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What does it mean to be Canadian?


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Not as equals, no.

More than not as equals: not at all. It was probably only a little more than half a century ago that Canadians, while realising their distinct place in the Commonwealth, still saw themselves as British. If the UK had been replaced by the US in this equation, we wouldn't now be having this discussion about how Canadians define themselves against their southern neighbours.

[sp.]

Edited by g_bambino
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I retracted what I said about the USA, and made MY opinion on what I BELIEVE it is to be Canadian, and now there's Americans telling us not only what it means to BE AMERICAN, but that my opinion is wrong, when I just did what they told me to. Can we just make another topic so we can beef at each other, and keep already-made topics what they are?

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More than not as equals: not at all. It was probably only a little more than half a century ago that Canadians, while reliasing their distinct place in the Commonwealth, still saw themselves as British. If the UK had been replaced by the US in this equation, we wouldn't now be having this discussion about how Canadians define themselves against their southern neighbours.

Of course we would....PM Trudeau defined the cultural "threat" late in the game and took measures to stave off the onslaught. Canada even struggles from within without resolution, unlike the violent Americans. We read of "joining the USA" or "becoming a state" routinely in this forum.

The definitions we read are a desperate attempt to keep from being devoured.

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Guest American Woman
I retracted what I said about the USA, and made MY opinion on what I BELIEVE it is to be Canadian, and now there's Americans telling us not only what it means to BE AMERICAN, but that my opinion is wrong, when I just did what they told me to. Can we just make another topic so we can beef at each other, and keep already-made topics what they are?

Yes, you gave your opinion. And others gave their opinion in response. Are we not allowed to do that? Which threads/posts aren't open for discussion on this discussion board? Perhaps it would help if you could clarify that ..... ?

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Yes, you gave your opinion. And others gave their opinion in response. Are we not allowed to do that? Which threads/posts aren't open for discussion on this discussion board? Perhaps it would help if you could clarify that ..... ?

Since you are not Canadian, I think you have only to listen.

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Of course we would....

Not in the way you're describing it: you constantly complain about Canadians defining their nation as not-American; Canadians never, until very recently, defined themselves as not-British. Ergo, you can't now simply replace the word "British" with "American".

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Not in the way you're describing it: you constantly complain about Canadians defining their nation as not-American; Canadians never, until very recently, defined themselves as not-British. Ergo, you can't now simply replace the word "British" with "American".

That's debatable.....starting with Quebec.

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That's debatable.....starting with Quebec.

Well, I tend to agree with Daniel Francis' statement in National dreams: Myth, memory, and Canadian history that "until at least World War II the worship of the monarchy and the British Empire enjoyed almost cult status in Canadian society." And we shouldn't forget that Quebecers were enticed into joining the American Revolution, but refused. There were also French-Canadians amongst the Fathers of Confederation, who all agreed that Canada should be formed around the then-British Crown. The Lower Canada Rebellions failed to inspire French-Canadians to follow Papineau to a republic, and in 1909, George-Étienne Cartier expressed his opinion that Quebecers were "monarchical by religion, by habit, and by the remembrance of past history." It was only with the revisionist and bigoted propaganda of the Quiet Revolution and the FLQ and their ilk that many Quebecers, enflamed by that twerp de Gaulle, became anti- everything not purely Quebecois.

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Can we just make another topic so we can beef at each other, and keep already-made topics what they are?
When I was posting on the old, now defunct CBC Forums (link to article about their shutdown), I suggested to the moderator that just such a thread be opened. It was. The consequences were quite ugly and ultimately led to the events that caused the closure of that forum.
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When I was posting on the old, now defunct CBC Forums (link to article about their shutdown), I suggested to the moderator that just such a thread be opened. It was. The consequences were quite ugly and ultimately led to the events that caused the closure of that forum.

Sure did....what a ride!

We had to type any derivative of the word "Jew" with spaces, hyphens, misspelling, etc, to beat the filter, and laughed that it was easier to use "Jesus Christ" in vain.

Those were the days. :lol:

Edited by bush_cheney2004
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You're saying it's OK for Canadians to define themselves as against Americans but not vice versa?

No, I think that it's ok in either direction. Part of who we are is who we're not.

Obviously you nee to learn something of American history.

We started ourselves largely as part of a tax revolt and a struggle against overbearing, over-paternal monarchial government. That is our country's essence.

I know all that, and I think all you've done is echo what I was saying. It's one of our fundamental differences.

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Sure did....what a ride!

We had to type any derivative of the word "Jew" with spaces, hyphens, misspelling, etc, to beat the filter, and laughed that it was easier to use "Jesus Christ" in vain.

Those were the days. :lol:

If you liked it so much why do you have me on "ignore" and my PM's blocked?

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I don't want to sound arrogant, honestly. But this is happening again, let's drop the country against country act and focus on the topic that we were given. If a guest from a non North-American country came on this forum and saw the question that was posted here and then saw our responses to it - I'd think that they'd be disgusted that the citizens of the two countries with the largest undefended border and the countries that rely most on each other are arguing over our respective opinions on what it means to be from our respective countries. These debates are what forums like "Mapleleafweb" are made for, yes, but the discussion going on currently isn't directly related to the original question, who's PM's were blocked or ignored has no bearing on Canadian pride.

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If a guest from a non North-American country came on this forum and saw the question that was posted here and then saw our responses to it - I'd think that they'd be disgusted that the citizens of the two countries with the largest undefended border and the countries that rely most on each other are arguing over our respective opinions on what it means to be from our respective countries.
That's more a case of sibling rivalry than anything else. Here you have two countries with (mostly) a similar language, similar cultures, and similar histories. Basically, like all siblings, especially boys, they fight harmlessly.
These debates are what forums like "Mapleleafweb" are made for, yes, but the discussion going on currently isn't directly related to the original question, who's PM's were blocked or ignored has no bearing on Canadian pride.
I think the use of the "ignore" function and PM blocks are childish, except where threats are involved.
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I don't want to sound arrogant, honestly. But this is happening again, let's drop the country against country act and focus on the topic that we were given. If a guest from a non North-American country came on this forum and saw the question that was posted here and then saw our responses to it - I'd think that they'd be disgusted that the citizens of the two countries with the largest undefended border and the countries that rely most on each other are arguing over our respective opinions on what it means to be from our respective countries. These debates are what forums like "Mapleleafweb" are made for, yes, but the discussion going on currently isn't directly related to the original question, who's PM's were blocked or ignored has no bearing on Canadian pride.

An indefensible border and economic dependency may well leave an anxiety in Canada-USA relations, anxiety that may explain a half-overt hatred.

Edited by benny
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