US-Canada Relations and related sub-topics

Grades...

2006-03-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys,

Do your grades for this appear on the grades query page??

AD

Blog Grades

2006-03-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

I submitted the link and names to Dwayne, and the email he sent me follows. I'm not sure as to how to get this info to everyone else so if you know anyone else from the group, let them know

Robert Grant
Marc
Andre
CrystalF
Dave McKnight

Team Blog
1.5/4 Setup and Configuration:
-Useful/appropriate Blog name
x-Effective layout choice (Contributor, links & Previous Posts visible attop of page)
x-Added or changed links etc.
x-Used full names and real names for contributors

5/6 Content
-Effective introduction
-Use of Posts NOT just comments
-Volume of participation
-Distribution of participation (between members)
-Effective application to discipline x
-Spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.
-Effective Summary

6.5/10

I send out one evaluation reply to the student who submitted the URL andmembers list and I ask that this student please forward a copy of thisevaluation to the other Blog members. You really need to provide the fullnames for Marc, Andre, and CrystalF so that I can assign their grades.Dwayne Harapnuik PhDDepartment of Educational PsychologyFaculty of EducationUniversity of AlbertaEdmonton, Alberta T6G 2G5Phone: (780) 473-6789e-mail: dwayne.harapnuik@ualberta.cawebsite: http://www.inquisitivism.com

2006-03-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

Did anyone submit our blog to dwayne? If so who, and did we get an evaluation back yet?

Andre's Blog Summary

2006-03-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

This blog has covered topics on US-Canada relations and trade issues. It has been greatly helpful in providing a number of points of views from different people, and an opportunity for everyone to propose issues that are important to them.

To summarize our sentiments, I believe we reached a consensus that Canada and the US have a effecive and symbiotic relationship, but that Canada must reconcile its international relations across the country.

As far as blogging itself goes, I haven't blogged until this year. There are blogs for everything now! It seems that every politician even has one, not to mention every kid. I think that this is another step of our culture's transition to the electronic age. I am actually using a blog-type webpage for my PHIL 366 class right now, where class members post daily discussions, and the professor posts new resources. The benefits: openly accessible, easily accessed forum where anyone can comment and post constructive discussion that may not be otherwise possible. Also, the orginizational structure of it is, well, organized! Some potential downsides include time assymetry between blog members, i.e. posting frequencies can be variable at times which can slow overall blog growth.

Lastly, sorry about the late post!

Dave's Blog Summary

2006-03-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

Prior to this course I had never belonged to any sort of blog group. I knew what a blog was but I didn't really have any idea what one could be used for.

My experience with this blog group has been a good one over all. As an American who has immigrated to Canada I'm particularily interested in US-Canada relations. I wish we had more time to discuss some of the recent issues that have been raised. I found it interesting that we all had similar views on important issues such as the softwood lumber and BSE disputes with the US.

From an educational standpoint I feel that blogging has excellent potential. Through discussions I have recently discovered that in my school most of the high school English department have class blogs set up. This gives students an opportunity to showcase the work that they do. It also makes students more responsible for their work. From what I understand, students, parents and teachers are very happy with the benefits of implementing blog groups into high school classes.

As a math teacher I'm looking for ways to implement a blog into my classes. Maybe someone has some suggestions as to what I could use the blog for and how to set it up for my students.

Crystal's Blog Summary Report

2006-03-21T18:40:00.000-08:00

This blog was my first being involved in. I wasn't actually familiar with what a blog was before this class. However, I found it quite user friendly and definately plan on using them in the future. I notice blogs everywhere now that I am aware of them. Even NHL.com has a blog link in the sidebar.
I think this particular blog even allowed it's members to see the difficulties with blogging. I definately noticed that in a classroom setting I would alocate students to their particular blog, because the problems that I found with being booted out of my original blog would cause additional headaches for me as the teacher. I also noticed complaints among participants about member participation and contribution, however this is common with any groupwork. Also, unlike this class, secondary students are not necessarily expected to have internet capabilities readily available.
I am a math Major and there is growing support in the profession for students to write math journals, which allow them to summarize in their own words the concepts they are learning, in order to solidify their understanding and to identify students with misconceptions. I think the idea of the students using a blog as their journal would be very beneficial, because they allow for the students to read the posts of those who understand the concepts well before they themselves have to post (In order to do this I would allow class time in the computer lab of course) .
I think my first try at this will be me posting the topics I want the students to respond to, and getting them to use the comment option to give me their responses.

