Canadian attitudes towards Americans

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by grmike

if the wait times weren't an issue then most of the people who think the Canadian health care system isn't good would find something else to criticize. it's free and less corrupt than the US one.
unless you're in the system you can't understand everything about it. If you have a serious illness and x rays showed that there's something wrong you will get treated and should have no problem getting things like ct scans, mri's done fast.
the only time you might not like the health care is if you have a problem that isn't easy to diagnose. if you have a lot of symptoms, pain, and x rays, blood tests don't show anything wrong then you probably won't get the attention you need.

Well, that's nice. Except, in a lot of cases, wait time is everything. My Canadian neighbor's mother was diagnosed with cancer and was going to have literally MONTHS to begin treatment until the system could accommodate her. So he dug deep into his own pocket and negotiated a deal with a hospital in Vermont to treat her. Evidently, there are buses that drive from Montreal to this hospital on a daily basis, just so patients can get treatment in a timely fashion.

However, this whole argument is getting away from the original post.

[k8swirl]

As a Cdn married to an American (from the South, so the accent is a giveaway), we hear anti-American comments almost on a daily basis from Canadians. Generally we hear put downs of various American institutions (healthcare, banking, education, etc) by individuals who probably are about as ignorant of Canadian institutions, let alone American ones. I find the more well-travelled the Canadian, the less likely they are to bash the US.

[grmike]

Originally Posted by k8swirl

As a Cdn married to an American (from the South, so the accent is a giveaway), we hear anti-American comments almost on a daily basis from Canadians. Generally we hear put downs of various American institutions (healthcare, banking, education, etc) by individuals who probably are about as ignorant of Canadian institutions, let alone American ones. I find the more well-travelled the Canadian, the less likely they are to bash the US.

these are the kinds of comments from Americans that not only frustrate Canadians but people from every other country in the world. you should be embarassed at the state of US healthcare, banking industry, and education. including illegal immigrants there could be over 70 million people in the US who have to mortgage their home or sell their car if they end up needing to go to the hospital. they'd put off doctor visits and checkups that could end up costing them their health.
the banking industry is tearing apart the economy from mortgages that shouldn't have been issued to bad service and no real restrictions on bank mergers (like Canada has).
most Americans are getting a bad education before college they are behind the rest of the world in math and science. then when they get to college it's hard to get in and tuition is 2-3 times more expensive than most other countries where tuition is not paid by the government.
there's also the corruption in the government that's impossible to ignore because it's one of the reasons the US is in the state it's in today.
wiretapping everyone's phones, terror watch list that includes media personalities, veterans, no accountability, people afraid of travelling because they might get strip searched, reporters without borders saying the US media is 2 times worse than it is in Greece, people forgetting that the main reason there's anti Canadian and anti European sentiment is because most of the people in those places didn't agree with the Iraq war, having the most prisoners of any country in the world, almost half as many executions in Texas as there are in Iran.

[Galloway]

Originally Posted by ZX14TJ

In general, Canadians don't have problems with Americans or citizens of any other country. Unless you run around telling people you are American, the average Canadian would never know.



Of course, this is all subjective. Since I have not died in any of the cities I have lived in, I would rate all of them very high on the "libability" scale

Ten different magazines can run "Top 10" best city lists and all come up with different answers. I read the Economist and like the magazine. However, their criteria for "livability" would not apply to everyone. A city that is great for one person could be very poor for another.



Ahhhh, "free healthcare". This has to be the most misunderstood thing about Canada. Healthcare up here is far from free. In fact, if you do well financially, the healthcare is downright expensive.

Exactly! if you make more than 100 g's a year, then the government takes about 45% of your salary through taxes. The more you make, the more you get taxed. In Canada its better to be poor.

[k8swirl]

No, we live in Cda and hear anti-American rants from Canadians (along the lines just demonstrated). I think sometimes there is the tendency to shoot down all Americans for the policies of the Bush administration, instead of clearly identifying the issue as a government one.

[grmike]

Originally Posted by Galloway

Exactly! if you make more than 100 g's a year, then the government takes about 45% of your salary through taxes. The more you make, the more you get taxed. In Canada its better to be poor.

wealthy people get a lot of that money back in tax refunds at the end of the year.

when you apply for credit to get a mortgage or loan they look at your gross income so wealthy people are able to get a lot of things poor people can't.

what's better having people make 100 thousand dollars a year and end up with 60 thousand and a big tax refund at the end of the year and free health care
or a poor person being taxed just as much as the wealthy, have to mortgage their home or sell their car when they have a baby or skip a doctor visit because they need to buy groceries ?

the rich person is a good budget away from living just as good in Canada as in the US the poor person in the US would end up living a really hard life.

