Questions for Americans?
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Strik
MAD SCIENTIST
100% Dutch 1/4 father 1/4 neighbour 1/2 mother:crazyeyes
Originally posted by BlueMonday
Ahh...the family metaphor. Let's run with it:
America is the teenaged High School Football player.
Britian is it's older brother
Japan is the the rich cousin
France is the slutty sister
Germany is the rowdy uncle
Spain is the the grandfather's brother
Russia is the visionary aunt
Switzerland, Sweden and the other neutrals are the distant relatives who got swept up by the Hippy Flower Power movement
Canada...well, Canadians are just Americans with fewer guns.
And Italy? I think italy should be grandfather of ALL european nations, and younger brother of Greece
Daaraa
King
Being a Canadian who lived 5+ yrs in US and married an american, I've always thought of Canadians as more like the younger middle child in the International family.
Usually forgotten, tends to stick up for its other siblings (US , UK etc) Yet not too afraid at times to tell them, or think they are wrong.
Canadians have always been the biggest supporters of the US (well, strongest not biggest) We'll stick up for the US internationally (almost like lemmings sometimes) but we will tell the US they are wrong only to thier faces.
My wife seems to agree with this.
I really liked BlueMonday 's post earlier and I just had time today to reply. I read at work but post at home.
I forgot to reply to the idea of disdain Canadians have for the US. It isn't disdain, jelousy, or anything truly negative. We have a different way of life or outlook on life as comapred to Americans. I think the idea of contempt Americans feel towards the perception of Canadian dislike towards them is just a reaction because we don't agree with everything the US believes in.
Just because we have different views some Americans have a perception of Canadains having "disdain" towards them. This is in my mind a natural reaction. Most Canadians I know (at least 90 %) harbour no ill feelings towards the US or americans. Most believe, myself included, that at times Americans can come across as arrogant with respect to "Americanization" of the world. ("Our way is the best so you need to follow it too.") But, again, Most Canadians do not dislike, dis-trust or dis Americans.
Usually forgotten, tends to stick up for its other siblings (US , UK etc) Yet not too afraid at times to tell them, or think they are wrong.
Canadians have always been the biggest supporters of the US (well, strongest not biggest) We'll stick up for the US internationally (almost like lemmings sometimes) but we will tell the US they are wrong only to thier faces.
My wife seems to agree with this.
I really liked BlueMonday 's post earlier and I just had time today to reply. I read at work but post at home.
I forgot to reply to the idea of disdain Canadians have for the US. It isn't disdain, jelousy, or anything truly negative. We have a different way of life or outlook on life as comapred to Americans. I think the idea of contempt Americans feel towards the perception of Canadian dislike towards them is just a reaction because we don't agree with everything the US believes in.
Just because we have different views some Americans have a perception of Canadains having "disdain" towards them. This is in my mind a natural reaction. Most Canadians I know (at least 90 %) harbour no ill feelings towards the US or americans. Most believe, myself included, that at times Americans can come across as arrogant with respect to "Americanization" of the world. ("Our way is the best so you need to follow it too.") But, again, Most Canadians do not dislike, dis-trust or dis Americans.
Originally posted by Whiskey Priest
I think most Canadians secretly want to be Americans.
Sure we do.
To quote William Shatner (Who is Canadian, BTW): "If a war broke out between Canada and the USA, It would be my duty to kill as many Americans as possible....and that wouldn't bother me at all." j/k
Granted, the UK has more economic and military prosperty than Canada, but my point is that this tends to be THE ONLY THING people count anymore. Can they help us kick ass? And can they make us money? I was just trying to bring other points to the forefront, that most people choose to ignore or just are unaware of. Canada and USA share a much closer bond than UK and USA, but in terms of military and economic categories, then the UK could be considered greater. But Canada and the US still have free trade and mutual protection pacts, that the US shares with no one else. Just want to bring these points to the forefront.
Your not the only person that came across that way, when wise Mr. Bush himself spewed forth similar words, he pissed off more than one Canadian. For all that Canada has done for the US, we get no credit....it almost sickens me.
What if Canada had said to all the planes that were grounded that they COULDN'T land on Canadian soil?!?!?!? You would of had dozens of crashed planes. I don't think any country would do that to ANYONE, but I'm just trying to prove my point.
Whole towns were shut down after the tragity, to accomadate the grounded Americans and other peoples (English, French, etc......), Canada helped with Border defence, has detained suspious people and pleaged limited military support. (We only have about 8000 peace keepers to go around.)
Anyway....I'll go to lunch now.
joespaniel
Unescorted Settler
Aw, corn, we didnt mean to hurt your feelings...
Like I said, the origional question was about European countries.
I think the US is closer (politicaly) to Canada than any other country. I've done more military training with Canadians than any other nations armed forces. I also have traveled there extensively, and think it is the most beautiful country in the world (Alberta, I would live there, except its too damn cold!
).
Anywho, dont take it personaly.
At least were not dropping bombs on you...
Like I said, the origional question was about European countries.
I think the US is closer (politicaly) to Canada than any other country. I've done more military training with Canadians than any other nations armed forces. I also have traveled there extensively, and think it is the most beautiful country in the world (Alberta, I would live there, except its too damn cold!
).Anywho, dont take it personaly.
At least were not dropping bombs on you...
Originally posted by joespaniel
At least were not dropping bombs on you...