I myself did enjoy this blog, especially because of my changing personal and family relationship between the United States and Canada. However, more than just enjoying this individual blog, I have become aware of the possibilities to use this tool in teaching.
While this was originally one of the most frustrating requirements of this course, I now feel it may be the most beneficial for me. Thanks to everyone involved for the discussions.

Bob's Blog Summary

2006-03-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well seeing as Dwayne has said that we can do our own summary on the Blog, I figured that I would get it done now.

I have found this blog to be somewhat enlightening. I have found that most of us seem to share a similar view as to how Canada is being viewed, not only by Canadians but Americans and the rest of the world as well. It is interesting to see Dave and Crystal's opinioins, as former/current Americans, and how they view Canada and it's relations with the US.

I believe that we covered some of the most important issues that are currently plaguing the relations of these 2 great nations. I found that I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments and I think the only thing that I would have liked to see is more arguments on the topics we covered. I think this would have made the blog more interenting.

As a whole, I would say that I enjoyed the use of the blog and can see how they can be extremely useful as a soon to be teacher. I would really like to use one in my classes so that students can use it as a sounding board for ideas, as a place to ask questions of me and the other students, and finally as a place for everyone to help each other out. This kind of blog would help students to understand that others may have the same problem as them, and they can help each other to find the correct answer. It can also be a site where the students can share other methods they have come across to answer questions correctly.

The only draw back I can see is that on occasion this site has been difficult to get on, or was extremely slow. This could lead to students not using the site. Other than that I think that the use of a blog is a great idea.

Strategic Advantage: A Game Theory Perspective

2006-03-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

Is Canada a Pushover? Or, has our government been pushing themselves over in the country's best interest?...

It is true that US 'policy', or actions rather, have bent the rules of trade agreements, not to mention international law elsewhere. However, the US is simply acting in the most rational way given its current place in the global environment. In the perspective of Game Theory, it is their 'right to privelege,' being a global leader.

Now, considering the odd trade dispute that happens between the US and Canada - Softwood lumber and Cattle - we have seen that Canada has not made any aggressive moves back, and this is for a very good reason, I would argue. Consider the 'tit-for-tat' strategy, which is what would prevail if Canada acted aggressively each time the US did. I have taken a quick summary from Wikipedia, below:

This strategy is dependent on four conditions that has allowed it to become the most prevalent strategy for the Prisoner's Dilemma:

Unless provoked, the agent will always cooperate
If provoked, the agent will retaliate
The agent is quick to forgive
The agent must have a 2/3 chance of competing against the opponent more than once.

In the last condition, the number 2/3 is arbitrary and depends on the payoff matrix of the Prisoner's Dilemma. The important thing is that the competition continues long enough for repeated punishment and forgiveness to generate a long-term payoff higher than the possible loss from cooperating initially.

A fifth condition applies to make the competition meaningful: if an agent knows that the next play will be the last, it should naturally defect for a higher score. Similarly if it knows that the next two plays will be the last, it should defect twice, and so on. Therefore the number of competitions must not be known in advance to the agents.

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Without proceeding to go through each step and the associated consequences, I'll just say that the US has more options and bigger guns, and that much of Canada's interests are explicably linked to US institutions, whether it be in industry, or national defense. However, there is one thing here in Alberta that is by far most important to the US: the oil. A good share of it is tied to US firms, but in the end it is in our soil. But would it be rational to resort to cutting the US off of our oil exports? Not likely! It would most definitely do great harm to us, through its effect on US industry that we either benefit or depends on, and also the resulting fluctuations in the financial markets - something that nobody wants to see again after the 70s! So, instead of Tit-for-Tat, we simply play the classic game, weighing our payoffs. When the US plays nice, we do well and they do well; when they play a little dirty, they either maintain their position or do a little better andwe do a a little less well; but, if we choose to retaliate, they are worse off and we are worst off. All in all, to quote the maxim of Game Theory, we are doing the best we can given the decisions/actions of the US; likewise for the US.

Blog Summary

2006-03-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

I am not really sure whether a blog summary is to be done individually or collectively as a group. However, personally I truly believe that the use of a blog by teachers would be a great asset. If teachers were to set up a blog for their classes, it would provide an opportunity for continued learning outside of the classroom. As a science teacher, we are encouraged to allow students to learn through discovery and inquiry methods which places much of the responsibility for learning both content and process with the individual learner. By setting up a blog, there would be an open learning community to share ideas and work through problems together. Additionally, the blog does not need to be restricted solely to students, but rather the teacher could also communicate with the students.

