I'm not trying to pick a fight, but I don't think you get around much. I'm a US citizen working overseas for a Canadian company and continually hear the jokes, the snooty condensending attitude from Canadian co-workers...especially french-Canadians but not limited to them. I've been treated rudely when crossing the border in northern Washington and got a snide remark from an immigration idiot the last time I flew in to Toronto. Most of the "George Bush is an idiot" email jokes I receive are from Canadians...this from a country that would have the clueless Jean Cretien as their president.
While I suspect you are right that the anti-American attitude "probably" doesn't represent the majority of Canadians, I suspect in the under-30 crowd it does.
Haven't you realised? It is OK for Canadians to dish the insults out to Americans and anyone who supports them. However it is not OK when Americans and others start handing the insults back. Perhaps Canada should be renamed WIMPLAND.
Canada jumped into WW2 before the United States.
They fought with honour and bravery against the nazi threat. At the end of that war I believe Canada had the
worlds third largest navy. Canada was prosperous and everyone had a job. As in the states the man could go to work and wifey could stay home, take care of the house and
kids and life was good. People could retire and materialism
didn't mean as much as it does today. Canada was on the right track until Mister Trudeau and his maverick ways took over. Funny...the CBC just did a movie about the
"Maverick Trudeau". What the CBC didn't show you and what alot of you don't realize is what really happened when Mister Trudeau took over. Mister Trudeau started putting
half an hour of french in schools for everyone, even though
half an hour of french does nothing and nobody had a choice on the matter. They should have had the choice
for full immersion or no French way back then. Everyone I know who has taken half an hour french throughout their
school days found it a complete waste of time. What
they learned was insignificant and did not make them bilingual. I've not an axe to grind with the French because they founded this country along with the brits but this was kind of a slight to english speaking people.
Talk about a waste of school time. Mister Trudeau also started putting french on all the cereal boxes and everything else in Canada you had to read. Once again another slight shot to english speaking people. Did you know the average non french speaking canadian (the majority by the way) spend half their lives reading the directions on boxes in their kitchens because scientists purposely place the frech directions in a place that right handed people (once again the majority) will always end up reading the french side first. The Quebec revolution took over and since Mister Trudeau the center of the canadian universe is Quebec. I am kind of making a joke here. Having two languages on a cereal box isn't that bad. It shows a sense of culture....but it does once again
like the half hour of french a day in school...waste time. It did not matter in mister trudeau
eyes or in the eyes of his successors what the majority
of Canadians felt, what opinions they had or what suggestions they had. Canada was founded by two nations and the government from that time forward was going to make
sure everything was fifty/fifty. Todays Canada shows favouritism to the individual who is bilingual. Todays Canada trumpets the liberal motto of "we are a nation of minorities". Having said all of that I wish I had the time
and money to learn two languages. They say it helps fight alzheimers and dementia but everyone should have a choice
and there should be no "big social or economic advantages"
for one so fortunate to be able to speak both.
Parents raising kids who can speak one or more languages
are definitely doing their kids a favour. Especially
in Canada.
On another note relative to your points,there is no nation on earth that accepts as many unskilled
immigrants as Canada. They bring them in and take care of them if that is what is required. Free medicine, social
assistance....you name it. This is the under 30 crowd
you talk of and I would have to agree they are becoming
more of a voice every year while Canada continues to let
in a vast number of unskilled immigrants who probably had
an axe to grind with the americans when they fled there
own pathetic country. As to the French Canadian attitude
towards the americans.....that is just a personality thing.
Look at how well France and America get along and it should be no surprise how French Canadians (descendants came from France) perceive and treat Americans. But I can
say americans feel the same way about the French.
You know kind of like an irish/english thing.
So long as the official Canadian TV broadcaster (CBC)
and all the left wing media continue to walk in lockstep
with the Federal Gov't you will have this perception.
The fact is the Federal Gov't is ran by quebec and the
French Element and it has since the days of Trudeau.
Just look at the leaders since then, including him and
the picture should become clear to you.
The bottom line is the attitude the french and the americans have towards each other is harmless. As I said
it is simply a personality conflict like the limeys and
the irish.
Pretty simple if you look at the big picture.
I don't appreciate people who dream up articles like this one over such a simple premise trying to make it look
our two countries are like the arabs and jews.
One has to laugh.