Canada's strong anti-americanism (living in, club, health care)

[BruSan]

Originally Posted by sanspeur

Sorry, I don't know who this Jim Carols is, nor do I believe him...I see a lot more Americans who are anti Canadian posting here here than I do Canadians who are anti American.

Same old, same old. They reserve the right to talk about us as that socialist freeloading country to the north of them but it's Canada who defines it's national identity by dissing America. Sheesh; Americans villify many other countries all over the planet but we Canadians are held to special scrutiny for p***ing in their corn-flakes. We're supposed to suck up the crud they dish out but not respond in kind? I guess we'd better play in separate sandboxes lest we hurt their widdle feelings. Sheesh.

I have yet to hear the Americans praise any other country for anything, much less comment positively about any of their citizens.

[mikmaq32]

Canadians aren't really anti american, were anti nationalism. We generally can't stand the fourth of july stuff, this god bless america, or people that say I'm Amurrrican. That does not mean we hate people from the states, merely people that wear their flag on there sleeve as canada isn't really nationalistic at least in american terms. I think this stems from the fact that we probably see each other as being more the same, minus this one issue that really separates the two countries.

Anyhow as far as 911 I think many of you are being too idealistic or too passive aggressive. We didn't dance or celebrate, but behind close doors there was very much a great deal of, good riddance, you had it coming to you, or I told you so.

Not because we hate american's but because it was hard to ignore the geopolitics surrounding america at the time. It was like hearing about the batman shooting, we didn't say WO DEAD PEOPLE, it was more of a why on earth do you guys have so many dam guns.

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by Jim Carols

I'm currently a college student in the US studying political science. My school has an exchange program with Mcgill University and I'm considering it. It would be a good opportunity to learn french plus the fact that McGill's university has a strong political science program which I'm thinking will help me if I ever apply to graduate school there or anywhere else. However I've heard that canadians can be quite strongly anti-american. For example I've heard from some american friends in Canada that there was a lot of glee after the 9/11 attacks with many canadians happy that america finally got what it deserved.

So folks what's the extent of anti-americanism among canadians?

I suspect your American friends in Canada (why are they staying in Canada if they think Canadians are anti-America?) were lying through their teeth to you and they're not really your friends. They don't want to share the good deal they have going for them in Canada with you or other Americans so they're trying to scare you off from coming to Canada to go to school.

Canadians are no more anti-American than Americans are anti-Canadian. Don't worry about it. Come to Canada to go to school and get the better education that you deserve. It will be a real eye opener for you. Don't be making comparisons with other countries and don't insist to other people about how America is allegedly the most God-blessed and best, most superior country in the world and you'll get along just fine with everyone, including all the foreign students from other countries.

.

[Dreison Rhodes]

Originally Posted by sanspeur

I don't believe that either. I think most of us were as shocked and saddened by this event as Americans were....I meet and talk to lots of Americans here in Victoria and I have yet to meet one I didn't like....Your politics not so much though.

Thats' OK Sanspeur, I'm not really thrilled with most of our politicians either. Or, as the old joke goes, "How can you tell if a politician is lying"---------"His lips are moving."

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by BruSan

Same old, same old. They reserve the right to talk about us as that socialist freeloading country to the north of them

Lots of Americans get the wrong idea about Canada and rely on information from the likes of Limbaugh,Beck and FOX, my Brother a classic example who's been to Canada once in his life about 30 years ago,to him i'm the family Communist coming to visit from that big commie nanny state to the north. as he is somewhat of a Limbaugh clone and espouses Limbaugh rhetoric 24/7 As a Canadian i find the depths of his ignorance astounding and find he's certainly not alone in his warped ways of thinking.

[netwit]

Originally Posted by sanspeur

Sorry, I don't know who this Jim Carols is, nor do I believe him...I see a lot more Americans who are anti Canadian posting here here than I do Canadians who are anti American.

I get the impression that some Americans take as anti-Americanism anything that isn't flat out agreement with them that the US is the best country in the world, in a Dubya, "you're either with us or against us" kind of way. If so, and Americans are expecting everyone to agree with them and everyone who doesn't is anti-American, well, yes, you'll find anti-Americanism oozing out of Canadian pores.

