I want to know what Canadians think of americans.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by MattyC

I dont think my analogy is far off. For the most part it would be a pretty safe assumption that all Texan's speak in a Texas accent. Because they're from Texas.

No that is not a safe assumption at all. Not everyone in Texas was born and raised in Texas. Not everyone in Canada was born and raised in Canada.

Originally Posted by MattyC

The point is their isn't one Canadian accent, just like there isn't one American accent.

That's true, I agree. But just because people in one part of the country sound to foreigners like they say 'aboot' more strongly than you do, doesn't mean you don't say it too to some extent as they perceive it.

Originally Posted by MattyC

Also, as I notice you are in London, It's like assuming all people in the UK speak with one accent. Which is obviously not the case.

No, that would be a silly thing to do (just like assuming all people in Texas speak with one accent). But to adopt your example to my point, just because someone in Manchester sounds to you like they call that green stuff on the ground 'grahs' more obviously than someone from London, it doesn't mean the Londoner doesn't say 'grahs' as well.

[redforever]

Just about every time I travel to the USA, at least once, someone will ask, "so what part of Canada are you from?"

Obviously there is something they notice that classifies me as Canadian.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by icarus

No, that would be a silly thing to do (just like assuming all people in Texas speak with one accent). But to adopt your example to my point, just because someone in Manchester sounds to you like they call that green stuff on the ground 'grahs' more obviously than someone from London, it doesn't mean the Londoner doesn't say 'grahs' as well.

ahh I see what you're getting at now. Yes that's true.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by MattyC

ahh I see what you're getting at now. Yes that's true.

That was too easy. I'm bored at work, you have to put up more resistance than that...

[Ford Prefect]

How has this thread reached 12 pages without someone bringing up the one thing that Americans really suck at ... making beer. I mean really, that is probably the single most negative defining quality of Americans in my books. How can any nation consider itself a global superpower when they so totally suck at making beer?

[Jedi Ninja]

Originally Posted by redforever

Just about every time I travel to the USA, at least once, someone will ask, "so what part of Canada are you from?"

Obviously there is something they notice that classifies me as Canadian.

Sometimes, it's the little things. Like, in one store I asked where the bathroom was and they looked at me like I was crazy and told me I couldn't take a bath there.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

How has this thread reached 12 pages without someone bringing up the one thing that Americans really suck at ... making beer. I mean really, that is probably the single most negative defining quality of Americans in my books. How can any nation consider itself a global superpower when they so totally suck at making beer?

Do they really, though? I mean, their mass-produced beer is crap, but Canadian mass-produced isn't much better; and there are some pretty good microbreweries in any US city I've been to (especially Portland). The again, there don't seem to be a lot of beers that have the balance of quality and distribution that Rickards, Big Rock, and Sleemans have up here. It seems any of the national American beers are crappy and the quality American beers are all very localized.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Jedi Ninja

Sometimes, it's the little things. Like, in one store I asked where the bathroom was and they looked at me like I was crazy and told me I couldn't take a bath there.

Yes, I could see little things like that, but was not the case this last time.

It was just last week when I was in San Francisco, it happened at a restaurant. The waiter had been talking with us about the menu, wine selections etc, and when he left to start our order, he said, "so what part of Canada are you from?"

When he returned with part of our order, we asked him how he identified us as Canadians. He said, he was born and raised in Detroit and said although subtle, we had what he called "Canadian accents"

And then he added, in Detroit, they say Toronto, not Tarannah))

[Jedi Ninja]

Originally Posted by redforever

Yes, I could see little things like that, but was not the case this last time.

It was just last week when I was in San Francisco, it happened at a restaurant. The waiter had been talking with us about the menu, wine selections etc, and when he left to start our order, he said, "so what part of Canada are you from?"

When he returned with part of our order, we asked him how he identified us as Canadians. He said, he was born and raised in Detroit and said although subtle, we had what he called "Canadian accents"

And then he added, in Detroit, they say Toronto, not Tarannah))

Try this:

http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_america...nt_do_you_have

[LChoy]

My 2 cents
I find it actually kind of hard to separate sometimes between the American people, and the country as a whole.

There are jerks on both countries but with 360 Million Americans, the US has a much larger population size of them.

