Why I love the U.S.

[Smallc]

Think of the 10% rule.

If we have one, they have ten.

That's unlikely. We have some of the same thing, sure, but, the same problems that exist in the US don't generally exist in the same ratios in other modern democracies.

[JerrySeinfeld]

You're going to try and tell me that Canada has a class and education problem? From all your keen years of personal observation? Have you ever even been to Canada?

For the most part, Schools in Canada are of a similar quality. There are exceptions, but not the massive variance one sees in American schools between the cities and the suburbs (to say nothing of private schools, which are vast in number). The huge disparities which exist in the US among classes really don't exist here. Anyone you meet could be from anywhere, rural or urban, and their parents could be farmers or lawyers. You really can't tell, for the most part. I've been to a lot of small towns and never met anything similar to that family, yet that family is not terribly unusual in the US. Most of the people I meet in small towns are similar to those I meet in cities, maybe just a little more conservative, on average. We don't have the herds of sheep-loving bumpkins you have down there.

America is just a bigger more diverse place. Canadians, you're right, are all pretty much the same. We are homogeneous, urban country, for the most part.

Sometimes this makes Canadians see rural folks as "bumpkins" as you put it. But really, what you have is a larger group of people who could care less about government and usually rely on their own devices from day to day. It's kind of nice to see, in a way - people with more of a self reliant, pioneering spirit.

Some of it has to do with climate, too. People can live in an uninsulated rural Louisiana or Florida shed year round on catfish and beans without dying from exposure.

Most of the 5 million people in greater Toronto wouldn't survive north of the city in the woods for more than about 5 hours in January!

Edited September 5, 2012 by JerrySeinfeld

[guyser]

That's unlikely. We have some of the same thing, sure, but, the same problems that exist in the US don't generally exist in the same ratios in other modern democracies.

Thus my last sentence.

[JerrySeinfeld]

Thus my last sentence.

Like what, gun violence? The US has a much different socioeconomic history than most of the rest of the western world.

[Smallc]

Thus my last sentence.

I didn't find it to be...adequate.

[cybercoma]

You're going to try and tell me that Canada has a class and education problem? From all your keen years of personal observation? Have you ever even been to Canada?

For the most part, Schools in Canada are of a similar quality. There are exceptions, but not the massive variance one sees in American schools between the cities and the suburbs (to say nothing of private schools, which are vast in number). The huge disparities which exist in the US among classes really don't exist here. Anyone you meet could be from anywhere, rural or urban, and their parents could be farmers or lawyers. You really can't tell, for the most part. I've been to a lot of small towns and never met anything similar to that family, yet that family is not terribly unusual in the US. Most of the people I meet in small towns are similar to those I meet in cities, maybe just a little more conservative, on average. We don't have the herds of sheep-loving bumpkins you have down there.

Just look at the GINI coefficients after taxes and transfers for OECD nations. The United States is at the bottom of the list ahead of only Mexico and Chile. Canada is several spots ahead of the UK, which is ahead of the US.

If you look at the OECD rankings by education, Canada ranks 6th while the US doesn't even crack the top 10.

[guyser]

Like what, gun violence?

Nope, not talking about gun viloence were we?

[guyser]

I didn't find it to be...adequate.

Ok.

I did.

[Guest American Woman]

America is just a bigger more diverse place. Canadians, you're right, are all pretty much the same. We are homogeneous, urban country, for the most part.

Sometimes this makes Canadians see rural folks as "bumpkins" as you put it. But really, what you have is a larger group of people who could care less about government and usually rely on their own devices from day to day. It's kind of nice to see, in a way - people with more of a self reliant, pioneering spirit.

From what I have now seen and read, the Honey Boo Boo family couldn't care less about conforming to anyone's idea of who/what they should be, and I admire their spunk and their reliance on their own devices, so I think you hit the nail on the head.

I don't see how some are concluding that if the result is something they don't agree with, then it's not opportunity - or it's not good opportunity. It belies the meaning of opportunity - and the fact that there is opportunity for all sorts of people, whether they have everyone's 'approval' or not, has been a part of my point - it isn't about the quality of the show, or whether or not the Honey Boo Boo family measures up to everyone's 'standards' - which really, when you get right down to it is just 'judgement,' and if everyone caved into that kind of judgement, it would put a limit on opportunity.

Some of it has to do with climate, too. People can live in an uninsulated rural Louisiana or Florida shed year round on catfish and beans without dying from exposure.

Most of the 5 million people in greater Toronto wouldn't survive north of the city in the woods for more than about 5 hours in January!

Can't argue with you there.

Edited September 5, 2012 by American Woman

[Guest American Woman]

We have the same in Canada , dont delude yourself.

Think of the 10% rule.

If we have one, they have ten.

That it appears as if ignorant people abound, the problem is merely a ten fold appearance of same.

I will agree that there may well be a wider variance, but , getour country's population to 300M+ and see what happens.

Amen to that. - because along with the 300+ population, we also have a more diverse climate - and of course different sorts of people are attracted to different sorts of climates, as JS pointed out; so it stands to reason that there may well be a wider variance, which I don't see as a negative.

Edited September 5, 2012 by American Woman

[waldo]

I don't see how some are concluding that if the result is something they don't agree with, then it's not opportunity - or it's not good opportunity. It belies the meaning of opportunity - and the fact that there is opportunity for all sorts of people, whether they have everyone's 'approval' or not, has been a part of my point - it isn't about the quality of the show, or whether or not the Honey Boo Boo family measures up to everyone's 'standards' - which really, when you get right down to it is just 'judgement,' and if everyone caved into that kind of judgement, it would put a limit on opportunity.

your opportunity limit reference is offering its own qualification... and yet, you question qualifying the 'good or bad' value merits of your opportunity. Again, it's a really, really big, super-duper opportunity... a good opportunity... for network television/producers to reap incredible profits against small production costs.

[waldo]

i don't think this thread will come anywhere close to the number of pages in the american woman's misunderstood mosque near ground zero thread.

patience is said to be a virtue