Podcast Day, not Boxing Day

There are some days I think I’m kinda smart. But you get into a room, virtual or otherwise, with an Adam Waterman or a few others, and you realize how dumb you really are. Here’s what I mean.

Patchwork Podcast: Year-end roundup with Adam Waterman, Brian Zinchuk, Tracy Klotz and Kurt Price

If you don’t regularly watch Peter Zeihan, you should. He posted this on Christmas Day.

Peter Zeihan: Canada, After America

29 Replies to “Podcast Day, not Boxing Day”

  1. Usually enjoy Zeihan’s analyses but he is off on his analysis of Canada. Canada’s immigration surge is importing many young but many who will not or cannot work and most who will work at low paying jobs so their contribution to taxation will not be so significant. In addition young people whiplash reproduce more adding to education, health care and all social program costs as well as increasing housing stress.
    His other point that Ontario is paying for Quebec is off by 2000 kilometres. It is Alberta paying Quebec to the tune of 15 billion in equalization transfers.
    Canada’s socialist tendencies have always worried the US but Turdeau’s version has increased the US’s alarm to greater levels. Canada has benefited from the shadow of US protective umbrella but that is changing and Canada will be on its own as seen by the Chinese Communist influence on it. We soon will be twirling in the wind. We could be fertile ground for a proxy war between CCP and the US. Contrary to mythology Canada has always had more difficult relations with Democrat administrations than with Republicans.

    1. Zeihan sounds like he knows what he’s talking about until you know something about what he’s talking about, then you realize he is a leftist who makes leftist assumptions which are generally wrong.

    2. Hey Greg,

      While we both agree Alberta is getting the short end of the stick, Ontario is contributing the most towards equalization. Alberta is providing the most per capita which is where the inequality is coming from. That resource revenues from Quebec are not included in equalization calculations is a further kick in everyone’s gonads.

      Another inequality is the number of people per riding. If Alberta had the same number of people per riding as Quebec, Alberta’s seat count would increase from 37 to 39, and Ontario’s seat count would increase from 122 to 130. It still wouldn’t allow Alberta to counter-balance Quebec but at least it would be less unfair.

        1. For Ontario it’s kind of a “I’ll take a hundred dollars and give you two back” kind of situation. As opposed to Quebec’s “I’ll take a hundred dollars and I’ll give you two hundred back” or Alberta’s “I’ll take a hundred dollars now go away ungrateful peasant.”

          The equalization program transfers about 25 billion dollars to the provinces. Not all of that money is coming from Alberta although Alberta contributes to it disproportionately on a per capita basis.

    3. GregN, 100%.
      His analysis is off base.
      I believe the Fraser Institute proved that modern immigrants are economically net negative for Canada, to say nothing of their very negative 3rd world cultural impact.
      In the few clips I’ve seen of Zeihan I can’t recall ever being very impressed by his observations.

    4. Here in America … all the young MMOC (military age men of color) flooding across our borders are designated as “dreamers”. They’re all gonna go to college … earn STEM degrees … and become highly respected Doctors and Lawyers. And if you actually believe that … you’re a FOOL … aka a Leftist Democrat

    5. I was just about to comment and I saw yours. Right on mate. Totally with you on your analysis. I’ve tried watching him, but he does his investigations from a desk top it seem. The predictions about Ukraine are silly. Anybody with half a wit knew what would happen after the invasion of Crimea. Even Biden knew when he said a little invasion would be ok. Obama’s 3rd term.

    6. Zeihan is clown – he has to pontificate on everything. His knowledge on some things is pathetic but that doesn’t stop him from expressing uninformed opinions. Watch enough of him and you will see.

      So, he sees problems in Canada and doesn’t mention Trudeau, the NDP or the Liberals? It’s like commenting on the USSR and not mentioning that Communism doesn’t work.

      He is very tiresome.

  2. It was an interesting perspective that would be perhaps enlightening to someone with no knowledge of Canada but seemed to have a fait accompli version of the US as now going isolationist as well as a one-sided perspective on protectionism.

    1. I find Peter Zeihan’s analysis generally simplistic. He takes a set of reasonably undisputable facts and makes a concrete assumption and presentation without a lot of nuance. I think he is fairly correct on a lot of things, but not as thorough and well-balanced as someone like John Mauldin(although he is mostly economic).

      H

  3. I like Peter but he has a myopia in several areas, his biggest problem being that the U.S. is always right and has it all figured out. If you keep that in mind when listening to his vlogs they can be quite informative.

    1. Peter is a pillow hugger.
      Sorry, males who aren’t attracted to females are weird.
      If he liked animals in that way then that would also be weird.
      Not saying he can’t, won’t stop him but when you know what his predilections are, well,,,,,,,,,,

  4. Peter is entertaining, but not too concerned with facts. I can’t unhear him saying Chrystia Freeland is the smartest in the room, compared with Trump.

  5. Canada’s claim to fame always was clinging to the American border.. We are going to go it alone now with green energy and economic migrants.. An identity politics welfare based economy..

    A nation founded on low hanging resource based fruit is transforming itself into a nation of low hanging political fruit. South Africa comes to mind.. The more it fails the more the political forces responsible dig in..

    Entitlement, greed and self interest will sing itself to sleep every night..

  6. Interesting American take on the problems in Canada unfortunately his immigration premise is off the mark. The massive immigration program that happened in the late Forties through to the early Sixties was a European influx. Europeans from the United Kingdom eastward to Poland and Ukraine wanted to get out of war torn Europe. They brought the qualities that Canada and America needed at the time, beliefs in Judean/Christian values coupled with those beliefs was the idea of independence, and the skills to build in the Northern Hemisphere, bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and the associated engineers and managers. Today the influx of migrants is of a far different creed and culture, and therein lies the demise of Western Culture. As evident in the headlines today the present immigrants are unwilling to quietly work in assimilating into our culture. The European migrants came here and without fanfare accepted that in a new country they would have to work to make a future or go back to where they came from, with today’s new immigrants that is not the case. Comments are welcome but facts are facts and feelings are irrelevent.

    1. I agree… hes way off on immigration… “immigration” has been weaponized… it amounts to an invasion rather than immigration… its is meant to obliterate our culture, among other things, and its working.

      Canadians are overwhelmingly against the “immigration” policies of the openly corrupt Governments.

  7. I am still waiting to see if Peter Zeihen is correct in any of his predictions. But he speaks eloquently and with the tenor of knowledge, so he sounds like he has authority. You can see that he interprets the facts somewhat inaccurately and comes to a conclusion. This is like his other observations in my opinion.
    He reminds me of that insufferable, braggart, baldly who is always wrong but faces no real consequences for his inaccuracy, Kevin O’Leary.
    I do, in my heart, unfortunately, believe Canada is doomed and far past reclamation and will face the consequences of our own decisions and not that of America.

  8. The US will bow a knee to Canada so long as hardcore Leftist Democrats are in Power. They are so uncomfortable with the US as a Superpower … they’ll do everything possible to “knock us off our high horse” as Obama has scolded.

  9. Man bun – check
    Ex or current CIA – check
    Spectacularly wrong on most predictions…oh yeah. I caught him a while ago on Rogan’s podcast. Just not sold on him and frankly i’m not sure why Rogan had him on in the first place.
    I’ll give him this much…he talks a really good game.

  10. mmmmm Is that the Zeihan that said Russias oil industry would implode with sanctions? yes , lots of words but they are just opinions like many.

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