Just stayed within the possibility of what could have happened with origional parameters. Comet could have crashed into Earth also.
Canadian Identity: un-American
- Thread starter Sniglet
- Start date
Just stayed within the possibility of what could have happened with origional parameters. Comet could have crashed into Earth also.
Obviously the original parameters excluded other variables. So all you are saying is that what resulted is what resulted.
Yes, if you add all the variables possible, anything imaginable could have happened. Here is one more also: Canada would possibly still have a French majority if the British had won the American Revolution.
Cultural background is different so obviously the tow are different. The 'not being American' thing is just a tendency of people to want to keep what they believe is theirs--the US has always been quite aggressive (gradual takeover of Canadian industry was inevitable given the circumstances).
Personally, I'm not of any "colonial" or "indian" background. As a Canadian, these cultural background things don't really interest me (although I do respect them).
From a 'good country' perspective, the only things that matter are that the citizenry have all the necessities of life to keep them healthy and that the country actually achieve something positive on the international stage (namely, helping people elsewhere to get out of their respective messes). All reasonable people in the US, Canada and elsewhere think this way; it's not country-specific.
Statistically, sure you have things like Canadians have a higher average level of education than Americans and so on. Sure the private sector generally has a (slightly) stronger hold on the everyday lives of citizens in the US than in Canada but ultimately both are elitist states run by an oligarchical class (as is the case with virtually every other country).
Considering today's globalized culture, the topic question is rather irrelevant.
Personally, I'm not of any "colonial" or "indian" background. As a Canadian, these cultural background things don't really interest me (although I do respect them).
From a 'good country' perspective, the only things that matter are that the citizenry have all the necessities of life to keep them healthy and that the country actually achieve something positive on the international stage (namely, helping people elsewhere to get out of their respective messes). All reasonable people in the US, Canada and elsewhere think this way; it's not country-specific.
Statistically, sure you have things like Canadians have a higher average level of education than Americans and so on. Sure the private sector generally has a (slightly) stronger hold on the everyday lives of citizens in the US than in Canada but ultimately both are elitist states run by an oligarchical class (as is the case with virtually every other country).
Considering today's globalized culture, the topic question is rather irrelevant.
I feel pretty much like you, I do not understand this obsession some Canadians have with identity. Personally I never gave it a thought, I know who and what I am and am happy with it.
Actually most Canucks are just as proud about being Canuckian as you people are about being Yanks, just in different ways.
Actually most Canucks are just as proud about being Canuckian as you people are about being Yanks, just in different ways.
No question about being proud, but this identity thing seems to be a major priority in their minds. (think about it all or most of the time) Guess as you say just a different mind set. :smile:
The large eastern cities and surrounding areas happen to have the most Canadians and Americans, and very very few married Indians. It just didn't happen much even in the west where many more Indians resided and reside.
Pocahontas lives by herself, she doesn't even have a national name, and she wasn't born in England. We all know full well John Smith was an Englishman who was born in England.
So here the acid test is to ask a number of random people if they can identify Big Bear. If you get blank stares, then he is not famous. I asked people if they could name the tribe Pocahontas is part of and all I got were blank stares. And she got a major motion picture named after her. Big Bear hasn't got that.
Canada as we know it was primarily built by immigrant homesteaders. Unlike global superpowers who measure history by how many wars were fought or what dynasty ruled, Canadians populated a pretty barren place. The focus was on self-reliance and the generosity of community. It's difficult to pigeon-hole Canadian identity, and in my view very few are hung up on it. We are who we are. If that ain't good enough, pass the perogies.
That is a good point, Kreskin. There is really no distinct Canadian identity. What is the Canadian cuisine? There isn’t one. How about Canadian wines, beers. None of them are world famous. We tend to drink American and European beers and wines to a great extent.
We have Canadian identity as a nation, but not much else.
That seems to be the general consensus among those groups who insist we coddle every immigrant group.
Gee, I wonder if there's a connection? When you believe you have no identity, it's easy to justify catering to anyone else's idea of what you should do.
OK then tell me, what is the Canadian identity? Hockey? Poutine (horrible stuff)? Raw seal meat for lunch? Pierre Trudeau? What?
Americans have the Manifest destiny, they think that theirs is the best country in the world, everything American is absolutely the best in the world. That is their identity, the greatest country in the world (and indeed in the history of mankind). Total rubbish of course, but at least that defines USA and Americans.
What defines Canadian, what is our identity? None that I can see.
That's because you're determined NOT to see. I'm beginning to think you lack the ability to see it.
The Canadian identity is a country founded on British parliamentary principles, with a healthy dose of French legal concepts, mixed with a small (too small, perhaps) amount of entrepreneurial spirit. Our political and business culture draws largely on the British traditions, the family compact, with a reasonably large smattering of patronising tossed in.
Personally, I think pretty much every aspect of Canada forms the Canadian ID. Everything from location on the planet, the size of the country, the variety of heritages and cultures, the politics, the economics, climate, and probably more.
Pomp*** .... ooops, you know who, is blind as a turtle with cataracts and about as swift ........
Pomp*** .... ooops, you know who, is blind as a turtle with cataracts and about as swift ........
Canada is not founded on British Parliamentary principles, Canadian system is a hybrid of British and American systems. Sure we have British style office holders and British style merging of the executive and legislative branch. But we have provinces, which are similar to states in USA. They don’t have states or provinces in Britain. Provinces have considerable powers of self governance. In that respect our system resembles American system.
Our political and business culture draws upon British and American traditions. Indeed, we have adopted many Americanisms. Thus in Britain they have limited companies, we have incorporated companies (like USA).
Indeed, if there is a Canadian identity, it usually involves splitting the difference between USA and Britain (or Europe). A case in point: USA has Social Security Number, Britain has National Insurance Number. We have Social Insurance number. Or our laws about prostitution, we split the difference between USA (where it is totally illegal) and Europe (where it is totally legal).
So it is very difficult to point to a distinct Canadian identity. Now, it could be that we were part of the British empire, we are right next to the giant nation, USA so it is inevitable that those two countries will influence our identity profoundly. But it is difficult to point to anything in the field of politics, culture, cuisine etc. that is truly and uniquely Canadian. Even our Carter of Rights, of which Canada can be justly proud of, is based upon the American Bill of Rights (though the Charter is undoubtedly superior to the Bill of Rights).