Besides learning content through a blog, there are other definite advantages. I think that it may help to build a positive classroom environment. Students will realize that they are not the only ones with questions, and the blog may strengthen relationships between students. If a blog were used in conjunction with a class website, there is no doubt in my mind that students would be better off than using just pen and paper. Students who missed class would be able to catch up quicker and gather information from their friends. I think that if most students bought in to using a blog, it would lessen teachers workload. Students would no longer be just students, but would now take on the role of teacher in helping their friends to learn the material. Furthermore, if parents are made aware of the blog, they would be able to stay aware of their child's current learning.

Obviously, I have focussed on the positive attributes of using a blog for learning. There are drawbacks and disadvantages; however, I believe that the benefits outweigh the costs. What does everyone else think of using blogs for education?

Is Canada a push over?

2006-03-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, the US government does not make decisions that are entirely based on the law. I think we can all agree with that on this issue at least. The US government did not open its border to live cattle until it was in their best interest. I feel that as long as they feel charging tariffs on Canadian Softwood is for their benefit, they will continue to do so. The trouble with Canada's government is that we don't fight back very well.

One question is, should Canada be more aggressive? I see it like having a big brother. As a little brother you're willing to take the short end of the stick and fighting them is a lost cause.

I believe that Canada needs to start setting some ground rules to protect us from being exploited by the US. Canadian resources are plentiful and in high demand to US customers. If Canada could shift to export more goods to other countries; would we not rely less on the US?

NAFTA and Softwood Lumber

2006-03-17T16:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to the Edmonton Sun's article on the newest NAFTA ruling on the Softwood lumber issue.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2006/03/17/1493103.html

Do you think that the US will finally admit defeat on this topic and stop placing taxes on the wood that we are exporting to the US? There have been past rulings that the US has never complied with, so will this new one make any difference to them?

I think that it's good that Canada is continuing to fight against unfair tarrifs being placed on the wood, even though the US claims that Canadian lumber is government supported(I think). This continued fight shows that Canada has a backbone and will not back down from the US.

What are the groups thoughts on this issue?

A Step in the Right Direction

2006-03-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

I believe that it was great for P.M. Harper to visit the troops overseas. With all the negative publicity that the military operation in Afghanistan has been recieving, I'm sure this visit was a nice change for the military personnel and their families. Regardless of whether one supports this misson or not, our disapproval should in no way be directed towards the soldiers. They have no say in the matter, as it is a political decision.

This operation helps to strengthen our solidarity with the United States. Hopefully, this will demonstrate our willingness to repair relations between the two countries. It is definitely a big step for Canada on the world stage, since now we have taken on the role of peacemaker as opposed to peacekeeper. Whether this will tarnish our reputation and cause us to become targeted in terrorist attacks remains to be seen.

Personally, I see both the positive and negative aspects of this misson, but am more or less indifferent. It is nice to see us taking an active role in trying to restore a country by bringing help to those in need, and eliminating the insurgents. However, I also believe that there are Canadian soldiers being injured and killed for little in return. As soon as the U.S. decides to pull out, that country is going to be ripe with civil war.

What does PM's visit to Afghanistan mean to the world?

2006-03-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

Do you think that PM Harper's recent visit to Afghanistan ahs any impact on the way that Canadians are being viewed?

He also stated that he would like for Canada to become a world leader and that this was the first step to doing that.

I'm glad to see that our leader has taken the initiative to go and bolster the troops spirits over there, and if I remember correctly, he was the first world leader with troops over there to actually spend the night with their troops. I think that this might be a beginning to Canada becoming a world leader in many aspects other than just peacekeeping.

Our own Inter-provincial State of Affairs...

2006-03-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody. I apologize for not contributing as much lately (especially since I started this blog!). I have been extremely busy with my extracirricular activities lately, and was just in Calgary all last week. Anyhow...

