Close Reading

Can you really not see that the US is a failed and failing society with so many problems and no consensus to make it better? You all seem to tell each other constantly how great your country is and how it’s the best in the world at everything while not looking at how bad it is or looking at how good some other countries in the world are. It’s very depressing.

I’m with my fellow Canadians, I’ll visit the US (although even then, it’s beginning to look less and less ideal) but over my dead body would I live there. \nThe fact you have become desensitized and don’t discuss school shootings is baffling. 4 or 5 years ago, there was a shooting where I live in Canada. The whole city was on lock down. I believe one elderly woman died, and 3 were injured. The person was caught, arrested, and is rotting away in jail. It hasn’t happened since. People still remember it. My little sister and I were scared, so we hid in my bedrooms closet. (It was on the second floor, and there was no way anybody could break in and get up there easily.)\n\nHealthcare is a huge issue. My family has a long line of health issues, and with that in mind, the risk is just to obscene.\n\nI am a woman. The fact that laws are being stripped away from us by old white men who have no idea what it is like to be a woman in the states is horrifying. \n\nGun culture. It’s near-on impossible or at least it’s incredibly difficult to get guns here. Owning guns isn’t respected. When people die from being shot, it’s remembered and spoken about, even years later. At least to me, it seems you care more for your Guns and the rights to own and use them, then Women who want to have bodily autonomy.\n\nYour political issues. I don’t even know what to say at this point beyond. The entire senate is rich old straight white men who like to make laws about groups they aren’t part of, and strip laws away from others. You basically have two polar opposite sides of the political spectrum and that alone, divides people so deep they can’t even be in the same room for more then 10 seconds.\n\n\nI’m Part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Enough said. \n\nI’m well aware that not everyone in the US is like this. But in my eyes, that’s more then enough to deter me. I’m glad you decided to take a look at this, and see our reactions to the questions. And I’m glad you didn’t take offence to the harsh or bitter answers. Sure Canada isn’t perfect, but it’s better in enough ways to keep me much preferring staying here.

Québécoise here. We Canadians seem to forget that there is as much racism in Canada as in the US. We just like to hide it behind a smile for some reason… I’ve lived in northern Michigan for 4years when I was in high school and college. I preferred the kids in the US over the kids in Switzerland by a lot! But I admit that shooting exercises in school were very weird. A lot of kids were dying in car crashes too… \nAlso, as someone with French as first language, that was pretty horrible catching up. I attended summer class with a bunch of kindergarten, and the teacher told in front of the whole class how me and my siblings were so bad at English even though we were teens. Well I’m sorry I can only write a college level paper in French but not in English yet! Thanks for belittling us in front of toddlers when we’re trying very hard to catch up before actual classes start! I was thrown into English Senior classes during second semester and did pretty well thank you very much! Went onto creative writing in college. Someone told me they though I was mentally retarded until I told them French was my first language…

It seems like Bigg Boss without Hindi & desi abuses

It seems that aunty in saree is from very wealthy family from india .

Hi you seem like a very kind person who is probably getting a bit of a shock at the global world view of your country and I'm sorry about that :( I will speak as a Canadian we definitely have our share of problems, but the gun laws/health care/eroding basic human rights for women, racialized and lgbt+ communities in the U.S horrifies and shocks me.

Podcast very interesting conveying true picture. I am 71 and had canada citizenship in 1988. I stayed there for 15 days after getting PR but returned . Although later i hv been to canada and UK several times as long term visitor. I hv so many other reservations about these two countries especially related to its future after 20 yrs because of their liberal policies on refugees and asylum seekers. Their economy is going down and down. In comparison Australia seems to be a younger country with good climate round the year with good prospects

I'm in my 50's and have thought about it many times. My dad is from NY but now in Florida. Several things that bother , me include your attempt at healthcare ( if you take care of one person you take care of ALL of them - you don't Cherry Pick), your gun issues (just because you have the RIGHT to bear arms, doesn't mean you have to), women's healthcare, Jeez, it's the woman's body not a guys body, so stay out of a woman's rights and body unless you happen to be her gyno. I'm not impressed with your general care or respect for human rights unless they infringe on your American rights at which point your pastors, religious zealots and politicians all go bat shit holy mother of god crazy. I don't mind visiting my family in TX, TN and WA but your country , THE USA, seems more like a gong show hyped on anabolic steroids and waiting for a triple dose of 'something special'

The way the lady is pulling the person, it seems they are relative. It would be better for the person if he would have allowed her daughter to seat along with the female relative instead of with an stranger and himself seating with the female relative may be his wife.

