What the ¨world¨ think of Canada?

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Okay In was talking of that with one of my teacher after school was over, What the international politic think of Canada? Some claim we a diplomat people other said we're too Pro-USA for whatever reason, btw our economy is very linked to the USA since we export a lot to them. For long we've been consider more or less a British colony (what we were) eh even in the WW2 when Great Britain declare war, the canadian was at war too. I just want to know what the ¨world¨ think of My country, and does we have an actually good reputation? you know those kind of thing.

 

Honestly? Sounds like you're asking about the Canadian gov't and keeping that in mind... well... if the UK is a poodle to the US then Canada is a Maltese -- both are lap dogs.

I have a Canadian friend who was joking around about how the world needed to unite behind a Canadian ruler. An American friend then said, "Yeah, it would make the US far more efficient. It could combine two of its favorite pastimes: ignoring the international community and ignoring Canada specifically."

In seriousness though, Canada can't afford to alienate the US for financial reasons. They loudly and vociferously speak out against the US when it is irrelevant but when its opinion could really effect the US adversely it doesn't speak out against it. I think the US citizens perceive Canada as a sort of little brother - like to make fun of em and punch em in the shoulder occasionally but we love em and in a pinch would do anything for em.

 

Well, the stereotype of Canada is rather positive. It is supposed to be a very clean, honorable, friendly, and beautiful. The image that pops into mind is of a Mounty. The best movie on how American's see Canada is the movie Canadian Bacon - which is a tad over the top...

Of course, I would assume that internationally the world "American" brings up images of either cowboys, 49- Niners or soldiers.

Anyway, Canada and the United States are very much the same - culturally and with the same commitment towards democracy and freedom. Americans generally consider Canada our brothers to the north.

The border between Canada and the United States is the longest unfortified border in the World. This alone should be an indication on excellent relations between our two great nations.

One thing that always disturbs me is that Canada does not get due credit for their efforts in World War II. The Canadian army also stormed the beaches in Northern Europe - just like us and Britain.

 

I remember seriously contemplating about candadian foreign policy..... acutally never.

But I don't get the question really, are you asking about the opinion about Canada or opinions about the relationship between Canada and the US ?

If it's the first variant, then Canada is primarily a tourist attraction.

But than again, it's a rather far away country.

 

If you're talking about the government in general then the Maltese is a pretty good comparison. If you mean PM Jean Chretien and his cronies then a Pekinese is probably more apt- it can't stop biting the hands that feed it and is so annoyingly yappy that I wouldn't blame the USA for wanting to give it a good swift kick. Why Canadian voters haven't already done so is completely beyond me. Fortunately, we're having an election soon and the moron is retiring, hopefully taking his cronies and French-style government corruption and theft with him.

Er... sorry. Since I vote in Canada maybe my opinion doesn't belong in this thread. But I wasn't born Canadian so I do have a sort of International/objective viewpoint on the country.

I got a lecture from some Californians I met on a train recently about how Canadians should be ashamed of ourselves for having a Queen instead of being a democratic country. It's probably not a "normal" American/International viewpoint but it's the one I've heard most recently and I thought it was entertaining enough to mention. Maybe we're next for an invasion, bringing peace and democracy to replace Elizabeth's bloody tyranny at last?

In France, everyone seems to think Canada is like Lake Louise - blue frigid lakes, snowy mountaintops and wild elk from coast to coast. I wish it were true!

 

Politically, I can't really say. Culturally and geographically, Canada kicks ass IMO. Beautiful country, nice people, seems like a great place to live. Any country that holds hockey in such high regard is OK in my book. Some of my favorite SP members are from Canada. Who knows...I may end up living/working up there some day.

I do, however, try to find it in my heart to forgive Canada for giving Tom Green and Celine Dion to the world.

The operative word there being "try."

 

Come to think of it - I agree. Why on Earth should Canada continuously kiss the Queen's royal buttocks?!

 

Aside from the abominations Death Rabbit mentioned, what's not to love about Canada and Canadians? Montreal is one fabulous city.

True story: a group of Americans were traveling in Europe. Among them was Bill, a very intelligent, soft-spoken gentleman with a neutral accent. This group hooks up with some other Americans, and in the course of the evening they find out that everyone else assumed that Bill was Canadian because "he's too nice to be American."

 

My question was unclear, but I meant What other think of us. Anyway I tend to disagree that Canadian and American share a unique culture, Okay maybe in the west canada but in Quebec we have how very own culture and language and actually we think us more of Quebec-er than Canadian, a very selfish reaction, yes but in the fact the first one who were into North America were French and it was in the actual Quebec region. So when to British came along we fight to keep our religion, culture and Language and we keep it even today. So in fact we are more or less a ¨litle country inside a greater one¨ Don't get me wrong I'm still consider myself a Canadian and I still like Canada but my nation in my heart will always be Québec. Some people say we ¨search¨ ourself since we are very young, less than 600 years, and as the economy is very linked to the US, I wonder if we have our own place, are we just the northen USA or cleary a true country?

Canada is a VAST sountry with nobody less than 33 million people and I think the only country that is larger is Russia, and still I'm unsure

And for the queen, that I still wonder why she went to Canada, I though the total independence were in 1867?

 

Ok, after reading that thread and learning about Canada, I came to the conclusion, that it's a kind of Portugal.

