# Why don't Americans care about Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 12, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908 "2007-09-12T15:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/41 "2007-09-12T22:45:58Z")
Apparently, many of us see Canada as being [uninhabited](http://www.linkydinky.com/images/americanworld.gif) . ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/42 "2007-09-12T22:46:07Z")
Well, the US has 50 states but I couldn’t tell you that much about 49 of them. Canada to me, is sort of just 10 more states I don’t know much about. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/43 "2007-09-12T23:01:06Z")
Because we’ve got our own problems to deal with… ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/44 "2007-09-12T23:20:28Z")
Americans don’t care about Canada because Canada is not a power player. They’re mostly sitting out the great issues of our day, and what things we could learn from them (such as a refresher lesson on civics, quality of life, and the commonweal) are mostly things we don’t want to admit we need. We’d much rather continue to sate ourselves at the tits of consumerism and media. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/45 "2007-09-12T23:25:17Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I’m sure folks in Saskatchewan aren’t getting all worked up about Ontario’s upcoming election. [/QUOTE] That’s not true at all. Swing past any Timmie’s and the conversations are all about Whozit and Wossname and whether the PCs (you still have those over there? we ran all ours off a while back) can make a comeback against the Liberals…or is it the other way around. Anyways, you better believe that Ontario election is a bona fide provincial obsession over here. So…ummm…when is it? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/46 "2007-09-12T23:27:30Z")
I’d bet more Americans know the name of the Prime Minister of Canada than do the leaders of the following countries: [ul] [li]Mexico[/li][li]Spain[/li][li]Germany[/li][li]France (though only because they just had elections)[/li][li]Italy[/li][li]Insert Westernized Nation Here[/li][li]India[/li][/ul] It’s just that most of the time, the only times we come in contact with those names are in news coverage of elections, or the occasional story in the Times when something major happens over there. ---
**Author:** ![ThirdCultureGal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@ThirdCultureGal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdCultureGal)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/47 "2007-09-12T23:42:33Z")
**xtisme** , the capital is Nuuk or Godthaab (the two a’s represent the a with the little circle on it which my comp does not supply). Funnily enough, though Greenland is so close to the US geographically and the US military even has a base there (Thule) most americans don’t even know it’s owned by Denmark! Just don’t get me started on what people don’t know about _that_ particular unimportant country :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/48 "2007-09-13T00:01:31Z")
Face, our Canuck cousins are nice people-they often do favors for us. Canada is sorta like vanilla-nice but bland. Of course, I’d much rather have Canada as a neighbor than, say, Pakistan! It’s just TOO MUCH like the USA (except for Quebec), so people don’t pay attention. And outside of the occasional trade dispute, we hardy ever squabble. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/49 "2007-09-13T00:06:20Z")
[QUOTE=ThirdCultureGal] ) most americans don’t even know it’s [Greenland] owned by Denmark! [/QUOTE] Not since 1979, though I think its still symbolically ruled by the Danish royal family. ---
**Author:** ![ThirdCultureGal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@ThirdCultureGal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdCultureGal)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/50 "2007-09-13T00:32:05Z")
**Malodorous** , they’re a self-governing province, i.e. they have home rule but are still subject to the 1933 Permanent Code of Arbitration that declared that the entire island belonged to Denmark, as well as being represented by Denmark in international disputes, like the one over Hans Island with Canada. In practical matters they are very much their own autonomous state, but belong to us they do 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/51 "2007-09-13T00:53:02Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Not since 1979, though I think its still symbolically ruled by the Danish royal family. [/QUOTE] “Home rule” was granted in 1979 but it’s still a province of Denmark, its foreign affairs are run by Denmark, and since it’s economically nonviable, it’s dependent on the Danish government for its continued existence. It’s sort of independent, but the extent of Danish rule is definitely a lot more than symbolic. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/52 "2007-09-13T00:57:34Z")
[QUOTE=Eonwe] I’d bet more Americans know the name of the Prime Minister of Canada than do the leaders of the following countries: [ul] [li]Mexico[/li][li]Spain[/li][li]Germany[/li][li]France (though only because they just had elections)[/li][li]Italy[/li][li]Insert Westernized Nation Here[/li][li]India[/li][/ul] It’s just that most of the time, the only times we come in contact with those names are in news coverage of elections, or the occasional story in the Times when something major happens over there. [/QUOTE] Ok, well, maybe I’m just weird then. I knew all those (except Insert Westernized Nation Here; which isn’t even on my _atlas_, strangely enough), but I had no clue about Canada. Not even a guess. Maybe my lack of knowledge is my own failing, and can’t be blamed on the media. No! That’s impossible! It must be their fault! And video games too! ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/53 "2007-09-13T19:05:23Z")
You know, mostly Canada is doing alright. Yeah, they got some problems, but they generally have it fairly good, and seem to kind of like it that way. Good news is boring, especially if it is someone else’s good news. If they had a big earthquake, or meteor strike, now, folks would be listening! On the whole, though, I doubt that most Canadians would find the trade off worth it. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/54 "2007-09-13T19:47:55Z")
I happen to care deeply about Canada. I’ve watched every single episode of “Ice Road Truckers.” Those guys are my heroes. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/55 "2007-09-13T20:05:24Z")
They don’t have any earthquakes, riots or revolutions, they aren’t massing an army on the border or creeping across at night to work for half the going rate and undercutting local labor. What’s to worry about? ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/56 "2007-09-13T22:30:59Z")
[QUOTE=miss elizabeth] Isn’t Mexico in North America too? [/QUOTE] \*Touche \* and \*Mea culpa \*. I checked my unabridged and learned something that I did not learn (or forgot) in geography class (but that was before the Alamo). Change that reference to Nicaragua. But why did some Mexicans used to say, “Norte Americanos go home”? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/57 "2007-09-14T04:50:54Z")
Well, most of it’s been said already: we’re a large country geographically, but small in population and global significance really. We are the largest trading partner with the U.S. though, so that should carry some weight. Anyway, for the most part we tend to focus on domestic issues and don’t involve ourselves in global matters unless sanctioned by NATO or the UN. And when asked (Afghanistan for the latest example) we dutifully oblige. Part of it, as alluded to also, is the fact that we are so similar that we fade into the background. For example, how are these Canadians different from the rest of the U.S. celebrities? Alex Trebek Jim Carrey William Shatner Rich Little Paul Anka Michael J. Fox Keanu Reeves Donald and Kiefer Sutherland James Cameron Dan Aykroyd Raymond Burr John Candy James Doohan Lorne Greene Phil Hartman Margot Kidder Avril Lavigne Eugene Levy Art Linkletter Howie Mandel Sarah McLachlan Alanis Morissette Mike Myers Leslie Nielsen Catherine O’Hara Matthew Perry Jason Priestley Morley Safer Martin Short Shannon Tweed ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/58 "2007-09-14T07:17:33Z")
Maple-syrup goodness? ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/59 "2007-09-14T20:18:49Z")
We \*care \*about Canada. Noenoe the Nēnē. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908/60 "2007-09-14T21:53:59Z")
[QUOTE=ThirdCultureGal] **xtisme** , the capital is Nuuk or Godthaab (the two a’s represent the a with the little circle on it which my comp does not supply). [/QUOTE] Do you mean ‘å’? Alt+0229 if you use Windows. 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-care-about-canada/418908.md?page=4)