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Canadian Friends and NowPublic

by joellerose | June 15, 2007 at 10:10 am

692 views | 25 Recommendations | 8 comments

I had not considered how many Canadians were of the hate-US kind until I started posting and reading articles on NowPublic. It has become obvious to me that a large number of readers, posters and editors are of this point of view. It has been a surprise to me, because of the large number of Canadian friends I have made in the last few years since I retired and decided to spend winters in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Florida. These friends are, of course, Canadians who spend a few months in Florida each winter, and few of them are high income people, just fortunate, or good planners who worked hard, like me, to get where they are.

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In analyzing this situation, I thought about my Canadian friends and the political discussions we have had. I probably have friendships with about 12 Canadian couples, some of whom I have met because there is a large manufactured homes park near my house that is owned by, and designed mainly for, Canadians (although anyone can live there); others I have met because Canadians seem to like ballroom dancing and bridge, which are major hobbies of mine (and a game called Tock). (Some of them also go, as I do, to a British-American party the day after Christmas called Boxing Day.)

These Canadian friends are all retired, like me, and therefore we are all older Americans. In our discussions, I have sensed a reluctance to talk about the Iraq War, and I stay away from that subject. After all, 9/11 didn’t happen to them. In every other respect, though, we have had free-wheeling discussions, and all of them seem to have considerable respect for my country, its history, its accomplishments and its policies. They can’t all be ‘just being nice’, and they love more about Florida than just the weather.

Anyway, I’ll continue to post articles and refute misinformation on NowPublic where I can, and I’ll spend the summer in Rhode Island looking forward to renewing old friendships next fall. I even rooted for Ottawa in the last ‘Cup’ series. Maybe I’ll introduce them to NowPublic.

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mtippett

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at 10:36 on June 15th, 2007

joellerose, thank you for this. I think there are a wide variety of opinions of the US in Canada. Generally I would guess the the amount of anti-American sentiment in Canada is less than it is elsewhere (i.e. Europe, Asia, Middle East etc.).

optic

at 11:19 on June 15th, 2007

Joellerose, don’t take it personally… think of it this way… many people are annoyed by their neighbors (or should I say neighbours) because that neighbor occasionally makes too much noise partying late and often the smell of them smoking on the porch at night gets in through the bedroom window… but on the whole they get along. Besides it’s hypocritical to say anything because they are often invited to the party next door… and many of their friends are there too.

That said I’m not sure anyone in the neighborhood is terribly fond of your landlord… and I think that's an important distinction.

Nicole Billard

at 11:43 on June 15th, 2007

Thanks for voicing your opinion on this... it is too often, in my opinion, that we hear people complaining (ANY people) about their government, economy, etc. and that of other countries. Should we all find ourselves in a place where we could truly be impartial, it WOULD all be 'news'.

That being said, I have to politely disagree... we have several pro-American Cannucks here (both contributors and staff), though sometimes even they have a hard time being completely positive and empathetic.

Canadians are greatly effected by Americana and all that transpires to our south. 9/11 absolutely happened to us, as it did to everyone; you'll find that those in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, etc. were just as frightened and just as quickly evacuated out of the financial districts as those in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, etc.

Perhaps it isn't about borders but point of view... and isn't that what starts all the debate and misunderstandings in the first place?

Thanks again!

Actual News Geezer

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at 16:09 on June 15th, 2007

joellerose, Let me add my voice to the chorus here - which I just discovered when browsing through the comments.

I've always enjoyed reading your postings and the sense that there you are, fighting the good fight against all the hordes of lefties.

As an American and a Canadian, I can speak with some authority when I say, keep on keeping on, joellerose!

ricknight

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 18:39 on June 15th, 2007

joellerose, People can differ without hatred, and friends can disagree. America has much to be praised for, but like any great power, America has done things that it should be criticized for. You and I have butted heads in this forum, but it is because we have freedoms that we can do so. To exchange views, sometimes empassioned, in the hopes that between the extremes of ideaology truth might out. Post on -> Good stuff.

triviaqueen

at 20:10 on June 15th, 2007

For me, I tend to express a lot of distrust/distaste for America as a country (usually for its policies and/or government), but not Americans as individuals. I realize that sometimes I'm not clear about that, and I think I'm not alone. I love the neighbour/landlord analogy that Optic provided, but I've always felt that Canada is more like the younger sibling - whenever we go out, we get compared to our older sibling, and it ticks us off! You'll find a similar dynamic with New Zealand and Australia.

I also think you may be encountering some generation gaps -- you say many of your friends are retirees, I'm guessing that the average age of Now Public users is a little lower.