I split my time between Canada and the US. In the 1980s and 90s, there was very little difference. Far right extremism was left in the most fundamentalist churches and if any of it made it to the larger public sphere, it was either laughed at or ignored. All that changed with the rise of the Tea Party movement, social media, and now MAGA. Now, far right extremism and the Christian theonomy movement are mainstream..sucking in about 1/3 of the country down the rabbit hole of rage and just pure craziness that's just taking over more and more.\n\nI'm looking forward to being able to move entirely out of the US before it's too late. Hopefully I can do so before the 2024 election, but it seems unlikely.

Australia seems to be a real rio off!

I lived in Sydney 25 years ago it seems nothing has changed. The only thing I liked was the Australian weather.

Interesting interview. Guest couple seem to be fighters, sad they couldn't achieve what they dreamt of despite their sincere efforts! Better luck in Canada! Harmeet do give a thought to the background , not very flattering.. Rest all fantastic.

sorry to say but we live in dark times what seemed like an innocent thing could turn into something tragic we don’t know people’s intentions so could’ve just handed the knife when asked too

When I was young, late 50's early 60's, I was jealous of people living in the US. We'd go to my Dad's professional conferences in various areas and everyone seemed to drive such expensive cars and live in such big houses. Now I know that's just window dressing. You have to look at what's underneath. I didnt see the poverty and the racism. Canada unfortunately has people who would like to take Canada down the same road as the US. We have good medical care, a social net, respect human and reproductive rights, attempt to keep religion out of politics, gun control (a pro hunter here!) , fair school funding (the whole province, not just district), and the list could go on. Is it perfect? No but its a whole lot better than the US. We Canucks just need to keep fighting for improvements and it isnt an American model for most of them. \nWe had always planned to take holidays and see various parts of the US. No more. The lack of gun laws is really scary, especially when combined with hate. We're not timid travellers. \n\nMove there... maybe California .

I do not understand this attitude...they are not shooting near me and I have healthcare from my work? So? Fu-k the rest of the population??? Nobody seems to care as long as it's not there child, getting gunned down??? How do you think we got everything we have here??? We tould the government! And we staid home from work, and we protested in front of the palement and we only woted fore what we wanted!!! Women are respected and we have more women who has a PhD then men! Oh! A Danish old woman who dos not understand how you can care so little about you fellow U.S. citizens??!!

Sorry to hear about your struggled days in Australia but seems like because of the struggle you guys have kept lot of misconceptions in your mind. I do fully respect what you said but lot of misinformation half truth about Australia has been said in this video. You might have experienced such tough time here but this is not Australia what you have shown in the video. And please mention that you are not sure about anything which your are not sure about or you don’t have full knowledge of, for an example Medicare, Health insurance etc… Else, I’m your Subscriber (Asher and Sana)and likes watching your videos too?

Move to the US?: maybe*\n\n*there is currently only 1 state I would even consider, and even then my answer would be no due to all of the guns and all the corporations running rampant, putting 1000s of lives at risk. And your federal government seems to be doing its best to make every problem you have down there worse.

I live in Canada (Quebec), and I dont think I would move to the US, not even sure I want to visit...\nAnd the thing is, if you would have asked me maybe 20 years ago, I would have loved to live there, in NY even.\nMind you, I dont have any firm confirmation of how it is, but if we listen to the media, it seems like simply walking in NY is risky, thieves and mentaly ill people at every corner. What I'm getting at is that the picture drawn by the medias is one of complete insecurity, dirty and almost evil place, fill with mostly good people, but surrounded by madness left unchecked (sorry for my bad english, still learning).

As a truck driver that has been almost everywhere in the US and Canada I would agree that I would never live in the USA. I do vacation there on occasion, New York, Disney World. There is way too much violence, politics, racism and people are in to much of a hurry to be out front. Everyone seems to need to be number 1. Great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Ironically I do spend about 8 to 10 days a month working there. I find the people on the west coast of the US friendlier than the east coast. It is the opposite in Canada, east coast friendlier than the west coast. Just my opinion and I have lived on both coasts in Canada.

The leading cause of death in children in the US is firearms. As a Canadian this seems so unnecessary that it boggles my mind. Yes, Americans seem a bit crazy to me.

