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Time to Kiss and Make Up (The snuggle-bunny country north of the Canadian/U.S. border)
The American Spectator ^ | November 4, 2003 | Steven Martinovich

Posted on 11/04/2003 7:24:41 AM PST by quidnunc

It appears that the average Canadian has realized what most in the federal government have yet to. A poll commissioned by the Centre for Research and Information on Canada found that 44 percent of Canadians believe that Canada should have stronger ties to the United States. It's an increase of 18 percentage points since March and is at its highest point in three years.

While Canadians are clearly growing concerned about their ties to the United States, Canada's government has done little to bridge the distance. Thanks in part to undiplomatic talk before and after George W. Bush's election, the president has yet to make a visit to Canada — outside of attending two international conferences — and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien has only made one visit to the White House. To add injury to insult many prominent Canadians — including officials in the prime minister's office — seemed to take an "unholy glee" at what happened to the United States on and the days after September 11, 2001, stated historian J.L. Granatstein in a recent speech in Toronto.

"These Canadians and their friends did very serious damage to Canada's relations with the White House and the State Department," said Granatstein.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham best expressed the federal government's view on October 30 when he denied relations were in a "deep freeze." Said Graham, "This is a mug's game to go into that. The fact of the matter is that when we have specific problems, when we had the electricity blackout, the prime minister phoned up Mr. Bush, he took his call, we worked on it."

Despite Graham's assertion, it's safe to say that relations are at their frostiest since the days of Pierre Trudeau and Ronald Reagan and not surprisingly the problem partly stems from philosophical differences in approaches to policy. As an example, for Canadians foreign policy is about maintaining dialogue at all costs while Americans prefer a more pragmatic approach. Canada is in the business of trying to export its values while the United States is interested in protecting what it determines is in its national interest. As Granatstein pointed out in his October 21 speech, "Values or principles are for individuals, while nations have interests, above all."

Canada's "soft power" approach has been a dismal failure. The influence that Canadians believe they wield through kind words and understanding has had remarkably little effect in achieving our goals. Like Europe, Canada's influence is diminishing because cultural exchanges and foreign aid don't sway nations like Iran and other unstable rogue states — at the cost of its relationship with the United States. As much as Canadians don't like to admit it, the velvet glove occasionally must reveal the iron first. As Canada's ability to project power has diminished over the past two decades, so has its voice. Particularly with the United States.

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Canada; Extended News; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: canada; nonallycanada
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Quote:

It's Canadian tradition to oppose American policy on the grounds that it is both noble and defines Canada. We like to believe that we're more moral than the United States simply because we reflexively criticize our ally's actions.

What a way to define yourself as a nation… "We're the immature pain-in-the-ass country."

1 posted on 11/04/2003 7:24:43 AM PST by quidnunc
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To: quidnunc
We like to believe that we're more moral than the United States simply because we reflexively criticize our ally's actions.

So all we have to do is call Canadians names and then we can become more moral too.

2 posted on 11/04/2003 7:28:00 AM PST by Always Right
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To: quidnunc
There are two Canadas. Just as the US consists of rural versus sophisticated, socialist urban areas, so Canada does. The rural, conservative areas feel that the socialist dependant areas are a pain in the ass. I agree.
3 posted on 11/04/2003 7:31:05 AM PST by meenie
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To: quidnunc
Poor Canadians, shamed and mis-represented by their leaders.

All the more pity that I have little sympathy left for them.

4 posted on 11/04/2003 7:31:48 AM PST by laotzu
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To: quidnunc
I thought "snuggle bunny" was an act of reproduction!
5 posted on 11/04/2003 7:33:03 AM PST by Pan_Yans Wife (You may forget the one with whom you have laughed, but never the one with whom you have wept.)
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To: Always Right
Always Right wrote: (We like to believe that we're more moral than the United States simply because we reflexively criticize our ally's actions.) So all we have to do is call Canadians names and then we can become more moral too.

No. we make them the butt of ridicule… the more pointed the better.

This is the way to burst their bubble; don't get angry with them, laugh at them.

6 posted on 11/04/2003 7:33:18 AM PST by quidnunc (Omnis Gaul delenda est)
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To: quidnunc
"...cultural exchanges and foreign aid don't sway nations..."

I dunno. Yesterday I was thinking very nice thoughts about Canada. Especially their need for American sperm donors.

I guess I should have known they wouldn't respect me in the morning...

