Canada - The place up there...

I'm sick of it. I am sure many other's are aswell. People seem to like bashing Canada, what is it that they do not like? There are so many great things about being Canadian.

Is is that they do not like out dog-sledding team?

What about our igloos?

Are our snow-shoes not fashionable enough for Americans?

Yeah, you are probably laughing at how stupid those things sound, yet people actually say things like that? "Oh, do you have lots of polar bear in Canada" NO! Trust me, we are just as much like you guys down there are, heck, in some cases even better. It's been kind of fun watching the Canada-bashing going on, here, let me give you some examples. These are all quotes from Ann Coulter, unfortunately you all probably know her.

It's -- I suppose it's always, I might add, the worst Americans who end up going there. The Tories after the Revolutionary War, the Vietnam draft dodgers after Vietnam. And now after this election, you have the blue-state people moving up there.

Yes, Canada is made up of - you guessed it - U.S.A's left-overs. Wrong buddy, a high percentage of the people in Canada were born here, and can trace their family tree here back many decades. We are not you cold, rotten left-overs!

There is also something called, when you're allowed to exist on the same continent of the United States of America, protecting you with a nuclear shield around you, you're polite and you support us when we've been attacked on our own soil. They [Canada] violated that protocol.

We fight. Look at Normandy for example, were there not Canadians there fighting along side with Americans, and Europeans? Look at the current war in Iraq. Are there not Canadians fighting there? Sure, not as many, but there is a great difference between the Canadian and the American population. Give out soldiers some respect, they are going thought the same things as yours are.

They better hope the United States doesn't roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent.

Try it, I dare ya... According to the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. trade with Canada accounted for a cumulative $38.5 billion dollars in September 2004 alone. It should be interesting, when you guys don't have that.

Basically what I am trying to say is that no, we are not the annoying mole on your face. Without us, you wouldn't be half the country you are now.

They don't even need to have an army, because they are protected, because they're on the same continent with the United States of America. If we were not the United States of America, Canada -- I mean, we're their trading partner. We keep their economy afloat.

Other way around, bud.

Link

It's a good thing Ann Coulter is completly irelevant.
It seems some Americans confuse bashing other countries with patriotism.

I want to tell some of you an intresting observation that ive had in my travels to canada.I live 6 hours south of Vancouver, B.C and i love to go up once and a while.Vancouver is a large city, around 4 times bigger than my closest city Portland,Or. We have bumbs sleeping under neath almost every freeway overpass in the city.We have a huge community called "freedom village" which is a large 2000 people plus homeless community on the banks of the willamette river that runs through downtown..Now when i go up to Vancouver i have hardly ever seen homless encampments.It is so clean, and much more viberent.I have seen a few dont get me wrong,,but no where near as many as we have,and vancouver is 4x as big...
Also The people are much more friendly and open,and thats saying alot since i live in probably the most layed back city in the U.S. The people ive met when i go to Vancouver are amasing.There standard of living is wayyy higher also, and yet again,thats saying alot because we have one of the highest standards of living in the U.S. I have never been botherd going into canada,,but when i return me and my vehicle ALWAYS gets searched!! I get horrased and grilled. It has crossed my mind at least 10 times never to come back,I love canada..People just dont understand unless they have spent some time there i suppose..

"Allowed to exist on the same continent as the United States"?

How arrogant is that? Luckily I know Ann Coulter doesn't represent mainstream American thought. Besides, isn't that what Germany thought of other European countries before WWII?

"you're polite and you support us when we've been attacked on our own soil. They [Canada] violated that protocol."

Yes, we've violated that by welcoming every plane bound for the U.S. on September 11, and making sure that people aboard those planes had a place to sleep. We also violated that protocol by sending troops to Afghanistan to help with the rebuilding. But uh-oh, we didn't help with Iraq... 1) I wasn't aware that was also a response to 9/11, and 2) I think Ann and the people who support her are just angry that Canada doesn't roll over and bark every time the U.S. asks us to support its policy. It's called national sovereignty, Ann. The U.S. is not the Roman Empire, and we don't have to pay tribute.

"They better hope the United States doesn't roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent."

Again... that's rank arrogance. I wasn't aware that we needed any other country's permission to exist. The continent doesn't belong solely to the United States.

"I mean, we're their trading partner. We keep their economy afloat."

There are plenty other countries who buy our goods. And don't ask us to roll over and bark in exchange.

So, Ann, did this Tarzanesque, "I'm the king of the jungle", chest-thumping session feel good?

I'm well aware that Ann Coulter - although insufferable - is irrelevant and doesn't represent the majority of Americans. Otherwise, I'd have to say that something was incredibly wrong with the United States' sense of worth if they had to crush other countries to feel proud.

