Why do canadians fight so much?

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher

The willingness to tolerate different beliefs leads to an acceptence for debate.

But I don't tolerate your beliefs.

Yeah, but Albertans are much more like Americans.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher

Canadians learn to develop a sense of humor while we wait for the entrance to our igloos to dethaw each year.

I used to have that problem until I bought an electric tunnel defroster from Canadian Tire. On special this week for 149.99 +GST.

[Asher]

No kiddin eh!
Good ol' CrappyTire. That's what Canada's all aboot!

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Tingkai
The United States was created by a unified effort to kick out the Brits. That created the mythology of a unified people. Immigrants were welcomed, but were expected to conform to the American dream and the American way of life.

Canada was created by bringing two distinct people together: the predominately Protestent English and the Catholic French. As a result, it was impossible to create the belief that immigrants should conform to a Canadian identity because there was clearly two distinct identities. There was no way for Canadians to create the traditional mytholody of a nationhood where people shared common beliefs. So instead, Canadian created a more modern concept of nationhood where people are more likely to be tolerant towards others who hold different beliefs.

The willingness to tolerate different beliefs leads to an acceptence for debate.

but we debate in the US also, we just don't seem to get our claws out

and where do you get that the US is less tolerant than Canada?

we have much less conflict with regards to culture than you do...

doesn' this mean we are more tolerant?

Jon Miller

[Asher]

we have much less conflict with regards to culture than you do...

Why are you so sure of that?

Look at your urban crime rates compared to Canada's. There's definitely culture clashes. Canada's involve politics, US' involve crime...

[KrazyHorse]

You have race riots, but every time your politicians speak, they try to project that you're all one happy family. You have the greatest spread between rich and poor in the industrialised world, but according to the pundits, you're a classless society. On and on...

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Jon Miller


but we debate in the US also, we just don't seem to get our claws out

and where do you get that the US is less tolerant than Canada?

we have much less conflict with regards to culture than you do...

doesn' this mean we are more tolerant?

Jon Miller

My impression of the states is that people are expected to become American. There's less expectation for conformity in Canada.

[Jon Miller]

let me get this right

you guys formed Canada from two different cultures (kinda like ths US was formed from two cultures, the South and the North)

this leads to much more conflict in debate and the like (with name calling and the like) (similiar to the US before and shortly after the Civil War)

and your diversity is segregated geographically (like the North and South before the Civil War)

I think I am noticing a trend here

my only question

which side is the North?

and which is the South?

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Asher

Why are you so sure of that?

Look at your urban crime rates compared to Canada's. There's definitely culture clashes. Canada's involve politics, US' involve crime...

I remember being warned about the crime in Vancouver (BC is the only place in Canada I have been to), so I think that it is just an issue of having a good size populace

Jon Miller

[Asher]

The North/South difference is far less evident than the Canada issue, and there's more than two sides.

Alberta is far different, at least politically, than the rest of the "protestant English" provinces, for example.

It's a big mess, is what it is.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
let me get this right

you guys formed Canada from two different cultures (kinda like ths US was formed from two cultures, the South and the North)

The difference is you had a war that forced the Southerns to destroy the basis of their culture - slavery. After that, there was even greater pressure to create a unified national identity in order to preserve the nation.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Tingkai


My impression of the states is that people are expected to become American. There's less expectation for conformity in Canada.

but see

they want to become american

(so apparently few want to become canadians?)

Jon Miller

[Asher]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
I remember being warned about the crime in Vancouver (BC is the only place in Canada I have been to), so I think that it is just an issue of having a good size populace

Jon Miller

No, the crime RATE in major cities (Vancouver, Toronto) is still a fraction of the US major cities of the same size.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Tingkai


The difference is you had a war that forced the Southerns to destroy the basis of their culture - slavery. After that, there was even greater pressure to create a unified national identity in order to preserve the nation.

so how are the provincial militias?



Jon Miller

[KrazyHorse]

Your analogy is completely flawed. In our history, the "North" (British) had unequivocably defeated the "South" (French) before our nation could even be formed. Since we're a tolerant people, (except for some nastiness with the Acadians) the French were allowed to keep their culture and customs, first in the Quebec Act, and then in the BNA. This has led to a healthy and spirited feeling of disunity...