“Every barrel of oil that comes out of those sands in Canada is a barrel of oil that we don’t have to buy from a foreign source.” Texas Governor Rick Perry. Clarinda, Iowa December 27th
And his audience applauded.
New York Times Where is Rick Mercer asking a presidental candidate from Texas about Prime Minister Jean Poutine Steve Poutine when we need him?
I can see myself making the same mistake, since Canada is not “foreign” in the sense of culturally different. As a Michigander, Ontario is less foreign than Louisiana or Texas, once you get past the road signs in kilometers and the Commonwealth spelling. No, not identical, but close.
I recall asking the Army recruiter “does Canada count?” when asked if I had visited a foreign country; yes, it did.
Friends and family were in Michigan a couple of weeks ago and said something similar.
The same crew walked across over Christmas and one of the first things they saw was Timmy’s.
Whole different attitude at the busy crossing, on Christmas the $1.50 pedestrian charge is dropped, and money is accepted at par.
The money, the signs, the licence plates, units of measurement, prices, smoking allowed inside…small differences. US border guards were no picnic at the Michigan crossing though, Homeland Security has developed some serious attitude.
By the time I get past border states, the US is very foreign to me.
How far into Canada have you travelled Mark?
Good for the Army recruiter. Whew.:^)
Canada is not “foreign” in the sense of culturally different.
Then why do right-wing Americans invoke Canada whenever they want to scare their fellow Americans off of something allegedly vile and dangerous (like nationalised health care), and why is Canada hysterically and falsely blamed for everything bad that happens in America (like 9/11)?
And his audience applauded.
Sadly, Stephen Harper could say much the same thing to an Albertan audience, to wild applause.
Sadly true that, Sir Francis.
Aside from the “foreign”, I see that he is prone to be sympathetic to Ezra Levant’s “Ethical Oil” arguments, in the book of that name…
Francis- Canada is politically different, especially when you include Quebec. Culturally, Anglophone Canada is a lot like the northern US, which is less evangelical and more left-leaning than the southern US. That’s why Bene feels at home in the border states and I feel at home in Ontario (Bene-that’s all I’ve seen-Toronto, London, Sault Ste. Marie mostly).
That makes Canadian politics a notch to the left of the US and thus a convenient bogey man for the right.
Nice catch on Tim’s, Bene. They’re making a solid foothold here in Michigan and I’ve seen them as far south as Dayton, OH. My dad has a prayer meeting at the Midland store every Tuesday, affectionately called TTT, Tuesday at Ten at Tim’s.
One thing is clear, that I’m sure we all agree – we Canadians know a lot more about Americans than they know about us. I do think our real passion in identifying ourselves is not so much in demonstrating how uniquely Canadian we are, but how un-American. If there’s one thing we Canadians do not want to be mistaken for while abroad, it’s American.
Statements from leaders like Rick Perry and his friends Bachmann and Gingrich might have something to do with that.