Oh Caaanadahhhhh ...

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:59 am

Makes a change from pretending to be Irish I suppose....

Slan,
D.

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 11:34 am

Martin Milner wrote:I
To Anacreon in Heaven, where he fat in full glee,
A few fons of Harmony fent a petition,
That He their Infpirer and Patron would be;
When this anfwer arrived from the Jolly Old Grecian
"Voice, Fiddle, and Flute,
"no longer be mute,
"I'll lend you my Name and infpire you to boot,
"And, befides, I'll infruct you like me to entwine
"The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's Vine.
Play the melody.
...

Hmmm, I guess whoever transcribed that wasn't familiar with old manuscripts. "He fat in full glee," eh?

Post by **Nanohedron** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 12:08 pm

My mom's dad was born and grew up in St. John's, New Brunswick. I think that makes me ethnically Canadian, right?

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 12:45 pm

Nanohedron wrote:My mom's dad was born and grew up in St. John's, New Brunswick. I think that makes me ethnically Canadian, right?

Not if you say St. John's, New Brunswick!!! It's St. JOHN, New Brunswick. St. John'S is the capital of Newofundland. You'll never pull off being a canuck that way!

I've never met an American who pretended to be anything but American in my travels.

BTW, The cigars are on their way Flyingcursor.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 12:27 pm

OnTheMoor wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:My mom's dad was born and grew up in St. John's, New Brunswick. I think that makes me ethnically Canadian, right?
Not if you say St. John's, New Brunswick!!! It's St. JOHN, New Brunswick. St. John'S is the capital of Newofundland. You'll never pull off being a canuck that way!

*sigh*

How soon we lose our roots in this nomadic hemisphere.

Karina · Post by **Karina** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:38 pm

This sort of thing honestly makes me very angry. I'd kick all those people out that parade under someone else's flag, except I couldn't in good conscience wish them on another country.

On the other hand, I think some people don't realise how hard it can be to be an American in any other part of the world away from America. I studied abroad for 6 months in New Zealand (after the war started). I encountered some pretty bad anti-American sentiment even there, where everyone is supposed to be so terribly friendly. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE New Zealand and grew to love it as a second home, even in the short time I was there. I miss it very much. But some of the comments I received were very harsh and very personally directed. Even AFTER I expressed my disapproval of American policies. I am sure this is far from an isolated occurrence in NZ--it's probably common enough everywhere in the world. And I guess that's one of the things that just makes me irate. I may not support my country's policies, I may not be proud of the way it has been carrying itself lately, I may not be happy with the president, but I refuse to be ashamed to say that I am an American. I am a second generation American, my grandparents came from eastern Europe and struggled through Communist occupations and German refugee camps, left their entire families (in some cases, never to see them again), just to be here. While it is easy to hate the bad things, I am sick to death of only hearing the bad, only hearing what has gone wrong. I had to catch myself many times from being ashamed. I am sick to death of the rest of the world labelling "You Americans" and forgetting that WE are the ones that are perhaps hurting from this whole thing more than anyone else, except the poor people of Iraq.

Having said all that, I don't want to seem as though I am accusing anyone on the board of anything, because I am not. I did not write what I said with any particular person or post in mind. And I also realise that the people that do these sorts of things are probably a minority (I truly hope) in any country. I only ask that all my non-American fellow chiffers might see things a little differently if they find themselves mocking us (as a whole people, I mean. Feel free to mock the govt

). I am writing to those out there that might not have thought about the citizens behind a disembodied government. And to vent my frustration.

I only ask you to reconsider your stereotypes, if you have any.

andrewK · Post by **andrewK** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:47 pm

I am English, and an opponent of this disgraceful illegal invasion.
Should I pretend to be Canadian to distance myself from the UK government's overseas policy ?

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 4:01 pm

An illegal invasion? No more illegal, one supposes, than was Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, of recent memory. I've no earthly idea why invade Iraq, but I don't buy an argument that it was illegal. I do hasten to say that the treatment of POWs, and many others, in denying due process, appears to have been criminal.

Moonlight · Post by **Moonlight** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 2:14 am

For what it's worth..never heard the terms Hogtown or Cowtown used here in Canada...

Moonlight · Post by **Moonlight** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 2:33 am

Another thought...anti-American sentiment is as old as I am.. and older..none of this is new and I believe has a lot to do with the fact that the US is a super power and enjoys freedoms and wealth that few countries do. Call it envy maybe. The war in Iraq is just another excuse for the sentiment. However...I am always amazed at how many Americans run down the country they live in and take what freedoms they have for granted. Right or wrong Bush sees a threat to that freedom and I'll bet he has just a bit more insight into what is REALLY going on in the world than most of us. Give the man a LITTLE credit. I hope we all continue to enjoy the freedoms that our ancestors (in both Canada and the US ) fought so desperately hard to achieve, although I fear we may not. I am glad there are those not willing to sit placidly by and let it be taken away.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 5:30 am

Moonlight wrote:I am always amazed at how many Americans run down the country they live in and take what freedoms they have for granted.

As am I. But, just because those who live in the US have these freedoms does not mean that criticising the choices of their leaders is forbidden. If something sounds fishy, looks fishy and smells fishy, chances are it is fishy and ought to be addressed by those whose senses are offended. I love my country deeply, and because of that I am ever critical of how my country deals with it's own people and with people living in the rest of the world.

mvhplank · Post by **mvhplank** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:55 am

Moonlight wrote:Another thought...anti-American sentiment is as old as I am.. and older...

Thanks--you reminded me of the saying going around in Britain during WWII, complaining about the Yanks: (from here)

Iraq is not the first time American Soldiers have found themselves not welcome in a foreign land.

During World War II there were numerous Americans in England, who don't forget, was an ally.

One soldier approached an British lass and asked her why the English ladies didn't seem to like them.

The girl replied, "You Yanks are over-sexed, over-loud, over-paid, and you're over here."

M

PS--my favorite appearance of that waying was in the movie "Chicken Run"--a triumph of 19th century technology.

lesl · Post by **lesl** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:13 pm

...the saying going around in Britain during WWII, complaining about the Yanks...

I don't think its right to denigrate soldiers and poor taste to promote this.
They are the bravest of all and are due respect not ridicule. My dad was
one of those American soldiers stationed in Britain for WW2 and he was
none of those things in that quote. I'm sure many others also were not.

As for the point of this thread though, there's actually a travel advisory for
Americans to not display their country of origin!
http://travel.state.gov/travel/abroad_pub_safetrip.html
"Use covered luggage tags to avoid casual observation of your identity or
nationality."
But to pretend Canadian? a bit over the top!

Lesl

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 2:57 pm

That package was meant as a JOKE, people. It's a novelty gift. It was never intended to be used seriously, and I seriously doubt it ever is.

If someone were to be so crass as to try to back me in a corner over American politics when I was on vacation, I'd just call him or her a rude son of a bitch and find another place to go.

Redwolf

Snuh · Post by **Snuh** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 3:35 pm

Redwolf wrote: ...
If someone were to be so crass as to try to back me in a corner over American politics when I was on vacation, I'd just call him or her a rude son of a bitch and find another place to go.

Redwolf

LOL! Well said!

A.J.