Michelle's independent resources for ESL Students at Vancouver Community College

This is a Canadian ESL blog for Intermediate and Advanced Students who want to learn and improve their English. Each PAGE above contains thousands of free English lessons, tutorials and practice exercises to help you learn and improve your English grammar, reading, listening, pronunciation, speaking, writing and editing. Some of the resources are Canadian. Others are from around the world.

The resources on this Canadian blog are all free, and I spend a lot of my time working on it, so please consider becoming a SUPPORTER. I appreciate all the support I get. It is the fuel that keeps me going.

Membership is FREE.

NOTE: To leave a comment, click on the word "comment" at the bottom of the page. A comment page will pop up.


Friday, October 14, 2011

Is the Occupy Wall Street Message Relevant in Canada?

Later today, Saturday October 15th, protesters plan to take to the streets in Vancouver near the courthouse and Art Gallery. At last count, angry citizens in another 14 Canadian cities were planning to do the same thing. Around the world, 1,500 cities are expected to stage protests to show “solidarity” with the American Wall Street protestors, but also to show their own dissatisfaction at how the world economic crisis is being dealt with.


Read the CBC posting and give your own opinion to the question. If you need more background on the Wall Street occupations, simply google Occupy Wall street and you will find hundreds of stories on the situation - both TV stories, and newspaper stories. Stick to Canadian media. The American media plays sides and it will be very difficult to get an "objective" point of view. 
 
 CBC:October 14, 2011 10:21 AM | By Community Team
The Occupy Wall Street protests currently engulfing much of Lower Manhattan will spread to Canada Saturday, with protests planned in cities across the country.

Occupy Wall Street protesters march after learning that they would not be evicted from New York City's Zuccotti Park on Oct. 14. (Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters)

In the U.S., protesters blame their financial institutions and their corporate policies for the ever-widening gap between rich and poor. They say all but the wealthiest Americans - one per cent of the population - have endured since the 2008 financial meltdown.

The financial situation is different in Canada, however, where banks are regulated by the federal government.

"In Canada, you do not have a banking crisis because you did not tear down the walls between commercial and investment banks and turn all of your banks into hedge funds," U.S. author and journalist Chris Hedges said on the Lang and O'Leary Exchange .

But Occupy Canada protesters present themselves as being "in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street."

"This isn't your movement or my movement, this is OUR movement. This is 'We the People,'" the group's Facebook page says, referring to the first three words of the U.S. Constitution.

Is the Occupy Wall Street message relevant in Canada, do you think? Why or why not? What issues should Canadian protesters focus on that might be unique to this country? 

So, students of mine in particular, but anyone else who is interested ....What is YOUR opinion. What is your response to the question above. Let me know by commenting below.

Click on the comment box. Write your opinion. Go down to the bottom where it says NAME/URL . Leave your name. You do not have to have a URL. You can however, leave your email address if you wish.

2 comments:

  1. Fist of all, thank you Michelle to inform me with this demonstration which happened all around the world. Honestly I am not a political person.

    Actually right now, all countries around the world facing with economic problem which is a serious trouble for people and caused most of their difficulty situations.
    In my opinion,the occupy wall street message could relevance to every countries (not just Canada)and it would works like a spark for many people to wake up and fight for their rights.
    These days the most problem for almost every one is "Job"; with increasing the population more and more every day, it is going to be more difficult foe every one to find a job.
    If each person has a job that they can earn money with it, automatically most of government problems will solve and protesters will stop.
    About Canadian issues, as I understand while I have lived in Vancouver, HST , PST and tax is the most problem for Canadians; maybe (if they want to protest with something,) it should be their focus for protesting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a topic everyone must be interested. It concerned all of us, not just American people. This is because we have a global economy and if something affects one country it could affect the rest of the world, too.
    I agree in support Wall Street protesters here in Canada and all around the world. Bankers must to know most people unlike their actions.
    I believe that the today’s economic crisis is consequence of bad decisions made in the past for governments to favour powerful bank organisations. Therefore, it's a good thing that people come together and have the courage to show their disagreement and try to change bad policies and make the world a better place to live.

    ReplyDelete

If you do not have a web site, or a Google account, click on Name/URL and simply leave your name. You do NOT need to be a member to leave a comment.