I was talking with Jim Dinning at an event yesterday, and we talked for a bit about Alberta's image, as seen by the rest of Canada. we both agreed that Canada has some way to go before we can operate will full effect in matters of Canada-US relations (he, of course, has a infinitely vast knowledge compared to me!). Alberta's typical stereotype around Canada includes the gun-toting, truck-driving, oil-burning, rich, arrogant, redneck. Sounds like their view of someone else too...
I believe we must tone down this persona, through both our corporations actions/policies, energy policy, the list goes on... I don't believe that we should sacrifice this image, and our values (we are poised to be anything we want to, provided we do things wisely), instead we must consolidate it with the rest of Canada. This has begun, hopefully, with the new government. Canada needs to embrace progress and innovation wherever it is.
Dinning's view is clearly pro-'Alberta attitude' but he does see the need to seek acceptance from the rest of Canada.

I believe that once we can consolidate our view (and circumstances) with the rest of the country, things can go better across international borders. I'm out of time now, but don't worry: more to come.

Christmas Celebrations

2006-03-14T22:38:00.000-08:00

I've been reading the blogs and I think we had a good start talking about some of the concerns between Canadian and American relationships and stereotypes. I read the blog nearly every second day. I do agree that I haven't contributed as much as I could have. However, up untill the Kirpan issue I've contributed as much as most. I'm not really comfortable nor do I think it's fair for me to really comment on a religion I know nothing about.

A religion that I do know about is Christianity. I will say that in recent years I've become very disappointed with the restrictions that many educational institutions have placed on celebrating Christian holidays. To give a few examples, the last district I worked in, we were told to call the Christmas break "winter break." We were not allowed to sing Chorols or any Christmas songs relating to the nativity. An nativity scene or any scriptural quotes were out of the question. Even from an educational standpoint I question what we are teaching kids. I have a young non-Christian friend from India who basically grew up in Edmonton with no understanding of the origin of Christmas. She thought it was a mystical event that was created for children. What are we teaching our youth? Why should the history of a religious holiday be a secret?

My question is, why are Christians, and I believe we are the majority, being restricted on expressing our beliefs? I'm not saying that religion should be pushed onto people, but what's wrong with singing some chorals at school? If Kirpans are going to be aloud in the classroom, then I think it's time to ease up on restrictions relating to Christian holidays.

What is the purpose of this Blog?

2006-03-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

I was just wondering if anyone else is getting any use out of this blog? It seems as though it is only Bob and myself who ever post anything. I don't think that it would be too much to ask that people participate in the blog that they have signed up for. I realize people are busy, but it only takes a few minutes to reply.

Kirpans

2006-03-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

This issue is a very touchy issue. Since it deals with a religion, most people would be inclined to lean towards politically correct answers that do not offend anyone, yet add very little to the argument. Since we live in western Canada, it is automatically assumed that we are traditional rednecks in every sense of the term. Therefore, if we speak out against anything that may be considered liberal or foreign, we are labelled as racist bigots who are destroying modern society. Simply put, this issue is one that cannot be won by either side.

Personally, I do not believe that these students should be able to carry kirpans. This is not because I believe that their religion is wrong, it is simply a matter of general safety. It may not be the person carrying the kirpan that hurts someone, but what happens if someone else gets their hands on it and hurts others with it? Who is liable? The school? The student? Additionally, because of all the media attention around this issue, Sihks are going to be under greater scrutiny by the school community. Students are going to be constantly asking if they carry a kirpan, and if so can they see it.

I believe that individuals coming to Canada must be prepared to make some sacrifices to live in Canada. Because there is no encouragement to abide by common Canadian ideals, this is why issues like this get so much attention. There are so many issues today that have to do with religious freedom and expression. For example, the issue of homosexuality is a common topic today. In Alberta, students are free to attend either public or separate(Catholic) schools. If Sihks are allowed to carry daggers to school, why aren't Catholics in Catholic schools allowed to show disapproval with homosexuality? They are simply following their religious beliefs. If a student, even at a Catholic school, shows disapproval of homosexuality it goes without saying that they will be grossed out for their comments.

If there is going to be religious freedom, then it must be applied to every Canadian. I do not think that we should criticize people who come from Canada's founding cultures for following their traditional beliefs simply because they do not agree with foreign ideals.

Kirpan's in the Classroom

2006-03-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a copy of a letter to the editor in the Edmonton Sun.

