Oh oh say can you see, by the dawns early light....Friends musicians country men...lend me your cleaning lady, that's right cleaning lady. We need to clear our minds of the animosity and contempt Canadians have for Americans. Yes we are different, but doesn't Canada pride itself on embracing difference, why cant we be that way with our neighbor? I'm not saying roll over and take crap from their government, I'm saying citizen to citizen realize we are all the same, in fact I liken the patriotism in the US to the Quebecois patriotism. Canadians have no patriotism, maybe we get a little revved up for hockey, but that's it. I have been in Quebec city for Saint Jean Baptiste day, it was great to see Canadians with Patriotism..... about anything. People there love being Quebecois and aren't affraid to show it, they sing songs about chopping off english peoples heads as well...I don't hear the US singing songs about chopping off Canadians heads. Anyway that's my two cents, lay off the USA bashing, Bash Bush all you want, Bash their economic policy but the people?? Come on...
Oh oh say can you see, by the dawns early light....Friends musicians country men...lend me your cleaning lady, that's right cleaning lady. We need to clear our minds of the animosity and contempt Canadians have for Americans. Yes we are different, but doesn't Canada pride itself on embracing difference, why cant we be that way with our neighbor? I'm not saying roll over and take crap from their government, I'm saying citizen to citizen realize we are all the same, in fact I liken the patriotism in the US to the Quebecois patriotism. Canadians have no patriotism, maybe we get a little revved up for hockey, but that's it. I have been in Quebec city for Saint Jean Baptiste day, it was great to see Canadians with Patriotism..... about anything. People there love being Quebecois and aren't affraid to show it, they sing songs about chopping off english peoples heads as well...I don't hear the US singing songs about chopping off Canadians heads. Anyway that's my two cents, lay off the USA bashing, Bash Bush all you want, Bash their economic policy but the people?? Come on...
Comments
Dude..i sat down with a 'joint chiefs of staff' guy from the pentagon once in washington...nice enough guy...
of course...he said...'oh yeah...i know you canadians...i went to Vancouver once...you guys are great, funny'....slightly condesending...then he said something like 'god forbid we send a missile up to Canada'...dude i kid you not...it was a little eery...i can't remember the context of his statement...but the fact that he said that...was spooky and did not make me feel good.
hey..i hear you...people are people...all's i'm saying is...occasionally...yikes...
that's alls i'm saying...i know people are jackasses everywhere...i happen to be one!
alls i'm sayin' is yikes dude...
one hell of a guy...with passion and a brain...
now the american thing...good conversation...i dig going to the states...like going to see a play in new york...grand ol' opry in nashville...it's got that 'big time' vibe man...fun...exciting...
i just find in scary when i converse with certain US residents in power who don't really get/care about Canada... that's not the US's gig...they're gig is 'bigger and better'...
just too much sugar is a bad thing...
But what makes them different from us is that--and this is from diverse experience with Americans not just here and in the States, but in Europe too--they don't give a crap about any country besides their own. Unless, of course, they are first or second generation Americans. Then they give a crap about their home country. But within a generation or two, that crap-giving quality is obliterated by rampant insularity.
They're not the only ones like this. But they ARE like this. On a recent trip to Nashville, when I mentioned I was from Canada, one American's response was "Oh, you mean you're from Greater America?" I smiled, because I'm Canadian, but deep down I wanted to stuff the stars and stripes up his self-centered American butt. When a taxi driver asked us where we were from, and heard we were Canadian, he proceeded to dictate to us everything that's wrong with the Canadian health care system. My thought (unspoken--I'm Canadian after all) was that he could stuff his unsolicited and profoundly non-factual opinion where the star-spangled banner don't shine.
I guess my point is that I love Americans, but I hate that kind of closed-minded-self-centered-navel-gazing ignorance. And you know what? CANADIANS AREN'T LIKE THAT. We're BRED to be interested in other cultures (bigoted exceptions noted). So don't think Canadians hate Americans, we don't. Honest to God (you know, God--the real president of America), I really do love the American people. They are to be admired for their many positive qualities. They're extremely hard-working, real, fun-loving, and funny. They just need to look up from their navels once in a while.
i'm tired now...i had a big burger and fries...just like americans do...
dude..their portions are too large over there...unhealthy..can u help on that front?
