I'll get my culture from a Starbucks yogurt thanks.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 11:24PM Would you tolerate your government dictating to you that you have to buy your socks from a Quebecer artisan knitter, or your toaster from subsidized Ontario manufacturers? Of course not, you will go to Walmart and buy the cheapest damn option presented to you, or go online and buy the coolest variant of the above based on your wants.
We don't allow these special interest groups to lobby our government for "Mandatory Canadian Content", yet we do for books, television, radio content and the like. It's ridiculous, especially when you consider that it's new technology which allows little heard of Canadian artists, products and content to spread easily around the World, and yet we allow our government to restrict our personal benefit for the same technology if the content is coming from across the "border". We have no reason to "protect" ourselves from outside world content, anymore than we should underestimate ourselves when it comes to using technology to spread OUR talent.
It's stories like this, where the Canadian Booksellers Association wants to restrict Amazon from opening a distribution centre in Canada, that make my blood boil.Here's an excerpt, which I actually can't even believe is in writing:
A Canadian Heritage spokesman said the government has ordered a review of Amazon's proposal to open a Canadian distribution centre to determine if the investment "will be of net benefit to Canada."
Spokesman Tim Warmington said the proposal is reviewable under the Investment Canada Act, "if it falls within a prescribed specific type of business activity that is related to Canada's cultural heritage or national identity, and if the governor-in-council considers it in the public interest."
What many people don't understand is that Amazon has probably done significantly more for Canadian companies than the Federal Government has ever done. Amazon owns the popular EC2 cloud computing infrastructure which probably allows thousands of Canadian small companies to host and grow their online business.
In media, print, audio, video, and internet, there are no more borders. By allowing fake markets to be sustained by archaic legislation, we will always end up paying more for something we rarely want, and yet still consuming that which we do want (for a needless premium).
Dear Government, protect our borders and our citizens who can't help themselves, and forget trying to protect "my culture".
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Reader Comments (8)
Like.
Battles chosen unwisely are so expensive, and the culture one is one we can't afford (even if we could, it would be silly). I'm sure we can find another brick wall to bang our heads against, rather than this one. Thanks for bringing this up.
But if it weren't for CanCon, how would Alannah Myles get her annual $43.10 royalty cheque from SOCAN?
So you don't believe in any degree of nurturing Canadian artistic talent and allowing "nobodies" access to potential fans that might otherwise be more difficult for them to attain?
Hmm... I'm not certain I agree. Many other nations have strong "national content" efforts, even though they might be less obtrusive: Ireland, for one struggles to maintain a sense of national culture because of the close and overwhelming proximity to a much larger cultural scene.
Japan, by virtue of language almost rabidly keeps foreign cultures at bay and makes it difficult for non-Japanese talent to engage Japanese.
Regards.
Will
While I can't think of a reason for the government to not allow Amazon to have a distribution centre (seriously, it's fine, let them have it); I'm glad I've FINALLY found an issue we disagree on.
Canadian content laws are key to the development of Canadian identity and business. Without them, we would have long ago been overwhelmed by American media influences, which are more powerful in almost every way. Personally, I feel hese laws are no different than any other Canadian ownership law or trading tariff. To be against them in the arts would be the same as being 100% behind selling Alberta industry to the Chinese and abolishing all US border restrictions.
DJ / William:
Happily I will disagree and agree to do so. I just feel that the Canadian Artists have every reason to be successful, and open borders and use of low-barrier technologies like Amazon, allow for OUR content to succeed not just in Canada, but in other jurisdictions.
If we put up firewalls and barriers to keep our culture in, we can't expect other cultures and countries to create environments which allow ours out. PLUS, and this is probably where we really diverge, I don't give a rat's ass if the music I like, or the books I read, are written by Canadian or Iranian artists.
If anything, we have a cultural responsibility to protect Canadian HERITAGE & HISTORY, but not just to sustain for-profit artists and business who are based in Canada, but creating crap in a subsidized market. Major difference.
My 2 Cents.
Chris
I say let the free market find its own balance.
I don't think much of the criticism levelled against Amazon.ca. Why should they discriminate against Canadian authors all of a sudden? Amazon is in the business of making money. The company is not interested in playing silly games. If Canadians order Canadian authors, Amazon will ship the orders, and with a distribution centre in Canada, orders will be filled even faster.
Ditto DJ Kelly