RE: SUPREME Court allows kirpans in schools. This is absolutely disgusting! You come to Canada because it is the land of the free? Well, if you feel the need to come to Canada, abide by the Canadian "religion" - rights and laws. After all, you are leaving your country for a reason! I think Canada is going straight to hell. We are allowing foreigners to come in and pass and change laws that are in place for the safety of Canadian citizens. Two years ago I was travelling and I was a proud Canadian; now I HATE CANADA!
Cassie Krentz

Canada is supposed to be a place where people can come to be free from persecution. Canada is considered to be a cultural mosaic, where all individaul cultures are accepted. I would expect comments like these to maybe pop up in a US paper where that country believes in the melting pot theory to culture.

I realize that this is a very controversial judgement by the courts to allow people who are Sihks to bring in their religious daggers to schools. Do you think that responses like this are common views of Canadians? What are your views of this?

The Seal Hunt and the World's View of Canada

2006-03-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

As many of us have read, this past week has given rise to Canada's seal hunt on the East coast. This has lead to many celebrities making their way to Newfoundland to protest the hunt. Many of them, as do many of the rest of the world, see this as nothing more than barbaric slaughter of an innocent animal. Most do not see the necessity of the hunt for those who rely on it for funidng the lives they are living.

I am not on one side or the other, but it seems that with the celebrities like Sir Paul McCartney adding their voices to the protest, Canada is receiving a black eye in the view of most of the world. Do you think that Canada should limit or even be rid of the seal hunt? Do you think that we as Canadians have been given a bad name, or is that bad name well deserved?

Up to Canada to repairs relations?

2006-02-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

I recently came across an article from the University of Alberta Express News, which can be found at http://www.expressnews.ualberta.ca/article.cfm?id=7344. The article argues that it is up to Canada to repair relations with the U.S. since they don't need us as much as we need them. At the present time I think I would have to agree with that; however, I think that there will be a shift in the future. With the rate that Americans are going through oil and making enemies around the world, and considering the potential of the oil sands in Fort. Mac, I think that it is only a matter of time before the U.S. comes knocking on Canada's door.

There is no doubt that relations could be better, and probably should be better. But having a good relationship with the United States does not mean being their little lap dog. The relationship should be mutually beneficial and fair for both sides. This is not the case today, with the U.S. government continually disregarding legal appeals and decisions in regards to the soft wood lumber issue. Their administration believes that they can do anything they want without consequence.

If current trends are any indication, the U.S. is going to need to repair a lot of relations and not just with Canada. George W. Bush is one of the lowest rated presidents of all time. He should worry about improving relations with his own citizens. Look how disgusting his response was to the victims of hurricane Katrina. I just would like to see a reality check for the U.S. It would be nice to see a P.M. with the backbone to stand up to the U.S. and make them do some butt kissing of their own when they are in need. If the U.S. doesn't need us, how come the Canadian national anthem was booed at sporting events all over when we decided not to help them in the middle east? There were all kinds of instances where they showed disapproval of our actions. But why? They don't need us, right? Saddest of all was when they started calling French fries "Freedom fries." I would like to see their reaction to an episode of the Mercer Report.

Anyway, just thought I'd see what anyone else has to say.

BSE

2006-02-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

I have to agree that a company like HBC is part of Canadian heritage. It would be nice to keep it the way that it is. However I do agree that cutting up Americans because of this is unacceptable.

On another note I have a perspective as an American who moved to Canada. Our family sold our ranch in Wyoming and moved to BC. The past few years have been pretty tough on us and many of our nabours have simply sold out. The whole mess that was happening with BSE put down thousands of Canadian ranchers for good. Meanwhile, in Montana some of our relatives were enjoying some of the most profitable times of their careers. It became very evident that decisions on whether or not to open the boarder between the two countries was politically motivated. Really there was nothing Canada could do. Since a huge part of US beef comes from Alberta, prices in the US went sky high. At the same time that the US ranchers were making good money, slaughter houses in Canada were making record profits by buying low and selling at pretty much the same cost as before. An interesting thing about these slaughter houses is that Canada has very few, and the majority are US owned. What could have happened is that Canada could have opened a bunch of new slaughter houses and carried on like usual. The problem was that there was a constant probability that the borders would open and US slaughter houses would carry on a usual. There were also other complications that I don't understand. Most of what I know is from what my father told me as he's a former BC Cattlemen's executive. The bottom line was that regardless of the truth or what laws were in place, the US did what they wanted when they wanted. Of course when the borders did finally open it was clear that the US needed them open as much if not more than the Canadians did.

