From: lavoie@bnr.ca (Marc Lavoie)
Subject: Re: Canada and the U.S.
Reply-To: lavoie@bnr.ca (Marc Lavoie)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 92 15:14:20 GMT

In article <4090@sumax.seattleu.edu>, harrity@sumax.seattleu.edu (Daniel John Harrity) writes:
|> In article <1992Apr7.204108.13517@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> cthorne@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Charles E Thorne) writes:
|> >
|> >>- the US treats Canada like the 51st state
|> >>- the US practices economic and cultural imperialism wrt Canada
|> >>- the US takes Canada for granted
|> >>- the US bullies Canada wrt trade
|> >>- the US expects Canada (and everyone else for that matter) to play by its
|> >>  rules, but then changes these rules when it starts to lose
|> >
|> >
|> >What are you really saying here?  Do you have specific complaints about how
|> >the U.S. reacts with Canada, or do you just want to flame?
|> >
|> >Charlie
|> 
|> Sorry about the previous post with nothing but my sig on the bottom....my
|> fault. 
|> 
|> Anyway, I'm curious as well.  I've heard these grievances as well, just as
|> I've heard those of Americans regarding Canadians.  I think people like to
|> spread around vague generalities without taking the time to back them up. 
|> And, I don't mean one or two examples....we can always find those.
|> 
|> If you can come up with examples of where US citizens *consistently* do
|> the above-mentioned, please do.  In my trips to Canada, I've found people
|> to be quite friendly and helpful, and others who were not.  Sound
|> familiar?  If you've ever travelled outside of your neighborhood it ought
|> to.  Simply because some Americans act one way, don't do us all the
|> injustice of believing we're like that, and don't do yourself the
|> injustice of falling for an old and hopelessly worn-out Yankee stereotype.

I think we need to differentiate between Americans as individuals and Americans
as a nation.

I have mane American friends and as a rule, Americans are just like anybody else.

The picture changes when it comes to the American nation.  I don't really think
they have anything against Canada specifically but they are just spending too 
much time staring at their navels.  Does anything exist outside the US?
Examples:  How many news stories about Canada do you see on US network news?
(don't count the ones on local news, specially near the border).  Watch CNN
Headline News for 30 minutes and count them.  Also check the US national weather
forecasts.  Weather stops at the Canada-US border!  No, no weather up there!
And don't give me the excuse that it wouldn't fit on the TV screen, I get to know
the temperature in Texas on my local weather forecast in Ottawa.  And how many
people in the US can name the capital of Canada or its prime minister?  Ok,
the prime minister is a forgettable person but the capital?  I often get asked
"where is Ottawa?" when I say where I am from.

When it comes to trade, it gets worse.  We have had wholly owned subsidiaries of
US companies in Canada for generations but check what happens when a Canadian
wants to buy a company in the US?  Look into the benefits od the Canada-US
Free Trade agreement.  Put it this way, it wouldn't have been signed by
the US if it wasn't in their favour.  When George calls, Brian jumps and says
"yes Sir".  Examples are all over the place.

As I said before, I have nothing against American individuals (My brother-in-law
and sister-in-law are Americans and live in DC!) but I definitly have something
against Americans as a nation.



Marc Lavoie
Bell-Northern Research
Ottawa, Canada
lavoie@bnr.ca

BNR never agrees with mi opinions!
Organization: Masters student, Urban and Public Affairs, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA