Unfriendly Fire: Whether in Canada or Cambodia, you'll inevitably be confronted by anti-Americanism.

The Ottawa Citizen ^ | January 13, 2003 | Robert Sibley

[quidnunc]

We're Losing the War Over Values and Morality

A recent poll of Canadian attitudes toward the foreign policy of the United States finally illustrates that, when it comes to the war on terror, Canada does not in fact stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the U.S. as Prime Minister Jean Chrétien once pledged.

Although nearly half of the survey's respondents believed that the United States, as the world's sole superpower, had a responsibility to ensure global security, nearly seven in 10 agreed with the statement that the U.S. was "starting to act like a bully with the rest of the world." The poll also found Canadians lukewarm about the prospect of a war against Iraq.

Experts such as Michael Sullivan of Strategic Counsel say the poll showed that Canadians, while sharing many of the same priorities — such as combating terrorism — as Americans, don't necessarily share many of the same values. "As Canadians, we take pride in our role as peacemaking and peacekeeping," said Mr. Sullivan. "I think that that is part of our personality. We take pride in medicare, we take pride in our peacekeeping role. And when we look at the U.S., we don't see those kind of values necessarily reflected."

Canadians pride themselves on being members of the world's only "moral superpower," one that exercises a "soft power" when it comes to world affairs. Why employ soldiers where endless conferences might do the trick? It's an attitude that has sparked an arrogance no less pronounced then the one Americans are accused of possessing.

Unfortunately, unlike the the U.S.'s alleged arrogance, ours is based on little more than wishful thinking.

Ashbrook Center analyst Robert Alt recently remarked that Canada played the role of America's little brother, the "kid who would get beat up by every passing punk, but for the fact that his brother is the biggest kid on the block. No one really respects the little brother, because they know that there is no merit in this accident of birth."

Without the United States, he wrote, Canada would be little more than a Third World country with a thriving hockey league.

They're the kind of comments that get Canadians' backs up, but unfortunately they're not far from the truth. Thanks to the bulwark of the United States, Canada is essentially isolated from having to make the tough decisions that American leaders have been forced to make every day since Sept. 11, 2001.

When it comes to the war over values and morality, it is Canada that is losing each battle. That was best illustrated by the prime minister's comments last September during an interview in which he suggested the blame for Sept. 11 rested in part on the United States due to global economic disparity.

-snip-

(Steven Martinovich in The Ottawa Citizen, January 4, 2003)
To Read This Article Click Here

[justshe]

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[OneLoyalAmerican]

Greetings quidnunc, FReepers, et al:

O Canada!
Still on a guilt trip are thee?
If in 1812, she wisely joined,
a different history.

O Canada!
A Province today might be,
a wondrous State of,
the greatest place,
"from sea to shining sea."

[struwwelpeter]

Actually, it's simple wimp logic.

It's safe to be anti-American. Spouting anti-US slogans WON'T get you attacked by the US, but it might get you eaten by the Moslem crocodiles last. Criticizing evil such as Islam and North Korea is dangerous - why they might strike at you, being evil and all that. Demonstrating and burning US flags basically causes nothing to happen. Because they are GOOD.

[IvanT]

There's a lot of truth in that article, although you'd never see a Canadian burning a U.S. flag - we've got them flying everywhere alongside our own. I think Canada, suffers a fair amount of paranoia, in that we want to have our own culture develop in this young nation, however, as the years pass, the formation of that culture becomes more and more influenced by the U.S., especially considering we are your closest neighbours, and really, there isn't anything wrong with that, but when you have the Quebecers who are extremely xenophobic, and protectionist about their culture, unfortunately, the anti Americanism will rear it's ugly head, as it has done with Francoise Ducros' calling George Dubya a 'moron'. But really, that's the extent of Anti-Americanism, it doesn't manifest itself in Canada in the form of flag burnings and anti U.S. protests. But there is fear of the U.S. up here.

Unfortunately, it's a microcosm of what's going on in the world, albeit a non violent one.

[altayann]

And yet, someone it manage to resist the one 'neighborhood punk' that actually could threaten it: the United States of America.

Y'know, it's not so much a case that the rest of the world hates the United States. I'd say most of the world admires the United States, from what I've seen.

What really annoys people are Americans tossing out ignorant statements like those of the analyst quoted above.

Canada isn't a military nation, but every time Canada has ever been required to come to a fight, we've been there. We were there at Vimy Ridge, we were there at Dieppe, and we were there at the Normandy beach landings. And we did a damn good job of it, too.

And if some of you find it that easy to insult the one ally that is closest to America, then it's no wonder that the rest of the world wonders sometimes if the US doesn't bear the same level of contempt for them.

And yes, this applies to Britain as well. You wouldn't believe how angry some of them can get when they hear an American condescendingly refer to how the US 'saved' Britain during WWII. Yeah, Britain got a lot of US help, but if there's one thing that brought Britain through the war it was their own spirit to fight. Without it, US aid wouldn't have made a difference.

[martin gibson]

Without the United States, he wrote, Canada would be little more than a Third World country with a thriving hockey league.

WHOOOO-HOOOO!!

[a_Turk]

Very nice picture.. Verry very nice. Made it my wallpaper.

