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Product Description
Product Description
Renowned as a passionate Canadian, bestselling author Mel Hurtig has combed through world statistics to see how Canada really measures up — and the results are astonishing, and often shocking.
This book is about how Canada has changed, very much for the worse, in the last twenty years. As a result of these profound (often hidden) changes, we are no longer the people we think we are. To take one example, the Canadian media usually leaves us with the impression that Canadians are really heavily taxed. Yes, compared to the U.S.A., the usual point of comparison. No, compared to other countries with our standard of living, other OECD countries, for example; there we come in 23rd on the high-tax scale.
The shocks in this book build up, chapter by chapter. How do we rank in the world in voter turnout? Try 109th. Number of physicians per 100,000 population? Try 54th. Our rank in reducing pollution? 126th out of 146 countries.
Some of the statistics are internal, comparing Canada then and now. They back up two of the book’s most powerful themes: the failure of Canadian big business to turn record profits into ongoing investment in our country, and (no coincidence) the sellout of our assets at a rate that no other country would allow.
This statistics-based book ranges across all areas of our lives — including health, wages, productivity, culture, the media (“the most concentrated in the world”), and much else. Mel Hurtig’s message is that we can’t do anything to fix the direction we’re drifting in unless we recognize it — and recognize The Truth About Canada.
From the Hardcover edition.
This book is about how Canada has changed, very much for the worse, in the last twenty years. As a result of these profound (often hidden) changes, we are no longer the people we think we are. To take one example, the Canadian media usually leaves us with the impression that Canadians are really heavily taxed. Yes, compared to the U.S.A., the usual point of comparison. No, compared to other countries with our standard of living, other OECD countries, for example; there we come in 23rd on the high-tax scale.
The shocks in this book build up, chapter by chapter. How do we rank in the world in voter turnout? Try 109th. Number of physicians per 100,000 population? Try 54th. Our rank in reducing pollution? 126th out of 146 countries.
Some of the statistics are internal, comparing Canada then and now. They back up two of the book’s most powerful themes: the failure of Canadian big business to turn record profits into ongoing investment in our country, and (no coincidence) the sellout of our assets at a rate that no other country would allow.
This statistics-based book ranges across all areas of our lives — including health, wages, productivity, culture, the media (“the most concentrated in the world”), and much else. Mel Hurtig’s message is that we can’t do anything to fix the direction we’re drifting in unless we recognize it — and recognize The Truth About Canada.
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Mel Hurtig is the legendary Edmonton bookseller, publisher, and creator of The Canadian Encyclopedia who became a political activist, then an author in 1991 with his huge bestseller The Betrayal of Canada. He is also the author of Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids, The Vanishing Country, and Rushing to Armageddon. He is a member of the Order of Canada, and has received many honorary degrees and honours. He lives in Vancouver.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Hardcover edition.
Inside This Book
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Most helpful customer reviews
15 of 19 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
The 51st State of America is...,
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This review is from: The Truth about Canada: Some Important, Some Astonishing, and Some Truly Appalling Things All Canadians Should Know About Our Country (Hardcover)
From self-proclaimed anti-continentalist, Mel Hurtig's latest book is certainly his most controversial. "The Truth about Canada" acts as an exposé for what Hurtig feels to be the absolute wrong direction for Canada.Hurtig's arguments boil down to (in no particular order): 1. Canada is quickly becoming the 51st American state, economically and culturally 2. Canada's once comprehensive social services are decaying daily 3. Canada is no longer a peacekeeping country 4. Canada is no longer a primary aid donor to developing countries It's hard to argue against any of Hurtig's arguments, especially with the insane amount of OECD statistics he cites. And if you thought Hurtig's polemic is focused just on Harper and Co., you'll be surprised (or not) to know he reserves his most critical judgments against the Liberals. The major issue I have with an otherwise fine text is that Hurtig provides little if any of the necessary background, context or significance of what he is saying and why he is saying it. Hurtig takes for granted that his reader actually agrees with everything that he will argue, before you read the book. Books are supposed to be written the other way around, to convince us WHY we should care. Of which, unfortunately, Hurtig fails to do other than to say "this is what Canada was built on and look how it is changing".
21 of 28 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great Statistics, Flawed Analysis,
By
This review is from: The Truth about Canada: Some Important, Some Astonishing, and Some Truly Appalling Things All Canadians Should Know About Our Country (Hardcover)
Mel accurately assesses the symptoms being experienced by Canadians today, inadequate health care, increasing income disparity, increasing income inequality etc. but fails to describe WHY this is happening. The reader will get the distinct impression that Mel believes that it is up to the government to deal with everything he views as the inadequacy of the Canadian experience. The problem is that Mel's analysis is only superficial and fails to provide proper context for the issues that he brings up.For example, in the first chapter he lambastes the Canadian health care system for not being able to keep up with other health care systems in the OECD nations (Mel cites OECD statistics extensively throughout the book). He's very good at describing where Canada falls short and even correctly shows that it is not due to any lack of funding because Canada spends far more per capita than other OECD nations who rank higher than us on health care. Unfortunately, in the next part of the chapter he simply states that under no circumstances should Canada adopt what he incorrectly calls 'two-tier' health care. His emotional appeal to class warfare belies the fact the Mel really has no idea why Canada's health care system is the way it is and his only solution seems to be that he wants to throw more money in to it. But he already proved that the problem is not due to a lack of funding. Mel's superficial analysis quickly becomes apparent when we realize that the top ranked OECD nations he so praises are employing the exact kinds of systems that Mel calls 'two-tier' and says that we must avoid at all costs. Mel repeats the same errors throughout the book. Overall this book is quite good at telling us what's wrong with Canada and where the country is falling behind. Unfortunately we also have to read through his heavy statist bias and hatred of his nebulous enemy, 'the corporations'. There are no solutions presented in the book other than throwing money at the problems he describes. In this regards, I find the book highly lacking in any real creativity as it is more of a statistics dump than an intelligent analysis that puts forth rational and creative solutions.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
give it a rest,
By
This review is from: The Truth About Canada: Some Important, Some Astonishing, and Some Truly Appalling Things All Canadians Should Know About Our Country (Paperback)
This book covers a lot of important issues that should concern all Canadians. However, instead of providing a balanced argument, relevant context or suggestions for improvements, Hurtig hammers the reader over the head with one message: "canada sucks." There are valid points raised in this book such as the failure of provincial governments to raise the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation. But even when Hurtig makes his case he proceeds to undermine it by manipulating statistics to bolster his case even when they don't. For example, when he talks of wage discrepancy over the past decade he blasts the top 10 percent for seeing their incomes increase by some $23 000 against very minimal increases for the lower tiers. However, the $23 000 barely works out to keeping pace with inflation of 2-3% compounded for a decade. After reading a hundred pages I started to feel as though I was reading an undergraduate paper by a political science student. I'm hoping to find some more constructive and balanced analysis out there.
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