Every year, they are overcharging the Federal Government, Provinces, Cities, Universities, Hospitals and Small Business owners for the right to use Microsoft Office. They make 40% margins. It's absolutely disgusting.
Microsoft has basically managed to tax every single Canadian.
If you go to a Canadian University, whether you like it or not, you are paying the Microsoft tax. Because your tuition is paying Microsoft. If you pay provincial taxes, you pay the Microsoft Tax. Whether you like it or not, the provinces are paying Microsoft. If you go buy food at the supermarket, whether you like it or not, you are paying the Microsoft tax. Because Canadian supermarket companies are paying Microsoft. You want to buy a bus ticket ? You are paying Microsoft. The Bus company is paying Microsoft.
It's parasitism. Microsoft is a parasite that feeds on the Canadian economy.
It's a wonderful alternative to Microsoft Office. It's free, secure, and developed by a non-profit organization that I financially support. I urge people to switch to Libre Office instead of Word/Excel/PowerPoint.
After a few days, you quickly get used to it. Then you just wonder "Why we are all paying Microsoft so much money in the first place?".
We need Canadian institutions, small and big, to do the same. Stop paying the Microsoft tax. Fight the Parasite.
Are there no Canadian financial institutions capable of launching their own cards and payment processors? That seems like a pretty big issue if the US is still skimming money off of each Buy Canadian purchase made by any medium other than cash.
Linux/libre-software user since 2006. Stop funding this hostile foreign power. It is in Canadians best interest to get out from under the autocratic techno-elite paradigm. Embrace freedom, leave your serfdom behind.
Every time I see American news about Canada, it is striking how they are so completely clueless about how infuriated the Canadians have been with the US lately.
This isn't just one of the usual quarrels we have with them from time to time. This is an existential threat. Canadians are kept awake wondering if they'll have to wage guerrilla warfare against an invader in their future. All of this because the spoiled rich toddler the Americans have elected has decided that he is entitled to Canada.
I have never once in my life thought about owning a gun. I hated the idea of ever having one in my home. Now I'm kind of wondering if I should get one in the event the US does invade...
This CEO apparently thought the US treating Canada like they are under sanctions, while threatening to invade them, is how you normally treat your biggest trade partner and close ally.
In this upside-down you have Trump repeatedly threatening to invade Canada and Greenland while only being "upset" with Putin. He has got the whole US in travel advisories of close to a dozen countries at this point (not just the wacky Red States), and we are only 3 months in.
I can see the difference in my pantry versus what is on the grocery store shelves today. Tins that used to proudly state Product of USA Imported by some company in Mississauga ON, now only mentions the importer and hides the country of origin. Evidently many American companies are ashamed to be associated with their own country.
For me, a product with no clear country of origin goes back on the shelf. If I'm not sure where it's a product of and there's a possibility of it being American, I'm not buying.
Time for some laws about country of origin labelling then. In Australia there are clear laws about this since 2016. Pretty sure the EU has something similar.