I think for a long time we didn't exist - not just us, but a lot of the world simply didn't cross American minds at any level. Canadians were vaguely thought of as the "nice" people to the north who they thought were just like them. We were never just like them - so the accusations of anti-Americanism are more the result of their own ideas about how they thought we were than anything based in fact. The fact that we have different opinions, shouldn't be that much of a shock given that we are a different country - not just their northern state.

And now that some Americans have realised their foreign policy is unpopular pretty well everywhere, it's a shock to their systems. I don't even know conservative, highly religious Canadians who don't raise an eyebrow at American politics. Most of them would never bring it up to an American because every conservation or friendship doesn't have to revolve around political affliations. Most would politely change the subject if conversations got to that point.

And thirdly, sometimes you find what you're looking for. If you come to this country expecting to find anti-Americanism you will surely find it. Take one Michigan man as a case in point Michigan cop wishes he could carry a gun in Calgary park; Twitter fires back - Winnipeg Free Press

That being said, I've never met a purposefully rude American except on the internet. And there are individual Americans with whom I think I would have more in common than certain individual Canadians.

Originally Posted by BruSan

We were more than just a little miffed perhaps at the instantaneous leap to "accuse' by a few senators (notably McCain) and other officials who immediately stated for all the world to hear; those terrorists entered your country through Canada. The truth was very reluctantly disseminated in dribs and drabs, they had all entered the U.S. on valid visitor visas by every other port of call BUT Canada.

Napolitanonuts who couldn't be bothered policing her border with Mexico when she was governor of Arizona gets put in charge of Homeland Security and immediately states it's the border with Canada she's worried about. Strange she wasn't worried about 12 million illegal mexicans all pouring across the border she was responsible for, isn't it?

These are the kinds of things Canadians have endured without too much we can say or do about it because you are our largest trading partner, so in most instances we just have to shut up and tolerate the U.S. talking heads making political points at Canada's expense. The very real question that could be asked with many examples to bolster the claim is "why do Americans hate Canada so much"?

Yep. I remember that. And I remember US officials perpetuating that myth years after 9/11.

[jambo101]

While I'd say i'm not Anti American i also wouldnt say i'm feeling more love for the place as time goes on,
As a Canadian i just dont get the level of hate coming out of the country, on trips there i'm continually being reminded of what the political leaning is for any group event i'll be attending and i should act accordingly in any conversation.
Visiting the politics section in this forum is an eye opening experience as to the mental nature of many Americans particularly those on the right who just come off to Canadians as borderline insane..,not a very nice place,although i try unsuccessfully to insert some level of sanity into the section .
America? used to be a nice place but these days, not so much..

[netwit]

Originally Posted by Dreison Rhodes

Thats' OK Sanspeur, I'm not really thrilled with most of our politicians either. Or, as the old joke goes, "How can you tell if a politician is lying"---------"His lips are moving."

And I'm not thrilled about our politicians either.

[Jim Carols]

I'm sorry for those who are angry at the question but there's actually a lot of americans who have experienced this. Maybe not as bad as the reaction in saudi arabia but still shocking for a country many americans consider very similiar to their own. I mean just read this article on washington post Before You Flee to Canada, Can We Talk? (washingtonpost.com) where the author clearly says she had some people say that america deserved it. There was also a article on the nytimes which quoted an american college student at McGill which mentioned but I can't find it at the moment. I'm sorry for those whom I may have offended but it was something I was curious about because of things I've read or heard, not that I expect violence or anything, I know canada is a safe country, but perhaps a lot of political discussions that would feel like I was talking to a George Galloway like figure, if that makes sense.

By the way here's another online article which says that much of Canada's political culture is defined by anti-americanism. http://www.thecanadaguide.com/anti-americanism

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by BruSan

I have yet to hear the Americans praise any other country for anything, much less comment positively about any of their citizens.

Huh? I do that all the time. I heap lots of praise on Canada.