By the way, what's wrong with having constitutional monarchy ? A lot of countries do that and they seem quiet happy with it.

 

A monarch is an insult to any democratic nation.

The problem with Canada celebrating the Queen is that ITS NOT EVEN THEIR QUEEN. Canada does not have royalty.

They put the queen of another sovereign nation on their currency. Many world states have been influenced (and many have learned democracy from) the United States. I don't expect them to put Washington, Franklin or any of the founding father's on their currency. Also, I really don't expect anyone to put a living President on their coins. It is really sad and somewhat pathetic.

 

Hm......

The Canadians learnt demorcracy from the USA ? Well, I'm not sure if the big part of the Canadians would agree.

But still, why should why a constitutional monarchy per se be an insult to democracy. In the case of Juan Carlos even quiet the contrary.

Some countries have a president as head of state, others a monarch. Goverment is lead in both cases usually by a Prime Minister and the head of state usually acts as pouvoir neutre. It seems to be a well working system.

 

Well, it DOES seem a bit weird to me that Canada chooses to look to another country's queen and then they choose one who is....well, so....old. I mean, if you want a queen to put on money how about Queen Rania of Jordan, she's a bona fide babe.

I mean, if you're going to pick a queen who doesn't actually do anything anyways other than sit there and wave why not pick a hot one?

 

Since when? Canada is, and always has been, part of the British Empire. In fact, Canada was the destination of choice for many British loyalists who left their homes in the United States after the U.S.A. declared itself independent from England.

Canada stopped being a British colony and became self governed when it became a country but that does not mean that Canada stopped being part of the British Empire and neither does it mean that the Queen is not ours.

There are some Canadians who feel that Canada whould withdraw from the British Empire but the last polls that I saw on the issue indicated that the vast majority of Canadians are in favour of remaining part of the British Empire.

In terms of democracy, I really don't see how having a Queen is an issue. The Queen has no real power under the laws of Canada. The Queen is, and has been for quite some time, just a cultural figure and not really a political one.

As for people appearing on currency, I really can't think of too many historical Canadian figures that I would put on in the Queen's place. Hm, maybe we could put hockey players on the currency.

 

The queen is on the money only because she was the symbol of the British empire, and even if we are an independent country we still show respect to her, well that would fit 125 years ago but not today, but why changing money their is nothing wrong with that.

and what it is exactly?

Ah being ahsamed to still show respect to whom was our leader before the independence thus having Englan as an ally? The queen is more of a cultural figure than anything else

of couse I live their! ( this quote was meant to be funny)

We didn't even win the Stenley cup! but we did win both medal at Salt lake. Anyway we holds as much regard in Hockey as europe does to Football (or soccer) or does America does to Football (the american Football)

 

We still have a queen as well, but we are as democratic as they come.

The queen has abslolutely no political influence whatsoever and therefore no power at all. It's some kind of tradition i suppose. Some countries grew tired of their royalty, like France, and got rid of it, and others kept the tradition alive.

To me it's all a bunch of crap. The state pays the royal familymembers an insane amount of the taxpayers money, just so they can sit on the throne, wear a stupid crown, hold speeches every now and then, and a whole lot more of useless activities.

 

Nought wrong with Queen Elisabeth II, I'd worry a whole lot more about what comes after. King Charles? Ouch, I think that might be an eye opener for most of us when it happens.

As far as Canada goes, suffice it to say that I have NEVER heard anyone have something bad to say about the country. How can this be? Is it really that perfect? Worrying!

 

Sheila: Time's have changed
Our kids are getting worse
They won't obey their parents
They just want to fart and curse!
Sharon: Should we blame the government?
Mrs. Cartman: Or blame society?
Dads: Or should we blame the images on TV?

Sheila: Heck NO, blame Canada
Everyone: Blame Canada
Sheila: With all their beady little eyes
And flapping heads so full of lies
Everyone: Blame Canada
Blame Canada
Sheila: We need to form a full assault
Everyone: It's Canada's fault!

Sharon: Don't blame me
For my son Stan
He saw the darn cartoon
And now he's off to join the clan!

Mrs. Cartman: And my boy Eric once
Had my picture on his shelf
But now when I see him he tells me to **** myself!
Sheila: Well, blame Canada
Everyone: Blame Canada
It seems that everything's gone wrong
Since Canada came along
Everyone: Blame Canada
Blame Canada
Guy on TV: There not even a real country anyway

Mrs. McCormick: My son could've been a doctor or a lawyer it's true
Instead he burned up like a piggy on a bar-b-q
Everyone: Should we blame the matches?
Should we blame the fire?
Or the doctors who allowed him to expire?
Sheila: Heck no!

Everyone: Blame Canada
Blame Canada
Sheila: With all their hockey hubabaloo
Mrs. Cartman: And that ***** Anne Murray too
Everyone: Blame Canada
Shame on Canada
The smut we must stop
The trash we must smash
Laughter and fun
must all be undone
We must blame them and cause a fuss
Before someone thinks of blaming us

 

In Auschwitz, they called the laundry the "Canada section", because they thaught that Canada is an unbelievably rich country. The best place to be. Like the laundry.

 

As Homer Simpson named Canada: America Junior...I've also heard "America Lite"

Personally, I really like Canada...Quebec City is nice! It's like going to Europe...Very oldskool! And Hockey, of course!