I like to defend the US on some major issues and do so often. I do sometimes have a problem with how the US government pushes Canada around like a little brother. I love Americans, I am an American, but I don't find US foreign policy always matches the average American's view. You also won't see the US media showing the Canadian side. Most of the Americans I know thought that Canada had a huge problem with BSE and that they were clean.

This goes back to the US not being informed about their fellow countries. I agree with Grant that Americans are not informed. Not only on history and geography, but on current issues that Canadians and others face. The issue of BSE was an issue that the US was involved in, yet I don't feel that the American public was properly informeded about it.

I think that issues like this frustrate Canadians. They are pretty much at the grace of their nabours south of the border. I believe a more informed America would lead to a better relationship between Canada and the US.

HBC

2006-02-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

I agree with Bob for the most part that the purchasing of Canadian companies by Americans is not that bad if Canadians still remain employed and stores are not shut down and moved to the states. I don't know how bad this article cut up Americans; however, I can understand the disappointment some would feel concerning the sale of HBC. I don't think any Canadian would care if say the hardware store Rona was purchased by the Home Depot. But when it is a store that has been around since the beginning of the country and which has come to be related to our identity and culture, I can understand why people would want it to remain Canadian owned. Can you imagine a world without Tim Horton's? Canada would cease to exist as we know it! Some things we should definitely keep Canadian.

2006-02-22T07:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a reply to an editorial written in the Winnipeg Sun that I found responding to the author's bashing of a US company purchasing the Hudson Bay Company.

"Why carve the whole U.S.?

As a Canadian living south of the border with my American wife and two young daughters, I just wanted to make a few critical comments on an article titled Keeping those Americans at Bay (Ian Shanley, Feb. 3).

An American company buys The Bay and this writer makes it sound like the whole United States bought the Bay, so he has to bash the whole country. As a proud Canadian, I am consistently defending the country I once called home with many friends and colleagues because of articles like this.

There are many Canadian companies doing business in America, and I have never seen an article like this carving Canada because a Canadian-based company bought a U.S.-based company. Now that the Canadian people have finally voted in the Conservatives, which may translate into better relations between the two countries, I hope the negative stigma of the United States will transform into a positive one, and that some Canadians will finally realize that America is not a bad place and the people are wonderful just like they are. "

I think what this person is saying is very true. We as Canadians do tend to get our knickers in a twist whenever a US company buys a Canadian one. What's the big deal so long as there is no loss of jobs that are currently being held by Canadian workers and the company stays in Canada.

Lets just have tolerance and understanding

2006-02-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

I can't say that I know much about the mad cow issue, other than what was said in the news, but as for the US needing to know more about Canada not being important, I totally disagree.

I believe that the world needs to know more about their fellow people. I think that if we began to learn more about neighboring countries, we may have a better relation with them, as well as better understanding of each other.

Part of the problem, and Marc stated, is with the education system that the US runs. The history and geography that students take have little to nothing to do with world history or geography, but are based mainly on state history. I believe that to help foster understanding, the US should be looking at instituting a more world view. Some may say, that the US government may not want to do this because if the majority of the US population had the world view, then some of the conflicts that the US has been apart of may never have gotten off teh ground.

The eyes of many US citizens have been opened recently with the "War of Terror" and other conflicts the US has recently been apart of. I think with the Internet and easy access movies, like those produced by Micheal Moore, more Americans are becoming involved and informed. This will be a benefit for Canada and the rest of the World.

Hello

2006-02-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

I tried to make a post and my computer shut off, so I hope this doesn't post twice, but I didn't see it anywhere.

Recently I have had reason to be more aware of Canada - U.S. relations, as my parents moved to Colorado (a slow move from June to October). It has been surprising to us so far how difficult it has been dealing with institutions, such as banks. However, my parents (from Calgary) had a Calgary flames light on their new home, and said they would have neighbours stopping by for coffee to meet "The Canadians."

I too will be relying mostly on experience and the news, for my posts.

Mad Cow and Social Studies response

2006-02-20T05:47:00.000-08:00

Referring to the Mad Cow contraversy; it was well known among Albertan cattle ranchers that the cows that tested positive all had an american connection, either being from the U.S. or offspring of American cattle. The papers touched on it with a few from Washington I believe. The response by the U.S. to the cattle disease is certainly thought to be more of a response to boost the economy in that area, and many American ranchers are not happy to see the border re-openning.

