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The Town Hall Archives
Ahh, the nostalgia.
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*daniel
I like pudding.
Joined: 22 Nov 2002
Posts: 594
Location: Toronto.
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 Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 10:22 pm Post subject: Differences between Canada and America. |
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I've been reading some novels recently that have a decided pro/anti-American slant to them, and I want to ask this question here, especially of people like Jared.
What do you see as the essential differences between Canada and the US? And what view do you have of our country (Americans), and what view do we have of yours (Canadians)? |
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dawningoftime
Child's Portion Diet Mini Cheeseburger
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 99
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 12:09 am Post subject: |
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| From what I have observed is that Americans sometimes have this arrogance streak in them, however theyv[p don't notice it. (btw I'm both American and Canadian). In fact there was a movement to get spanish as an offical language and President Clinton refused to ever sign such a bill saying, "look at all the problems having two offical languages has caused in Canada". The mentality is that the American way is the only way. And because of this sometimes the States are percived as trying to impose their ideology on other countries without neccesarily understanding the culture. |
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jessicado
It'll Take Me Years to Get to 2000 Posts
Joined: 06 Sep 2003
Posts: 722
Location: Oregon........I waaaaanna know-have you ever seeeeeeeeen the rain?
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:35 am Post subject: |
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| I would personally rather live in Canda much of the time than the US...health insurance, less crime, peaceful:-D Anne of Creen Gables was based there.... |
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*daniel
I like pudding.
Joined: 22 Nov 2002
Posts: 594
Location: Toronto.
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 7:53 am Post subject: |
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| dawningoftime wrote: | | From what I have observed is that Americans sometimes have this arrogance streak in them |
I get that too -- but you know what? Canada has the same thing, except we're more quiet about it. Not to mention that while the US actually has a national identity or pride or something of the sort, Canada's still just a loosely-knit amalgam of provinces that think differently. |
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Melka
Cursor Always on Submit Button Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 819
Location: In the Grip of Grace
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 10:00 am Post subject: |
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| you know this is a good topic....anyway I am a good American yet I don't think that Canada is all that bad, you have problems just like we do, we just notice yours and "tease" you for them. We have many things in common and I feel that we should learn to get along better. I don't feel that one contry is necissarly any better than the other, yet again one has more pride for their own nation...since becoming a Christian I have realized that we are all part of the same family, so to speak. We all someday will go to a better place, and till then we are just stuck here with eachother. The least we can do is to listen to how Jesus told us how to treat eachother. With love. |
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*daniel
I like pudding.
Joined: 22 Nov 2002
Posts: 594
Location: Toronto.
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 10:23 am Post subject: |
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| MelkaAlyson wrote: | | you have problems just like we do, we just notice yours and "tease" you for them. We have many things in common and I feel that we should learn to get along better. I don't feel that one contry is necissarly any better than the other, yet again one has more pride for their own nation... |
I personally think that some countries were founded with better ideals and intentions than others. Certainly some (like France, and no offence to Frenchmen that may be here) have very bad foundations, and are thus going in very bad directions.
Canada is too liberal for my liking, at leat on moral issues; the US rankles me with things like its environmental policy.
In fact, I know one of the junior members of George W.'s policy people (I think that's what he is), and we've had frequent arguments about Kyoto and stuff like that. |
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Jonathan
Dungeon Master
Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 2254
Location: Minnesota and/or North Dakota
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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I've never really seen Canada or it's citizens as being very different. With one exception all the Canadians I know b/c of this board I'm quite fond of.
As for the two countries polocies, I'm disgusted with both, and if things don't change I'm looking at moving to Israel.
-Jonathan |
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*daniel
I like pudding.
Joined: 22 Nov 2002
Posts: 594
Location: Toronto.
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Jonathan wrote: | and if things don't change I'm looking at moving to Israel.
-Jonathan |
If I may ask, why Israel? And what specifically are you disliking about our policies? |
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Gandalf
Cursor Always on Submit Button Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2002
Posts: 876
Location: Desolation
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Jonathan wrote: | I've never really seen Canada or it's citizens as being very different. With one exception all the Canadians I know b/c of this board I'm quite fond of.
As for the two countries polocies, I'm disgusted with both, and if things don't change I'm looking at moving to Israel.
-Jonathan |
I really can't believe you just said that. As bad as both Canada and America are, we at least have the right to be a Christian and share our faith, something that, I believe, is illegal in Israel. Also, don't think Israel is immune to moral issues either, currently there is a movement that seems to be gaining ground to get gay marriage passed there.
I have many, many Canadian friends, all of whom I love dearly. They are some of the greatest, funnest, and nicest people I would ever want to meet. For some reason though, they are also some of the least informed people in the world. And they are not only aware of this fact, they border on being proud of it.
On the pride thing, Canadians are just as proud as Americans, it just seems that we are proud over different issues. Americans are proud because America is the greatest (most powerful I mean) country in the world, we try our best to get involved in other countries and improve them, we have a (though fading) moral sense. Canadian's are prou dof the exact opposite of all of these. Americans are proud of their form of government, their history, their culture. Candadians are proud of their history, their culture, and the fact that their government is non-American.
As to the two countries as a whole, I think history has a lot to do with it. When America left the British Empire, they took most of the good aspects of their government, deleted the bad stuff, added in a few things to make it better or, in some cases, worse and presto! they have a new country, a new form of government, and a pride about that. By far, it isn't the best form of government or perfect in any way, but there's pride about it.
Canada has never left the British Empire (though it's an Empire now in word only). As a result, their form of government is basically what it was 200 years ago except the monarch has been replaced with a prime minister who is, borrowing the words of a Canadian, "the closest thing to a dictator in the free world". Britain, and I believe Australia and most of the other British countries, have updated and changed their governments as times changed. Unfortunatly, Canada's government has virtually stayed the same. What they have ended up with is a government that worked excellent in the 1800's but is quite outdated with the advances the Western world has taken in the last 200 years.
As far as governments are concerned, I think most poltical minds, even Canadian political minds, would agree that America is the superior form. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, possibly not even the best in the Western world, but better than Canada's. Unfortunatly, change, especially massive change, is something Canadians are generally against.
For example, Canadian politicians have made every effort and, unhappily, have succeeded in killing a movement by the Conservative Alliance to hold general elections on a regular basis. This is something that most Americans would be outraged over; if they didn't have the right to elect their government at a time that isn't most convenient for the current government, they would be scandalized, have riots in the streets, and probably a constitutional crisis.
However, there are certain things in Canadian life that are quite superior to America. For example, America tends to have a cut and paste view of people. If you don't fit this mold, something's wrong with you. I could be wrong, but I understand that Canadians are more accepting of individuals. Unfortunatly, this can also be a problem when it turns into a national embrace of homosexuality and such.
Anyway, I would say that neither country is superior than the other, we both have faults and favors. We all, Canadians and Americans, need to try to influence our countries as God would have them to be. |
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Melka
Cursor Always on Submit Button Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 819
Location: In the Grip of Grace
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Jonathan wrote: | I've never really seen Canada or it's citizens as being very different. With one exception all the Canadians I know b/c of this board I'm quite fond of.
As for the two countries polocies, I'm disgusted with both, and if things don't change I'm looking at moving to Israel.
-Jonathan |
Isreal, why did you pick Isreal, I do agree with you both countries need to change their polocies. |
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