The New York Times’ Most Popular Comment Ever is About Canada

Forget about the American Dream.

The most popular comment of all time on The New York Times’s site was a tribute to Canada and all the wonderful things about her.

And it’s author? Bob from Calgary.

In an attempt to show the world what the Times comment moderators have to contend with – 9,000 submitted comments a day, 60,000 unique contributors, and approximately two million comment recommendations a month – the news site released a list of the most popular comments of all time.

And instead of a New Yorker, or even an American, taking the top spot, Calgarian Bob’s response to a piece entitled “The Angry Rich” by Paul Krugman, who wrote about anger in the U.S over paying higher taxes, took the highest honour.

Bob received an impressive 7,021 recommendations for his comment posted back in 2010 – a whopping 1,538 more than the runner-up in second place.

The Calgary native responded to the piece by saying how delighted he was, as a Canadian, to pay higher taxes so that he can enjoy benefits like universal health care, maternity leave, and decent infrastructure, as well as better schooling and universities.

“My household makes just over $250,000 here in Canada. One of the best bargains I get for my money is living in a place where I and everyone I know sends their kids to public schools because they are really good. We end up with few criminals, because students learn how to be productive good citizens in schools.

A second bargin I get is universal health care. Great care (rated well above the American system in most measures) whenever you need it without worry about not being approved. It all comes at a bargain price of about 50% of the cost of the US health system.

A third bargain is the modernizing infrastructure. Cities in Canada are building new commuter train systems, rebuilding old overpasses and other roadways, building new schools, new recreation centres, etc. We are not quite like a new city in China, but we are not the decrepit cities of the USA where governments are shutting the lights out at night because they have no money. In Canada, we realize that we can’t live off of the work of our grandfathers forever.”

Despite Bob’s penchant for misspelling ‘bargain’, we have to say that we are in full agreement.

And although the comment was originally posted on the site five years ago, the truth in what Bob says of his country still remains and is a testament to how great Canada truly is.

Bravo, Bob.

See Bob’s comment in full here.

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