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I'm in Canada right now for work. I'm not a jingoist by any means so I keep my opinions about the United States to myself when I'm in a foreign country, always. That said, is there a reason why, if people find out I'm an American citizen (this usually happens when Canadians find out I don't know anything about hockey), that Canadians feel the need to tell me why their country is better?
I will concede that this is minority of people, but honestly, it's happened 3 times and I've been here less than 48 hours. In all my travels, I have never experienced anything like it. I decided to search "ways Canada is better than the US" on google and it returned like 405 million results. I tried to search "ways the US is better than Canada" but it simply returns back to the "Canada is better than the US" lists from before. So I decided to put it in quotes and I can't find a list of the ways the US is better than Canada.
It could be that there are 405 million ways Canada is better than the US, or it's also possible that its only Canadians making these lists: this seems to be pretty one-sided. Why is it only Canadians making these lists? I'm sure there's an article somewhere extolling the US over Canada, but they appear rare.
Probably because a lot of our media comes out of the U.S and we're caught up in your culture but yet we aren't the same. There are many culturally differences between us (that aren't totally visible at first). In all honesty the United States intimidates me. I used to bash the U.S too but as I got a bit older I decided to let it be and stop making comparisons.
It's quite common for young people growing up in Canada to bash the U.S. when they are searching for and establishing their identity (both personal and national), given just how ubiquitous all things American can often be in their lives.
Probably because a lot of our media comes out of the U.S and we're caught up in your culture but yet we aren't the same. There are many culturally differences between us (that aren't totally visible at first). In all honesty the United States intimidates me. I used to bash the U.S too but as I got a bit older I decided to let it be and stop making comparisons.
Oh I completely agree. We're as different from each other as the US is from the UK IMO. I think the fact that we share a few professional sports leagues, have relatively open borders and are next door to each other, and our dialects are the most similar to each other out of the entire Anglosphere tend to give the impression that we're similar. I've just been caught off guard with this is all.
Oh I completely agree. We're as different from each other as the US is from the UK IMO.
Nah, I wouldn't quite say that. The UK is very distinctly different from both the US and Canada. If I drew a Venn diagram comparing the three countries, Canada would have much more in common with the US than with the UK. Despite what Canadians like to claim about similarities to the UK (the queen as the head of state, taxpayer-funded healthcare, etc.), we are culturally far closer to the US.
Or if you flip this around from the perspective of the U.S, their closest cultural compatriot is Canada. The UK and the two Anglo nations in Oz-land would come next.
Liberal Americans, especially those from the West Coast, are virtually indistinguishable from the average Canadian.
As for your original question, I'm pretty sure their comments, although rude, are made as a reaction to comments they have likely heard from Americans. It is always the innocent people who have to apologize for the rude behavior of their countrymen/women.
Location: East Central Pennsylvania/ Chicago for 6yrs.
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Originally Posted by VTHokieFan
Oh I completely agree. We're as different from each other as the US is from the UK IMO. I think the fact that we share a few professional sports leagues, have relatively open borders and are next door to each other, and our dialects are the most similar to each other out of the entire Anglosphere tend to give the impression that we're similar. I've just been caught off guard with this is all.
I like that word.... "Angloshere" LOL. But in reality, the US and Canada have far more similar cultures then European nations between each other? When did you here last.... anyone couldn't tell apart a Frenchman, a Italian, a German or Englishman? Most Europeans cannot tell Americans and Canadians apart. Unless they had more then a couple previous interactions? Or one wears a national Sports team piece of clothing? Of course politically and governmental..... they are more distant and most extremes found in the US? Even religious ones.
I recently watched on TV a episode of the UK reality singing Talent show...X-Factor/UK. I was impressed by the talent. But they all sung American to me, Blues to Rap ... LOL and dressed it ? If not for the UK accents, even in family interviews. I wouldn't have been able to realize they were not Americans?
So ALL the angloshere culture is still heavily intertwined with each other? But especially with the US... and its influence.
three weeks ago, when NYC was supposed to have a major snowstorm, CTV deliberately sent over a journalist to Manhattan just to report that (or the fact there was only 2 inches of snow).
I mean, who the F*** cares about some snow in NYC?
I was speechless. What does Canada obsess over what happens in the US, even it is just a snowstorm? Will New York Times blink an eye if mother nature dumps 3 feet of snow in Toronto or Montreal? Not a chance.
And let's stop pretending it is because the two countries "share" some culture. It is primarily a one way obsession.
I'm in Canada right now for work. I'm not a jingoist by any means so I keep my opinions about the United States to myself when I'm in a foreign country, always. That said, is there a reason why, if people find out I'm an American citizen (this usually happens when Canadians find out I don't know anything about hockey), that Canadians feel the need to tell me why their country is better?
I will concede that this is minority of people, but honestly, it's happened 3 times and I've been here less than 48 hours. In all my travels, I have never experienced anything like it. I decided to search "ways Canada is better than the US" on google and it returned like 405 million results. I tried to search "ways the US is better than Canada" but it simply returns back to the "Canada is better than the US" lists from before. So I decided to put it in quotes and I can't find a list of the ways the US is better than Canada.
It could be that there are 405 million ways Canada is better than the US, or it's also possible that its only Canadians making these lists: this seems to be pretty one-sided. Why is it only Canadians making these lists? I'm sure there's an article somewhere extolling the US over Canada, but they appear rare.
I see you are becoming acquainted with Canada's famous inferiority complex.
It could be that there are 405 million ways Canada is better than the US, or it's also possible that its only Canadians making these lists: this seems to be pretty one-sided. Why is it only Canadians making these lists? I'm sure there's an article somewhere extolling the US over Canada, but they appear rare.
In fairness, some progressive Americans tend to idolise Canada, viewing it as what the US would be like if we removed everything they don't like about it. Which it isn't, of course, but that's the stereotype. So some of these lists might actually have been written by Americans, who may or may not actually be all that familiar with Canada. We'd have to look at them to be sure.
405 million hits on google equates to an obsession.
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), that Canadians feel the need to tell me why their country is better?
