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Are we manufacturers evolving into the new luddites or an endangered species?

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Photo Credit: Remy Gieling

BY STEVEN KASZAB

Having been a manufacturer for approximately 25 years and the son of a manufacturer, I feel somewhat qualified in commenting upon the state of the manufacturing sector and its relationship with the retail sector.

A long time ago a manufacturer could request money up front to help finance the large projects that they were involved in, and most large retailers would comply. There was a certain honoured respect between each sector of the economy. This all changed once the large retail sector became attached to cheap priced products made offshore.

Whether in: China, India, Mexico or many other national economies, our retailers hitched their wagons to the foreign manufacturers’ wagon trains. Can’t blame them at first. Foreign manufacturers pay their employees approximately 1/10 to 1/3 what: Canadian, American and European Manufacturers have to pay, often with no medical benefits offered. Our unions wage a quiet war against this situation, since a labourer is a labourer no matter where they may be located. Manufacturing learned how to carry out business within this foreign threat everywhere.

Retailers made off like bandits; importing a woman’s blouse landed for $1.98 and retailing it for $55-85.00.

I make store fixtures, retail furniture, and salon and spa equipment. The only way I can make some money is if I specialize and approach high-end retailers who demand custom made fixtures in small quantities. The Importers among us have developed foreign manufacturing to an art, helping offshore manufacturers to improve their products quality while maintaining their far less costly pricing levels. Such firms employ millions of citizens in warehouses across North America and Europe, warehousing, but not making the products. Since the pandemic has ended, these firms and their retail customers have moved back to importing products and fixtures from offshore. Prices have increased a bit, but they still remain far more competitive to our pricing. Retailers discovered the power of online markets, and the import power of the Amazons of the world brought profitability to many retailers also.

Manufacturers have responded to this love affair between our governments who allow it, importers who import the products and foreign manufacturers worldwide. We prefer to think of it as a group of capitalists that have no loyalty to their community, neighbourhood, or nation. Such people have affected the lives of millions who have lost their jobs to workers in other lands. Retailers have responded by charitable works, promoting their corporate vision within the communities they are located in. Regional economic droughts have ravaged North America’s small towns and created many societal problems that we deal with daily.

How do retailers make profit? 

  • Find sources of the products they wish to sell, preferably cheap in price but high in quality. Add profit.
  • Limit the number of employees that should be servicing customers to a bare minimum. Low labour costs.
  • Have products made at an extreme price point, no matter how, where, or if safely made. Add profit.
  • Own every aspect of the transportation, source (supplier) and retail environment. Add profit to each.
  • During the pandemic create artificial shortages so prices can be justifiably increased.
  • Create monopolies and in the case of communication technology oligopolies that control the marketplace.
  • Befriend/partner with all levels of government. Keep your friends close, your questioning enemies closer.

What have I seen retailers do to manufacturers? A client of mine was contracted to provide two to three stores for Hudson Bay retail. No money was provided at the beginning. Once the stores were completed the manufacturer waited for four to five months to receive payment.

Once they asked for payment, a thick book arrived with multiple complaints and a demand for a 20% discount on their invoices. The stores were operating for months, and the complaints were mostly scuffs on a cash counter or a store fixture. Only after we threatened to go into the stores to retrieve our products did they begin paying.

Another time a retailer received a half million dollars worth of store fixtures, and after receiving them closed shop and therefore would not pay for these items. Some forms of these incidents have happened multiple times. Retailers have huge costs, and they will often take it out on their suppliers. A manufacturer of religious plaques from Stayner, Ontario received multiple orders from Canada’s largest retailer. Sales of the product were low, and the supplier received no payment for their product. The retailer then told them their product would stay in store and they’d be paid as it sold. This was not what was agreed upon.

Manufacturers try to charge as much as they can, knowing that a retailer, or go between, can go out of business at any time. Restaurants have been the most difficult to work with, and the hardest to receive payment from. So, we go to larger corporations, and yet they too manipulate and push manufacturers around. Domestic mass manufacturing will eventually become a thing of the past. Only specialized firms who find a specific niche will survive and prosper in North America and Europe.

Manufacturers in North America and Europe are required to accept and work within the local/regional regulatory and legal framework, while our foreign competition does not. While Canadian manufacturing is required to live up to the Federal Green Initiative: Chinese, Indian, Asian, African and Caribbean-Latin American Manufacturers do not, unless their homeland requires them to do so.

Labour/Environmental Laws are very demanding, but we live in communities that need to be safe, environmentally clean for generations to come so we accept them. Not so in many other foreign environments. I have always worked towards a future that has clean air-water-land masses. Pollution we dislike, but why are 1st World Manufacturers forced to bear all the costs to clean and maintain our land mass while our so-called developing nation competitor’s say they are, but do not invest as we do.

It is not a coincidence that cheap imported products are made and provided in nations that are not free, or at peace with themselves, their people or other nations. China, India, Mexico are fine examples of nations where humanity is often not respected, where labour is used and abused. I am sounding like a complainer, am I not? I guess I am complaining. Hopefully you are listening and thinking about some of what you have read.

