Who Hates the USA?

[Remiel]

It just occurred to me for some reason, if you look at the actual language, it is actually kind of odd that we refer to chemical and biological weapons as weapons of mass destruction. The whole point of chemical and biological weapons is that they don't cause destruction, they just cause death. It almost makes it seem like the very term " weapons of mass destruction " was really just a sick euphemism all along...

[Liam]

Im known to say "eh" a bit....personally I like it, eh...Ill take eh over y'all any day but something tells me that only uneducated southerners talk like that.

I wouldn't generalize that only uneducated southerners use "y'all". An Ivy League-educated friend of mine, a woman from Alabama, uses "y'all" all the time. It's a southern thing, definitely, but not necessarily an uneducated southern thing. North of somewhere between central Virginia/Washington DC (y'all is strictly a southeastern thing), NO ONE says "y'all". Unless they're originally from the southeast, that is.

[bradco]

It just occurred to me for some reason, if you look at the actual language, it is actually kind of odd that we refer to chemical and biological weapons as weapons of mass destruction. The whole point of chemical and biological weapons is that they don't cause destruction, they just cause death. It almost makes it seem like the very term " weapons of mass destruction " was really just a sick euphemism all along...

Most people agree that the ability of weapons, such as chemical and biologica onesl, to cause thousands of deaths qualifies as mass destruction. Destruction isnt limited to damage of buildings. You can destruct humans as well.

[bradco]

The anti American sentiment started decades ago because American travellers are not very respectful or tolerant of the people in service industries who work in the countries that they visit.

That is a horrible generalization. I am always respectful of my hosts. In Montreal (unlike quebec City) people made no effort to speak English even though clearly they could.

Courtesy cuts both ways.

"In Calgary, the people, similarly, insisted on speaking Canadian even though they clearly understood English."

Why would you want them to speak English, I thought you were an American? I think English/Canadian/American are all close enough to be considered the same language and understood no matter which one is used.

[Higgly]

You know, this just seems to be a really dumb topic. Does anybody really hate the US? Why? I mean you can disagree with the American government, or some of their laws, or some of their more prominent citizens. But why would you hate the whole country?

On and off, I have lived in and done business with the US since I was knee high to a grasshopper. A great bunch of guys. There are regional differences, to be sure. You got yer salt of the earth mid-westerners, yer east coast fishers, yer new yawk pain-in-the-assers, yer west-coast-entertainers, yer north-east coast spectaculars, yer southern-gentlemen, yer texan right wingers, yer New England Yankees, ...

I thought it was a great place. You want a great holiday, try New England in the fall. Oh man....

On the other hand, George Bush is an idiot.

Thank ya. Thank ya very much...

[jbg]

"In Calgary, the people, similarly, insisted on speaking Canadian even though they clearly understood English."

Why would you want them to speak English, I thought you were an American? I think English/Canadian/American are all close enough to be considered the same language and understood no matter which one is used.

Bradco, you didn't realize I was joking a bit?

[B. Max]

Who Hates the USA?

Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy, George Soros, Sindy Sheehan, the list goes on and on.

[bradco]

"In Calgary, the people, similarly, insisted on speaking Canadian even though they clearly understood English."

Why would you want them to speak English, I thought you were an American? I think English/Canadian/American are all close enough to be considered the same language and understood no matter which one is used.

Bradco, you didn't realize I was joking a bit?

No I figured as much. Just having a litt fun myself with your use of "English" instead of "American". You kid about Canadians not speaking English I kid about Americans not speaking English.

[jbg]

No I figured as much. Just having a litt fun myself with your use of "English" instead of "American". You kid about Canadians not speaking English I kid about Americans not speaking English.

When the signs on the highway, when coming in from any Canadian airport to a major city such as Montreal, Toronto or Calgary direct me to "Centreville" rather than to "Center City" I do not consider that English. On the same roads, I do not consider "Nord", "Est", "Ouest" or "Sud" to be English.

[Drea]

colour - color

theatre - theater

centre - centre

neighbourhood - neighborhood

favour - favor

What's the big deal? So we pronounce words slightly differently. And Canada has two official languages -- English and French. We use a combination of the two. No need to get yer knickers in a knot.

and I know very very little French (being from the west) but I am certainly not offended by our "other" language.

C'est la vive (such is life)

How's your Spanish coming along?

[jbg]

How's your Spanish coming along?

In my neighboring (not neighbouring) village, Port Chester, I use it a fair amount. I did post a complaint on Shell Oil's website that a gasoline station converted its signage to Spanish.

My point was that throughout your country, the signage seems to be French. As I said, and you didn't respond:

When the signs on the highway, when coming in from any Canadian airport to a major city such as Montreal, Toronto or Calgary direct me to "Centreville" rather than to "Center City" I do not consider that English. On the same roads, I do not consider "Nord", "Est", "Ouest" or "Sud" to be English.

[Remiel]

I don't understand what point you are trying to make, jbg, with your signage comments. Maybe I am missing the sarcasm or something. Where are the English language signs for Nebraska, Kansas, Massachusetts, Conneticut, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, Ohio, Michigan, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Hawaii, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, Montana and Vermont?

[jbg]

I don't understand what point you are trying to make, jbg, with your signage comments. Maybe I am missing the sarcasm or something. Where are the English language signs for Nebraska, Kansas, Massachusetts, Conneticut, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, Ohio, Michigan, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Hawaii, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, Montana and Vermont?

I have traveled the highways in many of those states. The signs on the highways are generally in English. Not so in Canada.

