Alright so I live in Canada and any Canadian knows that the Province of Ontario just held an election. During this election I was hoping for a Conservative victory but not because I actually think a Conservative victory would benefit Ontario, rather how it would benefit my province British Columbia.
You see anyone who knows anything about Canada knows that Vancouver up until a few years ago was the entertainment hub of Canada. Vancouver is nicknamed Hollywood North accounting for 2/3rds of the entire film industry in Canada. It was also considered the Gaming capital of the world since it was the highest game producing city in Canada which per capita is the largest game producing country in the world. Lastly the music industry is crazy huge in Vancouver while not dominant over other cities and provinces it was very strong.
However in the last few years due to a very idiotic Government in my Province and very smart Governments in Quebec and Ontario billions of dollars of business has moved out of British Columbia. The man running for Premier of Ontario for the Liberal Party is responsible for stealing Vancouver's thunder in the film industry as well as doing incredible damage to the game and music industries here in BC. The HST and several other moves he made as premier of Ontario drove millions if not billions of dollars out of British Columbia. Tons of jobs were lost as companies move operations out of my province to Ontario. In this recession all these jobs heading East is very bad for me and the people of British Columbia.
So I found myself hoping that the Conservatives would win in Ontario, because the Conservatives wouldn't likely continue to take jobs away from BC and would be a less likely threat to my Provinces survival.
But is this a flawed perspective? I decided to ask several other card carrying Conservative members here in British Columbia my Province. The general consensus was I shouldn't be wishing for a bad Government in Ontario. Rather I should be placing all the blame on my incompetent loser Government that runs my Province. The Liberal Government ruling my province botched up almost every move they have made in the last two years. Moves which Ontario's Liberal Government made were tried by my Provinces Government. Only difference is the Liberal Party in Ontario explained there moves to the public in greater detail and passed the bills in a way that kept voters happy. While the Liberal Government in BC instead of sugar coating the bills, many of them were passed in shady ways without public input. The Government then turned around later on after the public was so outraged and then tried to appease the people with moves they should have done from the beginning. Example the HST, one of Dalton's biggest achievements in Ontario which landed the biggest blow to BC. The BC government introduced the same HST.
However the Government passed the bill in a manor where they refused to discuss the bill with the opposition parties and forced it upon Canadians. However once BCers freaked out at the tax raise and implications it had on the already struggling population , the Government turned around and said "Oh yah and we always planned to decrease the taxes by 2% , include more investment in Social services and health care and so fourth". However by the time the Government came out and said all these benefits to their HST and bills, it was too late the people of BC were so pissed off they called a referendum and foolishly reversed the HST out of anger more then logic or reasoning. I have asked many citizens which voted for the reversal of the Government's HST, the majority of them didn't know anything about the benefits the Government had outlined later on, they were so upset about how the HST was passed into law so shadily. Every single voter I asked voted against it because they were so angry with the Government.
But here's the major problem. The Government in my province are a bunch of morons they are incompetent and have been for some time. I would vote for the opposition but the problem is the opposition is just as dumb as the current Government. The opposition (NDP) is all about unions, higher wages, increase of corporate taxes etc...etc... all things that will drive investment away from my Province. Then the Conservatives in my Province actually have no allegiance to the federal Conservative Party in any way shape or form. In fact I talked to a federal leader and he said that the two parties are enemies and that the federal party would rather I vote Liberal then for my provinces Conservative Government.
So I am faced with the fact that I can't vote for anyone worth electing in my province. Their isn't a single party or leader in my province capable or wanting to help the Provinces job and entertainment sectors. With HST shot down for good and the Government choosing to reverse any or all of its business oriented bills it leaves me with no choices. If I vote for the opposition they will further destroy the economy and businesses in my province , If I vote for the current Government they will only further mess up and destroy my province. If I vote Conservative #1. They can't win #2. They don't share any of my political views despite being called Conservative they don't have a platform similar to that of the federal Conservatives rather closer to the American's republicans.
Summary, my provinces Government is incompetent and full of dip shits. The only hope for the entertainment and business sectors survival is that another province like Ontario or Quebec make big mistakes in other words their misfortune would benefit my province more then anything else.
So is it wrong to wish another state/province in your country harm for the sake of your Province/State? I view it as very selfish but in a country suffering from recession and increased competition its very hard not to do so!
What are your thoughts? Have you ever hoped a competing Province/State within your country slips up and cuts your Province/State a break?
-JC7
"In God We Trust - In Games We Play " - Joel Reimer