7 posted on 11/04/2003 7:35:30 AM PST by NicknamedBob (I'm a Red Cross Viagra donor and proud of it!)
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To: quidnunc
Aw, heck. Let's just annex Canada and get it over with.
8 posted on 11/04/2003 7:36:01 AM PST by brbethke
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To: brbethke
I don't think most Americans would want Canada.
9 posted on 11/04/2003 7:39:27 AM PST by cpprfld (Who said accountants are boring?)
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To: brbethke
"Let's just annex Canada and get it over with."

All right, except for Quebec. Let the French have that ... then those two can be pains in each other's butts.

And just to make sure they don't make trouble for anyone else, make them responsible for Haiti, too.
All our bad eggs are belong in one poche.

10 posted on 11/04/2003 7:44:57 AM PST by NicknamedBob (I'm a Red Cross Viagra donor and proud of it!)
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To: quidnunc
The influence that Canadians believe they wield through kind words and understanding has had remarkably little effect in achieving our goals.

I find I can get further with a kind word and a gun than with just a kind word.

11 posted on 11/04/2003 7:52:58 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Uday and Qusay and Idi-ay are ead-day)
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To: NicknamedBob
Bend over America, I am all puckered up. lol
12 posted on 11/04/2003 7:53:00 AM PST by albertabound (It's good to beeeeeee Alberta bound.)
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To: NicknamedBob
Deal.

I've long advocated annexing -- excuse me, federating with -- Mexico, but figured the only problem would be having to listen to all the whining and simpering from those *&@#$!! Canadians when they started to feel left out. But if we can pawn Quebec and Haiti off on France, I think we've got a winning combination here.

They get decent medical treatment. We get much simpler border crossings when we go fishing in Ontario. Of course we'll also get a LOT of grousing from their writers, actors, and musicians when they realize the Canadian content law no longer applies, but they'll get over it.

13 posted on 11/04/2003 7:59:11 AM PST by brbethke
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To: quidnunc
I'm sorry, but I can't find the sympathy for countries like Canada anymore. After 911 I learned that these people had a "Screw You" attitude about the US, just like France, Germany, et.al. The people in these countries are, truly, false friends. And I don't believe this is just the socialists in the urban centers. I can't get over the poll numbers in the upper 80s of the majority of these people saying, in a general sense, to whit, that they agree with the crowd that views the US as an "Evil Empire". I'm tired of the hackneyed, two-faced, holier than thou bullshit that the Canucks have been bellowing for far too long. I can honestly say that this American will never visit Canada, or buy anything from Canada, for as long as I live!
14 posted on 11/04/2003 8:29:57 AM PST by vanmorrison
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To: vanmorrison
I'm tired of the hachneyed, tow faded, holier than thou bullshit that the Canucks have bellowing for far too long

Tell that to the 2000 Cdn troops in Afghanistan who are in harm's way and JTF-2 commandos who have been working with US SOFs hunting down terrorist elements. Tell that to the Cdn Navy pers who spent time away from their families while serving in the ME during Iraqi ops. Tell that to Cdns who opened up their homes to American flight passengers during 9/11.

Do some research before spouting of nonsense and trying to place all Cdns in a socialist slot.

Have a nice day.

15 posted on 11/04/2003 10:45:13 AM PST by Aura Of The Blade
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Aura Of The Blade
Hey, Sport! Do you think that the Liberals would have been able to get away with the implementation of their idiotic socialistic agenda if the majority of Canucks were against it? Like their great health care system, strict gun control, runaway third-worldism, UN fetishism, and a military establishment smaller than the New York City Police Department.

The fact of the matter is that most Canadians are cut from the same cloth as the British Liberals and French Socialists. And don't use the brave sacrifices of the few to excuse the cowardice of the many.

I've lived across the border from Canada my entire life. I've visited Canada frequently for many years. I've seen nothing from these people but snide, sarcastic, puerile, America-hating tripe from the Canadian intellectuals, the Canadian government, and the Canadian people for too long. Try watching CBC with your eyes open some time. Its as bad as the BBC, but with a French twist.

I am sick and tired of these chicken-shit second-raters and hangers-on complaining about their misfortune of being located next to the greatest nation in the history of the planet. Do you really believe that your status in the world is related to your own dynamic political and economic accomplishments? Hardly! The Canadians are like the dumb brother-in-law who is always bailed out after continuous failure because of the need to keep up family appearances.

Forget Canada and Canucks!
17 posted on 11/04/2003 11:09:47 AM PST by vanmorrison
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: Zipperfish
Signed up today to say that eh?
20 posted on 11/04/2003 12:46:55 PM PST by kanawa (kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight)
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