I want to know what Canadians think of americans.

[pepper24]

I am in the US often for business and have come to the conclusion that we're very similar. Americans have the sterotype of being loudmouth ignorants that love guns Canadians have the sterotype of being slow, wimpy and enjoy the snow. None really hold true IMO.

The impression I always had with Americans in the past mainly from the press is that they are gun crazy which is far from the truth. The reality from the customers I have discussed this issue with is that besides guns for hunting, none have a handgun at home for protection from "bad guys". The impression I have gotten from them is that the 2nd amendment is irrelevant for most US citizens besides the fringe right wing type who are strongly for it and the fring left wing who are strongly against it. This is from large US cities like Chicago to rural areas like Nebraska.

[Papi34]

Originally Posted by Azure

Well, I hate some Canadians because they can't put together a proper, coherent and understandable sentence.

Grammer nazi!

Seriously though its a forum i dont have time to write a report here!

[Temporary_User]

I didn't go to grade school in Canada, so I don't have first hand knowledge (just like many posting here don't know what Americans are taught).
What I find (been told) is that Canadians of course are taught their own history, although they don't really build up the characters as the USA and British do. This could be shown by taking a look at the recent (2004) CBC Greatest Canadians list. Most are people who are still living, or their accomplishments are still considered recent (this could show that Canadians are starting to build some of their characters up).
Because the states/Britain play such a large role in Canadian politics, they are taught quite a bit about each country. Thus the Canadian identity becomes not what they are, but what they aren't.

[sclitheroe]

Their hearts are in the right place, but their mind's a little messed up.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

I didn't go to grade school in Canada, so I don't have first hand knowledge (just like many posting here don't know what Americans are taught).
What I find (been told) is that Canadians of course are taught their own history, although they don't really build up the characters as the USA and British do. Because the states/Britain play such a large role in Canadian politics, they are taught quite a bit about each country. Thus the Canadian identity becomes not what they are, but what they aren't.

True, and too be fair our history is quite boring.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by PIMking

I know some of my redneck friends consider all canadians frenchies and basically our little brother up north that like weird sports. My ole man (who I dont speak with) basically considers Canada a communist country because of the socialized healthcare and super high taxes. I really wonder why some Americans hate/Dislike canada so bad.

Right there ... that's it. Misconceptions like that, packaged with a red neck attitude, is what gives Americans as a whole a bad name. I know every country has jerks like that, but there is a pretty strong perception by other nationalities that most Americans are like this. I certainly haven't found the majority of Americans to be like that, but there certainly are some and they're giving you all a bad name.

[PIMking]

I know I can be harsh sometimes. I wear my feelings on my sleeve and I'm not scared to show how I feel weather I like it or not. I know thats pretty brash and some people dont like it.

To the OP who went on vacation in Cabo and some of the Yanks were spouting off to the mexicans I can kinda understand that. I live in a high area for hispanics. They in a large part are good people but we have had two big raids were the plant of 1k people were mostly illegal taking jobs from able body americans. Not only taking jobs but sending that money to mexico and not paying taxes.

Thats another pov for another thread.

[Yeah_Baby]

In my experience the "cultural dislike" comes from Canadians as a whole lacking a concrete identity of our own. So how do we define ourselves? As being "not American".

[TurnedTheCorner]

Well meaning. Loud. Fat. Generous. Proud. Industrious. Courageous. Strong-willed. Conflicted. More ignorant than they should be, more proud of this ignorance than they should be.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by MattyC

True, and too be fair our history is quite boring.

Not really, the curriculum just glazes over the fun stuff because we're all taught Canada was 'bound to happen" when in many cases it wasn't destined at all. More like a political union out of convince. Which is shown but the constant struggle to define the centralized nature of our democracy.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Azure

Meh.

I think us Albertans have the 'Texas' attitude to a large degree as well.

I like it.

That they do. In spades. I don't mind it either, within limits. It just shows pride IMO.

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by Azure

Meh.

I think us Albertans have the 'Texas' attitude to a large degree as well.

I like it.

Well you shouldn't because Texas is definitely bigger and better.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

Well meaning. Loud. Fat. Generous. Proud. Industrious. Courageous. Strong-willed. Conflicted. More ignorant than they should be, more proud of this ignorance than they should be.

speaking of fat when I worked at said hotel in a previous post I had some Canadians in and they asked were to eat. I told them Applebees across the stree would be the easiest. So on the way in I overheard them talking " those are some big meals no wonder why Americans are so fat" I laughed so fricken hard to that.

[CaptainCrunch]

I like American's a lot more then most of the Canadian's that I've met lately.

[Temporary_User]

I was in Mexico a few years back, and went to the bar by the "quiet" or "adult" pool. There was a man from Vancouver there who obviously didn't understand the point of having this separate pool area and upon learning that I'm from Calgary and speak a little Spanish asked if I could tell the bartender & other workers around there to quit referring to him as a "gringo" (Spanish derogatory term used against non-Spanish speaking people. usually Americans, but not necessarily).
His words:
"Could you tell the bartender that I'm from Canada? They all keep calling me a gringo, because I'm loud. . . I hate being compared to the yanks though!"