[grmike]

Originally Posted by k8swirl

No, we live in Cda and hear anti-American rants from Canadians (along the lines just demonstrated). I think sometimes there is the tendency to shoot down all Americans for the policies of the Bush administration, instead of clearly identifying the issue as a government one.

what's anti American about saying that the US education, health care, media is in a state much worse than any other developed country ?
the day after Canada said no to the Iraq war (maybe earlier around the time conservatives took control of the US) many anti Canadian websites were made by Americans, Canadian anthem was booed, most watched news channel called for a boycott of Canadian products, Canadian tourists were harassed, people posting on message boards were harassed, cnn held a roundtable discussion of why Canada doesn't appreciate the US in front of a crowd of people quick to applaud anything anti Canadian.
A Canadian politician who called Bush stupid was taken out of context and used to make fun of Canada by Tucker Carlson.
all of that because Canada didn't agree with the Iraq war and figured G.Bush out before most Americans did.
the truth eventually came out and that's why Canada is getting a lot of respect today.
what's more true, that the US education system is in big trouble, the government is slowly taking away its citizens rights, that corruption in the US banking industry and health care system and Iraq war, biased conservative media full of misinformation have torn apart the US economy and its reputation ?
or that Canada's health care system is worse than America's, that Canada would not be able to exist without the US (despite Australia not being attacked, having the 2nd largest oil reserves in the world, and a trade surplus with the US, 2nd oldest nuclear program in the world), Canada's media is more biased than America's, that Canadians are mean people ?

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0307-04.htm
http://tennisplanet.wordpress.com/ca...lar-countries/
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19388
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1067
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/21/iraq.poll/
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=53311
http://www.thewe.cc/contents/more/archive/us_debt.html

[Franklyn]

Originally Posted by grmike

you should be embarassed at the state of US healthcare, banking industry, and education. including illegal immigrants

I'm sorry to pointedly speak up, but this poster is spouting off on topics of which he has no knowledge or standing.

If I were to suggest to a Canadian cousin he should be embarrassed about the Quebec separatist movement, or the unjust record of many Canadian human rights commissions, my northern cousin would rightfully take great offense with me.

Sir, grmike, I likewise take offense at your suggestion of just what it is in America I "should" be ashamed. From your ill informed comments it is patently obvious you read too much opinionated and biased press and have acquired too few actual facts. Kindly comment on things you know, sir, not things you think you know.

If you were to have had the good manners to label your personal thoughts of other countries and cultures, including the current thread on Americans as opinions, not facts, I'd have had no quarrel with your words, only your pov. But you crossed the line, imo, and were attemptng to shame me. That, sir, you may not with impugnity do. In my opinion neither you nor your coutrymen have that much standing in the "shame" category. I think you live in a country populated by too many moral cowards, but that is their - and your- choice. It is not my business. What I should be ashamed of is not yours.

[Prior to this rant I reviewed many of your previous posts. You seemed - before this - to have been a reasonable chap. I hope you will be one again, in the future].

Cheers

[ZX14TJ]

Originally Posted by grmike

wealthy people get a lot of that money back in tax refunds at the end of the year.

I make a very healthy living and can say there are no huge tax refunds for people that make well over $100K/yr. The more you make, the more you are taxed.

Back to the context of the taxation comments. The wealthier you are, the more you pay in via taxes. Taxes pay for medical care. Medical care is never "free". The doctors have to get paid by someone.

Originally Posted by grmike

what's anti American about saying that the US education, health care, media is in a state much worse than any other developed country ?

This question is decidedly anti-American because it is entirely negative and entirely opinion. The lack of standardization of measurement makes it impossible to properly develop metrics for the issues listed that do not at least contain part opinion.

With all that said, everyone is entitled to an opinion. In my experience, some people (anywhere in the world) can be critical of things they have never experienced. I've met people that have criticized the US healthcare system without ever living in the US and using the system. Some may be critical of the US educational system without ever going to school in the US.

[Cornerguy1]

Moderator's Note:

Everyone had there fill of nationalistic chest beating (which, by the way, has strayed a long way from the original topic)?

Time to move on.