And who are these ubiquitous "evil dudes" after anyways? And why? Most effects have at least the glimmer of a cause...Not saying anybody deserves bad treatment or attacks, or that psychotic fundamentalists aren't bad and shouldn't be brought to justice (i.e. not ignored while Bush attacks some oil empire). But the truism that fundamentalism is dangerous has to apply in all cases--not just when it's 'them' 'the other guys' 'the foreigners'.
American fundamentalism is no less insidious than any other kind.
They just have better PR.
But NOT all Americans are like that. More than 50% are just regular, normal people like us Canadians!
I totally agree that people in some of the big cities (like New York, which I consider the Canada of the U.S.) are different because they're used to dealing with things that are new and different. (Notice how few of those people are Republicans? Mmmmm...hmmmmm...:^)
Also, what's with the junk food, especially the obsession with fried food? You can't swing a deep-fried cat down there without tripping over a deep-fried hamburger.
Hey are you two coming out Saturday to see the Skydiggers and Cash Brothers at le Mouton Noir?
uhh Saturday...wouldn't mind going..
If someone's an asshole, then that person is an asshole...regardless of where that individual is from.
Why be proud to be Canadian? Why be proud to be American? Why be proud? Why not be thankful instead?
G.
I guess my admiration of patriotism comes from the apparent lack of it here in Canada. Besides hockey the one thing Canadians get all revved up about is hating Americans. Speaking of which, I think if we want to rally behind and berate another group there are so many other, better choices, but no we are just to lazy to look further than the folks closest to us. Its popular to hate Americans, I guess, and god forbid we stand up for them they are just..just.. pure evil....you know what ....amass the troops!!!, get your personal bomb harnesses out we've had enough , its time to wipe out the people that plague our earth cause us suffering and makes every breath we take completely unbearable. (Hmmmmm sounds a bit hitlerish, but hey, they deserve it right?)
I guess we feel the Americans are bullies, and arrogant, basically ignorant of any other way of life......I wonder what Canada's aboriginal people would say about us, or the Japanese that stayed here during WWII, what would they say? I don't think that any of us are innocent, and pretending we are, is foolish.
Is that "Limbaugh" enough for ya... : )
gizzy...are you cultured or cultureless?
just curious...
you people are way too P.C...
borrrringgggggg....i can barely keep my eyes open...
sheez
i'm gonna invite Switzer to comment....stand by...
can we raise the discussion? perhaps get to the core question/answer here...
...i'm sending you an email regarding another item!
seacrest -out
Well they would say its a shame you raped the land after you stole it from the people who cared for it for a thousand years..that would be my guess.
Same as we did here.
I dont know if Im a patriot as per say .. but Ilove my country. Is that the same thing? I love it for its culture its people(mostly) The land and what mos tcanadians belive in. freedom for all.
I dont mind americans. i dont mind Amrican patriots. I mind them telling me what to do where to go who they think they will make bend to thier will. I mind the way they deal with every other country in the world like they are an older sibiling smiling and pushing them around with deals to coarse them into union and thier back door dealings. Maybe its just the states has more publisized bad dealings. im not sure.
I dont find canadians think that americans are assholes.. most just think they are uneducated.
I dont thnk its patriotism in the states. It means love and defend of ones country. The states is more like nationalism. On a large military scale.
Ill get back to you....
- Switzer
n.
Devotion to the interests or culture of one's nation.
The belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively, emphasizing national rather than international goals.
That sounds Ameriacn.
-Switzer
I think the Canada vs. America is just the symptom, not the disease. The world is full of "Canada vs. America" experiences. Envy, greed, arrogance, etc. are all part of the human condition. Where and when they are displayed depends on the specific set of circumstances.
Take a group of people and divide them into two unequal sized groups (10:1 ratio, for example). If the larger group is fairly capable of being self-sufficient, it will not place a great deal of emphasis on understanding the smaller group (and any other smaller groups that may exist). They may also discover that when they do need the smaller group to act in a certain way they can use their greater size (people and other resources) to threaten (economically or physically) the smaller group into getting their way. They may even become arrogant and, instead of recognizing the fortunate circumstances that lead to their success, think that their success is an indication of their being inherently better or God's chosen people.
Conversely, the smaller group will quickly realize that they cannot adopt the same tatics as the larger group. They cannot use economic or physical threats to get their way. Instead, they must negotiate in a very stragetic way. They must try to win favour by being nice and being willing to give up some things in order to get others. Their goal is not to win, but to find a "win/win". Compassion, empathy and even-handedness become more valued than win at all costs.
