Peter Zeihan - Canada, demographics and immigration - BNN Bloomberg - Sep 7, 2023

As countries around the world contend with aging demographics, one geopolitical expert says Canada has been able to minimize the impacts due to a robust immigration system.
Peter Zeihan, a geopolitical expert and author, said in an interview with BNN Bloomberg on Thursday that decades of geopolitical shifts have resulted in declining birth rates across many different countries, including Germany Poland and Japan.
After years of lower birth rates, he said “this was always the decade” many nations would see a dwindling number of working-age adults.
In the case of Canada, Zeihan said the country’s immigration system has worked to alleviate economic challenges that often arise when a large swath a population ages out of the workforce.
“Canada has found a partial patch to the demographic crisis that has plagued most of the rest of the world in immigration. It’s the only country in the world that has been able to pull it off,” Zeihan said.
As long as you keep the door open, you're bringing in people in their 20s. And there just is a very limited supply of those on a global basis that actually have skills.”
However, Canada’s immigration policy comes with risks, Zeihan said, pointing to pressures in the housing market.

[@watchthe1369]

There are reports that the logistics companies in China are freaking out because they only got 10% of the contracts they were expecting.

[@raymondk6721]

Please explain?

[@stoneyn8]

@@raymondk6721Chinese exports have plummeted

[@TrendyStone]

If you treat your best customer (the US) like crap…don’t be surprised when they shop elsewhere.

[@tacoqueengamergirl7890]

The news about China economic collapse has been around over 20 years. your MSN has nothing to say and keep up to produce more fake news.

[@NeostormXLMAX]

@@TrendyStonelmao its china that wishes to decouple not the usa

[@tymciach5003]

I live in Toronto, it’s becoming a dump. Mental health everywhere, crime everywhere. It has really declined in the past 10 years.

[@NeostormXLMAX]

Thank neo cons and neo liberals like zeihan w😂😂

[@NeostormXLMAX]

Btw zeihan only hates china he doesnt care about you, he still wants all the jobs in the usa and canada shipped to india or other countries instead of china but it makes no difference in results 😂😂😂

[@joemccarthy7120]

Toronto used to be a very cool city. Now it is right up there with Vancouver as Canada's most impressive failure. @@NeostormXLMAX

[@klnrklnr4433]

mental health is severely underfunded in canada. we are witnessing the effects across the country now

[@allanblack2793]

All well and good on the macro and investor class perspective. But flooding a country with people without the infrastructure is solidly idiotic.

[@temujanradari1105]

Different tone from Peter due to the different audience, but he used most of his catchphrases

[@FlugHerr]

I listen to Peter a lot. Usually right on. Timing may be off a little but his logic is solid.

[@lawrencefrost9063]

He is wrong about a few major things like EVs and his reluctanct to consider the cartels and more importantly Islamism as a serious threat is ludacris. He also isn't considering AI enough.

[@ravishingravi]

He is pretty wrong very often even on big issues. Russia being the biggest. He is a pro establishment neocon.

[@pseudoscientist8010]

​@@lawrencefrost9063write a book. Lol

[@NeostormXLMAX]

@@pseudoscientist8010zeihan has been wrong constantly he just says the same shit every year so eventually he is rigjt

[@chronus4421]

First time viewer, came because of PZ.

[@landontesar3070]

and a heckuva tie!

[@j2174]

Canada is not integrating immigrants well because they are told to keep their cultures and ways, and not learn Canadian history, culture and ways and not to participate in it actively. Many Canadians aren’t taught or participate in Canadian culture either, especially those in the big cities.

[@alexsdb9712]

It's simply been downgraded into a mere bus station or airport terminal. It's not Canada or anything.

[@pseudoscientist8010]

I'm with the Dalai Lama and re-immigration

[@johnbell6007]

Get guys like this more often for analysis. Excellent.

[@duderanch18237]

He’s been wrong about everything.

[@lughaidhmoutia3589]

​@@duderanch18237he said you were good looking

[@ToddSauve]

@@duderanch18237 No he hasn't. Nobody is perfect. Period. But Peter is awfully good at analyzing these matters.

