A thoughtful reader comment listing a number of (awesome) facts about Canada has taken the top spot of all comments ever submitted to the New York Times.
Bob in Calgary left the comment back in 2010 on an article titled The Angry Rich. The article, in short, outlines the rage spewing from many top-income earners in the U.S. over any hint of modest tax increases while many lesser advantaged silently bear the true brunt of economic downturns.
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Bob’s response offers a personal view from a high-earning Canadian household. And he’s not complaining.
“My household makes just over $250,000 here in Canada. One of the best bargains I get for my money is living in a place where I and everyone I know sends their kids to public schools because they are really good. We end up with few criminals, because students learn how to be productive good citizens in schools.
“A second bargain I get is universal health care. Great care (rated well above the American system in most measures) whenever you need it without worry about not being approved. It all comes at a bargain price of about 50% of the cost of the US health system.”
Bob goes on to compare Canada’s “modernizing infrastructure” to “decrepit cities of the USA where governments are shutting the lights out at night because they have no money.”
“In Canada, we realize that we can’t live off of the work of our grandfathers forever.”
He mentions Canada’s parental leave benefits, which he feels help parents bond with their children and preserves marriages. Bob also says he’s glad his tax dollars don’t go toward “perverse things like trying to stop gay people from getting married or raising children together — what a waste.”
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Bob outlines Canada’s relatively affordable post-secondary options, meaning “children from all types of households can go to and graduate with a big debt, but not a devastating one.”
“Lastly (there are more, but I have to get back to my work), we get governance. This includes a banking system that is there to support the economy, not end run it to make a few $$.
“With all of that said, I have to say that along with this, I enjoy one of the free-est countries on earth. Our business freedoms are as extensive as the USA. We are free to hunt and own guns (aside from assault weapons and who needs those anyways). IN fact, I have lived in the USA and I have to say, I can’t see any freedoms there that we don’t have here.
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“Oh yeah, and my total tax bill is about 2% higher than it would be in the USA. To me, it’s a bargain!”
Bob’s comment has been “recommended” by other readers more than 7,000 times.
The NYT’s community desk — which moderates roughly 9,000 comments submitted to the paper every day — recently published a list of the most popular five comments of all time, with Bob’s at number one.
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