I'll admit that is a somewhat simplistic explanation, but I think that looking at the issue in these terms, without the labels of "Canadian" and "American" takes some of the emotion out of the discussion and allows us to look a bit deeper into ourselves. I know we all need to find something that makes us feel good about ourselves. Why else would there be the impulse to criticize those who appear to have what we secretly want, or devalue that which we know we can never attain? But do you really think that if Canadians were to wake up one day to find that our country had become the richest, most powerful nation in the world, there would be no change in our behavour? Hopefully some of the perspective we have gained from being a smaller player in the world would be retained, but it would likely not be long before arrogance and undisguised self-interest would rear their heads. Sorry for being wishy-washy, but I don't think Canadians are better. I don't think Americans are better. We're just people acting in our own self-interest, dressing it up with different labels and occassionally being surprised by acts of selflessness.
p.s. for those who still wish ill upon the U.S., you can take some solice in the fact that I think the American Empire is entering its twilight years. The majority of its debt is owned by foreigners and it will increasing face competition from developing nations such as China and India. It will have to learn the art of compromise. What you see now are the last gasps of a nation that has been use to getting its own way. Unfortunately, it usually takes a good beating for the school yard bully to change his ways. Just remember, that we will remain in the U.S's sphere of influence. Their pain will also be felt for us.
Peace all, and remember, not only are things closer than they appear in the rear view mirror, they are also never as good as they seem nor as bad as they seem. ENGAGE MULA BANDHA and RELAAAAAAAAX!!!
If you like great shots check out my site... lol nice swing there I know. lol
www.dissidentimages.com/monthfeature/bluepeople.htm
or just the main site www.dissidentimages.com
-Switzer
But I don't know if I agree about the ratio thing. At least not in how it applies to Canada. I think the US and Canada's differences come from having a very very different history and very different political structures. I don't see the connection between the size of your population and your cultural predilection for educating yourself about other cultures. I think that the roots of US history (puritan freaks leaving England because of cultural oppression to set up their bizarre authoritarian communities beyond the prying eyes of the Crown, criminals being sent to the new world as punishment (!), people just wanting to go someplace where they could have land and power and not be indentured forever, SLAVERY) are at the center of their insularity, not their population. People in other highly populated countries don't have the same lack of interest in the world. It's really a uniquely American cultural trait.
Damn I sound anti American... Maybe in as I enter the summer of my life I am begining to be less tolerable. Hmmm - Switzer
i have nothing to say on the topic...people have eloquently weighed in..i am speechless...never happened before...
are we done on this topic? maybe we need a new one...
unless there's new activity...i suggest andrew starts another....health care? canadian gov't? music industry? sex, drugs? rock and roll? i keep saying ....saw that johnny cash movie and it made me wanna pop pills and rock on stage...all rockabilly style. Is that a good thing?
hey chop....isn't the Cash brothers show sold out???
bidy bidy bidy that's all folks....
I will check on the Cash Borther show, but it could be , if it is , what is the plan?
1. My whole point was I don't hate Americans, just closed-mindedness.
2. My other point was I agree with eric, their economy looks likes it's collapsing and that's BAD for us.
3. Switzer, your whole point about Americans choosing not to give a crap about others is the same point I'm making, so nice try.
4. Jackp, why post a comment if it's only to ask other people to stop commenting?!
5. Superchop, we don't use real first names in the blogosphere unless that's the person's blogging name, jeeez do I have to teach you men everything???
Bonus point:
6. Bobbysan, what's with the chicks in red capes fetish?
Ujjayi breathing for all.
-Eric
You're saying people act largely on the basis of self interest, but you're also telling me to lead by example. If I'm basically selfish, why would I do that? Unless there's some concrete thing outside myself that matters just as much as I do. Like addressing systems of thought like closed-mindedness that prevent us from reaching our full Chantyi Pranic Ujjai potential...
- Eric
-Switzer
On that note I look forward to your comments on religion, as I believe that may be my next rant.
I love you all
ok:
System
A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole...
An organized set of interrelated ideas or principles...
The prevailing social order; the establishment. Used with: You can't beat the system, man...
I'm not really following you on the leadership thing, but I suspect you're trying to lure me into some kind of cult or possibly a pyramid scheme...maybe some condos in Florida?
:^)
Sounds good too me....
Oh yeas shes an American for sure.
- Switzer
Have a nice day,
-Switzer
Here's a really awesome opinion article on US politics and Jesus from today's NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/opinion/09wills.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&en=29cfd3907279edaf&ex=1144900800
May spark some conversat...sorry, that has 4 syllables...it may spark some talkin'