You read the headline right: Canadians too patriotic for sensitive Americans. A story in the National Post reports on findings from focus groups carried out in four American cities where the Canadian government is building consulates:
In focus groups held this fall in four U.S. cities where the federal government is opening consulates, Americans acknowledged they don’t know much about Canadians and have low awareness that the country had not supported the U.S. in the war in Iraq.
“Some participants expressed a certain amount of annoyance at what is perceived as a systematic attempt by Canadians to make the statement that they are not Americans by sporting the maple leaf,” said the recently released report.
You’d think that a country that debates the legality of burning the flag would understand if people from another country would wear their own flag proudly, but noooo…
The report says even Americans who blame the Bush administration to some extent for the country’s poor relations with the world do not seem to understand why friendly countries and neighbours such as Canada would want to distance themselves from Americans.
For instance, an American from San Diego is quoted saying: “What bugs me about Canadians, if I may, is that they wear that damn patch on their bags, the Canadian flag patch. That way, they differentiate themselves from us.”
“They look like us, they sound sorta like us, they got most of the same fast-food chains…why ain’t they us?”
Really, my American friends, relax. Have a beer. Er. make that two, since it’s more watery than ours.
Near the end of the story:
Most participants said they were “shocked” by a fact sheet about Canada that they were presented during the focus groups.
“A few express some concern over the U.S.’s implied dependence on Canada for energy . . . However, Canada should be careful not to appear “boastful,” which could backfire, as Americans do not like to be reminded of any kind of dependence on another country,” the report warned.
Hey, dudes, we’re your friends, for Chrissakes! Your neighbours! Your poorer, quirkier, cooler neighbours! The Simpsons to your Flanders!
You want a real cause for concern? You should be considerably more shocked at your dependence on Saudi Arabia and their pals. Think about it: we sew flag patches on our backpacks and tell the occasional “dumb American” joke; those two-faced rat-bastards sold you jet fuel and then used the proceeds to train people to fly that fuel into the World Trade Center.
I’m sure I speak for the majority of Canadians when I say We like our American neighbours (in fact, we find some of you downright cuddly).
Maybe what I need to do is invite all of America over to my place for a party. You bring the apple pie and the rock and roll, we’ll provide poutine and beer, we’ll all pile into the hot tub truck and watch Red Dawn (“Wolveriiiiiines!”). Sound like fun?
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If I can meet the girl who was stroking your accordion, you can count me in!
Wait. We're the Flanderses? Can't we be Carl or Apu or something?
An article in the National Post tells Canadians that we should bow our heads, censor ourselves, and govern our behaviour based on meek (but sharp) attention to what Americans think? Quick, the smelling salts, I feel faint with surprise.
As a non-Canadian, I can see where they are coming from with the overuse of the maple leaf. I've actually written an essay on it last spring that I keep meaning to repost to the blog, but I'm too lazy to see if it's owned by me or by the contest I entered it in.
Anyway, I get the leaf part. I have never seen any other country wear their flag's symbol EVERYWHERE, but I don't see why it makes them ANGRY... To me it's just slightly silly.
I'll have to dig out my flag patch essay, it's somewhere on a UofT website as a PDF, but I don't know where...
Eva
I heard about this on the radio this morning
I find it funny that "THEY" think "WE" are too patriotic.
I thought the reason behind our patriotism was so that we weren't confused as Americans.
I bet anyone that more americans have a USA flag hanging in a window or outside their homes than Canadians with Canada flags.
I was going to say talk about a self-centred, hypocritical bunch, but that's generalizing too far, and really it would only refer to the people quoted - to get better readership/ratings. However I'd like to bitchslap the guy who said "they're just like us". Well then buddy, I supposed you could have stayed British and not bothered with the Independence thing.
For those who don't know, many Canadians wear the patch when traveling abroad to avoid the presumption of being American. I've heard that some Americans have taken to this practice too. Why? Because internationally Canadians have a better reputation than the Americans. No traveler wants to be a target of anti-American sentiment.
I do find it terribly hypocritical that those surveyed are 'annoyed' at seeing another country's emblem sported around. I suppose they corner that market.
Just for the record, I am ashamed of my country. I am American and I am proud of American ideals. It would be nice if America would live up to them. I'm with the Canadians on the issue of the War, and would like to personally apologize for the stupidity of our present President, who represents only a minority of the population in this country, yet acts like he has a mandate from them and Providence itself. I am ashamed, and I apologize.
Joshua Day
Roanoke, VA USA
who went and forgot his login password and is therefore technically anonymous
I think it's more like 'ok, ok, you're better than us. We get that. Now would you stop rubbing it in?'
I thought there were an awful lot of canadian flags about when I visited Toronto last summer. Then my native guide helpfully pointed out that it was only a few days after Canada Day.
Two words:
Bryan Adams.