"If you step back, it's very hard in objective terms to plot out what are the true differences between Canadians and Americans. Yet there are psychic benefits that come from having a sense of identity.. Humans have a strong capacity to construct identities for themselves. It's largely a social process of construction. Some of it is taking small differences and making them seem bigger. A lot of it comes not from the differences, but from feelings of a sense of identity. It's tough to find things on which to hang an identity for all the English-speaking Canadians. It's not really a language that makes them distinct. It only makes them distinct from French-speaking Canadians. It makes them more like the U.S. to focus on language. Food doesn't work very well because, by and large food in Canada is the same as in the United States. What are you left with? Well there's geography. It's clear that if you live in Canada as opposed to the U.S., there's a border between the two. There aren't a lot of things onto which you can pin a distinctively Canadian culture, other than growing up and learning that you're Canadian and not American. It's identity by negation rather than affirmation." - Dr. Mark Snyder (Canadian), Head of Psychology at University of Minnesota
Canadian Nationalism & anti-Americanism go hand in hand. In Canada, it is difficult to find a nationalist who can promote Canada without demoting the United States. In essence Canada defines itself in contrast to the United States. This isn't surprising of course, considering Canada's geographic position and the fact that 90% of Canada's population is within 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the US border. The same can be said for other smaller countries, near larger more influential countries. For example, New Zealand defines itself in contrast to Australia, Ireland in contrast to England, Korea in contrast to China, etc. To everyone else in the world, except Canadian nationalists, Canada and the United States, more than any other two countries in the world, are virtually indistinguishable. Canada and the United States both boast the 'longest undefended border in the world', but this is a Canadian nationalists worst enemy. The border is artificial, a political line not defined by natural barriers, linguistic or cultural differences. The less defined the border is, the less defined Canada is, hence, the less Canada is 'not American'. This is why many Canadian nationalists oppose trade agreements such as NAFTA. Ideas which would help Canada prosper, such as currency, military & customs unions with the US, go against the very fabric of a Canadian nationalist. No matter how economically advantageous these plans are to the population of Canada (and the US) as a whole, it does not help keep a well defined border.
Canadians indeed do have an "identity crisis". All people need to have a sense of belonging, a feeling that they are a part of something progressive, unique, and proud. The team spirit in Canada, however, is a muddled one, because of this massive Goliath which directly or indirectly controls everything from Canada's economy to its culture. Thus, Canadian nationalists have to go out of their way to show that "I AM CANADIAN", or "NOT AMERICAN", even though in almost every way, just like all other Canadians, they are American - from the language they speak, to the food they eat, to the sports they play, and the entertainment they watch.
An article done by a Canadian columnist, entitled "Oh, Canada! Silent patriotism not enough anymore" observantly points out, how American culture is OUR culture, and that if it weren't for the Canadian governments spending, telling us how we're so different, we would surely make the natural progression to a North American reunification. The writers conclusion obviously differs from UNA's, in that he believes we need to be more patriotic, to fight against Americanization, but the points still stands.
There are of course many differences between Canadians and Americans, but there are few, if any, national differences. All the major differences we find between Canada and the United States are regional. For example, the people of Arkansas when compared with the people of British Columbia are vastly different (in North American terms). They speak with a different accent, they have different customs, cuisine, and cultures. In short if you put the average British Columbian in the middle of Arkansas, everyone would know that this person is not from Arkansas. However, put that same person in Washington State, and no one would know he's not from Washington. Seattle and Vancouver are virtually identical compared to a city like Little Rock. The same can be said when comparing Manitoba and Minnesota to Newfoundland, Ontario and Michigan compared to Wyoming, the Maritime provinces and New England states compared to Yukon (or Alaska). Quebec of course is unique in the continent. Overall, the differences between the United States and Canada are regional, not national. A book that was written in 1981 entitled "The Nine Nations of North America" points out the regionalism of North America. This book is a prediction of the breakup of North America into nine distinct nations, which seems unlikely now. However, it illustrates how North America is better grouped into regions which ignore current political boundaries (the exception being Quebec).