That's a good point. Maybe we should be dropping McDonalds Gift certificates to the Afghstans instead of food.
P.S. I do realize that my last statement has absolutely NOTHING to do with the discussion.........................yeah.
I WANT TO GO HOME!!!
Edit: And by home I mean both the home sense of NOT WORKING, and also HOME to Newfoundland. It has a double meaning.
Very interesting thread!
This is my humble response to this thread, I now that it´s a long one but I hope you read it.
Im happy, but not very surprised, that almost every American who has posted here are positive towards Europeans (except France, for some reason). It really makes me glad, actually. Considering that ALOT of the Europeans in this forum has posted more or less negative messages regarding the US in other threads (myself included).
I know that many many many europeans doesn´t like US foreign policy or (what I would like to call) "cultural imperialism" and other things. When I say "cultural imperialism" I think of McDonalds, Hollywood and other "fast food like" fenomenons that in many cases competes with very old traditionbased cultural patterns that alot of people consider to be a higher level of culture then for instance McDonalds. I think that most Europeans dont want their culture to be replaced by an american look-a-like culture. NOTE: Im not saying that the american culture is a bad or low level culture!
I am just saying that culture is what makes Europe, US, China and so on to what it is. That is why most of you like Europe and most of us like US (we do!).
Darn, I am starting to get off-topic with this culture talk...
Anyhow, It´s important to understand that when a European criticize US or says that he doesn´t like the american point of view, or something similar. DOESN`T mean that he hates or dislike americans. I can almost certainly assure you that 95% (or more) of the europeans like americans just as much as they like anybody else, regardless of what you read in these posts. The opposite is also true.
I live in Sweden and there are some frequent posters from Sweden in this forum that criticize US. I did read somewhere in this thread that a person was evaluating his point of view against Sweden (to a more negative view) because of these posters, please dont. I have never in my whole life heard anybody in this country who has said that he/she hates of even dislikes the american people. But I have heard alot of people saying that they disklike that death penalty is being used in the US, how sad it is that your wellfare system is non-existant or very poor, crazy gunlaws, the use of personal landmines and so on and so on. But that´s a BIG diffrence and we love you anyway. (although we hope that you reconsider the death penalty and the use of landmines
)
My point is that we are all of diffrent point of views, Europeans, Americans and people from Sweden (even the French). We all have our idea on what´s right and what´s wrong. But I dont think that anyone (rest of the world excluded) can say that they hate americans or europeans. And that the criticizism are not against the people of the nations.
Europe and America is as close friends as they could be and it will always remain that way, but we doesn´t completely agree with each other and we never will. Unless it will be impossible to differ US from Europe or Europe from US and we dont want that, because then all the beauty in our diversity will be gone.
:love2:
This is my humble response to this thread, I now that it´s a long one but I hope you read it.
Im happy, but not very surprised, that almost every American who has posted here are positive towards Europeans (except France, for some reason). It really makes me glad, actually. Considering that ALOT of the Europeans in this forum has posted more or less negative messages regarding the US in other threads (myself included).
I know that many many many europeans doesn´t like US foreign policy or (what I would like to call) "cultural imperialism" and other things. When I say "cultural imperialism" I think of McDonalds, Hollywood and other "fast food like" fenomenons that in many cases competes with very old traditionbased cultural patterns that alot of people consider to be a higher level of culture then for instance McDonalds. I think that most Europeans dont want their culture to be replaced by an american look-a-like culture. NOTE: Im not saying that the american culture is a bad or low level culture!
I am just saying that culture is what makes Europe, US, China and so on to what it is. That is why most of you like Europe and most of us like US (we do!).
Darn, I am starting to get off-topic with this culture talk...
Anyhow, It´s important to understand that when a European criticize US or says that he doesn´t like the american point of view, or something similar. DOESN`T mean that he hates or dislike americans. I can almost certainly assure you that 95% (or more) of the europeans like americans just as much as they like anybody else, regardless of what you read in these posts. The opposite is also true.
I live in Sweden and there are some frequent posters from Sweden in this forum that criticize US. I did read somewhere in this thread that a person was evaluating his point of view against Sweden (to a more negative view) because of these posters, please dont. I have never in my whole life heard anybody in this country who has said that he/she hates of even dislikes the american people. But I have heard alot of people saying that they disklike that death penalty is being used in the US, how sad it is that your wellfare system is non-existant or very poor, crazy gunlaws, the use of personal landmines and so on and so on. But that´s a BIG diffrence and we love you anyway. (although we hope that you reconsider the death penalty and the use of landmines
) My point is that we are all of diffrent point of views, Europeans, Americans and people from Sweden (even the French). We all have our idea on what´s right and what´s wrong. But I dont think that anyone (rest of the world excluded) can say that they hate americans or europeans. And that the criticizism are not against the people of the nations.
Europe and America is as close friends as they could be and it will always remain that way, but we doesn´t completely agree with each other and we never will. Unless it will be impossible to differ US from Europe or Europe from US and we dont want that, because then all the beauty in our diversity will be gone.
:love2:
Shaolin
Chieftain
Great points. Us Americans, for some reason or another, have adopted this idea that Canda is our littlle brother. We tend to view England as more of our peer.I don't know why.
joespaniel
Unescorted Settler
All of our allies are great. We wouldnt ally with any crappy countries.
