From: troy@cs.sfu.ca (Troy Brooks)
Subject: Re: Yet further tripe from Richard Reeves
Organization: CSS, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 17:29:09 GMT

In article <Oct.6.09.04.27.1992.11402@romulus.rutgers.edu> kaldis@romulus.rutgers.edu (Theodore A. Kaldis) writes:
>In article <1992Sep30.160855.16375@cs.sfu.ca> troy@cs.sfu.ca (Troy Brooks) writes:
>
>> ljb@parkcity.dr.att.com:
>
>>> 6. So much for my reasoned, educated arguments.  The Canadians are for
>>> the most part a meek people (save some of their true living pioneers).
>
>> What a bunch of crap.  Save this jingoism for someone who shares your
>> narrow minded prejudices.
>
>The truth hurts, huh?  Canadians have been called "history's couch
>potatoes" by a prominent _Canadian_ writer (who's certainly in
	
	Opinions are like assholes; everybody's got one.

>position to know), and not without good reason.  Canadians seem all
>too readily willing to go along with whatever idea is currently in
>vogue with the liberal "intelligentsia", regardless of how much it
>infringes on personal liberty.
	
	This is more of the same crap. 
	(Good Morning class, and welcome to Fear Mongering,
	Stupidity, and Brain Dead Behavior. Today's Bogeyman is
	the "Liberal Intelligentsia".)
>
>Homosexuality is an aberration.  There, I have just broken the law in
>Canada -- just by expressing this (easily provable) idea.

	So you're homophobic; who cares?
>
>>> They are a fairly homogeneous group ethnically, politically and
>>> economically.
>
>This isn't quite true, particularly in Montreal or Toronto.  Moreover,
>the dominant culture of Quebec is something quite different than that
>of the rest of Canada.

	What do you know about Canada? (Nothing, it seems beyond the
	mindless stereotypes and prejudices you cling to.) Canada
	has large and vibrant Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, Japanese,
	East Indian, and Ukranian communities, all proud to be Canadian,
	not to mention Quebec and the other French communities throughout
	Canada.
>
>>> Comparisons of their culture, or any other culture to that of the U.S.
>>> is erroneous.
>
>This is absolutely true when you are comparing the U.S. with english-
>speaking Canada.  U.S. culture is based upon the complete repudiation
>of the idea of having a government based on monarchy and class
>privilege, while many Canadians (particularly older ones) still revere
>the English crown.

	This is a big thing with you, isn't it? Fear of the English.
	Let me explain it in little words you can understand. There are
	a lot of ex-English types who live in Canada. Many of them
	came here years ago, others have recently retired here. They
	like the royal family. That's it. The monarchy in England
	has no power here, no control, no influence; it's just part of 
	our history. We didn't have a revolution, we just split off.
	It's not that hard to understand if you try.
>
>>> Our ancestors did not come to this land to live like the serfs of
>>> Europe, Asia or any other land which they fled or were driven from.
>>> Rather, they wished to live in freedom and depend on themselves for
>>> sustenance, not on the [whimsical] [largesse] of some government
>>> benefactor.
>
>> Actually, I think Bill Murray said it best in 'Stripes': "We're
>> Americans!  That means our forefathers ... were thrown out of every
>> decent country in the world!  We're mutts!  We're mongrels! ..." :-)
>
>As if Bill Murray is a respected commentator on U.S. culture.  What
>other "decent" countries are there in the world?  Despite all its
>flaws, the U.S. is tops in that category (in my estimation).  As for
>our forefathers being "thrown out" of other countries, I can't think
>of that ever happening on a large scale.  They came here because they
>_WANTED_ to -- and that still holds true today.  There are even many
>Canadians who would like to emigrate to the U.S. -- if they could do
>so legally.  So keep your sour grapes to yourself.

	There are people from every country in the world moving around;
	so what? If you'd take your head out of your ass for a minute,
	you'd realize that many Americans do not have a monopoly on the
	concept of liberty. From what I gather, some of your states have
	gun control laws at least as restrictive as those in Canada.
	Besides, liberty does not begin and end with gun control. I have
	no sour grapes; I've travelled extensively through the U.S. and
	Canada, and I've met a lot of nice people in both. People
	that are able to look beyond narrow stereotypes, and appreciate
	individuals and ideas for what they are.

>-- 
>The views expressed herein are my   ||  Theodore A. Kaldis
>my own only.  Do you seriously      ||  kaldis@remus.rutgers.edu
>believe that a major university as  ||  {...}!rutgers!remus.rutgers.edu!kaldis
>this would hold such views???       ||

Troy Brooks
troy@cs.sfu.ca

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