From day 1, Americans are taught how they are the best country in the world and they are the best by being an American. Along with role as being the world's protector, you can't really fault Americans for developing a proud and entitling mentality. As a result of this and other factors (education, travel experience, media), I don't think Americans are willfully ignorant about us, but rather they don't really think about others, unless it somehow affects them directly or challenges their patriotism. As Canadians, we can't help but to feel over shadowed by the Americans, and that makes us crave any sort of attention from them, and annoys us whenever our contribution are ignored or marginalized

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Do they really, though? I mean, their mass-produced beer is crap, but Canadian mass-produced isn't much better; and there are some pretty good microbreweries in any US city I've been to (especially Portland). The again, there don't seem to be a lot of beers that have the balance of quality and distribution that Rickards, Big Rock, and Sleemans have up here. It seems any of the national American beers are crappy and the quality American beers are all very localized.

I'll take a Canadian mass produced beer over an American one about 9 times out of 10. Coors Classic is the only American mega beer I enjoy.

You're bang on about the mid-range beers like Big Rock, Sleeman and I'd throw Keith's in there as well. That's where Canadian beer really excels.

As for the micro-brews, I certainly haven't tried all of them, but of the ones I've tried, the Portland area micros like Henry Weinhardt are the only ones I've enjoyed. I particularly don't like New England micro brews. I suspect Texas might have some good ones though based on the limited exposure I've had to Texas beers.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

As for the micro-brews, I certainly haven't tried all of them, but of the ones I've tried, the Portland area micros like Henry Weinhardt are the only ones I've enjoyed. I particularly don't like New England micro brews. I suspect Texas might have some good ones though based on the limited exposure I've had to Texas beers.

Shiner Bock by Spoetzl Breweries is very nice.

I find that like cultures, American and Canadian beers are largely interchangeable. Both boast a lot of garbage, but both have their gems if you look for them.

[MaDMaN_26]

I'm sure some has been said but for me it boils down to a few things...

- Half of you put Bush in office a second time. Once is a mistake and can be forgiven, “sorry guys our bad.” … the second term was perhaps the biggest /spit the American public has ever given the rest of the world. It sickened me and is probably the biggest reason why anti-Americanism has grown in recent years. It still blows my mind how it happened. How the hell did half +1 of you think, ya 4 more years of that please.

- The seemingly complete lack of knowledge beyond your borders. I'm not saying all Canadians are worldly, but the stereotype is many Americans are seemingly under the impression the world begins and ends at their border; they seem to have an arrogance about understanding or appreciating anything that is not all about them. I know from meeting many Americans this is not a fair stereotype, but few are. Still the ones that prove it’s not completely baseless usually do it in a stunningly public and high profile way. Your former president did it for 8 years. Coupled with how the USA pushes their POV and foriegn policies on other contries as the be all and end all of how to do it right, when its so brutally obvious your internal issues could use alot of attention, poverty, gang violence, new orleans is still a mess... I think my frutration is this, if your gonna have blinders on and not see the rest of the world, could you at least look in the mirror?

- It bothers me how corrupt and propaganda spewing your media has become... ours sadly has followed close behind, but Canadians seem (to me) to view the media with more skepticism than Americans generally do. The bias of your media and how they blatantly skew the view to meet their own (or their owners/sponsors) political agendas without check is disturbing to me, especially when your have the population and power to be a driving force in world events and policies.

- Considering how easily the Freedom of press liberty was forsaken it is hard to understand why the right to bear arms on is hung onto so vehemently… especially when we hear things like “I use ma’ m-16 to hunts de deer rounds ‘ere”… it propels and supports the "Warmongers" label Americans receive from the rest of the world. Yet you cling to the idea that there is no way to have safer streets than the "I can shoot you back" method.

While these things work against the US, for the most part I think Canadians know that Americans, in general, are a great people, and it is a fantastic country to live next door to…. There are days where I think it would be nice to live there too as I could make a list at least as long about things I hate about Canada….
- We have several political parties to choose from, they are all terrible, Brutal and horrible choices, when we go to the polls its not about who will do the best job, its about who will screw us the least and be not quite as horrible as the other guy.
- Canadians are complacent about almost everything, its why our political parties and so many other things lack, we never stand up and say "NO!" and we fight for nothing and accept everything as "meh, what can we do" (not a statement about our troops)
- Incredibly high taxes, which are thoroughly wasted by the terrible brutal and horrible political parties previously mentioned. Whe nthe solution is to raise taxes we collectively say "meh, what can we do"