Henry Ford once said, “Quality means doing it right with no one looking.” Domestic manufacturers make superior quality yet most of our neighbours do not recognize this reality. Is our manufacturing sector working in a broken system? A bad system will break a good person every time. Sometimes we feel broken, lost in a system that shows us the carrot, only to give it to others almost every time. Small and medium manufacturers are often artisans finding themselves fighting monsters of mass production. Are we manufacturers evolving into the new luddites or an endangered species?

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Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive

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Photo credit - Press Foto

BY KHADIJA KARIM

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name, or where you left your phone and thought, “Why can’t I remember anything?” Forgetting might feel frustrating, but it turns out that forgetting things can actually be good for you. Experts believe forgetting might be an important part of human survival and could even have benefits.

You probably think that remembering everything would be better, right? If you remembered every tiny detail, like what you had for breakfast three weeks ago, or the colour of every car you saw today, you would be overwhelmed. Our brains are constantly receiving information, and if we didn’t forget some of it, we wouldn’t be able to focus on what really matters at that time.

Forgetting helps you clear out information you don’t need, and it helps your brain remember the most useful memories. Think about how hard it would be to focus on important things if your mind was filled with random thoughts. Forgetting helps you stay focused and keeps your mind from getting lost.

So, why would evolution make us forget things? Early humans had to deal with dangerous environments that changed quickly. They needed to remember things that helped them survive, like where to find food, or how to avoid predators. They didn’t need to remember every small detail, like what happened last week. Forgetting information, they didn’t need allowed them to make quick decisions based on what was most important at that moment in time.

For example, if you remember a recent storm, you might make sure to stay inside or find shelter. If you remembered every storm you’d ever seen, it would be harder to make decisions about the present. Forgetting irrelevant details helps you stay on your feet and helps you react faster to new situations. This ability to forget likely helped early humans survive and make better decisions in their everyday lives.

Next time you forget something, don’t be too hard on yourself! Forgetting is a natural part of how our brains work and can actually help you stay focused on the important things. It might seem annoying at times, but it’s helping you make better decisions. Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive in a world that’s always changing!

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Blink equity dives deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in Canadian law firms

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Photo Credit: AI Image

BY ADRIAN REECE

Representation in the workforce has been a topic of conversation for years, particularly in positions of influence, where people can shift laws and create fair policies for all races. Representation in the legal system is an even more talked about subject, with many Black men being subjected to racism in courts and not being given fair sentencing by judges.

The fear of Black men entering the system is something that plagues mothers and fathers as they watch their children grow up.

Blink Equity, a company led by Pako Tshiamala, has created an audit called the Blink Score. This audit targets law firms and seeks to identify specific practices reflecting racial diversity among them in Toronto. A score is given based on a few key performance indicators. These KPIs include hiring practices, retention of diverse talent, and racial representation at every level.

The Blink Score project aims to analyze law firms in Ontario with more than 50 lawyers. The Blink Score is a measurement tool that holds law firms accountable for their representation. Firms will be ranked, and the information will be made public for anyone to access.

This process is ambitious and seeks to give Canadian citizens a glimpse into how many people are represented across the legal field. While more and more people have access to higher education, there is still a gap between obtaining that higher education and working in a setting where change can be made. The corporate world, at its highest points, is almost always one race across the board, and very rarely do people of colour get into their ranks. They are made out to be an example of how anyone from a particular race can achieve success. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Nepotism plays a role in societal success; connections are a factor, and loyalty to race, even if people are acquainted.

People of colour comprise 16% of the total lawyers across the province. Positions at all levels range from 6% to 27%. These numbers display the racial disparity among law practitioners in positions of influence. Becoming a lawyer is undoubtedly a huge accomplishment. Still, when entering the workforce with other seasoned professionals, your academic accolades become second to your professional achievements and your position in the company.

What do these rankings ultimately mean? A potential for DEI-inclusive practices, perhaps? That isn’t something that someone would want in this kind of profession. This kind of audit also opens law firms up to intense criticism from people who put merit above all other aspects of professional advancement. On the other hand, there is a potential for firms to receive clientele based on their blink score, with higher ones having the chance to bring in more race-based clients who can help that law firm grow.

It is only the beginning, and changes will undoubtedly be made in the legal field as Blink Equity continues to dive deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in these law firms. This audit has the power to shift the power scale, and place people of colour in higher positions. There are hierarchies in any profession, and while every Lawyer is qualified to do what they are trained to do, it is no shock that some are considerably better than others at their jobs. The ones who know how to use this audit to their advantage will rise above the others and create a representative image for themselves among their population.

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“The Pfizer Papers!” Documentation of worldwide genocide

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

We are living in a world where promises of health and safety came packaged in a tiny vial, one injection was promoted by powerful governments, supported by respected institutions, and championed by legacy media worldwide. Sadly, beneath the surface, a darker truth emerged.

