Posted on 07/18/2004 9:20:54 PM PDT by quidnunc
Everywhere, Americans are called "cowboys." On foreign tongues, the reference to America's Western rural laborers is an insult. Cowboys, we are told, plundered the earth, arrogantly rode roughshod over neighbors, and were addicted to mindless violence. So some of us hang our heads in shame. We shouldn't. The cowboy is in fact our Homeric hero, an archetype that sticks because there's truth in it.
Cowboys were of course plainsmen — Midwesterners operating from Texas to Kansas to the Dakotas. But their ideas and ideals spread across the continent to our Mountain West as well, even as far as the Alaskan West.
A few years ago, a Canadian anthropologist explained to us how different her countrymen are from Americans. She had a perfect comparison to illustrate this. She suggested that we go to the extreme western edge of Canada and have a look at two small towns named Stewart and Hyder. Stewart is situated in British Columbia, Hyder at the southeastern tip of Alaska. Though just two miles apart, these towns are very different in their "habits of the heart." If we visited them, our anthropologist friend implied, we would immediately understand the superiority of Canadian culture.
We decided to take up her challenge.
First we called up the respective town authorities. Hyder, the American town, turned out to have no town authorities — and, technically, no town. The Hyderites chose not to incorporate as a municipality, creating instead a community association — a private nonprofit corporation. Stewart, the Canadian town, is a real municipality with a traditional government.
When we phoned Stewart, the government agent refused to answer any questions until they were submitted in writing. The Hyder community association representative said, sure, she'd tell us anything we wanted to know, right now, on the phone. But to make it a fair comparison, we faxed written questions to both parties, and got written answers back.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Mr. Kleinfeld is a judge on the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
I could certainly entertain Judge Kleinfeld on the SCOTUS.
Well said. The two methods of "settling the West" would explain the difference in cultures.
So which style do you call good living?
bookmark
Stewart is attractive but it becomes confining to an American. Hyde is energetic but its sense of anarchism would repel a Canadian.
What's telling its a refutation of the liberal notion that all cultures will become alike. In a way I am glad our two countries ARE different. Life would be boring if Canada were a clone of America. We need the contrast to remind us why we are who we are.
Cowboy hats are practical. They keep the rain from going down the back of your neck. A baseball hat won't do that. With a good 4-inch brim you can spend all day outside and not get a burn on your ears or neck. You can fill your hat with water from a stream and drink it yourself, or give it to your dog or your horse. You can lean into the wind with a cowboy hat and keep the dust out of your eyes. In the winter, one of these hats is surprisingly warm. That's why people use them.
Canada less most of the people is pretty nice. My wife and I went to Arizona a few times, we both thought the place looked like a few dozen 20 mega-ton atomic bombs went off. No kidding.....
Canadians are nothing more than 30-somethings still crashing at their parent's house. When someone else is picking up the tab, it frees one up to pursue more esoteric activities, like hanging around the beach all day.
Specifically, Canadians get to devote their budget towards social programs because we cover their ass on security. Even better, we provide a giant market for their goods/services. All in all, not a bad deal for the Canadians.
Who would you rather be, the draft horse or the rider? Problem is, while we may be the workers, we still can spit out the bit and run around the field. They may be getting a free ride, but they're stuck in that saddle and can't get out.
The northEast US is more towards the Canadian style.
Canada is a conservative society. Why change if you don't have to? Americans are concerned with excellence and doing things better. Canadians are content with mediocrity and prize the value of stability.
ahhh...you too? Landry was a prince among men. It was never the same again.
Dittos...and that's something coming from a Noll era Steeler fan living...well as much as one can...in Da 'Burgh.
prisoner6
As the grandson of a Wyoming cowboy, the article explains quite a lot to me, particularly about my own Wyoming-born father.
Of my grandfather's two sons, my father followed in his footsteps, settling in Southern California and becoming a home builder (before it became big corporations).
The other son chose career military, followed by government work. In turn his eldest son became a Canadian citizen, after running away from the draft--his symbolic rebellion.
All have great love of the west (even the socialist canadian bum-knucklehead artist).
I am self-employed, making less money than during my corporate servitude, but more happy.
"...there was a reason I done come to live in Alaska..."
Know the feeling: http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com
BTTT
Two prominent books on the Tombstone legend repeat the same negative connotation of "cowboy" at that time.
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