'Citizens must retake the role of social services before the state collapses rather than after.'
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
221.52452
Summary
In this episode, I talk about the decline in charitable giving in Canada, and why we need to go back to community-based care for each other, and the government's role as the sole provider of social services.
Transcript
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So let's talk about the left and the right in politics.
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I mean, on both sides, most agree, you know, because compassionate conservatives,
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that society has a moral obligation to help care for those who can't care for themselves,
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as opposed to those who won't care for themselves.
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The difference between the left and the right and the issue, though,
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tends to be on who they feel should be helping people out.
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I mean, the left tends to support forming government departments and policies and programs to deal with social needs,
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while the right tends to support charities and volunteers.
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Well, let's face it, the left has been winning that battle as the government's grown exponentially,
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while charitable donations and volunteerism are in sharp decline.
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The federal civil service is growing at three times the rate of population,
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while services, of course, anybody knows from the government are getting worse than ever.
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But the big, you know, the losers in this trend, the biggest ones are the people who are in need and taxpayers.
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In 2012, over a quarter of Canadians filing tax returns had made charitable donations.
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By 2022, in just 10 years, that dropped to one in six people, and that decline is continuing.
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Volunteer-heavy charity groups, from Meals on Wheels to Girl Guides,
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have been scaling back their services as fewer people sign up to help out.
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And again, meanwhile, the size of Canada's government and civil service has been growing out of control.
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Every government department is bloated and inefficient,
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but no politicians have found the courage to make any cuts yet.
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Canada's government is on the brink of collapsing under its own weight,
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and politicians won't be able to kick the can of cuts down the road much longer.
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And when those cuts come, the pain's going to be very tough for people
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because we've let so many people become reliant on government services.
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As slow and as inept as Canada's government is,
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is now the only thing separating a lot of people from actual homelessness and starvation.
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I can't think of any institution worse to be dependent on than the bloody government,
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There have been several factors contributing to this mess.
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I mean, some of it's just been sloth on the part of voters.
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They vote for whoever promises the most goodies, you know,
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whoever will blow the most smoke up their butt,
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and whoever promises to take the most responsibility,
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It's easier to think the government will fix it than to think
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maybe you should be the one fixing things, right?
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Unfortunately, governments rarely solve problems.
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Now we've got tough economic times contributing to the drops in charitable donations,
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As Canada's bloated, parasitic bureaucracy grows,
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Then fewer people can afford to donate to charities,
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and drives more people into poverty, thus needing more government aid.
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Charities used to raise a lot of funds through mail-outs and getting checks.
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The prime time for fundraising right now is right now,
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and charities are having a tough time while postal workers try to fight against progress.
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Everybody's losing as postal workers are striking themselves into obsolescence,
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but it's also striking charities out of business.
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The COVID lockdowns, they decimated volunteer-based organizations
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as the state made it illegal for people to gather to help each other out.
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Once the habit of volunteering has been broken,
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it's hard to get back into the swing of things.
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Again, as people got used to staying at home and began embracing the attitude of,
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We need to return to community-based care for each other, guys.
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Charities, volunteer organizations, and a sense of personal responsibility,
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Unfortunately, things are going to have to get worse before they get better.
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Many also have become top-heavy with administration,
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But for the most part, they did better work for people in need
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A good competitive charity environment helps weed out the bad ones.
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I know our pockets aren't as full as they used to be,
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but we should be seeking ways to dig a little deeper
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and try and help our fellow citizens through some of the better charities
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or maybe dedicating some time with the local organizations.
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and it'll help far more people than the government ever will.
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We will dig ourselves up, but it's going to take some time.
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not governments that create a prosperous, cohesive society.
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So let's take back our role from the government, guys,
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and we can start with charities and volunteering.