So, to confirm I speak the truth, here are some quotes directly from The Canada Guide (culture section).
"Judging, teasing and even hating America is a central part of the Canadian identity, and forms a persistant bias that runs through most aspects of Canadian society and culture. For various reasons, the default position of a great many Canadians is that America, Americans, and American things are generally bad, and need to be opposed..."
"Canadian politics frequently embraces the latter principle to an exaggerated degree, with America often presented as a deeply dysfunctional, broken nation, and thus a country that Canada should be very careful to avoid copying.
It’s exceedingly common for Canadian politicians to describe ideas they don’t like as being “American-style.” Someone who supports looser gun laws might be denounced as favouring an “American-style” approach to gun control. Someone who wants to tinker with Canadian medicare will be blasted for favouring “American-style” health care. A proposal for Canada to ditch the monarchy and become a republic would be condemned as ushering in “American-style” government."
"If a Canadian character is witty, worldly, sophisticated and modern, you can count on the American character to be hickish, dumb, boorish and sheltered. Another favourite is the stereotypically ignorant American painfully uninformed about Canada; a yahoo who expects to see dogsleds on every street corner and a beaver-skin hat on every head."
"As discussed in the pop culture chapter, made-in-Canada media is not tremendously popular in Canada, and most Canadians are fully capable of enjoying (and relating to) the American actors, characters and settings found in American movies, TV, and books without much difficulty. But this can breed a kind of insecurity unto itself, and aggressive reminders of “why we’re better” delivered through anti-American jokes, gags, stereotypes, and insults remain popular tropes of Canadian entertainment."
"Generally, the most commonly held conclusion is that by vilifying America, Canadians are able to create a collective identity for themselves. Especially in an era where Canadians and Americans are becoming more similar in their lifestyles, behaviour and culture, there is strong pressure for Canadians to focus on the ways their country still remains different, and indeed, superior."
"Canadian history books usually make much of episodes like the War of 1812, Irish-American attacks on Canada during the mid-1800s (the “Fenian Raids“) and other instances where Americans seemed to be plotting the “annexation of Canada.” The implication is Americans have a long habit of looking at Canada with hungry eyes, and Canadians must remain ever vigilant."
"In the end, however, Canada’s cultural anti-Americanism should not disguise the very real way Canadians often casually or unconsciously think of themselves as Americans in day-to-day life. Most Canadians generally take it for granted that American studies or polls on topics like social behaviour, spending habits, family trends and personal psychology apply equally to their country.."
And there is an honest, fairly succinct summary of the facts. As one comment put it, Canadians are "Americans not allowed to live in America for starters". Culturally 'American', yet painfully aware they are unable to emigrate, they delude themselves with boasts of ethical and intellectual superiority in order to self-soothe.
As previous posts show, this is absurd. One only needs to look at the past history of slavery, treatment of Aboriginals, treatment of Asians, treatment of Jews, treatment of blacks, racist laws, segregation, the Ku Klux Klan and much more to see the parallels, with Canada often decades behind in important rights and affairs.
So the next time a caker denies the TRUTH, simply point him or her right to the culture page of the Canada Guide:
"The Canada Guide is an in-depth reference website for all things Canadian. Whether you’re a student doing research, a tourist planning a trip, an immigrant studying for citizenship, or a local looking to learn, if you’re seeking clear information on this vast and complex country, you’ve come to the right place."
Just felt like quickly throwing this out there... for all the times cakers run their mouths about Americans but don't have the guts to back it up when it counts. Sure, you're nicer and smarter and superior - why not just admit it to their faces if you're so confident?
And no, I will NOT be shot in the United States, but thanks for the fear-mongering concern.
