retiredgrunt45 said:
All this "anti-american" sentiment has put a bur under my seat. How different are we from the Americans? If anyone sat down and tried to "honestly" write down on a piece of paper the real differences between our two countries, they would be hard pressed to find very many. I'm a proud Canadian, but I'm also not going to fool myself, by saying we are so different from the Americans.
I think it is these similarities you quote that prop up and continue to drive continued anti-US sentiments. Because we are so similiar it becomes even more important to differentiate between 'us' and 'them'. Yes, Canadians are like Americans in a lot of ways, possibly up to 90% of our ways, but there are also key differences in culture, history and organization that make up the other 10% and we want everyone to know about it because we hate it when people in other countries think there is no difference between us, the same as when visitors confuse Belgique and French, or Italian and Sicilian.
As you see I am taking you up on this challenge. Here are a few differences I can see:
1. The right to bear arms - the US fought for its independence and embedded the right of arms into their consititution, while it was handed to us free on a platter as a defensive measure against US expansion.
2. Foreign policy - the US has throughout history believed it has the right to 'correct' countries which do not think the same way as they do. I dont believe Canada has ever 'invaded' another country (I'm sure anti-war groups will dispute this, but there you are...).
3. Use of economic and diplomatic power - our country uses its political and economic influence far less agressively and more cooperatively than the US.
4. Respect for the military and military achievements - US citizens, on average, have far greater respect and suppoirt for their military than our population does.
5. Health care - nuf said.
6. Socialism - a lot of the ways we do things in Canada are regarded as 'communist' in the US. They only call us 'socialist' to distinguish the bears from teh beavers.
7. Loyalty of entertainers and sports figures - too many of our (former) citizens go to the US because 'thats where the money is', which I dont blame them for doing if thats how you have to earn a living, but then they become US citizens permanently.
8. Power of provinces versus states - our provinces have far less influence than a state has in regard to their right to control natural resources that the local populations are dependent on.
9. Showing the flag - US citizens are proud to show the flag wherever they are, no matter where they are. Canadians are far less 'flag-happy'.
10. Popularity among other countries - again, nuf said.
These are only my observations of course, and not everyone else may agree with them. Regardless of the differences, I dont think they are enough to jusitify continued villification of a neighbouring country, especially since we are going to be neighbours for a long, long time.