Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sooke]

Look the same to me.

[cangel]

I haven't read this entire thread, but I would like to add my 2 cents. First, despite my avatar, I am American. Now, I have been to nearly 30 countries around the world. I have lived for 6 years in Japan, 2 years in Germany, several months in SE Asia, and now South Korea. I have met numerous Canadians and it is my opinion, Canadians are disproportionately anti-American. I have come to the opinion that this is due to the prominence of American culture around the world and having to live in that shadow even though you have your own great country. To always be mistaken for an American could be quite grating. Maybe that also explains the maple leafs on all your gear.

[freethought]

Based on what's written below I take it you've read a book called "for better or for worse"? That, or maybe you attended Carleton or York University...

[freethought]

I've had similar discussions on this topic before, and I think this one embodies one of the major problems. As my good buddy BJ put it, he disagrees with all kinds of American government policies and actions.

Expressing dissent does not make one 'anti' an entire country.

Moreover, how many MILLION americans say identical things to what canadians have said/are saying? Are those Americans 'anti-American'? I don;t think so. I think they are simply exercising their rights as free individuals to criticized their government. I think the same right is afforded to people all over the world in freedom of speech and thought. it's not anti-american to disagree with the US is doing. Furthermore, when the world's richest, most powerful and most influential country in the world does something, it more often than not impacts other nations, and therefore they have the right to complain.

Perhaps most important of all, this idea that speaking up and expressing disagreement or dissent is somehow anti-american, is simply wrong. I can't think of anything more American, anything that stands as a tribute to the freedom that America represents, than to express dissent and exercise freedom of speech.

Those who oppose 'america bashing' are the real anti-americans. They;re trying to suppress free speech and thought.

All that said, many of my countrymen(and women) are about as dumb as Dubya supporters and almost as ignorant as well. I wouldn't put much heed in what they say, and I would pay even less attention to it. They may be total idiots, but by golly they have the right to express that idiocy.

[Sooke]

I agree with the above post. Usually all this 'anti-Americanism' is usually anti-Bushism or anti-republicanism, and the biggest whiners who whine 'Canadians hate Americans' are actually taken aback because they are pro-Bush or a republican tool and they equate any challange to their beliefs as anti-american.

Case in point: at the bar a few weeks ago, myself and an American friend were talking about Obama's chance of getting the Dem's nomination, and this one girl (American) pipes up, "I think Guliani is going to be the next president". Well, I told her that I thought Guliani was a tool and only using the 9/11 attacks as leverage in his bid for the presidency.

Then She blurted "Reagan is the best president that America has ever had."
I asked her if she really believes that or if Fox News was telleing her that 'Reagan is the best president America has ever had" TM

Well, she took that as being Anti-American and proceeded to move to another table and scowl and pout for the rest of the evening.

There we go...rampant Canuckastani Anti-Americanism...Those ungrateful pucks!!!

[twg]

[sundubuman]

here's a pseudo-mathematical way to see this whole thing

American says to Canadian> I like Canada, it's more or less like where I come from....

Canadian responds> oh no, not at all.... A,B,C,D all make Canada much better....there's the death penalty, marijuana, gay rights.....blah blah blah...


American response....whatever dude....

And the cycle repeats itself ad nauseum....

[Pyongshin Sangja]

[sundubuman]

Oh right...

Canadians always start conversations with Americans with something positive to say about the USA..

silly for me to forget about that standard tendency.....

[sundubuman]

[jkelly80]

I get a bit miffed by Canadians who tout their low crime rate/health care numbers as proof of superiority. Canada has less people than California (and roughly the same as Illinois and New York combined) spread out over 3.5 million square miles of natural resources and fresh water. I would like to hope that those numbers would result in better social conditions. That doesn't make it a more advanced/progressive country. I also think they're kind of smug, but this is based on only three weeks of European travel. My (unsolicited) two cents.

[wannago]

I really couldn't care less about what Canadians think of the U.S. They can say whatever they want but, at the end of the day, they have NO say in what actually happens in the U.S. or what the U.S. does as far as foreign policy (or lack thereof). When anyone (Canuck, Brit, Aussie, etc.) starts to spout off, I just put up my hand and tell them to save it for the next time they vote in a U.S. election. "Do your talking at the ballot box." I just love the different reactions.

[nateium]

Canadian patriotism and anti-Americanism are two sides of the same coin. The reality is that the cultural/political/economic/social/ethnic/linguistic/environmental/etc. makeup of the entire North American continent changes gradually from north to south (until the Mexican border is reached, but even that is quickly changing) and east to west.

Nothing noticeable or astounding happens when the US/Canada line is crossed, compared with most other international borders. This is why anti_Americanism is absolutely essential for a Canadian national identity. The real borders are artificially created in the minds of the people of both nations.

Historical annexation by the US, of the former British colonies to the north, is completely irrelevant in the context of the modern increasingly globalized world. It's hard to imagine how any two countries on this planet could be more fused together in every way possible. When the broader scheme of things here on Earth is considered, Canadians who specifically identify and criticize Americans as somehow different, are really taking potshots at themselves. The differences between North Americans are much more regional than national.

[The_Conservative]

[khyber]

I think the one thing Canadians and Americans can agree on is that we are both 10x better than this dump of a country!