I could easily go on, but this is a wall of text already. It boils down to this: I don’t hate the American people anymore than I hate some Canadians… I get frustrated with my Country and yours (and others). People may say I hate Americans as an easy way to express that frustration, but when pressed it would boil down to having issues similar to these that color the view of the entire country and all who inhabit it.
What really surprises me is why you had to ask… seriously you had no idea what could possibly have people saying anti American things? You didn’t know? Kind of makes me think you fall into my second reason for not liking some Americans and that you don’t watch or read enough foreign news. Turn off Fox News, and think real hard about whether everything is a fantastic as you’re being programmed to believe. (that goes for a lot of Canadians too)

[Cactus Jack]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

The seemingly complete lack of knowledge beyond your borders. I'm not saying all Canadians are worldly, but the stereotype is many Americans are seemingly under the impression the world begins and ends at their border; they seem to have an arrogance about understanding or appreciating anything that is not all about them. I know from meeting many Americans this is not a fair stereotype, but few are. Still the ones that prove it?s not completely baseless usually do it in a stunningly public and high profile way. Your former president did it for 8 years. Coupled with how the USA pushes their POV and foriegn policies on other contries as the be all and end all of how to do it right, when its so brutally obvious your internal issues could use alot of attention, poverty, gang violence, new orleans is still a mess... I think my frutration is this, if your gonna have blinders on and not see the rest of the world, could you at least look in the mirror?

It's the way they sell their nation to the people. It may be a small thing but if some company is giving away "3 fabulous vacations to exotic spots," they don't pick Sydney, Rome, Paris, Buenos Aires or Tokyo, they pick NY, Orlando and Las Vegas. They are cool places but that's just a small example of the mentally they have to look only within their nation. Granted, the US is very diverse and has a lot to offer, people there don't seem to have much initiative to look outside their borders.

Their hang up on race and the issue of "social medicine" also get to me.
________
Medical marijuana

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Cactus Jack

It's the way they sell their nation to the people. It may be a small thing but if some company is giving away "3 fabulous vacations to exotic spots," they don't pick Sydney, Rome, Paris, Buenos Aires or Tokyo, they pick NY, Orlando and Las Vegas. They are cool places but that's just a small example of the mentally they have to look only within their nation. Granted, the US is very diverse and has a lot to offer, people there don't seem to have much initiative to look outside their borders.

Their hang up on race and the issue of "social medicine" also get to me.

This is especially true in Texas. We have some friends down there, Houston area.

Last time we were there, within the last year, they were particularily interested in our health care system. One of their mothers had taken a fall and broken her hip, and after rehabilitation, they were looking at the prospects of a long term nursing home for her.

Well, the mother has bare minimum income, if that, I think she already is being subsidized by her family. So her children were looking into what they could afford.

So we asked, well dont you have state assisted options for your mother. And the answer was something along these lines "Well yes we do, but Mother deserves some dignity and she would die if she had to spend her last days living with the Mexicans and the N....rs". I find that kind of attitude totally reprehensible, totally not the way I was brought up and on the whole, not something we are exposed to in Canada.

And then they were absolutely possessed about private health insurance, checking every option available and comparing prices. Some covered this, some covered that, but they could not find any insurance to cover all of their needs. So they asked, how does health care work in Canada, if you need hospital treatment? They were not talking about elective surgeries such as plastic surgery, or any of those kind of procedures. So I told them, well if you have health issues and your doctor recommends some procedure, a date is booked, you go the hospital or clinic, have the procedure, get well, come home, get extended homecare if required, it is paid for. And they said, well dont you get some accounting to see what each thing cost and dont you have to pay extra for etc? I said, no we do not if it is not elective surgery. They could not comprehend a system like ours. I told them, we certainly have wait times for some of the tests or procedures, that is a problem, some provinces more than others but on the whole, the health care we do receive is very good. I know, some of you will grumble, but from my experiences, anyone I know within my family or circle of friends has received excellent care.

Then the Texans are stock piling ammo!!! Some bill was to be introduced as to some gun registry program but apparently that was quickly taken off the table, I think the Texans would have been rioting in the streets. So now, sometime in the future, not sure when, when you purchase ammo, you will be required to provide your name. So they are all buying ammo before they have to provide their names. And the people we know were bad enough, but their friends were worse. They had loaded guns in their night tables, in various closets through out the house, in sheds, in their purse, in their vehicle, something else I simply can not comprehend either.

So there might be some subtle differences between Canadians and Americans but there are also some very fundamental differences as well.