So I work for a us company. I have for 5 years. in my industry, tech, pay scale is a lot more positive in the states than Canada. I have been offered several times, to have my move paid for, visas and all that jazz, and I still haven't made the jump. \n\nMy salary is also comfortable enough to afford health care, and I still haven't moved. I don't think Americans realize how poor their insurance is. Also have health issues in general.\n\nI also participate in sports that cause injuries (notice I implied I will definitely get injured). I would not want to have American coverage, in fact how do Americans financially justify casual sport activity.\n\nI won't go into political differences. It's extremely nuanced and an extremely interesting conversation. I don't like the Dems very much and the repubs are even worse. \n\nAll of this said it's always on my mind. Its a consideration but seems unlikely. Arizona/Utah/Colorado are my jam. Would love to be there, if it was Canada.

Traditionally, one of the big reasons Canadians might consider moving to the states, is for the warmer weather. But, recently it seems that all that warm weather has been moving north to Canada, and some parts of America are now just too friggin hot.

I know it seems wrong and I am a Sikh. You do not wear kirpan in open. They are doing their job. He should have known that in campus , you can’t walk around with a kirpan. They do not know our customs but that’s not how you introduce them to Sikhism

As a Canadian, I and many of my fellows tend to see the US in several major issues, mostly concerning:\n\n- great innovative spirit and tech (pro)\n- crazy/insane gun access (BIG con)\n- school shootings (child safety - BIG)\n- Precarious healthcare access (BIG)\n- employer culture that thrives by abusing employees (BIG)\n- child labour to prop up a cheap-price economy (BIG)\n- women's rights (BIG)\n- political extremism, lobbies, and anti-democratic governance (the Electoral College is garbage, and the lobbyist-pandering and jerrymandering is nightmare fuel).\n\nI am sure most Americans are decent people, but their country seems to run so poorly, indifferent to their wellbeing, and itd economy is built on the suffering and abuse of the most vulnerable and desperate (wage theft, unethicalemployment practices, little real social support when things go wrong).

Actually right now with all that’s going on in the US I wouldnt move there. We are even greatly considering going to a different country for going on a cruise. It just seems to be a bit risky and also health care.

I find this video puzzling. I am considering moving to the US and know many other people who would jump at the opportunity. I think it depends on your political views. It seems like everyone that responded were left leaning and scared of everything. As a more libertarian I see things VERY differently.

It seems seeing beautiful air hostesses boosting that man's fight power! Men will be men !!????

Nope!\n\nI wouldn’t even cross the border now with all the guns. Radical religion that seems to infiltrate American Politics is frightening - abortion is illegal yet everyone has a gun solely to shoot likely kill another human - makes absolutely no sense.\n\nBottom line - it’s not safe - move to a small town in the US - most can’t because the work isn’t in small town America - sorry!

We have bat shit crazy people here to but the US has a lot more it seems. And ur political people....... OMG, can u guys do something so they grab a brain? Ur country belongs to the people, not the politicians....... it's shocking to watch them fight like they do.\nAnd, not only that, ur bad actors r influencing our bad actors. \nAnd stop sending guns over hear........we r a peaceful country and most guns come from the USA. ?\nI could go on but....... No, absolutely not, I would never move there. I feel safe here and there is be terrified.\nPS, love ur show......this was a gutsy video to make. ??

I have heard that many Canadian's in Western Canada are saying if Trudeau wins the next Canada Federal election, they are gonna move to the US. There also seems to be a growing movement in Alberta Canada that Alberta should separate from Canada and join the US.

I think a big part of the feelings most have about not moving to the US, apart from the reasons they've been able to quantify, are the fact that we see the obvious problems not being fixed. In many other countries health care, gun control, etc may not be perfect, but change and improvements are made. In the US, we see any efforts shot down time and time again because the policians seem to be owned by corporations/lobbyists, and big business likes things as they are. This significantly erodes confidence in the US government's ability to address other crises that will come up.

I love that you have taken interest in our country Canada. The one thing I found interesting was you kept talking about safe spots in your country where you don't have to worrie about gun violence and school shooting. Where are they? I live in Canada near the boarder and everyday we hear about this shooting or this one. Seems to be happening more is small and medium size towns then major city's. I saw an interesting stat in feb At the time there where 3080 people kill so far that year by shooting. Only a month in and more people had died from shootings then in 9/11.