[@duderanch18237]

@@ToddSauve we’re way more screwed economically here in North America than china is at all. They’re a massive military power, it’s navy will be bigger than the US’s by 2030, and with over a billion people, the communist party won’t think twice about leaving the aged population to starve and die.

[@campfireeverything]

@@duderanch18237He predicted the invasion of Ukraine even to the exact month and year.

[@williamhoffer9277]

I don't think that there will be a shortage of workers, because advances in A.I. and robotics will allow companies to manufacture products without them. I believe that the biggest problem will be finding customers to purchase those products.

[@ashleymercedesdiaz]

There it is, eventually only so many people can afford will be able to afford the 2k iPhone or a 65k electric car

[@TB-zf7we]

Unskilled immigration has also kept wages down.

[@aryaman05]

Why do you think Ole' Joe is keeping the southern borders thrown wide open ?

[@animaxima8302]

wages for unskilled people are low no matter where they come from.

[@joemccarthy7120]

Meanwhile, high immigration is driving up housing prices. Canadians suffer a double whammy.

[@barrybrand2970]

EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE PRODUCED IN NORTH AMERICA FOR CANADA AND US FAR BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

[@barrybrand2970]

@@nom_chompsky I'll pay a little more to help fellow Citizens then buy substandard communist quality that you throw away in 2 years.

[@MAC-vi7fy]

😂😂 An iPhone produced in US would cost 10,000$ if the workers work at min wage. Plus 65% of iPhone components are not even made in China, they are made in Germany, Poland, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Good luck destroying the economies of 6 countries while increasing the prices 10 times.

[@klnrklnr4433]

you ok with paying 20x more for everything?

[@barrybrand2970]

@@klnrklnr4433 yes if it's better quality and helping my neighbors.

[@richardjones2168]

Spot on tie

[@chesterfieldwenslydale7397]

Peter Zeihan always has great ties.

[@jabberwockytdi8901]

Well there's that at least.

[@stynnieuwenhuis9999]

lol Im a fan of his but he always dresses like a used car salesman

[@GrahamLT]

@@stynnieuwenhuis9999 I'd say his style is more late 90s to early 2000s software salesman 🤣

[@MelanieStewart1983]

Our immigration numbers are insane

[@Shankar-Bhaskar]

😘

[@MAC-vi7fy]

Immigration is the sole reason why US economy is growing. Look at Europe they stopped growing in 2007.

[@billchepil5933]

George Friedman often spoke of the denise of China in his book 'The Future 100 Years'. I bejieve Peter was a junior contrutor to Stratfor at tnhe time. He has done well for himself in the last decade.

[@ToddSauve]

Peter tends to reach conclusions. George does not. Thus Peter is simply a better analyst.

[@JohnnyAmerique]

Peter is right on the macroeconomics but there are a ton of non-economic problems with mass immigration, and we don’t really understand what the long term implications of having a country filled with people who don’t share a common background and history are. You walk down the streets of Toronto and it’s not at all unusual to hear a dozen different languages being spoken, none of which are English or French. Moreover, Canada doesn’t assimilate immigrants to the same extent as the USA does, so there are many discrete immigrant communities who don’t interact much with or integrate into the broader society. Probably this isn’t an existential issue for Canada given that it’s protected by its sibling country to the south, but there will be serious consequences as far as social cohesion that we don’t yet understand.

[@lawrencefrost9063]

This comment.. spot on

[@charlyr6076]

There are already some issues, and of course, we want to avoid the same problems that the Scandinavian countries have now, with their African and Middle East immigrants, cause not everyone who is a professional worker will adapt socially, and also they bring their families too. A very delicate situation for the coming years.

[@johnw9038]

I'm Canadian and I think Indian people are some of the best immigrants we could ask for. I even drove one to and from college when I was attending. But the sheer numbers makes me hate them.

[@pseudoscientist8010]

I'm with the Dalai Lama and re-immigration to save our culture our homes our lives.

