Canadian flag causes flap in the U.S.

Ottawa Citizen | December 8, 2003 | Jack Aubry

[BraveMan]

However, my wife and I especially noted during our visit to Canada how we were made to feel very much like alien visitors from another nation.

Once you get past Customs, it gets much better!

[xJones]

Because it's another attempt by the Canadian press to portray Americans as simple-minded jignostic yahoos.

Believe me-I'm a Canadian citizen currently living in the U.S., and the Canadian left is far more guilty of knee-jerk nationalism and ignorance of the world beyond its national borders than the American right.

It's good to have another right-wing Canadian on the forum. This article is one of those, "Everybody start trashing Canadians!"- type threads. There's too many good Canadians for me to jump in - but, of course, if it was about France, that would be another matter.:)

[cwb]

"I swear, there's got to be a left wing loser standing on every corner these days. They should get a friggen job to keep themselves busy and out of Americas hair."

Unfortnatley, some have (gotten jobs). Who do you think's writing these stories, teaching our kids, anchoring our news and working in Hollywood:)

[Trailerpark Badass]

"What bugs me about Canadians, if I may, is that they wear that damn patch on their bags, the Canadian flag patch. That way, they differentiate themselves from us."

Sounds made-up, to me.

[lonevoice]

"He said the findings will act as a base for the consulates to work to understand how Americans...feel about their relationship with their northern neighbours."

Good fences make good neighbors.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

You are correct. Most Americans don't know Canada exists.
This is one of those Canadian stories about the US that draws blank stares from us Yanks when its repeated up north.

[Maelstrom]

No, that's just it.

Past customs it *didn't* get much better!

This trip was in August to teach the falls and hydroelectric power.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Funny, isn´t it?? Come on, gimme a smile?!! ;-)

I agree, it's pretty funny. Here ya go: :-)

Which one fits your relation with Canada better?

Neither. Neither accurately conveys just how little Americans care about Canada one way or the other, although "51st state" does, in some sense, come close. (But it implies that we want something - cooperation, or taxes, or something - from Canada, which we don't. We don't care about Canada one way or the other.)

[Michael81Dus]

Sounds made-up, to me.

Yeah, I can´t believe that this would annoy anyone.

[Porterville]

I only hate metro-liberal-Canadians mainly in Toronto and Quebec, just like I hate most people in SF and Seattle... yes, I hate them, they hurt my sensibilities.

[Maelstrom]

Hey now, I care about the poor Canadians desperately trying to work under the burden of excessive taxation, excessive regulation, with a government that does not trust them to be armed, but hasn't the balls to do anything about those people who insist on flipping the gun-grabbers the middle-finger.

I care about those Canadians. They are my kind of people.

[Irene Adler]

Is everybody sure this article was intended to be taken seriously?

[Michael81Dus]

Mmkey. :)

[Porterville]

I like their cedar trees.

[TalBlack]

Somebody oughta' point out to "Rick Mercer" that he has a job because all the really talented comics have left Canada for America. Start counting all of the successful Comics and comic actors in America who are of Northern extraction.

"Rick Mercer" indeed!

[bayourod]

Being a Texan, I know just how the Canadians feel. It's difficult trying to avoid making non-Texans jealous, but we've had many years of experience.

My grandfather once said to me, "Bayourod, don't ever ask a man where he's from. If he's from Texas he'll tell you without having to be asked. If he's not from Texas you don't want to embarrass him."

[Maelstrom]

New York City considers these things commonplace and unworthy of note.

So long as you stick to NYC your impoliteness will not matter.

Stay away from my town.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Yeah, I can´t believe that this would annoy anyone.

It doesn't sound like believable dialogue, unless they interviewed Thurston Howell III.

[Broadside Joe]

"calling someone an a$$hole, flipping an inconsiderate driver the bird, for example - that you just CANNOT do in the USA without fearing for your life"

Yes we do try to maintain higher public standards.