Canada needs sympathy though 
:( Yeah we do... sympathy for being one of the best countries in the world to live in. i mean, low crime rates and free basic medical care (to a certain extent), beautiful scenery, thousands of natural ecological reserves, winter sports all year round, gorgeous summer temperatures, lower rates of anti-Muslim backlash (compared to our southern neighbour).. man do we need sympathy for being one of the best countries:(
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Nadia_H: *
:( Yeah we do... sympathy for being one of the best countries in the world to live in. i mean, low crime rates and free basic medical care (to a **certain* extent), beautiful scenery, thousands of natural ecological reserves, winter sports all year round, gorgeous summer temperatures, lower rates of anti-Muslim backlash (compared to our southern neighbour).. man do we need sympathy for being one of the best countries:(
[/QUOTE]
Nadia, why Canada needs sympathy is because of its people who are always entangled in this inferiority complex. Thats where the difference between a 'Canadian' and an 'American' pops up. Americans dont even care, to them Canada is a joke.
As for anti-Muslim backlash, come on now, you guys made is sure that you copied the US in that regards too. As for beauty, every country is beautiful, and oh yes, just compare how many people want to line up in the US and how many in Canada, and you'l find out whats the best place to live in...
Btw, this whole topic is absurd. If a superpower goes and attack another country and shows off its military superiority, why would it need symapthy? Care to explain?
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Spock: *
**Care to explain?
[/QUOTE]
*
oh i certainly will. Rushing out right now, i'll respond at approximately 10.30pm my time, (in about nine hours).
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Spock: *
Nadia, why Canada needs sympathy is because of its people who are always entangled in this inferiority complex. Thats where the difference between a 'Canadian' and an 'American' pops up. Americans dont even care, to them Canada is a joke.
[/QUOTE]
Canada is a joke to Americans because most Americans think that Canadians live in igloos and have polar bears as neighbours (See Matsui's post, and he's one of the educated ones), so we all know how much credibility they have in calling Canada a Joke.
Here's the reality; Canada has the highest proportion of educated people among the 30 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which makes us the worlds best educated nation (or the galaxy's best). Our cities are super clean, and have no inner city poverty like every major US city does (projects and ghettos). We can walk in our cities at any time of night and feel absolutely safe, whereas in US cities, people flee the streets at sundown for fear of their life. We have a culture of tolerance and diversity which exceeds that of any other country in the world. We have incredible resources, and excellent health and social services, and a history which helped shaped the whole continent of North America. The list goes on, and on.........and on.
The main thing which makes us the greatest, is that we don't "think" we're the greatest, we have statistics (UN development index) to prove it, and we have, for years, and years.
A border makes a big difference. Remember, flag waving and military strength do not make a great nation.
So out of curiosity, what are your reasons for calling Canada a joke?
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Spock: *
**Nadia, why Canada needs sympathy is because of its people who are always entangled in this inferiority complex. Thats where the difference between a 'Canadian' and an 'American' pops up. Americans dont even care, to them Canada is a joke.*
[/quote]
Spock,
To be honest, i find this Canada-bashing just a little trite. If you are so confident in your country's superiority over its northern neighbour, then live and let live. Why argue about it, and why bring it up on purpose, as was done in this thread, repeatedly. We are both arguing from our own personal biases. i daresay if i had spent as much time in the States as i have in Canada, and was carrying an American rather than Canadian passport, i'd feel the same way towards the US as you would. Let's just leave this issue because to each of us, our country of residence is immensely dear. Let's learn to respect the differences and move on so a more productive dialogue can take place.
[quote]
** If a superpower goes and attack another country and shows off its military superiority, why would it need symapthy? Care to explain?
[/QUOTE]
**
You call it 'showing off' military superiority. i call it killing innocent civilians and, for what it is worth in the UN Charter, that is an illegal act. Nothing short, in my opinion, of violating a country's sovereignty. i hope no one honestly believes that the US govt. has made the citizens of its own country any safer, let alone the Middle Eastern (or Muslim) regions any more stable and less volatile. Truth is, the US admin. has done a marvellous job at ruining any post - 9-11 sentiment of unity; even France's Le Monde, on that day, had published a paper with the front headlines, "We are all Americans". Today, it seems, apart from Israel and Blair's London, no one wants to be allied with the Americans. Such unity, lost in such a short time - what a wasted opportunity i think.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fret Wizard: *
^ Just goes to show that idiots get lucky at times also. If Americans are so smart, why is half the adult population in the US at the level 1 and level 2 literacy rate, which means they can barely write their own name on paper, let alone locate a country on a map. And these people are allowed to vote. It's no wonder you have the government you do.
[/QUOTE]
And you have the gall to complain about Canada bashing? Can you honestly say that all the progress US has made in the fields of academia, science, democracy and economic is due to luck? That Americans are just a bunch of uneducated idiots? And Matsui is right, as great as Canada may be, it owes a lot of its progress to the bully to the south that has allowed them to enjoy the stability and peace to progress.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Seminole: *
Can you honestly say that all the progress US has made in the fields of academia, science, democracy and economic is due to luck?
[/quote]
And can you (or matty in this case) honestly say that Canada consists of only a moose, and a brewery? If one can make a stupid statement like that, then one should be prepared to receive one in a similar manner.
[quote]
That Americans are just a bunch of uneducated idiots?
[/quote]
Well at least 50% percent of adult population are, stastically speaking of course. Maybe the US can use some of that "academia progression" to get those 50% of adults to read and write.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fret Wizard: *
And can you (or matty in this case) honestly say that Canada consists of only a moose, and a brewery?