Canadian nationalists will point to differences in medical care, gun control, criminal punishment, and immigration policy. However, all these differences are in how we are governed, not who we are. When opinion polls are done in Canada and the United States, the majority of respondents are in favor of tougher gun control. Powerful lobbies like the NRA, have put a halt to most drastic actions in the United States. The same can be said for capital punishment. In both countries the majority of polled respondents are in favor of capital punishment, yet the Liberal government in Canada has outright refused to even consider legislating it, whereas in the US, the individual states decide whether they are to have capital punishment or not (37 out of 50 of them do).
Canadian nationalists will also claim: 'We are bilingual and diverse, not unilingual and homogeneous', 'We are peace keepers, not world police', 'We are socially compassionate, not intolerant and harsh', 'We have a more global perspective, not an introverted American one'. In reality, as most Canadians know, for the most part Canada is not bilingual. French may be the second official language in Canada, but most of English Canada can say little more than 'Bonjour'. The myth that the United States is homogenous, goes back to the belief by many nationalists, that Canada is a multicultural country whereas the US is a melting pot. Indeed Canada is multicultural, but so is the United States (refer to "Similarities & Differences" page under 'Ethnic groups', for a comparison). There are in fact more ethnic groups in New York city, than any other city in the world. The reference to socially compassionate is an implicit claim of Canadian moral superiority. Yet again, it is not a truth. In reality, the United States donates more, publicly and privately, to the needy than any other country, including Canada. The United States was born of philanthropists. In actuality, that is one of the unique differences that we do see in the United States. When it comes to policing the world, it depends on what you view as 'policing'; but in any event, from the Persian Gulf, to Somalia, to Kosovo, Canada has been there, right by the US' side, supporting both politically and militarily any and every conflict the US has gotten into in the past 25 years. In fact, Canada has traditionally urged such police actions even more than the US. Finally, while Canadians may view themselves as a nation with a more international perspective, according to Ipsos-Reid survey, less than one-fifth of Canadians can even name all the countries in the G-8 (which Canada is a member of).
So, after all that is said, what we come down to is the smallest of small differences, which most visitors from other countries would laugh at. Nationalists make trivial differences bigger than they are. Here are some examples: "We pronounce Z, 'zed' not 'zee'!", "Hockey is our national sport!" (which is obviously popular in the US as well since 80% of NHL teams are located there); "We spell color with a U!" (unlike the original Latin spelling, care of the British of course); and "Canadian beer is better than American beer!". Is this what defines a country: beer, pronunciation, and spelling differences?.
You can also read it at http://www.unitednorthamerica.org/antination.htm
Canadian Nationalism & anti-Americanism go hand in hand. In Canada, it is difficult to find a nationalist who can promote Canada without demoting the United States. In essence Canada defines itself in contrast to the United States. This isn't surprising of course, considering Canada's geographic position and the fact that 90% of Canada's population is within 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the US border. The same can be said for other smaller countries, near larger more influential countries. For example, New Zealand defines itself in contrast to Australia, Ireland in contrast to England, Korea in contrast to China, etc. To everyone else in the world, except Canadian nationalists, Canada and the United States, more than any other two countries in the world, are virtually indistinguishable. Canada and the United States both boast the 'longest undefended border in the world', but this is a Canadian nationalists worst enemy. The border is artificial, a political line not defined by natural barriers, linguistic or cultural differences. The less defined the border is, the less defined Canada is, hence, the less Canada is 'not American'. This is why many Canadian nationalists oppose trade agreements such as NAFTA. Ideas which would help Canada prosper, such as currency, military & customs unions with the US, go against the very fabric of a Canadian nationalist. No matter how economically advantageous these plans are to the population of Canada (and the US) as a whole, it does not help keep a well defined border.
Canadians indeed do have an "identity crisis". All people need to have a sense of belonging, a feeling that they are a part of something progressive, unique, and proud. The team spirit in Canada, however, is a muddled one, because of this massive Goliath which directly or indirectly controls everything from Canada's economy to its culture. Thus, Canadian nationalists have to go out of their way to show that "I AM CANADIAN", or "NOT AMERICAN", even though in almost every way, just like all other Canadians, they are American - from the language they speak, to the food they eat, to the sports they play, and the entertainment they watch.
