"Everybody needs bad neighbours"

[Guest American Woman]

Just happened to come across this editorial and found it interesting and amusing, as I recognized a couple of posters' from both of our countries in the author's observations.

A couple of excerpts (since I'm American, I'll highlight some of the parts about Canadians :

....The New York Times published an article entitled “Was Canada Just Too Good to Be True?” in which Clifford Krauss claimed that the country has a history of unkindness to Indians, furry animals, children and trees, pointing out that the country produces huge quantities of nuclear waste, culls baby seals, and has been slow to compensate indigenous Canadian children forced into brutal residential schools. The unkindest cut of all was suggesting that Canadians, in spite of claims to ecological purity, chop down more trees per capita than any other industrialised country save Finland and Sweden.

[...]

Canadians are acutely aware of the American stereotype, describing themselves defensively in contrast to it. A recent popular Canadian beer advertisement featured a young Canadian declaring: “Hey, I am not a lumberjack or fur trader, and I don’t live in an igloo or eat blubber or own a dog sled . . . I believe in peacekeeping, not policing; diversity, not assimilation; and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal. My name is Joe, and I am Canadian!” Joe, whose real name was Jeff Douglas, became an overnight media star in Canada as a result of the commercial. So he moved to Los Angeles.

It also gets into the same "rivalry" between Britain and France. I couldn't help but chuckle, and thought others might enjoy it too.

[Borg]

Just happened to come across this editorial and found it interesting and amusing, as I recognized a couple of posters' from both of our countries in the author's observations.

A couple of excerpts (since I'm American, I'll highlight some of the parts about Canadians :

....The New York Times published an article entitled “Was Canada Just Too Good to Be True?” in which Clifford Krauss claimed that the country has a history of unkindness to Indians, furry animals, children and trees, pointing out that the country produces huge quantities of nuclear waste, culls baby seals, and has been slow to compensate indigenous Canadian children forced into brutal residential schools. The unkindest cut of all was suggesting that Canadians, in spite of claims to ecological purity, chop down more trees per capita than any other industrialised country save Finland and Sweden.

[...]

Canadians are acutely aware of the American stereotype, describing themselves defensively in contrast to it. A recent popular Canadian beer advertisement featured a young Canadian declaring: “Hey, I am not a lumberjack or fur trader, and I don’t live in an igloo or eat blubber or own a dog sled . . . I believe in peacekeeping, not policing; diversity, not assimilation; and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal. My name is Joe, and I am Canadian!” Joe, whose real name was Jeff Douglas, became an overnight media star in Canada as a result of the commercial. So he moved to Los Angeles.

It also gets into the same "rivalry" between Britain and France. I couldn't help but chuckle, and thought others might enjoy it too.

I read it and had a good chuckle.

The writer is closer to the truth than many might want to admit.

Borg

[Guest American Woman]

The writer is closer to the truth than many might want to admit.

I agree. And that includes myself, too, because I have on more than one occassion defensively claimed, "Americans aren't as bad as people think they are and Canadians aren't as nice as they're made out to be!"

[M.Dancer]

I agree. And that includes myself, too, because I have on more than one occassion defensively claimed, "Americans aren't as bad as people think they are and Canadians aren't as nice as they're made out to be!"

Anyone who has ever watched HNinC knows that...

[Carinthia]

....The New York Times published an article entitled “Was Canada Just Too Good to Be True?” in which Clifford Krauss claimed that the country has a history of unkindness to Indians, furry animals, children and trees, pointing out that the country produces huge quantities of nuclear waste, culls baby seals, and has been slow to compensate indigenous Canadian children forced into brutal residential schools. The unkindest cut of all was suggesting that Canadians, in spite of claims to ecological purity, chop down more trees per capita than any other industrialised country save Finland and Sweden.

American Woman, I have never looked at it all "bunched up" like this before. The worst offence of the above is the culling of baby seals, IMO. Absolutely barbaric! I would rather pick up garbage or collect beer cans off the side of the road for a living, than do something so cruel. What a pompous lot we appear to be! Having said that though, I doubt I will stop bashing Bush/Cheney anytime soon.

Edited December 28, 2007 by Carinthia

[Borg]

American Woman, I have never looked at it all "bunched up" like this before. The worst offence of the above is the culling of baby seals, IMO. Absolutely barbaric! I would rather pick up garbage or collect beer cans off the side of the road for a living, than do something so cruel. What a pompous lot we appear to be! Having said that though, I doubt I will stop bashing Bush/Cheney anytime soon.

Seal flippers and liver!

Club 'em and eat 'em.

Mmmmm ......

Borg

[Carinthia]

Seal flippers and liver!

Club 'em and eat 'em.

Mmmmm ......

Borg

Would you by any chance have dipped girls braids in ink wells when you were a youngun?

[geoffrey]

Clubbing seals. Oh wow. I love how much emotional attachment trumps rational behavoir.

No issue with cows being slammed in the head or chickens force fed feed down their throats, got to hate the guys that club seals...

Not for any other reason then that they are cute.

[Borg]

Would you by any chance have dipped girls braids in ink wells when you were a youngun?

At least once - and a few other things as well.

Borg

[Guest American Woman]

American Woman, I have never looked at it all "bunched up" like this before. The worst offence of the above is the culling of baby seals, IMO. Absolutely barbaric! I would rather pick up garbage or collect beer cans off the side of the road for a living, than do something so cruel. What a pompous lot we appear to be! Having said that though, I doubt I will stop bashing Bush/Cheney anytime soon.