[@mikesnyder7961]

@@johnw9038this is the problem. I work construction and maintenance. I do a lot of service calls on college campuses (Conestoga, Sheridan, etc). During class change, the entire hall, literally hundreds of students, are overwhelming Indian. I mean out of 300 faces I pass, maybe 50 ish are not Indian; and about 5-6 are white (that’s not hyperbole). Even if we could justify insane amounts of immigration, bringing them all from 1-2 countries is a recipe for resentment. If it was more of an even spread of different nationalities, it probably would lead to better social cohesion. Just my 2 cents

[@Feedback4Utoday]

nice concepts - but need some detail/ depth

[@psikeyhackr6914]

How does planned obsolescence affect geo-economics? When did you last hear an economist mention Net Domestic Product? Where does the data for the depreciation of durable consumer goods go into that equation?

[@jbqu3142]

Hé Pete, dis-moi la date la plus exacte possible de la fin du monde que je puisse retirer tous mes RÉER avant.

[@sifridbassoon]

Jeez, was this recorded in an airport? What's with all the background music? ........wait! gotta go, they're calling my flight LOL

[@kureboy8782]

Not sure on those figures on the percentage of foreign born being the highest. I believe Australia is much higher than Canada.

[@temujanradari1105]

Australia has 30% immigrants compared to Canada's 21% Australia accepts about 450K annually, whereas Canada accepts 500K... however these are counted differently as Australia includes short term residents such as international students or short term workers in their total, whereas Canada is measuring new residents. As Australia only accepts 190K permanent residents annually, whereas Canada accepts 500K

[@barryhaley7430]

Canada foreign born are 23% Australia is 29% but Canada’s population is much larger

[@dabluntz19]

@@temujanradari1105if Canada were to include international students, add another million to our immigration figures.

[@xps1997]

The Canadian immigration paradigm: ambitious ones leave to be replaced by refugees.

[@jessefisher1809]

Canada experiences some brain drain for sure, but is also on the receiving end of a lot of brain drain. Many many countries in world pay their professionals less than in Canada. With such a high HDI and GDP, we must be doing something right.

[@zi326]

@@jessefisher1809 Canadas high HDI and GDP is not a result of recent policies

[@MinecraftMasterNo1]

@@jessefisher1809 As soon as a Canadian immigrant gain citizenship, they begin their application for US citizenship, much like actual Canadians as soon as they reach working age. The benefits of living and working in the US massively outweigh anything Canada can offer and the net migrations statistics greatly highlights this fact.

[@gambit0913]

refugees are a tiny percent of Canadian immigrants...the majority of immigrants come in via express entry which is a points system (more educated or skill get in)

[@ToddSauve]

@@MinecraftMasterNo1 Until they find out the cost of health care in the US. They think "I'm young and will not get sick" until they do.

[@chrislim7976]

I'm no "geopolitical analyst" but dealing with China was the beginning of the end; and that was decades ago.

[@tonykennedy1615]

People are very adaptable. We'll survive.......in spite of government. Lol.

[@eg4933]

instead of us doing everything here in usa, kinda of stupid and naive if you ask me, offshore some or whole industries elsewhere again but maybe different regions this time around. It just makes more sense to leverage the world than just usa alone i mean the whole world potential left untapped.

[@MisterMonsterMan]

Zeihan misses just as often as he hits, but he is always interesting to listen to.

[@rumcoke9123]

I remember hearing this guy last year saying Ukraine would win the war and take Crimea by summer of 2023. He is clueless.

[@rajbaniwal3236]

Why Zeihan refuses to even mention India in any of his videos except while specifically talking about India (that too always in a bad way)? Every economist, every economic org and every big economy is positive on Indian growth story and the forecast is the best among all big economies and also has the best demographics. Something tells me Zeihan has a bias.

[@busdriver3330]

I am a bus driver in the Greater Toronto Area. My bus is usually filled with new Canadians aka immigrants. Until you deal with them on a day to day basis you don't know what is really going on. To a person, I find them polite, hard working, honest and extremely appreciative of being in Canada. I remember in the 70's and 80's, we had mass immigration and old Canadians were screaming bloody murder, but it all worked out and back then. I worked with many of them in the car repair business and man could they fix a car. Calm down old Canadians. Don't buy into the fear mongering. These new comers are going to work out just fine !