As to Canadians studying the U.S. but Americans not studying Canada, they are the worldsuperpower, and we are not a major role player. Our lifestyle depends largely on the events to the south, therefore it is important for us to know about the United States, but is not so important for them to know about Canada.

2006-02-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

I believe the reason that the "arrogant American" stereotype persists is because of the Americans who are uninformed. I remember in social studies having to learn about American events, the states and their capitals, and current events. My best friend during high school was from Minnesota, a state regarded as having one of the better education systems in the U.S. Even he would admit that they learned very little about Canada. Another example would be to compare Canadian and American news broadcasts. American news focusses almost exclusively on events occuring in that city or state with little coverage from other states, never mind international news from Canada and abroad.

I do not believe that the "ugly" American stereotype should be used as a blanket statement of all Americans. I have met numerous Americans that were great people and I would not have known they were American if they hadn't told me. Equally, I am just as disgusted by Canadians who seem to hate everything American. It seems to be the Canadian trend for "granola cruncher, pot head, liberalist" university students to protest everything thought to be conservative and American.

Some critism is valid, such as how the U.S. poorly handled the mad cow and soft wood lumber disputes. However, we are neighbours and allies and should be working together. This is especially true when in the middle east a simple cartoon can cause such unjustifiable hatred towards everything related to the Western world. Hopefully with Harper, Canadian-U.S. relations will be strengthened.

Canadian Arrogance Equally Disappointing

2006-02-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

From my own personal experience, all the Americans I have met here and abroad have been good people, respectful of differences between our two countries and, for the most part, unsupporting of the stereotypical US attitude.

While there is, no doubt, American citizens who indulge in the sterotypes of Canada, whether it be out of humour or insecurity, there are countless Canadians who sit around the dinner table and discuss 'those damn Americans and their ignorance, walking all over the world like it is their country... Canadians are far superior because we aren't American!' It seems that Canada's citizens are simply defining our national identity as simply 'not-American', when we are in fact similar in many respects and have a greatly symbiotic relationship with the USA.

Paul Celluci, former US ambassador to Canada, was in Edmonton to speak on his new book, Unquiet Diplomacy, just before Christmas. One of the main points of his presentation, and his book, is the dissapointment he shares with many in the Canadian media, that they focus on the negative issues, disagreements such as the Softwood Lumber dispute, when everday a great number of agreements fuction perfectly between the two countries, allowing for the billions of dollars of daily cross-boarder trade as the US is Canada's biggest importer.

The uninformed, anti-American statements are just as uninformed and wrong as those that come from some Americans about us. The fact is that we are very 'American,' from our markets to many aspects of our culture. The strange thing is that part of our culture seems to be a pompous and arrogant disregard for the US as whole.

Ignorance of Americans

2006-02-17T05:23:00.000-08:00

As an American growing up in Canada I've recieved numerous comments or I could say insults regarding the "ignorance" of Americans. An example is one of my roomates in college said "I hate how ignorant Americans are, they think we live in igloos." I personally find these sorts of comments ironic since they are very ignorant in nature themselves. In fact, this roomate of mine was basing this generalization from the few negative encounters that he had with Americans tourists while working at an information center in Banff National Park. Wouldn't you expect tourists to be a little clueless when they come into an info center?

I also don't think it's fair to compare an American's knowledge of Canada to a Canadian's knowledge of the US. Much of what we learn about the US is from the media. Let's face it, Canadians watch a lot of US TV, read a lot of US magazines etc. Do Americans watch Canadian programs on Canadian networks? Probably not too often. It might be more fair to compare the average knowledge of world history to that of a Canadian.

Although I'm not really sure of the political aspect of this subject, I'm pretty sure each of you has your own opinion. Please be free in your opinion, I will not be offended. I seek arguments on this topic.

Hi

2006-02-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I'm Dave McKnight I'm just introducing myself since I started this account 2 minutes ago. I'm no real expert in US-Canadian relations. The topic does interest me though. I'm a US citizen though I've lived the majority of my life in Northern British Columbia (Fort. St. John). I now live in Kuwait and teach HS math. I will be anxious to hear what you all have to say.

Cheers

Dave

2006-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

Andre,
Have you sent in the information to Dwayne about this Blog? I haven't seen it listed on the Blog signup page yet.

Rob

Welcome

2006-01-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. First let me say that I am no expert on Canada-US relations or political science, aside from the Economic aspect of it. However I do take an interest in it and read some stuff here and there.

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