I've worked with a lot of people who have moved to the US for work. It's a very compatible place for Canadians to go. The culture is very similar. People move for work pretty seamlessly. I lot of older canadians go to the southern US for 6 months a year for the weather but maintain their canadian citizenship for he medical coverage. \n\nThe COVID mess where twice as many US citizens per capita died compared to Canadians was a bit of a downer. Watching how poorly the political system seems to be to deal with all the real world problems that are out there. \n\nThat 73,000,000 voted for a self admitted scammster and criminal for President is troubling. \n\nThe Gun mess also tends to chase people off. \n\nThe American people seem to be desperate to maintain their freedom to kill each other. I'm not interested in that freedom

We are not a smaller America. In spite of what some Americans seem to have thought since 1776, we choose to be Canadians. We do not want to be, nor are we in any shape or form Americans. We like who we are. I have a friend in the Flint MI area. As a single women living in a rural community, she keeps a gun near her bed in case someone breaks in. I can't imagine living in such fear. I too live in a rural area in SW Ontario. We don't even feel the need to lock our doors. We don't even want to cross the border to visit these days. Get your guns under control and we will reconsider a visit.

A couple of hundred bucks a month for health care? I'm paying maybe a little over $400 US a year through my income tax return. Many years ago I had lunch with a Blue Cross rep trying to sell our firm a group insurance plan. She admitted that even basic limited coverage in California cost way more than what we as an employer were paying for our government health insurance. My point is, sure, your company provided health insurance may seem to be free to you, but imagine the hit your employer takes on the bottom line for it. And think of how much more your take home pay could be without those exhorbitant premiums.

I turned down offers to work in the US, but have moved to the UK for a 3 year period, and a part of a year in the Netherlands. Also turned down South America and Taiwan mainly due to language. I used to travel to the US but only NY NY in the last decade. No real issues just little reason. There are many nice places in the US, but like in Mexico, needing to know where not to go seems like too much work.

I think the US has beautiful countryside and wonderful scenery and many lovely people, however, because of the divisiveness of the Republicans and the MAGA/Trump/NRA group which has caused such chaos and violence throughout the States during the past decade things in the US have gone downhill extremely quickly. The number one reason Children in the US are dying from is bullets - not accidents or diseases. That is a terrible statistic and the Republicans are doing absolutely nothing to stop it - prayer doesn’t stop bullets. \nAs a Canadian I used to travel to the US as a tourist but I no longer feel safe going there and will no longer go across the border. Florida seems to have implemented the worst political policies ever in its history and I believe it’s economy is going to absolutely crash. \nIf the States votes Republican in the election it’s going to be in its absolute worst possible political, global, financial, economic, and humanitarian position in its history. It will be a critical crisis for the country….

Tyler! I'm sorry, but you're wrong. Guns are now the number one cause of death of American children and absolutely a factor for many Canadians as to why we'd never live there. As a mixed race family, I would fear for my husband's and children's lives on a daily basis. If it isn't in the schools, it's at malls, concerts, shopping centers, Walmart, everywhere!! Not to mention police brutality, specifically toward black men in America. It's a giant nope sandwich for me. Add to that the lack of socialized Healthcare and failing public education system, there's a reason we fly OVER the US and head straight to the southern America's or overseas even for vacations. Nothing about the US seems safe for our family.

Just for fun of comparing our countries, since gun violence and violence is usually mentionned a lot I just looked at some weird stats. First of all, in Canada around 13% of the population own a gun and 22% of household at least have one gun compared to the US which 32% of the population own a gun and 44% of household at least have one gun. The other weird stats I looked, after finding that out, was the methods of homicides in Canada and the US. It's supposed to be stats by compiling the police repports and could be not completely accurate but it is still different how they are stated. For exemple in Canada in 2021 the number of victims by shooting 297, stabbing 242 and beating 130. For the US it's not by shooting, it starts with the victims by handgun 6012, then firearms which the type is not stated in the repport 4740, then knives and cutting instruments 1035, personal weapons (hands, fists, feet etc.) 461, then rifles 447, other guns 227 and shotguns 152. The scary thing about the US is even if Canada is 11.53% the population of the US, 11578 victims by shooting compared to 297 seems a lot. To have the same rate of violence as the US our victims by shooting in Canada would have had to be 1004. Which means in 2021 there was 71% less homicide by shooting in Canada compared to the US. Another thing I found, I live in the second largest city of Canada, it's not the 2nd but the 27th most dangerous city in Canada and if we consider only the cities which have a population of more than 1million, it's actually the 3rd safest city of Canada. So yeah I'll stay in Canada, even though I live in sin city it's still safer, there's a better health care system and we have a good multicultural diversity. Sorry for the long text, it's 4am and I write as much as I talk, which is a lot when I'm tired.