An article done by a Canadian columnist, entitled "Oh, Canada! Silent patriotism not enough anymore" observantly points out, how American culture is OUR culture, and that if it weren't for the Canadian governments spending, telling us how we're so different, we would surely make the natural progression to a North American reunification. The writers conclusion obviously differs from UNA's, in that he believes we need to be more patriotic, to fight against Americanization, but the points still stands.
There are of course many differences between Canadians and Americans, but there are few, if any, national differences. All the major differences we find between Canada and the United States are regional. For example, the people of Arkansas when compared with the people of British Columbia are vastly different (in North American terms). They speak with a different accent, they have different customs, cuisine, and cultures. In short if you put the average British Columbian in the middle of Arkansas, everyone would know that this person is not from Arkansas. However, put that same person in Washington State, and no one would know he's not from Washington. Seattle and Vancouver are virtually identical compared to a city like Little Rock. The same can be said when comparing Manitoba and Minnesota to Newfoundland, Ontario and Michigan compared to Wyoming, the Maritime provinces and New England states compared to Yukon (or Alaska). Quebec of course is unique in the continent. Overall, the differences between the United States and Canada are regional, not national. A book that was written in 1981 entitled "The Nine Nations of North America" points out the regionalism of North America. This book is a prediction of the breakup of North America into nine distinct nations, which seems unlikely now. However, it illustrates how North America is better grouped into regions which ignore current political boundaries (the exception being Quebec).
Canadian nationalists will point to differences in medical care, gun control, criminal punishment, and immigration policy. However, all these differences are in how we are governed, not who we are. When opinion polls are done in Canada and the United States, the majority of respondents are in favor of tougher gun control. Powerful lobbies like the NRA, have put a halt to most drastic actions in the United States. The same can be said for capital punishment. In both countries the majority of polled respondents are in favor of capital punishment, yet the Liberal government in Canada has outright refused to even consider legislating it, whereas in the US, the individual states decide whether they are to have capital punishment or not (37 out of 50 of them do).
Canadian nationalists will also claim: 'We are bilingual and diverse, not unilingual and homogeneous', 'We are peace keepers, not world police', 'We are socially compassionate, not intolerant and harsh', 'We have a more global perspective, not an introverted American one'. In reality, as most Canadians know, for the most part Canada is not bilingual. French may be the second official language in Canada, but most of English Canada can say little more than 'Bonjour'. The myth that the United States is homogenous, goes back to the belief by many nationalists, that Canada is a multicultural country whereas the US is a melting pot. Indeed Canada is multicultural, but so is the United States (refer to "Similarities & Differences" page under 'Ethnic groups', for a comparison). There are in fact more ethnic groups in New York city, than any other city in the world. The reference to socially compassionate is an implicit claim of Canadian moral superiority. Yet again, it is not a truth. In reality, the United States donates more, publicly and privately, to the needy than any other country, including Canada. The United States was born of philanthropists. In actuality, that is one of the unique differences that we do see in the United States. When it comes to policing the world, it depends on what you view as 'policing'; but in any event, from the Persian Gulf, to Somalia, to Kosovo, Canada has been there, right by the US' side, supporting both politically and militarily any and every conflict the US has gotten into in the past 25 years. In fact, Canada has traditionally urged such police actions even more than the US. Finally, while Canadians may view themselves as a nation with a more international perspective, according to Ipsos-Reid survey, less than one-fifth of Canadians can even name all the countries in the G-8 (which Canada is a member of).
So, after all that is said, what we come down to is the smallest of small differences, which most visitors from other countries would laugh at. Nationalists make trivial differences bigger than they are. Here are some examples: "We pronounce Z, 'zed' not 'zee'!", "Hockey is our national sport!" (which is obviously popular in the US as well since 80% of NHL teams are located there); "We spell color with a U!" (unlike the original Latin spelling, care of the British of course); and "Canadian beer is better than American beer!". Is this what defines a country: beer, pronunciation, and spelling differences?.
You can also read it at http://www.unitednorthamerica.org/antination.htm
