How come in Canada we have to learn about the States, and yet the States dont have to learn about Canada?

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knh959

Well, to begin with, I have visited the States many times and never has anyone asked me whether I live in an Igloo although a woman once asked me if we used the euro as our currency.

You do need to take a look at our cultural geography to get an understanding of why we seem to know more about them than they do us. First, 90% of our population lives within 100 miles of the US border. On a daily basis we are exposed to American television, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS etc. Most TV shows we watch are produced in the USA. Many of our stores subsidiaries of US companies and we generally drive the same types of automobiles as are driven in the States.

That doesn't excuse the fact that Americans should know more about Canada. As an example, most Americans don't realize that Canada is the USA's largest trading partner with over one billion dollars per day in goods crossing the border in either direction. Most don't realize that half of all oil imported into the USA comes from Canada. I lived in Virginia for a number of years. My eldest son who was six when we moved there began school in Virginia. He was asked by his first grade teacher to name the largest US state and the smallest US state. He of course had no idea and the teacher was not very kind to him for not knowing. I told him to ask the teacher to name the largest Canadian province and the smallest. She didn't know. I've been asked how many states there are in Canada and a neighbour, originally from Minnesota (a border state) couldn't tell me which province Minnesota bordered upon. They aren't stupid, they just don't care.

To be fair though, ask yourself how much you know about Germany or Italy, Greece or Austrailia. Probably not much more than the average American knows.

kenoplayer

Americans don't have the capacity to see beyond their borders, unless it involves oil.

NikkiMâ™¥BTB 08/29/09â™¥

I've worked in tourism for years I've heard them all "I want to have lunch in Quebec City and dinner in Vancouver, what's the fastest way to do that" I answered "well you are in ontario right now so go to that payphone call up the concord jets and see if you can rent one for the day"

Or the skis on top of the car in the middle of July always gets me. Wasn't Talking to Americans awesome though? Oh I loved when he makes the HARVARD professor of international affairs look like a dumb @ ss.

Obama08! so STFU

ive never actually noticed that ....thats really weird how i cant remember anything in history about candada but not sure.....and only an idiot would ask if you live in a igloo lol thats really dumb...

Jim B

One part of the problem is the American education system.

From day one it is a never ending saga of how great America is. Not very many examples of American errors or mistakes are taught, even at post secondary levels.

Only the Americans could turn a military officer who graduated dead last in his class at West Point, and who manged to get every one of his men killed by Indians, into a national hero.

Americans in general are insulated, isolated, and inward looking , as a nation. They are proud of "what they don't know " and they couldn't care less what the rest of the world thinks about them.

In spite of some very good Universities, that have excellent research institutes, it is also the home of such schools of higher learning as Oral Roberts University, and my favourite the Appalachian Bible College in Blue Knob, Kentucky.

On a individual , face to face basis, Americans can be nice people, but as a nation they can be pretty ugly.

Over the past 200 years, they have invaded or attempted to control with militray force, most of the countries in both North and South America. In one case, they invaded Hati and stayed for 31 years, with the USMC acting as the National police force of Hati.

Countries that America has invaded or tried to control by force are.......

Canada, Mexico, Cuba , Guatemala, San Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Hati, The Dominican Republic, and Grenada.

Countries where America has used either military power or political influence to get their own way , including killing the elected leader of the country, or arming the rebels to accomplish the same thing, include

Argentina, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Good neighbours, I don't think so.

Jim B. Toronto.

Janelle S.

Well, in my school or in any of the schools around here, we dont have to learn about the states, but i know how frustrating it is with how clueless they are. I'm mean come on, i dont even have to learn about them in school but i have enough common sense to know about them and thier country. I'v heard some of them ask if you can see polar bears in the streets and if milk is available all year round. do they not realise that we are at exactly the same level of civilization as them. But whatever, they're the ones that have people laughing at them

SteveN

I think that KNH makes some really good points and he's my nominee for the ten points. One thing I would have done was used countries that are a little closer to us than Germany or Greece.

For example, how much do you know about Greenland? What are some of the major cities and its capital? What is its currency? What about Mexico? It's only one country south of USA. And where is St. Pierre & Miquelon located and who do they belong to?

I agree with your statements to some measure. I have never been seriously asked about my igloo, but some will joke about the stereotypes. It is much like people joke that the French hate Americans, are all snobs, and the women never shave. You can be sure it does not apply to everyone in France.

But you hear these stereotypes, and they are promoted on South Park, by comics like Robin Williams, and even Canadians use them in jokes

(Heard about the newfie that went ice fishing? Came back with 50 lbs of ice!)

(No why Americans would never successfully invade Quebec? They'd get lost on the highways because all the towns are called "Sortie"!)

So yes you may cringe at hearing people say these things, but I would say treat it as an opportunity for cultural exchange. Give them a history lesson, a geography lesson, whatever helps them understand that we are just like them, only with less guns and better healthcare!

freeside49

Well for the Americans the main geographical education goal is teaching the kids 50 states and 50 capitals. Maybe because we only have 10 we have room to learn something else about elsewhere! See, aren't you glad you have to learn about something outside your own borders. Keeps you from becoming an arrogant ignoramous.

Mark B

I don't know, I guess most of us just think Canada is America Jr., or thats what my cousin said when he went up to Vancouver for 2 weeks.

harry k

Wow, for someone so self-righteous you have such poor grammar skills.

Aside from that, lets look into the issue with some rational thinking and leave your emotions out of it.

The population of the US is around the 300 million mark. The population of Canada is "around" the 30 million mark. The population of Oklahoma is around the 3 million mark.

I bet the average American knows more about Canada than the average Canadian knows about Oklahoma.

Also, your Rick Mercer example is biased. He edits his answers, in case you didn't know. He has to ask 100 people to get the 1 silly answer.

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