Well, you said it. On the gun violence topic that it seems that Americans are desensitized to how much gun violence is happening. It does happen in big urban areas but also rural areas. This is what the world sees of America and their love of guns. Too much money in that industry for it to ever change. I mean, if nothing has changed when those babies.....let that sink in. When those babies at Sandy Hook died, the parents were bullied threatened and basically disrespected and discredited but gun lobbyists, government and even the average American. If that tragic event didn't change anything....nothing will.

Tyler you are oblivious to what happens in the US which is obvious by your reaction I think you should explore more about your own country. It seems to me Canadians know more about US history past and present, your politics, religious zealots, bigotry, racism, the list goes on. By the way the number one cause of death for children in the US is guns you might want to explore that. Going around living in your personal bubble isn't helping you realize the issues in the US and around the world. The best way for change to happen is to vote in people who will work towards it at the local, state and federal level. Everything is not political it's just groups who have pushed it in that direction. The US is not the same country I visited many times years ago. Would I have ever moved there...a resounding NO

Canadians have easy access to guns as well, we're in the top 10 of countries with the most guns per capita. It's not the easy access that's scary to us, it's that Americans can't seem to stop shooting each other.

Actually... Children are getting shot on a daily basis in the US. Guns are now the number one cause of death of children in the US. There are, on average, two or more mass shootings every day.\n\nThe people commenting seem to be overly concerned with school shootings... But the bigger factor is really just overall crime rate, especially violent crime.

This hard to understand for people from the usa, but the usa is not interesting at all. Most Americans don't understand what seems ok to them is plain crazy for people from modern country. 40 years ago Québec (my part of Canada ) was more modern than usa right now on almost any social topic, from human rights, religious stuff in public instand of being private, better economy law, , egality, ect. The way nothing is rational, the way all the politic is done on blind ideology is just plain scary. Sad, but usa is NOT a modern country on a lot (almost all) topics.

We do have problems but we deal with them differently. The historical treatment of the Native peoples, was bad you must understand that history for us comes upto and includes the present day and the future, That is how we are moving on, in Canada nothing is written in stone and everything is on the table, with that spirit we are moving on and negotiating in good faith. The USA does not seem to have the same philosophy and unless you make peace we your Native peoples your country will never be whole.

You don't seem to care about Acadians just like the British in 1755

I went to the Atlanta suburbs a few years ago for corporate training (I was working in Canada for a US based company). There were people from all around North America there, who did not know each other before meeting there. What shocked me the most, even more than the constant subtext racism between people, in the news, everywhere basically, more than the senseless political debates where people take for one side just because, no matter the truth and lies, the arguments or even the crimes comitted by one side or the other, is the fact that 2 americans, never having met before, were talking about their prefered gun makes and ammunition types literally 5 minutes after having met the first time. THAT is unhealthy! THAT is scary! I just went with the flow and accepted it, and I kept noticing it for the 2 weeks I was there. In Canada, we talk about the weather to break the ice with strangers. In the states, you talk about guns. That is what we call gun culture and that, more than anything else, is why I'll never live in the US.\nOh, and just to make it worse, when I tried to explain why we did not feel like we had to have guns on our person in Canada, not a single American I talked to could ever begin to understand. Not centering your life around the fact that you can or cannot have a gun is just impossible for Americans, it seems.

Hell, no. I presently don't even want to cross the border for a visit. Even democrats are hugely unhinged, let alone republicans. Americans seem to have left common sense behind. The presence of Karens and Kens, the letiginous nature of Americans... The levelling down of education and out and out sensorship in many school boards... The mass shootings and refusal to even consider reasonable gun laws... Poor health services... TAKE YOUR PICK of reasons to stay away...

I would of moved to the U.S. prior to Ronald Reagan. Since then it seems like money goes to the rich, who profit by sending it out of the country. The wealth and value for American workers has gone down drastically ever since. And everyone is bitter about it, so now they're taking it out on each other over minor stupid shit. This whole find a place that's okay feels so much like burying your head in the sand. It's sad that Americans would be more informed on reality if all sources of their media ceased to exist.