[Antithesis]

I have never had a negative interaction with an American, they are very similar to us and I often think - despite my liberal leanings - that I'd be more comfortable living on the west coast of the USA than in Ontario or Quebec ... but I may be out in left field.

I think any issues I may have with the US has more to do with their politics than anything.

[octothorp]

The american media network: there's never been anything on earth that stretches as wide and yet brings back so little. There's no great diversity of opinions, simply variations on whatever the american perspective of the day is. You would think that with such an enormous machine, ideas and thoughts from all corners of the world would be brought into the center and then disseminated out again. But nope, quite the opposite. Which isn't to say that there aren't very informed and worldly americans: obviously there are some staggeringly brilliant ones, and overall a reasonably well-educated population. But that never comes across in the media.

Americans as individuals, I like. I've had a few bad experiences with Americans when travelling overseas, but I chalk that up to just a few bad apples, or possibly that americans just don't travel as well as the rest of us; in just about any hostel I've stayed in, the Americans are always a bit the outsiders; maybe we don't always include them as much as we should. But Americans at home - in their element - have always been wonderful, whether it's Boston, LA, small town Oregon, the supposedly rude NYC, or any other American locale that I've been in. And I don't even mind those who are misinformed about Canada or the world, especially if they're willing to admit that they don't know a whole lot about certain topics. But they never seem arrogant or immodest about their nationality, or closed-minded, the way their media so often is.

[The Fonz]

A cabbie I was talking to in Vegas...

*in a mocking voice* "So you're from Canada, EH? Pretty cold up there, EH? What are your plans for the night, EH? You guys say EH a lot, EH!!!"

Friggin knee slappers...

Everyone else was nice, but every once in a while you'll run into an ass hat like this cabbie.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

What I find (been told) is that Canadians of course are taught their own history, although they don't really build up the characters as the USA and British do. This could be shown by taking a look at the recent (2004) CBC Greatest Canadians list. Most are people who are still living, or their accomplishments are still considered recent (this could show that Canadians are starting to build some of their characters up).

Oh man, SO true! I've very proud to be Canadian, but I hate how we're all proud about the fact that we're known as beer-chuggin hockey playing guys who say "eh" alot. Why are we proud of a world stereotype of ourselves? Probably because we dont KNOW anything about ourselves.

That Greatest Canadians list is a joke. There's SO much from our history to be proud of. Like Pearson's work to diffuse the Suez Crisis, which transformed us into a country who was a fixture in peacekeeping, and until very recently we were the ONLY country who had taken part in every single U.N. peacekeeping mission. Or how about that we're the first ever country to actually draw up an official Charter of Rights and Freedoms? Or bringing through health care in the 1960's.

Or storming the beaches of Normandy, where the Canadians at Juno Beach made it further inland that day than the British and Americans in the other three beach raids? Or the great World War I bomber hero, Billy Bishop, the Canadian who was perhaps the greatest flying ace of the entire British Empire fleet? Or in the Battle of Ypres, when Canada was exposed to one of the first ever cases of biological warfare ever used, when the Germans attacked a Canadian and French squad with chlorine gas attacks. The French fled, but Canada held its ground and took out the surprised Germans(one Canadian realized urine helps neutralize it, so they all peed into cloths or whatever they had and held it over their noses. When the Germans approached they figured everyone would be wiped out, and were shocked to see the Canadians still standing their guard, who quickly took them down).

Its interesting how I learnt about 90% of these things in univeristy, not in grade school. Canadian history is so much more interesting than what you're taught in school. It really is a shame the vast majority of Canadians know nothing about our own rich history.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Oh man, SO true! I've very proud to be Canadian, but I hate how we're all proud about the fact that we're known as beer-chuggin hockey playing guys who say "eh" alot. Why are we proud of a world stereotype of ourselves? Probably because we dont KNOW anything about ourselves.

That Greatest Canadians list is a joke. There's SO much from our history to be proud of. Like Pearson's work to diffuse the Suez Crisis, which transformed us into a country who was a fixture in peacekeeping, and until very recently we were the ONLY country who had taken part in every single U.N. peacekeeping mission. Or how about that we're the first ever country to actually draw up an official Charter of Rights and Freedoms? Or bringing through health care in the 1960's.

Or storming the beaches of Normandy, where the Canadians at Juno Beach made it further inland that day than the British and Americans in the other three beach raids? Or the great World War I bomber hero, Billy Bishop, the Canadian who was perhaps the greatest flying ace of the entire British Empire fleet? Or in the Battle of Ypres, when Canada was exposed to one of the first ever cases of biological warfare ever used, when the Germans attacked a Canadian and French squad with chlorine gas attacks. The French fled, but Canada held its ground and took out the surprised Germans(one Canadian realized urine helps neutralize it, so they all peed into cloths or whatever they had and held it over their noses. When the Germans approached they figured everyone would be wiped out, and were shocked to see the Canadians still standing their guard, who quickly took them down).

Its interesting how I learnt about 90% of these things in univeristy, not in grade school. Canadian history is so much more interesting than what you're taught in school. It really is a shame the vast majority of Canadians know nothing about our own rich history.

Thank god we have those Canadian Heritage commercials to teach us important facts like that Winnie the Pooh is based on a Canadian bear or that the creator of superman once visited a cousin here in Canada.