Posted on 07/20/2010 8:36:28 AM PDT by Willie Green
Perhaps, here in the Maritimes, you note the influence of every day Americans more than most other places in Canada. After all, they’ve been arriving here for generations, first as Loyalist refugees fleeing north to the remaining British Colonies in the days after the Revolution. Many would move on to other places in Upper and Lower Canada, setting the stage for the creation of the separate province of New Brunswick and the opening of the future province of Ontario for settlement. The influence of American settlers on the development of Canada has been profound.
With the opening of railroads after Confederation and by the later creation of highways and airlines, rather than as settlers, Americans arrived as visitors or tourists. Former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt spent summers on Campobello Island just off the New Brunswick coastline, one of many shoreline summer homes and estates, many of which remain the prized possessions of U.S. families.
For years, I’ve had an impression, gathered from conversations with visitors, that many of those visitors carried with them an ample chip of superiority, a rather American characteristic. I remember meeting one chap who, in classic form, began boasting about the size of his native Texas. I reminded him it would take several of his lone star states to fill Ontario, a province with about as many residents as Ohio in a country with a population about equal to California.
But now, I think you might sense a subtle shift in attitudes.
The last decade, since 9/11, has been tough times for the United States. Their financial calamities, even the recent tragedy of the BP oil crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, have awakened America to her vulnerabilities.
We’ve not been immune to the ripples created by the stomping of the “elephant’s” feet. Yet, while still the “mouse”, we seem to have survived the shaking with comparative ease.
In four separate conversations in the past three weeks, I have been surprised by the inquisitiveness of a young father visiting from Minnesota, a professor from Arkansas, another from Maine and a retired businessman from Maryland now living in Florida. All seemed intrigued by their Canadian summer-time adventure as if something was taking place in the great frozen north and something to which they should pay attention.
Perhaps they sense a gathering Canadian maturity and confidence generated by the globalization of the 21st century world of the Internet and commerce. Maybe we are beginning to sense America is not the be-all and end-all to our political, cultural and economic well being.
Maybe they sense, as others have suggested, that Canadians are shedding their shyness and introverted ways after discovering remarkable opportunities by looking beyond the world’s longest and still undefended border.
Maybe the father and son who rode into Nova Scotia from Connecticut on their Harley-Davidson's two years ago were the mine canaries of the changes taking place in this country. “You know something,” the father said, “this guy Tim Horton is onto something. Good coffee and good food.”
You can now buy a Tim Horton’s coffee and lunch in mid-town Manhattan.
Canada and Australia were in two different situations in regards to the USSR, and Australia was fighting with us in Vietnam while Canada was doing some very anti-American, anti-freedom, pro communist things.
Are you Canadian, are you a Canadian veteran?
Then I don’t understand why guys like you try to drag in the tiny, Canadian military into every discussion where Americans express their dislike for that little left wing country, a country that you and the liberal Canadians seem to prefer to the more conservative United States.
Nor do I .
Name one time the US ever defended Canada . Since 1776 Canada has been invaded 4 times , by 10 different armies . All American.
Countries do not have friends , they have interests . As for Bomarc , Iraq , Vietnam , even the "cold war" , those all are in the US interest .
Canada has paid her share of NORAD every year and in '96 had to go so far as to sue the US in order to get her to pay her share of cleaning up the old DEW line . Perhaps a cowardly Canada would have stayed out of it and put the DEW on the 49th giving the US about minus 5 minutes warning .
On 9/11 the US FAA shut down US air space on the theory the US was under attack from terrorists . Her own safety aside , ignoring the possiblity of in coming terrorists , Canada landed 239 flights with over 33,000 US bound passengers .
Are Canadian lives and real estate expendable when securing US safety ? As with Bomarc , apparently they were .
And some boneheads on FR call Canadians cowardly while Canada does what US FAA , Americans , didn't have the balls to do . Land and secure over 33,000 passengers and avoid for the US , a public relations nightmare .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yellow_Ribbon
btw ,the number of Canadians that fought in Vietnam as part of US forces is estimated at between 35-50,000.
There are 54 "known" US Medal of Honor recipients who are or were from Canada while there are 5 Victoria Cross recipients from the USA.
Canada is a cowardly little country that is to the left of America, there is a reason that Canada only maintains a token military, their people like it that way, there is even pressure to do less.
It is clear where your loyalties lie when you see Canada as a refuge from Americans.
Yes I have been to Canada, and I used to be a member of the Canadian Airborne Forces Association.
I also remember a lifetime of Canadian liberalism and leftism, and anti-Americanism, personally I never liked it, but I’m learning that at least one American found it endearing and appealing.
Any time in the last 30 years? I find more anti american sentiment in the US than I do in canada.
Actually yes, but do you think that if I had no interest in Canada, that I would join a Canadian association.
I like their handful of GIs, but their weak, leftwing people and governments have never endeared them to me, as it does for you.
You have got it bad man, when you choose cowardly, leftist Canadians over Americans, it really exposes your political sympathies.
Yes I do prefer America to your Canada. We did lose a lot of Canada lovers during the Revolutionary War and the Vietnam War though, Canada does appeal to some Americans, without question.
Didn't Canada kick the liberals out of government recently?
LOL, of course it is a US versus the anti-American Canada thing, what do you thing we are talking about?
I think of Canada the way that you think of America, the difference is that Canada really is a weak nation that gets away with it’s nonsense because it depends on the American people to protect it and defend it.
One thing about Canada that you can depend on though, is that an anti-American can always find a home there, it is a centuries old tradition.
Yes you have made it clear where you rank Canada versus the United States, and you made it clear that you prefer the liberal Canada throughout this entire thread.
Canada has always attracted liberals and anti-Americans since before we even won our independence and of course during the Vietnam war when we were protecting them from communism, I have never heard of them having an American groupie before though, congratulations.
Completely incorrect as are many of your comments. In your mind, anyone that likes anything at all about canada is an anti american leftwing nut and canada groupie. You seem to have a little mind and you certainly have difficulty interpreting fairly non complex statements. If america was protecting canada from communists during the viet nam war, why do you suppose the communists are so much better organized and active in the US vs in canada?
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