[@joemccarthy7120]

They are different now. Canada used to be more selective and did a better job integrating immigrants. Many of our sources now will never really integrate or be as productive as their predecessors. They don't have to.

[@user-cq2do8qy9i]

The problem is canada does not have house and Healthcare for its own citizens. Bringing in millions of ppl is lowering the living standards of canadians

[@joemccarthy7120]

@@user-cq2do8qy9i Immigration at Canada’s levels lowers Canada’s standard of living for multiple reasons. For example, it discourages productivity improving investments. To make matters worse, it is happening in the presence of high and rising carbon taxes and widespread urban densification policies. It is a toxic combination.

[@alexsdb9712]

That was then, this is now. It's the factors of level or quality, economy/resources, and simply numbers. 60s to 80s was with a lot of immigration, BUT that was the modern "professional class" era type of immigrants needed for positions that were actually existing as Canada (and usa) post-war was modernizing. Take note that today's equivalent of the 60s-80s professional class type of immigrants are no longer emigrating like their equivalent from the 60s-80s. This reflects what people have been saying, Canada /USA/etc have been "scraping the bottom of the barrel" in the past 20 or so years. Look deeper and it also puts Canada as a huge culprit and contributor towards brain drain. The other important factor was the immigration rate of 60s-80s was not senseless-haywire. The immigration rate was tied to job numbers and industry levels. Then finally, the numbers and space factor. Canada has long been proven to be a much smaller country than how it appears on the map. So with all of the immigration that has happened since the 90s to present (the real, destructive mass immigration times), Canada for its worth and situation is full. Just like a bucket left under a running tap. Too bad.

[@klnrklnr4433]

nope. you are just being willfully ignorant.@@joemccarthy7120

[@mikefish8226]

Canada hasn't solved any problems with immigration. Immigration is universally a terrible idea except between first world countries like the £10 Poms or the emigration to the old Dominions from the UK.

[@animaxima8302]

the UK is the only country in history that approved sanctions on itself

[@cjc5478]

debt-to-GDP is more than 2x in Japan than in Canada and inflation in Japan is minimal or almost non-existant so what is the cause of inflation in Canada if it is not so much because of government spending ? Immigration causes inflation ... what else could it be ? ? ?

[@marcusantoninus1838]

Maybe taxing carbon perhaps? Also tired of people suggesting Canada has low debt to GDP, we have had enough of idiotic government spending

[@cjc5478]

okay that too ... get rid of carbon tax we still can't pay the rent because immigration causes inflation of every kind

[@JohnFreedman0]

They raise taxes every year. Wages are stagnant. The money gets funneled in to top 20 global businesses, so that they can open a 20b operation in Canada at 30% of cost and tax free.

[@Tennis2016]

I liked Zeihan’s characterization of Chinese history as fake and that the country has only been independent in 1945. Same goes about Iran as it has only been ruled by so-called Persian since 1925. Before that for more than 1000 years it’s ruled by Turkic dynasties (current Azerbaijanis) and before that by Arabs …

[@daddytubewatches]

Canada is on a huge decline and I'm moving on too much background noise.

[@klnrklnr4433]

nope

[@BDee3126]

​@@klnrklnr4433Incorrect.

[@redmoonspider]

What you're looking at here is the reason why youre feeling the pain now, and how its about to get much worse. A fool or a tool?. Likely both. Second they put his nonsense up there, of course unchallenged.

[@BigDds300]

I think Peter's comments on Canadian immigration are off a bit. A lot of the immigrants are low skilled and dependent on social programs which is not good for the economy. There are also many who simply see Canada as an easy opportunity and not necessarily as place to settle down. Most of the immigration is coming from Asia and Africa which are very different culturally compared to Canada. This creates a whole set of problems on it's own and the fact that there is an anti-private sector government running the country makes Canada a difficult country to invest in.

