He Said
In the spirit of the blog oneyearonecanadian.ca, we are thinking about what it takes to live completely isolated in a global community.
Driving cars only made in Canada, wearing clothes made in Canada and eating only food that is grown in the Great White North. That could prove difficult in February.
Not only would this endeavour be way out of my price range, but it may also just not be feasible. I recall the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the official gear of the Games. A friend of mine was a little depressed to find that even for a huge international event that we are hosting, our shirts and mitts were made in a foreign country.
I asked him if he would rather pay $50 for an Olympic toque or $10.
He responded, "If I know it gives you a job? $50."
He was a rich chiropractor, though. It is admirable to say that we would be willing to spend five times as much money or more if it meant a fellow Canadian had a poor-paying job they hate, and that's what I say too. I may not be able to afford it all the time, but I am more than willing to cough up more money for relevant things.
I would spend $50 on the toque, or twice as much for an organic, locally grown tomato, or multiple times higher prices for electricity created through a clean and sustainable way.
No, I could not live a completely Canadian life. I'd like to think I could, but there are some little things I would either have to go without or couldn't afford. Like a Blackberry. There aren't a lot of Canadian companies making cell or smart phones. Not only is a Blackberry expensive, but Research in Motion is being pounded in the stock market and could be obsolete in a year.
I couldn't use my laptop, or my computer at work. I couldn't use the cameras at work. I would have to quit my job and open one of those stores that sell only made in Canada merchandise.
I will try to live Canadian, but I'm not going to get upset if my shoes were made elsewhere.
She said
In a lot of ways, Canada is very similar to the United States. We live similar lifestyles and backgrounds, and for the most part, we've largely come from the same places. Plus, so much of American culture and products bleed into Canada that sometimes it can be hard to tell where one country begins and the other ends.
It wasn't until I lived in Missouri for eight months that I really learned to appreciate how unique and awesome Canada is. Canadians love other Canadians, and when we find one another in foreign places, we're likely to bond. We're a special breed of nice people and we live our lives pumped that we're not Americans (huge generalization, I know).
But take away my American products and I'll lose it.
First, I want to keep my iPhone. I'm pretty sure they're made in the United States. Not cool. This is a life or death matter, actually. So no, no go.
I cannot image being Darren Barefoot and trying to live on only Canadian products. I wouldn't even want to. Nothing against Canadian products, but they're often more expensive than those from our American counterparts, and saving those precious dollars really can add up.
Imagine the horror that would occur if we no longer traded with the U.S. Pretty sure I learned in my 100-level economics class that fair trade is the best way for everyone to make money. Getting rid of American products would hurt our economy as well as the American's, which really doesn't need another face-punch. Of course, I'm not an economist, and I spent a lot of that class making a highly entertaining comic strip, so I could be wrong.
Anyway, like I said, I want to keep my iPhone. And most of my clothing. And furniture. And some entertainment, though I really only watch MTV and listen to Canadian bands (excluding The Cab). It would just be awful.
What annoys me most about Barefoot's mission is that he's attempting what he calls "stunt journalism." He's doing this entire project because he wants to make a profitable book at the end of the year. This seems like such a contrived, pathetic attempt at fame. Makes me dislike his project immediately. Plus, like I said, I'm not getting rid of my iPhone.
