【Red Maple】Who Will Feed Our Grandchildren?
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红枫林新闻网
日期：2021-11-02 21:20:11
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Who Will Feed Our Grandchildren?
Diversity, Inclusivity, and Multiculturalism? … Depends on which side of the coin.
Canada, a prosperous and culturally diverse Commonwealth nation globally ranked 9th in GDP, is rich in natural resources boasting over 20% of the world’s fresh water, geographically spans across 9.98 million square kilometres, is an energy superpower economy valued at $41 trillion, and is - of course - the leading exporter of maple syrup contributing to 75% of global production.
That being said, the Canadian economy is not quite as diverse as its people, and there are some substantial limitations to the economic leverage of Canadian resources. Over the years of gradual transition of major economies from raw materials to manufacturing and then to service-based enterprises the predominant Canadian economy is now in the services sector ringing in at an astounding 70.2%. Unfortunately, the vast fortune of raw materials such as oil and minerals only account for 1.6% of the Canadian economy. In terms of oil profitability, price fluctuations are not conducive to profit simply for the reason that Canadian oil is too expensive to extract, refine, and transport. Although Canada produces 75% of the world’s maple syrup it only accounts for 0.02-0.03% of its GDP. Given that a remarkable 70.2% of GDP comes for the Services sector, 28.2% accounts for Industry, and only 1.6% accounts for Agriculture the Canadian economy decidedly lacks diversity. It is rated a meagre 36 on the Economic Complexity Index.
A further strain on the growth of the Canadian economy is the hefty expenditures allocated to the social services to a very large aging population. Over 17% of the population is over 65 years old, and the combined median age is 42. On top of that, the breeding rate (or fertility rate) is significantly among the lowest in the world at 1.47 births per mother, which is by far not keeping up with the aging population, which is – again – a significant cost due to social services. As an inevitable consequence, there lies the question: Who will feed the next generation of aging population? In other words: Who will feed our grandchildren? The answer without being trite: newcomers.
Diversity, inclusivity, and multiculturalism is indeed a very real and applaudable attribute in Canadian society. Based on my own personal experience abroad for a quarter of my life, I sentimentally concur that Canadian leadership as well as its civilians whole-heartedly welcome newcomers with open arms. However, the evangelistic promotion of immigration is not merely due to an open-armed culture. The most vital asset of an economy is not its natural resources but rather its people. We need more people; working age people. Outside of immigration, the Canadian population is dwindling so without international money coming in, the Canadian economy would likewise dwindle. Currently, the bar of foreign-born Canadians is set at 8 million (21% of our population), and given our economic infrastructure, we cannot afford to lower that bar – but rather raise it. It goes without saying that immigrants and foreign nationals in our country pay taxes, partake relatively less of social services, accept jobs a larger spectrum of jobs, maintain high fertility rates, bring foreign money, paying elevated tuition fees for receiving a Canadian education. Who will feed our grandchildren? New Canadians.
Written by Paul Kearns, journalist of Red Maple Journal.
谁来养活我们的后代？
多元文化 求同存异， 硬币有两面 似乎都可以！
加拿大是一个富饶、多元文化的国家，其国内生产总值位居世界第九位。它有着丰富的自然资源，囊括着全世界20%以上的淡水，领土面积达998万平方公里，作为石油的超级大国，石油的固有价值超过41兆，更不用说，其枫糖浆的出口量超过全世界总产值的75%。
然而，加拿大的经济结构并不像其人口来的多样化，其经济杠杆存在存在一些实质性限制资源。多年来，加拿大主要经济体逐渐从原材料到制造业再到服务型企业的逐步转型，目前加拿大的主体经济是服务业，其数字达到了令人咋舌的70.2%。不尽人意的是，最大的自然优势， 比如石油和矿业仅仅占全国经济的1.6%。就石油而言，影响其利润的原因是开采、提炼及运输成本太高昂了。尽管加拿大枫糖浆产量占全世界的75% ，但GDP仅占0.02-0.03%。如上我们提到，加拿大70.2%的GDP来自于服务业，工业占28.2% ，农业仅占1.6% ，经济显然缺乏多样性。按照全世界的经济复杂性指数排名，加拿大排到了第36位。
加拿大经济发展另一个压力来自于，为严重老龄化现象提供高昂的社会服务。超过65岁的人口占总人口的17%，人口综合中位数年龄是42岁，致使生育率为世界最低，仅为1.47，远远不能平衡严重老龄化现象。怎么办？谁来养活我们的子孙？答案是秃头上的虱子明摆着： 新…移…民！
多元文化确实很好的为加拿大做出了贡献。就我亲身体会而言，我很感性的认同加拿大的领导决策，同时也满怀热情的欢迎新移民。而势不可挡的移民计划不仅体现在张开双臂的包容文化，而这些人力资源才是加拿大最重要的经济资产。我们需要更多的人，可以辛勤工作的人。除去新移民，加拿大的人口正在减少，如果没有海外现金的流入，加拿大的经济也会萎缩。目前，我们人口目标设定为，在海外出生的加拿大人为8百万（占总人口的21%），根据目前的经济基础结构，我们不仅不能降低这一门槛，而要提高它。不言而喻，移民和国际友人在加拿大纳税，享受相对少的社会福利，接受更多的工种，贡献更高的生育率，引进外资，支付高昂的的学费等等。 谁来养活我们的后代——新加拿大人！
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