Reports from around the globe began to tell a different story—one that was not covered in the news cycles or press conferences. Families torn apart by unexpected losses, communities impacted in ways that few could have foreseen, and millions questioning what they had been told to believe.

Those who dared to question were silenced or dismissed (the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper being one of those sources). “Trust the science,” we were told. “It’s for the greater good.” As time went on, the truth became impossible to ignore.

Now, I bring more news to light—information that demands your attention and scrutiny. The time to passively listen has passed; this is the moment to understand what’s really at stake.

I reviewed an interview with Naomi Wolf, journalist and CEO of Daily Clout, which detailed the serious vaccine-related injuries that Pfizer and the FDA knew of by early 2021, but tried to hide from the public. I was introduced to “The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer’s Crimes Against Humanity.” What I learned is that Pfizer knew about the inadequacies of its COVID-19 vaccine trials and the vaccine’s many serious adverse effects, and so did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA promoted the vaccines anyway — and later tried to hide the data from the public.

To produce “The Pfizer Papers,” Naomi, and Daily Clout Chief Operations Officer Amy Kelly convened thousands of volunteer scientists and doctors to analyze Pfizer data and supplementary data from other public reporting systems to capture the full scope of the vaccines’ effects. They obtained the data from the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, a group of more than 30 medical professionals and scientists who sued the FDA in 2021 and forced the agency to release the data, after the FDA refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request.

It was then that the federal court ordered the agency to release 450,000 internal documents pertaining to the licensing of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The data release was significantly and the documents so highly technical and scientific that according to Naomi, “No journalist could have the bandwidth to go through them all.”

The “Pfizer Papers” analysts found over 42,000 case reports detailing 158,893 adverse events reported to Pfizer in the first three months The centerpiece of “The Pfizer Papers” is the effect that the vaccine had on human reproduction. The papers reveal that Pfizer knew early on that the shots were causing menstrual issues. The company reported to the FDA that 72% of the recorded adverse events were in women. Of those, about 16% involved reproductive disorders and functions. In the clinical trials, thousands of women experienced: daily bleeding, hemorrhaging, and passing of tissue, and many other women reported that their menstrual cycle stopped completely.

Pfizer was aware that lipid nanoparticles from the shots accumulated in the ovaries and crossed the placental barrier, compromising the placenta and keeping nutrients from the baby in utero. According to the data, babies had to be delivered early, and women were hemorrhaging in childbirth.

Let us take us to another part of the world, where research has been done on other pharmaceutical companies. A group of Argentine scientists identified 55 chemical elements — not listed on package inserts — in the: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, CanSino, Sinopharm and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines (according to a study published last week in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research).

The samples also contained 11 of the 15 rare earth elements (they are heavier, silvery metals often used in manufacturing). These chemical elements, which include lanthanum, cerium and gadolinium, are lesser known to the general public than heavy metals, but have been shown to be highly toxic. By the end of 2023, global researchers had identified 24 undeclared chemical elements in the COVID-19 vaccine formulas.

Vaccines often include excipients — additives used as preservatives, adjuvants, stabilizers, or for other purposes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), substances used in the manufacture of a vaccine, but not listed in the contents of the final product should be listed somewhere in the package insert. Why is this important? Well, researchers argue it is because excipients can include allergens and other “hidden dangers” for vaccine recipients.

In one lot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, researchers identified 15 chemical elements, of which 14 were undeclared. In the other lot, they detected 21 elements of which 20 were undeclared. In the CanSino vial, they identified 22 elements, of which 20 were undeclared.

The three Pfizer vials contained 19, 16 and 21-23 undeclared elements respectively. The Moderna vials contained 21 and between 16-29 undeclared elements. The Sinopharm vials contained between 17-23 undeclared elements and the Sputnik V contained between 19-25 undetected elements.

“All of the heavy metals detected are linked to toxic effects on human health,” the researchers wrote. Although the metals occurred in different frequencies, many were present across multiple samples.

I am not going to go any further with this; I think you get the picture. We have been sold wolf cookies, very dangerous ones. These pharmaceutical companies must be held accountable. I am proud of anyone who has gone after them for retribution, and have received it. Regardless, in many ways, there is no repayment for a healthy life.

REFERENCES:

https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/111

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/why-a-judge-ordered-fda-to-release-covid-19-vaccine-data-pronto

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/toxic-exposures/

Pfizer’s ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ — and Legacy Media’s Failure to Report on Them

55 Undeclared Chemical Elements — Including Heavy Metals — Found in COVID Vaccines

 

Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency

FDA Should Need Only ‘12 Weeks’ to Release Pfizer Data, Not 75 Years, Plaintiff Calculates

Judge Gives FDA 8 Months, Not 75 Years, to Produce Pfizer Safety Data

Most Studies Show COVID Vaccine Affects Menstrual Cycles, BMJ Review Finds

Report 38: Women Have Two and a Half Times Higher Risk of Adverse Events Than Men. Risk to Female Reproductive Functions Is Higher Still.

 

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