Funny how we Turks get the same crap too. It is all about whimps, don't you know?

[a_Turk]

err, whimps=wimps..

[Allan]

Bump

[struwwelpeter]

You're right, it's probably more worry and concern about US intentions than anything else. If we keep electing Kennedys, Carters, and Clintons - followed by Nixons, Reagans, and Bushes, the world might get the impression that we're schizophrenic.

When I lived in Germany, Russia, and the Ukraine, when the locals would criticize the US president I'd ask who they voted for. They answer that they could not vote, to which I'd reply "of course, since he's the US president, he looks after the interests of the US. Not Europe, not Asia, not Africa." I don't expect Putin to work against Russian interests in America's favor, why should others expect the US to harm itself?

And the clincher: If US world domination with its Big Macs (which they are free not to eat), Coca Cola (which they are free not to drink), and movies (which they are free not to watch) is so bad, consider the alternative - Chinese, Russian, or Moslem world domination would not be so gentle.

Someone will always be on top, and others on the bottom. Where there is life there is struggle, and Kofi Annan cannot repeal Darwin.

[wasp69]

Canada isn't a military nation, but every time Canada has ever been required to come to a fight, we've been there. We were there at Vimy Ridge, we were there at Dieppe, and we were there at the Normandy beach landings. And we did a damn good job of it, too.

Let's not forget the men who were in Trashcanistan, either. Canada should be damn proud of the men and women who volunteered to go into harms way in places like Vietnam and Korea as well as in declared wars. However, the actions of your elected officials do nothing to remind the world of what kind of steel runs through the common citizens. Which leads me to my next thought:

What really annoys people are Americans tossing out ignorant statements like those of the analyst quoted above.

I have another "ignorant statement" to add in that your government is doing nothing to help control the borders and have to be pressured to do something as simple as label groups like Hezbollah as a terrorist group so they will have a harder time raising money in your country.

[quidnunc]

Struwwelpeter wrote: Actually, it's simple wimp logic. It's safe to be anti-American. Spouting anti-US slogans WON'T get you attacked by the US, but it might get you eaten by the Moslem crocodiles last. Criticizing evil such as Islam and North Korea is dangerous - why they might strike at you, being evil and all that. Demonstrating and burning US flags basically causes nothing to happen. Because they are GOOD.

Very true, but there's another component at work.

To the Euro mindset — a way of thinking to which the Canadian elite and much of the electorate have whole-heartedly subscribed — they have evolved a morally-superior social system and way of governance.

But, they ask themselves, if this is so why are they so irrevelant in the global scheme of things vis a vis the U.S.

To their minds the answer must be that a greedy and power-hungry America has engaged upon policies designed to make itself a hegemon instead of contributing to the common good of the world.

Really, it's just a variation of the justification which the Islamists cite for their hatred of the Great Satan.

[AFreeBird]

BUMP for later review

[Stultis]

bump

[IvanT]

"I have another "ignorant statement" to add in that your government is doing nothing to help control the borders and have to be pressured to do something as simple as label groups like Hezbollah as a terrorist group so they will have a harder time raising money in your country."



You're just showing your ignorance with that statement. Canada has spent 6 HUNDRED MILLION dollars since Sept. 11th on beefing up border security, and has cooperated fully with your officials in doing so.

As for Hezbollah, the military wing was outlawed ages ago, the apparent 'charitable' wing was not, just in case it really was benefitting children. Now whether it did or did not, I would've favoured them banning all of Hezbollah outright, but you shouldn't interpret this issue as the gov't being on their side. Also, I'm sure if you polled Canadian citizens on this matter, many would've wanted our dimwitted gov't to have banned the entire organization outright, unfortunately, for whatever reason, our gov't did not. Don't damn us all for the failures of our elected leaders, we aren't happy with them either.

[IvanT]

You are putting false words in the mouths of every Canadian. There is precious little anti-Americanism in the average English Canadian. The roots of it in gov't is from the French out in Quebec. You may or may not know, but they are extremely difficult people to deal with, and have been giving us no end of grief for over 300 years. As for comparing Canadians to Islamic extremists, that is probably the DUMBEST thing I've ever uttered in this forum. Get a clue.

[IvanT]

Were you aware that the Hezbollah party is an elected member of Lebanese parliament?

[IvanT]

"that is probably the DUMBEST thing I've ever uttered in this forum"

This should read:

"that is probably the DUMBEST thing I've ever heard uttered in this forum"


My typing gets poor when under duress.

Really, some of you people accept as gospel the spoutings of radio and talk shows designed to wind you up. Learn to see all sides of things, it might help you to understand things a little better.

[PsyOp]

"Yeah, Britain got a lot of US help, but if there's one thing that brought Britain through the war it was their own spirit to fight. Without it, US aid wouldn't have made a difference."

Not according to Churchill. He fully acknowledged that Britain could not have held indefinately without our help - starting with the lend-lease. Even the Russians have begun to admit that things might have gone differently for them if not for our help, which was far more substantive than most people realize.

As for the comment by Americans you say anger so many Canadians and Brits, they are a consequence of, not the cause of anti-Americanism. Few Americans make those comments except in response the the general ingratitude shown us by those we have helped time and again. Just as the article states.