[/QUOTE]
Is there a mouse in that beer? Hoser.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fret Wizard: *
And can you (or matty in this case) honestly say that Canada consists of only a moose, and a brewery? If one can make a stupid statement like that, then one should be prepared to receive one in a similar manner.
[/QUOTE]
I can't speak for others, but I wouldn't and didn't say that. Does the old adage "if so-and-so jumped off a bridge, would you" mean anything?
[quote]
Well at least 50% percent of adult population are, stastically speaking of course. Maybe the US can use some of that "academia progression" to get those 50% of adults to read and write.
[/QUOTE]
I read a study that indicates 20% of the US population have poor literacy skills, but I'm not going to argue numbers. Either way, it is a mistake to clasify the country as a bunch (or 50%) uneducated idiots. Please overlook your bias/hatred to take into consideration the considerable contributions made by Americans to the arts, sciences, technology and every other standard of measurement to modern society. Particularly for a country that has existed for only a couple hundred years.
Perhaps you could share some of your sources for coming up with the US literacy rate. Iāve yet to find any source pegging the US literacy rate below around 97%.
Countries with around a 50% literacy rate are as follows:
Egypt ā 51%
Pakistan ā 43%
Afghanistan ā 32% (15% for women)
Of course, the illiterates in these countries arenāt allowed to cast a meaningful vote. That probably explains why these countries have governments that are so far advanced from our own.
Isnāt India purported to be the largest democracy in the world? Yet 50% of all the worldsā illiterate people live here and in China, the largest communist state. http://www.wycliffe.org/language/statistics.htm
I think we need to cleave literacy from common sense in any further debate and democracy is neither here nor there.
But if weāre discussing literacy in the US then the figure is closer to 75-85% of adults in level 1 (which is lowest level of prose, document and quantitative proficiencies) while less than 1% at levels 4-5.
Sure, read it and weep.
http://www.calicoweb.net/gateway/illiteracy.html
http://www.policyalmanac.org/education/archive/literacy.shtml
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Seminole: *
I can't speak for others, but I wouldn't and didn't say that. Does the old adage "if so-and-so jumped off a bridge, would you" mean anything?
[/quote]
Right, but you see, sometimes people don't understand any other language.
[quote]
I read a study that indicates 20% of the US population have poor literacy skills, but I'm not going to argue numbers. Either way, it is a mistake to clasify the country as a bunch (or 50%) uneducated idiots. Please overlook your bias/hatred to take into consideration the considerable contributions made by Americans to the arts, sciences, technology and every other standard of measurement to modern society. Particularly for a country that has existed for only a couple hundred years.
[/QUOTE]
No bias or hatred at all, just stating facts, see my sources above.
I see. While 97% of Americans are literate, you find fault with the fact that so many are in the lower levels of the literacy scale. This certainly presents a challenge for the US as a society and one which needs definite improvement. However, the challenge of moving literate people up the literacy scale is certainly a better position to be in than trying to get half your population to reach literacy to begin with.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fret Wizard: *
No bias or hatred at all, just stating facts, see my sources above.
[/QUOTE]
Good, then you won't have a problem stating the considerable contributions made by Americans to the arts, sciences, technology and every other standard of measurement to modern society. Particularly for a country that has existed for only a couple hundred years.
Exactly what I stated if you look at my earlier posts, that half the US is in level 1 and 2 literacy. To say they are āliterateā because they can sign their name, or identify a country in a short article is pushing it.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Seminole: *
Good, then you won't have a problem stating the considerable contributions made by Americans to the arts, sciences, technology and every other standard of measurement to modern society. Particularly for a country that has existed for only a couple hundred years.
[/QUOTE]
I never said I had a problem stating those acheivements. However, they weren't the first, and they aren't the only. What they definitely need to work on is their ignorance level. That comes with education though, and we know the level of education of half The adult American population has, based on those sources.
Okay..so that is why you are calling 50% of americans as Idiots. So here is the stats for Canada :-
*Canadiansā Literacy Levels
Ā· IALS measured proficiency at five different levels within each literacy type. Here is how Canadians, ages 16 and older, measured up in prose literacy:
22% of Canadians were at level 1. These people have difficulty reading and have few basic skills or strategies for decoding and working with text. Generally, they are aware that they have a literacy problem.
26% of Canadians were at level 2. These are people with limited skills who read but do not read well. Canadians at this level can deal only with material that is simple and clearly laid out. People at this level often do not recognize their limitations.
33% of Canadians were at level 3, which means that they can read well but may have problems with more complex tasks. This level is considered by many countries to be the minimum skill level for successful participation in society.
20% of Canadians were at levels 4 or 5. These people have strong literacy skills, including a wide range of reading skills and many strategies for dealing with complex materials. These Canadians can meet most reading demands and can handle new reading challenges. *
http://www.nald.ca/nls/nlsild/fact3.htm
Now it looks like 48 % canadians are Idiots too. So much for your literacy skills.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fret Wizard: *
I never said I had a problem stating those acheivements. However, they weren't the first, and they aren't the only. What they definitely need to work on is their ignorance level. That comes with education though, and we know the level of education of half The adult American population has, based on those sources.
[/QUOTE]
Do you have stats on other country's literacy levels? Is the US the only one skewed with lower level literacy? You aren't being intellectually honest when you comdemn Americans as being ignorant compared to the rest of the world.
Of course the US isn't the only country that has ever had achievements but they have led the modern world for over 200 years. And even those who have made lesser contributions during that time can partly thank the US for the stability, peace and prosperity that gave them the opportunity to make it happen.