lack of community facilities, limited meaningful social interactions and individuals being more focused on one’s goals to deal with the intense inner-city competition. This and other factors lead to greater social-psychological problems. Look at old films and kids are running through the streets, playing stick ball, and gathering at the park around too few basketball courts. Gangs form around territories within the city, in the streets parents cannot supervise and children struggle to find their way through a confusing time in their life. The number one predictor of children involvement in crime, drugs, teenage pregnancies, etc. is no father in the home. The most recent statistics is that there are 1.6 million single mothers in Canada. Placing those fatherless children in a crowded unsupervised city environment is a recipe for tragedy. Chicago (population of 2.7m) had 617 homicides and 2,400 shootings in 2023, much of this gang and drug related. Crowded cities offer limited green spaces. There are frequently strains on the infrastructure including, the water works, sanitation, roads, and power demands. Everyone has seen pictures of piles of garbage in NYC, or has heard of power outages in LA. It is also well known that high density cities create their own heat problems as the buildings and roads collect and reflect the heat. This causes greater use of electricity for air conditioners, deaths from heat are common occurrences. In the 21st Century, we do not have to recreate the problems of 19th and 20th Centuries cities. We have both the knowledge and technology to create living conditions that are both wholesome for families and the environment which do not demand high density. Trudeau and the Liberals are holding out cheaper housing and antihuman environmental paradise today. But when the curtain is finally pulled back, it will be the dystopia of tomorrow. There is a simple thought experiment to address this. Ask yourself, do you want to raise a family in Chicago, NYC or LA? In the 1960s, Chicago was known as a city that worked, LA was the west coast mecca, and in the 1990s even Time Square was safe and clean. Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests.
Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests. In April, PM Justin Trudeau announced more funding for infrastructure to further his housing program. A program that is hoped will accomplish two things both not usually mentioned. The first is to sway young voters to stick with the Liberal Party because they are fleeing. The second is to help urbanize as much of Canada as possible. The second goal is justified because of environmental concerns, but also includes vote buying. City dwellers require more government supported services such as public transportation and this often drives votes to the Liberal party. There is also money to get people to use public transit in the 2024 budget. Much of this is also a coverup of the disaster Trudeau’s immigration policy has wrought. Part of the housing program is to bribe communities to change their zoning laws to get money from the federal government. This is to change the landscape from the ideal single-family home to anything else. The Budget 2024 document lists the types of homes that will meet the requirements: “duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, small multi-unit apartments”. When fully implemented this will significantly increase the population density of communities. These changes can be in blatant disregard of homeowners protests as was the case in Calgary. To afford the tens of millions of dollars being pumped into the economy to facilitate vote buying, more taxes will need to be collected and greater national debt will have to be shouldered. A warning to young voters: even if presently you can benefit by the largesse of the Liberal Party, you will be paying for it later in life. Looking at your life-long personal economic situation, this is not a plus but a trap. As reported by Jen Hodgson (Trudeau says ‘older folks’ have ‘too much house’ to shift blame for housing crisis/ Western Standard, 11 Jul 2024), Trudeau has listened to advocates who want to force older Canadians out of their homes. The ideas to accomplish this are creating a surtax on homes and making seniors depending on government handouts. If you read Hodgson’s report, you will find some of the most muddled-headed thinking that flies in the face of facts and even contravenes other government policies. But all is fair when the PM declares “fairness."The creation of large metropolis in the modern period was driven by the first two waves of the Industrial Revolution from 1760-1914. The factories, often heavy industries, required a large workforce. Centralization was crucial to make this efficient and this came with crowded conditions and limited living space. At the same time, inventions from the steam tractor to the modern harvesters meant fewer hands were required for food production causing many workers to seek employment in the new factories. Massive social changes followed. Starting in the 1960s digital technologies increased and much of the factory production moved overseas. The need for a large workforce living in a high-density city has been considerably lessened. Limited living space limits the number of children. This is a common factor in the depopulation bomb affecting most modern countries in Japan, across Europe, the USA and even in Canada. Historically, cities trying to provide services and facilities always fell short. Social isolation is commonplace in large cities despite the millions who live there because of lack of community facilities, limited meaningful social interactions and individuals being more focused on one’s goals to deal with the intense inner-city competition. This and other factors lead to greater social-psychological problems. Look at old films and kids are running through the streets, playing stick ball, and gathering at the park around too few basketball courts. Gangs form around territories within the city, in the streets parents cannot supervise and children struggle to find their way through a confusing time in their life. The number one predictor of children involvement in crime, drugs, teenage pregnancies, etc. is no father in the home. The most recent statistics is that there are 1.6 million single mothers in Canada. Placing those fatherless children in a crowded unsupervised city environment is a recipe for tragedy. Chicago (population of 2.7m) had 617 homicides and 2,400 shootings in 2023, much of this gang and drug related. Crowded cities offer limited green spaces. There are frequently strains on the infrastructure including, the water works, sanitation, roads, and power demands. Everyone has seen pictures of piles of garbage in NYC, or has heard of power outages in LA. It is also well known that high density cities create their own heat problems as the buildings and roads collect and reflect the heat. This causes greater use of electricity for air conditioners, deaths from heat are common occurrences. In the 21st Century, we do not have to recreate the problems of 19th and 20th Centuries cities. We have both the knowledge and technology to create living conditions that are both wholesome for families and the environment which do not demand high density. Trudeau and the Liberals are holding out cheaper housing and antihuman environmental paradise today. But when the curtain is finally pulled back, it will be the dystopia of tomorrow. There is a simple thought experiment to address this. Ask yourself, do you want to raise a family in Chicago, NYC or LA? In the 1960s, Chicago was known as a city that worked, LA was the west coast mecca, and in the 1990s even Time Square was safe and clean. Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests.
