"Mortgaging The Myth" [Reflections On Book The Canadian Economy Series, A-01 - Resource Based Myth]
Malarkey we were fed in school,
From K-to-twelve and Masters too,
That “Canada has great resource” –
That’s lakes, and rocks, and trees, of course;With minerals, and energy,
Our farms are bountiful indeed;
Well – no, not really, this man says,
It preaches well – each pundit plays –Up ways and means it could flow out –
“With rail, and roads, new life would sprout
Up with a boom economy”;
“Take closer look and you’ll soon see –It’s all a myth, self-serving hype,
Where coal is black and snow is white;
Our lakes don’t run (more like a swamp),
We puddle them for power we want.Our minerals (few, far between)
Need laborers who mine the seams,
Until each little bit runs dry,
Then they must move – “Raw deal”, they cry.Too cold, spread out, too hard to get;
Resource gets funds from elsewhere, yet
The dribble back to government
Is not enough to make a dent –In mortgage we have taken out
On myth of resource – much in doubt
The size of pooled resource still hid
Beneath the surface, where we bid –Up snake-oil to the funding boys,
To find resources of our noise;
Domestically we live each year
Quite separately – that much is clear.What do we export? People, skills,
With standards high, no doubt which thrills
Importing winners (NASA, chips,
Production staff of actors, grips).For we’re the ones who foot the bills,
Like medics heading south, which kills
Our healthcare system – we rent folks
From out (where standards are a joke).I find myself quite shocked by this;
Quotes author – you should stuff your bliss;
Reflect why God put low resource
’Neath snow and ice, spread out, of course.Thanks Lord for this.
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