# Why do Americans know so little about Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159 "2006-05-25T13:59:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/41 "2006-05-25T19:44:12Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > Why did you laugh at Montreal? I don’t get it. Wolverine is Canadian is he not? It wasn’t a _derisive_ chuckle, just “Oh, cool, we got mentioned in the movie!” ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/42 "2006-05-25T20:08:11Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > canadain fast food is like US fast food Well we have Harvey’s, you guys have White Castle! > [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > It wasn’t a derisive chuckle, just “Oh, cool, we got mentioned in the movie!” My fault, for some reason I thought you were one of THEM! Sorry 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/43 "2006-05-25T20:12:15Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > If you’re so smart, then tell us why they speak Portugese if it’s in Asia!! I blame the Brazilians. There’s a brazilian of them! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/44 "2006-05-25T20:26:33Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > My fault, for some reason I thought you were one of THEM! Sorry 🙂 Geez, “one of THEM” Are we that bad? Prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? Uhoh, I shouldn’t have given you so many ideas. Jim ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/45 "2006-05-25T20:44:59Z")
Canada gave us hockey and Red Green. For that alone we are forever in their debt. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/46 "2006-05-25T20:47:55Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > What’s unique about Canada? apart from quebec, it is an english speaking country with a very similar leagl system as the USA. The people look similar, the roads look similar, and the houses look similar. canadain fast food is like US fast food. plus, the bulk of the canadain population lives within 90 miles of the US border. It’s just so much like the US-I think that is why people don’t think about it too much. The trading links between the US and Canda are huge-and there are few barriers…so economically, Canda and the USA are deeply integrated. To me, Canada is a remote place, where people speak english and eat bland food. > say, are those “Tim Hortons” doughnuts really all that good? I’ve heard Canada described as “Bizarro America.” Everything there is **almost** the same, but you can’t help noticing funny little differences. The English spoken there is closer to Anchorman English than is the Southern drawl or the Boston honk, but it’s still different. The money is multicolored, with the queen’s picture. Cigarettes come 25 to a pack instead of 20. Sales tax is higher. Canadian football is almost the same as U.S. but the rules are just a little different. Etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/47 "2006-05-26T00:25:26Z")
Hey, I’m an American, but I would say I know a fair bit about Canada. Of course I have business contacts there. In fact I’m going to be in a teleconference with someone in Ottawa tomorrow morning. And I have relatives in Canada, whom I visit regularly. Next trip in less than a month. And I lived in Montreal for a few years in the 70s. So not all us Californians are so ignorant! Ed ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/48 "2006-05-26T00:36:47Z")
As an American, I resent the implication that we are ignorant about Canada. I mean, Canada . . . You’ve got . . . umm . . . hockey, Vice Magazine, French people, mayonnaise on _everything_, that jazz thing in Montreal, Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabell (for which I’m _very_ grateful, by the way), **DaVinci’s Inquest** (All joking aside, this is an awesome show. Every once in a while I get it into my head to start a **DaVinci’s Inquest** or **DaVinci’s Hall** thread. Great acting, great stories, and great pacing. Plus, it’s got Emily Perkins!), errrr . . . mayon-oh wait, I mentioned that. OK, hang on, I’ll get back to you on this. I know for a fact that all Canadians are at least half Sumerian. Some are as much as a third Sumerian. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/49 "2006-05-26T01:19:34Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > And, actually, nitpicking again about relative sizes, while it’s true that the total area of Canada is larger than the total area of the US, in terms of land area, the US is bigger than Canada. (Canada claims a lot of water in the North Atlantic, and a good chunk of the polar ice cap, up to the north pole.) That water, obviously, is not counted when calculating Canada’s area, just as a calculation of the area of the United States does not include the Gulf of Mexico. Canada is technically a “larger” country, but has less actual dry land, because of all its INTERNAL, fresh water; much of Canada has as much lake as it does dry land. Of course, in any meaningful sense, Canada is really a much smaller country since so much of it is, well, wasteland. As to the OP, hey, Brainglutton, maybe it’s just you; you’ve entered at least half a dozen threads on Canadian issues now basically delivering the “I don’t get this Canada concept” message. Yeah, we get it, dude. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/50 "2006-05-26T01:25:31Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > As to the OP, hey, Brainglutton, maybe it’s just you; you’ve entered at least half a dozen threads on Canadian issues now basically delivering the “I don’t get this Canada concept” message. Yeah, we get it, dude. Maybe I just like to tease! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/51 "2006-05-26T02:04:34Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I’ve heard Canada described as “Bizarro America.” Everything there is **almost** the same, but you can’t help noticing funny little differences… Actually, that’s backwards. The USA is Bizarro Canada. 