Hmmm, according to that link MacKiller posted, Ann Coulter also has it in for the French. Why am I not surprised? Lucky she's not President... I'd have to worry about an invasion and ending up in a "work camp" somewhere... maybe Guantanamo?

Speaking for myself as a U.S. citizen, I have'nt done any Canada
bashing. Even though I've never had the chance to visit, I think
Canada is probably a very nice country. The
Canadians I've met all seem to be great people for the most part.
Don't let any "bashers" get you down.

Canada hasn't given me any reason to hate it. The one Canadian I know is a lovely woman, and very smart. Canada, stay yourself. I like you that way!

Over the 50+ years that I've been around, I've had the occasion to spend a bit of vacation time in America and have been pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the people I have met there. My son, who is getting married on Dec. 17 has decided to honeymoon in the Big Easy because he loves the people there as well.
The comments made by the person in question are the ramblings of some-one who knows nothing about Canada, I'm sure. Ask any Dutchman what they think of Canada and you will get a surprising response...do it, I dare you.
Being of Dutch descent myself, I know what the overwhelming answer will be...it's why we moved here in the 50's when I was only 7.

I was born into a family with a great European military history (and I won't bore you with the details), but it goes back beyond the Boer War.

To me, Canada is not about the land so much as the people...a strong, quiet, capable people who, when faced with horrible choices will do the hard things. There is no bluster or chest thumping...no patriotic flag waving...just a determined valour that has been proven over and over again from Vimy Ridge on.

I have done my time in the Canadian forces and would prefer to go to war beside them, no matter what the obstacle or threat.
You see...it's not all the toys of the Army, Navy and Air Force that it all comes down to in the end...it's the men and women you are with that count...and a Canadian makes one of the finest soldiers in the world.

So...to those who would diminish and ridicule Canadians, come on up and do a bit of that chest thumping up here, particularly around some of our vets...say in a Legion Hall...try it out and you may find our eyes go hard and our lips go bloodless. Then I suggest a quick trip down the 401 to Detroit or the Falls.

Just remember, I started this post by saying how much I like Americans.


[edit on 4-12-2004 by masqua]

See the basher of any country for what they truly are...narrow of mind and short of intellect. The good far out way the bad on this planet. It is only the ignorant and the greedy that skew view of the ones that truly understand what it means to be....a human being.

There are Canadians who think that all Americans and their country is the epitome of everything common, just as there are Americans who think the same of other countries, so don't take it to heart. Those who bash the othercountry, or others for that matter while praising their own display a hostile reaction to that which they either envy, or ignorant of same.

I am an American who is currently living and working in Vancouver, BC.
I'm originally from New York, lived there all my life until 3 years ago, when my work brought me up here. I have to say I was skeptical at first, you don't learn much about Canada in New York, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got here.
The people here are great, very friendly, always willing to help out if your in need of assistance, lots of party's, bars, etc., and lots of places to go 4x4ing.
It's extremely clean , and there's plenty to do. Actually if it weren't for the funny money Loony's & Toony's) I'd think I was in the states. Although I do miss snow at Christmas time, but I can always drive up to Whistler.
I like it here so much, I married a Canadian woman.
I still need my twice yearly fix of going back to NY, but I'm quite happy here.
Also I work for an American company, so my salary goes allot further here
There are some areas that have their problems, like downtown E Hastings street, but those areas are few and far between



[edit on 5/12/04 by Rasky]

I happen to like Canada & I like most Canadians I meet eh - though many of them on this board seem to not like us down here just because of politics.

I live a few hours south of BC, eh. I like the skiing up there, they have good looking hookers, great smoke and a pretty cool city overall.

You do have a few goofy things eh, but overall you're alright with me CANADA



[edit on 5-12-2004 by outsider]

Well, I have nothing against Canada, I actually have a lot fo respect for them as a country, although I don't know much about them as a people, although I'm pretty sure there's more good things to say about them than there are about us Americans.

Anyway, I think there's two possible answers to your question of "Why?"

1. It's a conspiracy initiated and fed by the United States government to distract us from the fact that Canada is better than us. (Not a statement, just a possibility.)

2. It's just one of those things. It sucks, but people find it humurous to make fun of people using things such as "Canadian" or "Jew". (The two are obviously unrelated.) In the Army, (atleast in Korea), it's HUGE to say things like, "Oh, that's Jewish," when something isn't going their way. I think it's dumb and I'll never do it. These people don't have anything against Jews, (I don't think), but for some reason it's become a commonly used term like that. I think it's the same for Canadians. When somebody is acting weird or something, people will say, "What are you Canadian or something?" Just because that's the new trend or whatever. I guess it's hard to explain, but I don't think most people are actually against Canada, it's just a slang fad that hit the general population. It's dumb, and these ignorant people need to be educated!

Originally posted by outsider

You do have a few goofy things eh, but overall you're alright with me CANADA

Like what? Explain.