I see it as comparing comic book (visual) vs text book (text code). You can express some visual better with comic books, but in the end, I find text books easier to define richer and complex matter.
Wow you just described Canada in every industry sectors! It’s the same. That’s why Canada is overpriced everywhere (telecom, banks, groceries, etc): no competition.
Revolut neo bank (GB) tried to enter the canadian market in November 2019. It was in beta mode for one and half year, then it has quit the canadian market!
Why? because they failed obtaining a bank licence!
It is very hard for a new bank to come to Canada. They have to "partner" with one of the 5 existing oligarch banks! Imagine.. as a business, you have to "partner" with a competing bank in order to operate!
Meawhile, Revolut has successfully opened in 10 other countries at the same time..
Tourists and strangers don't really catch how the canadian market is ruled by oligarch / oligopoly so few players/businesses.
There is NO COMPETITION here! Welcome to CanaRussia!
My dream is a high-speed train from Vancouver to Kelowna and Calgary, with an optional leg to Edmonton. Like a Rocky Mountain Express. I believe this would be a massive driver of economic growth for the West Coast of Canada.
What hurts my soul is that Canada has the wealth to afford it, the engineering chops to build it but we lack the political will. Even more I feel we lack the belief and the vision.
In a lot of countries, "the people are the state" is only nominally true. Special interests often carry the day, and anyway in a partisan environment devoid of principles we need to protect against moments of passion where a 51% majority can infringe on the rights of 49% (or in my country, a largely elite 10%--which helms universities and media institutions and so on--can use the state to push their ideology on the other 90%).
I agree with you on paper but have a really hard time viewing my current relationship with any State as that of which I have power. Nor do I see myself with any _limited State_ having any power. Nor do I see myself as having _any_ ability to legally inflict harm to others as the State has power to do.
I totally agree that democracy on paper says the People have control but I am not seeing that play out at any real scale.