[@klnrklnr4433]

refugees maybe but immigrants are vetted for skill set.

[@carmenlajoie2719]

Why not interview journalists from CGTN The Point-Hub-Heat. Einar Tangan-Martin Jacques-Lijinjing-Tian Wei Reporterfy-Cyrus Janssen. Poverty alleviation completed in China 5yrs ago, now Modernization-BRI-BRICS. BRI Forum cooperation in Agricultural-STEM Healthcare-Infrastructure and more....

[@dicksonluiakitperday2532]

We can't have that those people like Cyrus Jansen is giving us actual facts. But we have to stick with this moron Zeihan who only talks about China collapsing Russia also collapsing.

[@ajwo5984]

This thumbnail reeks like: “Jeez! I can’t believe people are taking me so seriously lol”

[@georgeboutwell6069]

GO GOVENor ABBOT #texas UP HOLD CONSTITUTIONAL OATH! #SupremeCourt Justices SUPPORT #AMERICA STATE #SOVEREIGNTY … foreign or domestic. "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

[@gregorygray3283]

Interesting Peter forecast that both Alberta and Saskatchewan were going to succeed from Canada and join USA look it up hmmm

[@tighthead1000]

Well if they got Manitoba they'd also have deep water ports and shipping access. But doubtful on any of the scenario

[@adrianvisentin534]

There is no problem. A.I. will fill the worker shortage. Immigration is a problem not a solution.

[@krizzleize]

Zeihan briefly alludes to, but has no interest in engaging with the society ending consequences of extreme mass migration. Total dilution of skill, values, history will be terminal for Canada. All for the nearsighted addiction to cheap low skilled labor. This is an unequivocal symptom of a nation in terminal failure.

[@klnrklnr4433]

lol what? this makes no sense.

[@waynegore5291]

Peter Zeihan is a lower version of Gordon Chang, less and worse education.

[@rlumsden1]

make babies.

[@NathanWatsonzero]

You doing a lot to make this happen then?

[@amunra5330]

Why does anyone listen to this guy? He is such a charlatan.

[@neilroy8840]

JUSTIN TRUDEAU GIVES CANADIANS THE PERFECT XMAS GIFT........................JUSTIN TRUDEAU RESIGNS

[@dannypope1860]

Zeihan has been wrong sooooo many times…

[@VancouverInvestor]

And right quite often. Thats how stratgeic thought works.

[@MinecraftMasterNo1]

@@KLRJUNE watch the many videos of actual experts in their respective fields breaking down his arguments. Zeihan is good for a quick summary and for raising interesting perspectives you didn't consider before. But he is not a prophetic messiah who can predict the future with any sort of certainty.

[@MinecraftMasterNo1]

@@KLRJUNE Ah yes, because the real experts are strawmen but you calling someone inferring a fact a "troll" is not. Got it. You must have an amazing life with that smug attitude of yours.

[@Wild_Danimal]

Wait so…. Is anyone gonna share where and when he’s been incorrect? I’m not trolling I’m curious now

[@dabluntz19]

He has but he’s been consistent in demographics talking points and that one is certainly coming true.

[@marcusantoninus1838]

Lost all respect for Peter after he called Chrystia Freeland one of the smartest people in the world. I could give a rats ass about anything he says after that.

[@klnrklnr4433]

said something you disagree with so you don't respect him anymore? that says more about you than him

[@dseer13]

This guy talks so much shit. But he does it in an entertaining way.

[@dannypope1860]

It’s pretty disgusting that he thinks people had kids just for “free labor”…

[@animaxima8302]

Not only free labor, but also as a support system when you get older. That's part of the mentality in rural areas. You may not like that logic but it's true.

[@abdiganiaden]

people were poor back then and needed any help they could get to run farms or just have support

[@VancouverInvestor]

Its also a joke. Geez...

[@wade2bosh]

It’s true tho

[@gabbar51ngh]

It's literally true.

[@jabberwockytdi8901]

Zeihan the self styled " Geopolitical expert" still trotting out his same broken record agenda no matter how the world around him changes...... Must have been a slow day at Bloomberg.