🙂 Doesn’t stop us copying all the Good Bits though. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/52 "2006-05-26T02:52:43Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > You try it, and we’ll unleash the cold air masses. :eek: No! No! Not the masses of wet obstruction! ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/53 "2006-05-26T03:54:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > :eek: No! No! Not the masses of wet obstruction! Naw the wet hot air comes from the south. It meets with out cold air and then snows all over New York State (Specifically Buffalo) Michigan and a few other northern states I don’t recall. Fargo or something… Personally I don’t care if Americans know about us or not. What pisses me off is that arrogant “You are from Canada and you don’t count” bullshit. Using the term Canadian as some sort of insult. I mean really, the opinion of the average American on world events is really no more valid than anyone else. Yeah you got a big army but really so what? I never understood that arrogance. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/54 "2006-05-26T05:00:13Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > I mean really, the opinion of the average American on world events is really no more valid than anyone else. No, of course, it is not any more valid. But it does not have to be more **valid** to be more **important.** ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/55 "2006-05-26T12:14:56Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > …snip… > Personally I don’t care if Americans know about us or not. What pisses me off is that arrogant “You are from Canada and you don’t count” bullshit. Using the term Canadian as some sort of insult. > > I mean really, the opinion of the average American on world events is really no more valid than anyone else. > > Yeah you got a big army but really so what? I never understood that arrogance. I’m confused, do you actually see this attitude often? Is it specific to USA politics or in general? Jim I hear things like this and realize I live in a different world, I’ve never heard any real Canadian bashing outside of South Park and they bash everything and anything. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/56 "2006-05-26T12:37:40Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > No, of course, it is not any more valid. But it does not have to be more **valid** to be more **important.** Really? The **average** American’s oppinion is more important than others? Out of curiosity, on what grounds do you base that comment? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/57 "2006-05-26T13:31:55Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > Really? The **average** American’s oppinion is more important than others? > > Out of curiosity, on what grounds do you base that comment? Probably because the average American’s opinion is backed by the aforementioned army. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/58 "2006-05-26T13:37:18Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > Really? The **average** American’s oppinion is more important than others? > > Out of curiosity, on what grounds do you base that comment? If you’ll read carefully, I didn’t actually assert that. But consider: In a republic, the average citizen’s opinion has at least **some** influence on what the government does. The more important/powerful the government, the more important/influential the opinion. In this thread – [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=373137](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=373137) – **matt\_mcl** posted: > [@](#): > > Whatever one might think about the US, I see no reason to merge with a country that has ten times the population of my own. We’d go from being a sovereign nation to a resource-rich, powerless, marginal hinterland of an empire. Not my cup of tea. That’s one way to look at it. OTOH, if you think in terms of “I” instead of “we,” then if Canada united with the U.S., **matt’s** individual opinion and vote (and yours) would carry more weight in world affairs than it does now. Apropos of nothing: [http://www.galactanet.com/comic/595.htm](http://www.galactanet.com/comic/595.htm) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/59 "2006-05-26T13:42:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Probably because the average American’s opinion is backed by the aforementioned army. I didn’t realize the citizens had that much contol over their armed forces or is the typical “my dick is bigger than yours” “We can kick anyones’s ass” nonsense. It is actually very odd how many times you guys go on aboout your miltary in discussions as if that is the only determination of a nations worth in your eyes. It is strange how a nation that prides itself on individual freedom and personal iniative gets so pantysoaked over an instituation with such opposite goals. It is a very militaristic attitude you have. Now that would be an interesting debate: Are American’s Militaristic? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159/60 "2006-05-26T13:59:08Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > …snip… > Now that would be an interesting debate: Are American’s Militaristic? Yes, America was apparently forever changed by WWII. We went from collectively a nation of Isolationists to a Country very proud of our military might. You do see the “My Dad can beat up your Dad” attitude in a lot of little ways. Jim {BTW: I believe in a strong military and wise use of it. I would like to see some wise use of it, that has been largely missing for years} [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-know-so-little-about-canada/358159.md?page=4)