I think the guy that wrote the article for the NYT that this author was referencing was serious, but I think the author of this piece was being serious in a sarcastic way. Sort of like 'Oh no! Canadians cut down trees! What an awful lot they are!'

Like you, I do take issue with the baby seals though, and the indigenous Canadian children forced into residential schools was a pretty serious thing, wasn't it?

At any rate, I'm glad to hear you won't stop bashing Bush/Cheney anytime soon. If this thread had had that effect, I would have kicked myself for posting it.

[Carinthia]

Clubbing seals. Oh wow. I love how much emotional attachment trumps rational behavoir.

No issue with cows being slammed in the head or chickens force fed feed down their throats, got to hate the guys that club seals...

Not for any other reason then that they are cute.

If I were queen of the world, NONE of this would be allowed to happen.

[Carinthia]

Like you, I do take issue with the baby seals though, and the indigenous Canadian children forced into residential schools was a pretty serious thing, wasn't it?

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around that one. While we're on the subject...incarcerating and robbing our Asian citizens during WW2 was another brilliant move we can all be proud of.

Edited December 29, 2007 by Carinthia

[Guest American Woman]

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around that one. While we're on the subject...incarcerating and robbing our Asian citizens during WW2 was another brilliant move we can all be proud of.

I agree. I can't believe our nations did that.

[margrace]

I don't understand the mentality that stole a whole peoples livelyhood and then justified it by saying well they were aliens. No they weren't a lot of them were Canadian Born. My brother in law tried to put me out of the family for not agreeing with him that they were the enemy.

[Topaz]

The article to me was the US and English vs Canada and France. Now its been said that Canada and the US are very similar, so how similar would the US be to what the journalist said Canada was like?? It would be a good debate to see what a journalist from Canada or France said about the US and England. There'a alot of things that every country around the world has done to its people or the animals that live within its borders, so no one would come out smelling like a rose would they??

[Guest American Woman]

The article to me was the US and English vs Canada and France. Now its been said that Canada and the US are very similar, so how similar would the US be to what the journalist said Canada was like?? It would be a good debate to see what a journalist from Canada or France said about the US and England. There'a alot of things that every country around the world has done to its people or the animals that live within its borders, so no one would come out smelling like a rose would they??

The U.S. never comes out smelling like a rose. I think that's why the author of the NYT wrote what he did about Canada-- sort of in a self-defensive "they're not so great either" context because Canada seems to always come out smelling like a rose. At least that's the impression I get.

But I think the editorial I cited is comparing the US and Canada to the UK and France only in the sense that our countries have a "sibling rivalry" relationship with our neighbor.

[jbg]

Oops - double post.

Edited December 29, 2007 by jbg

[jbg]

American Woman, I have never looked at it all "bunched up" like this before. The worst offence of the above is the culling of baby seals, IMO. Absolutely barbaric!

Yes, as Rick Mercer in "Talking to Americans" points out this problem is most serious in Saskatchewan.

[DrGreenthumb]

Canada has a lot of skeletons in our closet and the worst have never even been addressed. Our drug war started with the opium tax act, which unbelievably banned only chinese canadians from selling opium products. White guys were free to sell all the opium we wanted. Another embarassment is the way we glorify Emily Murphy as some sort of human rights hero. The woman was a member of a white supremecist group called the anti-chinese league. Her racist rants, published in Macleans magazine are largely responsible for today's drug prohibitions. It is an absolute disgrace that this white supremecist is featured on our 50 dollar bill. It is another huge slap in the face to Chinese Canadians that this racist woman is to have a statue built in her honor at the new Canadian Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg.

Shameful.

[Topaz]

Question to anyone... IF the SPP or the North American Union does come true and alot of people seems to think so. do you think relations with the PEOPLE, not the governments, will strength or not? I understand that the people of the 3 countries really don't want this, so I wondering what will all the people regroup and try to stop the process?

[jbg]

Question to anyone... IF the SPP or the North American Union does come true and alot of people seems to think so. do you think relations with the PEOPLE, not the governments, will strength or not? I understand that the people of the 3 countries really don't want this, so I wondering what will all the people regroup and try to stop the process?

NAU would occur over many Americans' dead bodies. It is totally unlikely.

[Guest American Woman]

Question to anyone... IF the SPP or the North American Union does come true and alot of people seems to think so. do you think relations with the PEOPLE, not the governments, will strength or not? I understand that the people of the 3 countries really don't want this, so I wondering what will all the people regroup and try to stop the process?

It's not going to happen. It seems to be a rumor/theory (I'm not sure what to call it) that's taken root, but it's not anything anyone is really going for.

[Higgly]

Clubbing seals. Oh wow. I love how much emotional attachment trumps rational behavoir.

No issue with cows being slammed in the head or chickens force fed feed down their throats, got to hate the guys that club seals...

Not for any other reason then that they are cute.

So true. Would it be any better if we raised them in pens and ran them through slaughterhouses? Had a good dish of veal scallopini lately?

I never liked McCartney myself. Without Lennon, Harrison and Ringo he was just another member of the Monkees.

[Guest American Woman]

Evidently there's international opposition to the Seal hunts.

International Progress towards Ending Canada's Annual Seal Hunt

Edited December 31, 2007 by American Woman

[Topaz]

For all of you who are non-believers of the SPP www.dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2007/07/19the-militarization-and-annexation-of-north-america-by-stephen-lendman/