Biased Anti-American Propaganda

I was watching a Talking To Americans segment on Youtube recently while I was hard at work. Below the video was an exchange between some Americans and Canadians, sometimes even coming close to actual debate. It incited me to share my own thoughts on the United States and Americanism.

The U.S. education system is drastically failing its citizens. On a study of grade 12 students, the U.S. ranked 19th out of 21 countries in math and science general knowledge. (www.heritage.org/Research/Education/WM134.cfm) According to a NAEP assessment in 2000, 32 percent of fourth grade students were proficient in reading. These statistics get much worse when you look at math, science, and history, so it's not too farfetched to assume an equally unflattering subject would be world relations. From my two recent experiences in the U.S., I have found that Americans know little about the world within their borders and even less about the outside world. Americans are so naively confident in their greatness that they have very little willingness to expose themselves to other cultures. I feel empathy towards them because they are presented with such opportunity and yet so much distraction. Americans don't want to know about the world because they are the world, and what bits of culture they do want to experience can be conveniently imported as novelties.

One thing we have to keep in mind is that the United States and Canada share the world's longest border. We are both victims of circumstance that enable us to be mutual trading partners. It is very important to note that the products and resources we trade are dynamically different; the US imports from Canada resources they need while Canada imports resources they want. Canada pumps fresh water south, and we get Survivor in return. Canada ships out softwood lumber, and they give us Christina Aguilera. Canada sends oil, and the U.S. gives us National Enquirer. Do you see the relation here? I certainly do not. We revel in the mediocrity that the United States sells us. Their national achievements are severely declining, but the fact that they have so much fun in the process makes it desirable. National concerns are given diligent attention until the commerical break is over, and then it's back to American Idol. Their culture is so overbearing, loud, and obnoxious that we can't help but be inundated with the products of their trivial culture. Canada is like their little brother, idolizing them when we are equals and wanting their unnecessary possessions.

Despite how close we are geographically, the differences are striking. Canada thrives on tolerance. The United States thrives on intimidation. If we continue to idolize the United States for the most unimportant accomplishments, we will be assimilated too far into their culture to be distinguishable. How powerful can a country truly be if it can't recognize the anchor of its downfall and cut itself loose? Canadians have to realize that our country is a graceful swan with an ugly duckling complex. We have such an incredible nation with so much diverse culture that drives us to be strong. We are one of the few nations with the capability to keep most of our international trade minimal and become self-relient. The United States is able to survive because of its ferocity; because they spend more money on their army than they do on teaching their kids. They are so preoccupied with power that they don't even see how powerless they actually are. So why do we insist on envying them? They rank 139 out of 172 countries in voter turnout. That's far removed from actual applied democracy.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau described Canada-U.S. relations as "sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, one is affected by every twitch and grunt."