[Remiel]

You mistake my meaning. You point out " Centreville " and say there should be an English language sign saying " Center City " . When I said English language signs for those states, I meant English language signs for those states names.

[Higgly]

When the signs on the highway, when coming in from any Canadian airport to a major city such as Montreal, Toronto or Calgary direct me to "Centreville" ...

Learn the language fer Crissakes. This is standard terminilogy. If you can't read the friggin signs, take a friggin cab.

[MLP]

I remember a while back G. Bush making the comment "the french don't even have a word for entreprenuer"

Interesting that you "remember it" considering it never actually happened.

My head hurts -- people can be sooooo dumb LOL

Yup.

[bradco]

No I figured as much. Just having a litt fun myself with your use of "English" instead of "American". You kid about Canadians not speaking English I kid about Americans not speaking English.

When the signs on the highway, when coming in from any Canadian airport to a major city such as Montreal, Toronto or Calgary direct me to "Centreville" rather than to "Center City" I do not consider that English. On the same roads, I do not consider "Nord", "Est", "Ouest" or "Sud" to be English.

Your comment I was referring to had nothing to do with french, rather you said, "In Calgary, the people, similarly, insisted on speaking Canadian even though they clearly understood English."

Canadian is arguably closer to English than American is. You need to realize that English is a language from England not from America. We all speak variants of English which is a language from England. They are all pretty much the same though.

As far as french signs go.... We have two official languages in our country, if you dont like that stay away I guess. I live in Vancouver and there is almost no french outside of the airport because almost nobody here speaks it (probably 5% could).

[Wilber]

I don't understand what point you are trying to make, jbg, with your signage comments. Maybe I am missing the sarcasm or something. Where are the English language signs for Nebraska, Kansas, Massachusetts, Conneticut, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, Ohio, Michigan, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Hawaii, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, Montana and Vermont?

I have traveled the highways in many of those states. The signs on the highways are generally in English. Not so in Canada.

They are in BC. You will only see them in French and English at Federally controlled facilities such as airports.

[jbg]

They are in BC. You will only see them in French and English at Federally controlled facilities such as airports.

In BC, they're written in Canadian. The signs will refer to an obviously mis-spelled "Harbour Bridge" (as it does in Sydney, Australia, which also uses Canadian), not "Harbor Bridge". English pronunciation is "har-boor", not "har-bow-er".

[Drea]

They are in BC. You will only see them in French and English at Federally controlled facilities such as airports.

In BC, they're written in Canadian. The signs will refer to an obviously mis-spelled "Harbour Bridge" (as it does in Sydney, Australia, which also uses Canadian), not "Harbor Bridge". English pronunciation is "har-boor", not "har-bow-er".

Actually, it's HAR-BORE. Spelled harbour.

The U does not sound like a W.

As in NeigbOURhood -- it is pronounced NAY-BORE-HOOD.

And ColOUR -- which is pronounced, CULL-OR

This is how we spell words here in Canada (and Australia I guess). Could be because of the fact that we, and Australia, remained British colonies and the USA did not.

So we continue to use the British spellings. (which IS proper English I might add -- so who actually IS misspelling words here?)

So, no dear jbg, it is not misspelled.

*** this is example of an American with tunnel vision who figures the world revolves around America and assumes that everything an American does is done correctly -- WRONG!

[Drea]

s'matter jbg?

No response? No misspelled words to quote for us?

[Wilber]

They are in BC. You will only see them in French and English at Federally controlled facilities such as airports.

In BC, they're written in Canadian. The signs will refer to an obviously mis-spelled "Harbour Bridge" (as it does in Sydney, Australia, which also uses Canadian), not "Harbor Bridge". English pronunciation is "har-boor", not "har-bow-er".

Of course we use Canadian English as you use American English. If you look in the UK version of the Oxford dictionary you will find both "harbour" and "neighbour". We also use Americanized words such as "tire' instead of "tyre" as used in the UK.

[jbg]

s'matter jbg?

No response? No misspelled words to quote for us?

I was just kidding before.

[ft.niagara]

True life story, A couple of weeks ago i had a chance to go to toronto with my father for business. In my leisure time there was a Hockey game going on, Junior sports of some kind, featuring a hockey team from Michigan. For those who dont know i was original from Michigan. So I said what the hell and ducked in to watch the games. Well they were playing the nation anthem of Canada and people were singing along etc. then they played the National Anthem for the USA, for the Michigan team, well the Candians started booing. And hurling insults at the American kids. These kids might be 15 or 16 at the most. I served my country in foreign countries, and ive been in some pretty hostile places, were the people obviously did not appreciate us being there. This was on par of being in those places. Needless to say i got out of there and went back to my hotel.

I for one would like only the natioinal anthem of the host country played. I think that there is too much opportunity for this sort of crap. There was booing of the American anthem at a Canadian game. IMO Americans are overly differential to the Canadian flag and anthem. The Canadian flag flys outside many corporate buildings, and even Buffalo's City Hall. IMO the respect is not reciprocated, and it apparently does not go unnoticed.

[jdobbin]

I for one would like only the natioinal anthem of the host country played. I think that there is too much opportunity for this sort of crap. There was booing of the American anthem at a Canadian game. IMO Americans are overly differential to the Canadian flag and anthem. The Canadian flag flys outside many corporate buildings, and even Buffalo's City Hall. IMO the respect is not reciprocated, and it apparently does not go unnoticed.

Perhaps you have forgotten the times that the Canadain anthem was booed in the States. And then there was the time they flew the Canadian flag upside down...