I had a long and serious talk with an American friend recently in an attempt to understand on a one to one level what I already know, but really need to understand a bit better.
Americans are hurting. Well, they are if they look around or watch TV and follow their news. They generalize they are misunderstood, blamed, and isolated, and I really want to understand how much that perception filters down to individuals.
We had a lively and honest discussion.
Issues are complex between any sovereign nations.
Because I have access to US media I feel an odd obligation most of the time to ignore collective ignorance on both sides of the border, and try to address others non-defensively.
The blame game is toxic and purile.
I know it isn’t going to stop.
The larger question is how can I as an individual help foster understanding?
I found this article summarizing how Canada is portrayed, and all the troubles we supposedly imported to the US recently.
- a mad cow
- the August blackout
- September 11, 2001 terrorists entered the US from Canada
- importing cheap pharmaceuticals and unfair trade practises
- undermining the Hollywood film industry
Gee, there must be more than the above that are ‘our’ fault, eh? :^)
Canadians have been so busy explaining to the Americans that we aren’t British, and to the British that we aren’t Americans that we haven’t had time to become Canadians.- Helen Gordon McPherson
Americans should never underestimate the constant pressure on Canada which the mere presence of the United States has produced. We’re different people from you and we’re different people because of you. Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is effected by every twitch and grunt. It should not therefore be expected that this kind of nation, this Canada, should project itself as a mirror image of the United States. – (Prime Minister) Pierre Elliot Trudeau
I find this absolutely hilarious. I didn’t realise that Canada was responsible for the United States border security. I would have thought that with everything going on, the US would take border control seriously and not rely on other countries for their security. Especially one that has close ties to France.
I’m sorry… do these idiots honestly believe that other countries are to blame for all their problems? Isn’t it about time they started taking some responsibility for the shit they get themselves into it?
Everything on that list could have been prevented if they were taking border control more seriously. Oh well.. I needed a new years laugh.
Regan:
You know they aren’t idiots, far from it, but I have to wonder what the US media barrage does to people. If I had a steady diet of it, I’d crack up.
America takes border control seriously.
The difficulty is perhaps they don’t realize we do to, ne pensez-vous pas?.:^)
So many Americans could be left out of this. I don’t follow our news close enough to be in this pain you’re talking about.
I am an idiot though. I’ll admit that…
: )
Wasn’t it a plant in Ohio that ended up causing the August blackout? Hmm I guess that was kind of a side note.
When a country does as many stupid things as we Americans do, it’s good to have a convenient scapegoat like Canada to turn to, eh!
We simply must learn to be more responsible for our actions. We need Canada. Where else can our draft dodgers run to….Mexico? I apologize for all of us. Can you ever forgive us? I wish I could say it won’t happen again but I’m not sure of that. I just wish you would keep all of that Arctic air up there.
Peace! Neighbor.
You have to take the American media with a grain of salt. We Americans tend to speak in generalizations about foreign countries but toss out such chatter when it comes down to the individual level.
From time to time, I’ve disparged Canada’s domestic and foreign policies but when I think of Canadians I think of my former roommates, a married couple from Ontario. They were charming and funny (especially their “Newfie” jokes) and have formed my “stereotype” of what Canadian people are like. While those of us in the U.S. might believe in “government by the people”, we rarely associate the “government” *with* the “people” themselves.
Americans are just strange that way. For example, we’ll complain about the French all day long but offer us a free ticket to Paris and we’ll be on the next plane out of New York.
Yes, it has been decided for sure that Ohio was responsible for the outage. Apparently, some trees downed a power line or two and a local station couldn’t take the strain. Due to poor management, it caused a domino effect that spread. It wasn’t Canada’s fault. And, I say that as an American myself.
But that doesn’t matter. The important thing, as South Park taught us, is…BLAME CANADA!!!
Does anyone remember the Halifax explosion? Or the many other times the Americans came to the aide of Canada and other countries?
American’s have had a bum rap before – check out Gordon Sinclairs 1973 radio address. Taken in the context of that time, he showed the respect our southern neighbours deserve.
when I think of Canada and the 9/11 incident, I think of the planeload that was taken in by a whole Canadian community – fed, sheltered, etc. I think of my grandmother who was born in Canada to a ‘half-breed’ (I wish I knew the tribe)mother and a California-born man. I think of a country than found very different solutions to problems that we in the ‘lower 48′ – Canada and the USA have many common problems including our historic (mis)treatment of the original immigrants to the land we now call home and our current uneasiness about the latest influx of immigrants. I think that the USA has much to learn from Canada – and Canada from us as well.
I also think about how often Europeans just do not GET IT about the cultural and other differences from place to place within both our large countries. Calgary, Montreal, Toronto are different from each other, as are Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington D.C. – and no single one of these cities truly represents its country as a whole, n’est ce pas?
You’re not British?
You can be British if you like. We like you…
Alicia:
Bit of a moot point now, but Canada took in 200 planes, among many other things we did to help during those months. We’d help again in a heartbeat.
Clarence:
I’m really sorry about that Arctic air, forgive us.:^)
Because of it we developed the twin otter, a plane that could handle the conditions at South Pole and rescue a sick US scientist. Our pilots were happy to help.
Joe:
We are nation that makes different policies accordingly, and I fail to understand why the US media doesn’t show some mutual respect.
Our history and people are very different and I like what Alicia said about problem solving.
I would no more blame or label a citizen for what their government decides than you would. Glad you like our Newfie jokes. We do too.:^)
Wood: Well thanks eh, but you’d have to build us some Tim Hortons. :^)