Canada was built in large part due to the efforts of Chinese immigrants. Canadians were cruel in their treatment of these immigrants, preventing whole Chinese families from immigrating here in some cases, collecting a Head Tax, and segregating Chinese Canadians to deadly or difficult labour roles (from railroad construction through the mountains, to laundry in tunnels under Moose Jaw). It’s with this national poor-karma in mind that I look wryly at recent Canada-China relations. The worm may be turning.
The Chinese government pretends that it wants to be friends, but they’re really doing it with ulterior motives. Our incompetent, or beaten government’s approach to dealing with China, has left our country completely exposed. All of our eggs going into oil and over-expensive fighter jets, while we make no effort to boost our manufacturing or domestic agriculture sectors so we might one day be able to catch up to China if we ever needed to.
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Ethical Communist Oil – Libya – Iran (ECOLI)
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff 
Remarkable that you would think this way considering how well you emulate the Chinese authoritarian system!
Really? Really?
WTF are you talking about? Wait. I don’t care to know what you think.
Your comment is especially ridiculous given that you defend fraud around democratic elections. And you say I favour authoritarianism?
The same thing as the US. Canada probably learned it from them.
This is about the most ridiculous comment I’ve ever read here.
First, the present Chinese government could give eff-all about the treatment of immigrants a hundred years ago. These are the people who much more recently starved fifteen or sixteen million of their own citizens in a failed economic experiment known as the Great Leap Forward. They aren’t very sentimental about dead bodies, let alone violated rights.
Second, they want to buy oil. So what? From the long-term environmental standpoint burning more oil is stupid, but they aren’t all that good thinking long term. A bunch of businessmen with checkbooks don’t equate to the Yellow Peril. Of course, they don’t object when Stevie Blunder cheats on elections here, but seriously, what businessman would?
And in what precise way are we to “catch up” to China? I can’t think of a single aspect of life in which we aren’t far ahead, except for opportunities for the most predatory sorts of capitalism. Remember, a lot more of them emigrate here than make the reverse trip. Remember too that your blog wouldn’t exist in China. Recently, some of my students told me that with the increasing weight of censorship, they doubted that the Internet had much of a future in China, that the government would rather handicap it than risk losing control. That strikes me as about a bright a move, long term, as the Great Leap Forward.
And what does China have to do with the F-Useless purchase?? That’s an American project and is going the predictable way of many a cost-plus arms boondoggle, that is, straight into the ground.
I suspect at least some of the commentators above consider you a totalitarian because of your environmental concerns. I don’t. But you’ve certainly chosen a very odd place to praise, and I speak from personal experience, having lived there and being able to speak the language.
I think you mistake my comment/blog post as “praise”. It’s simply a summary of facts, assembled into something that could cause people to wonder what you have brought up.
As far as catching up, I’m referring to our impotent attempt to advance our air superiority, whilst having those plans stolen by one of the countries we’re presumably developing those plans to hold in check.
Then should we need to mass manufacture technology of our own design, if pan-Pacific trade were to be interrupted, we’d be up a shit creek before you can grab a paddle.
Thank you sage for a very worthwhile comment. I hope to read more of your experiences and unique outlook on China. As a teacher (meaning you) I’d be interested in your students views also. I have friends from different areas and social backgrounds of China… including one who’s mother died in the famine of 58-62. Rather horrific.
PS I call Sask a “totalitarian” just to bug him because of previous comments that he has held up in indefinite “moderation”. Only Sask and my screen show them. All I ask is let the readers judge for themselves.
Sage….there is definitely one thing that China is way ahead of us and that is working and providing alternative energy. You cannot use the fact that they use coal as a rebuttal…..they are way ahead of us in using solar….been there, worked there, know it. Everything else you mention…yup!
Hi ASME. China adds another coal fired power plant on average every 10 days and has been doing so since at least 2007. Also “China is also adding renewable energies, but more slowly than coal.” http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/06/us-climate-energy-idUSTRE74543J20110506
In the language of climate alarmists this is akin to eating a healthy breakfast then strychnine for lunch! :)
On the other hand China has invested $15 billion into our oil sands over the last 5 years.
Except that wasn’t ASME’s point, but way to go off track again. China’s capacity to produce solar panels exceed’s Canada’s ability. That’s a crying shame, and another Conservative designed national disgrace.
How do you like that the “Ethical Oil” patch is Communist owned, and does business with Iran indirectly? Feeling proud of our country?
Considering the bankruptcy rates of western solar manufacturers it seems more of a brilliant move as opposed to “another Conservative designed national disgrace.”
Solyndra et al much? Or Solar Millennium AG from like Saturday?
How many solar panel users have you encountered that are complaining about the performance, or that they’ve lost their investment because the technology has quit or degraded?
Sadly, Sask, my wealthy friends with panels continuously crow about the money they are making from those panels, They feed 100% back into the hydro grid for maximum government guaranteed profit while using none of it themselves. As they say to me “why should I use something I can sell for $0.80/kwh when I can buy it from the grid at $0.10/kwh?”
My other not-so-well-off and fixed income friends only tell me their difficulty in making ends meet.
Seriously, can you name me ANY other industry with a guaranteed (mandated) profit of 7-8%, adjusted every 2 years, with a 20 year contract?
Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Ontario and the UK have all clawed back feed in tariffs because they realise in their shortsitedness renewables are a losing proposition and generouse FIT’s were a mistake.
No spin, just reality.
They are clawing back FITs because they are successful at stimulating a new, essential market, and the geniuses in charge now think the industry has grown enough to survive without them [or more cynically, don’t want the competition for Oil]. They are somewhat mistaken, Big Oil continues to get huge subsidies in everything from R&D to delivery, yet you spin that FITs are a “mistake”.
I don’t know how such a *genius* as yourself, could think that the ability to sell 10cent/KWh energy at no input cost (once the panels are paid off) is a losing proposition. You don’t have a long-term-thought in your brain.
You truely are a captive to faith. It’s not just me but how about the entire German government? You know them, the ‘responsible’ ones of the abject failure that is the European Union of Socialist Republics: “Germany’s parliament approved record cuts in aid for solar power… The government argues that subsidies have driven up electricity prices for German consumers while propping up solar-panel prices for domestic manufacturers. “A few people are lining their pockets while others have to foot the bill,” Michael Kauch, a lawmaker for Merkel’s Free Democratic coalition ally, said during today’s debate. “That’s something we will not support.” http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-29/germany-cuts-solar-aid-to-curb-prices-panel-installations
Enriching the “1%” much? At the expense of the poor?
Ooooopsie ASME!!! You spoke tooooo soon!!!!! CHINA TO DROP SOLAR ENERGY TO FOCUS ON NUCLEAR POWER http://www.elp.com/index/from-the-wires/wire_news_display/1621584677.html
“China will accelerate the use of new-energy sources such as nuclear energy and put an end to blind expansion in industries such as solar energy and wind power in 2012, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says in a government report published on March 5.”
Also of prime importance to the Canadian eco-loon folk “Hydropower to contribute two-thirds of renewable energy”
It looks like even China can’t polish a dull turd!!! ;) It’s a shame the eco-nuts won’t allow hydroelectric because of its ‘environmental impact’.