Holier then thou attitude

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I figure this will start a barage of comments.

Does anyone else get tired of their Canadian family members and friends 'Holier then thou' attitude when it comes to Americans? Or should I say their fabulous joke.."Amuuricans'...<snicker snicker>

I really have just had enough of folks who talk about how rude Americans are, how Canada's healthcare is superior, how shocking all the gun crime is...as if nothing ever bad happens in Canada, as if everything is perfect with healthcare (we know it has it's faults). It's like it's trendy to look down o Americans as the dumb, slow cousin who just can't get life right - as if Canadian somehow have the patent on perfect life. Poor things - Americans just can;t help themselves.

Now that I live here I see plenty that's good and wonderful and honestly Canadians could take a line of 2 from the American book and fix a few things.

It's so easy to be judgemental when you don't really know - and then they become offended when the shoe is on the other foot.

What started this rant was a friend on Facebook who went to Buffalo shopping on the weekend and she came back saying how rude all the Americans were....I chewed her out on FB for labelling all Americans with the same brand.

[Veronik 19]

You know, you are TOTALLY right on this! I've traveled in Europe, in most of Canada, and in several different places in the U.S, and Americans win hands down for being the nicest!

BUT,

I agree with the health care thing, the canadian way is THE way to go... But that's just me!

[decocker 7,198]

meh. stupid/rude people are everywhere.

I agree with the health care thing, the canadian way is THE way to go... But that's just me!

amen.

[Ontarkie 14,133]

I haven't really had that from my family and friends from Canada. But have encountered it from my new family here in the US. I tend to just brush it off, and complain later. But I have met lots of ppl who are like that with everything, they think they no it all and only they can be right.

As for the friendliness of Canada and the US, I haven't been to all over to compare but if I compare Central Arkansas to Sault Ste. Marie, ppl here in AR are big time rude. I met a couple who lived I think California and they love the southern hospitality here, but I just haven't seen it. So I guess it really is about where you come from. Now my new family is great but total strangers, and such not so great.

[flustered 14]

Dont want to start a war here but this is just my opinion and observation..I was born and raised in Canada and lived there for 40 years been in the US for 8 years now..Americans tend to be viewed by Canadians as bullies of a sort..If the Americans don't agree with the way a country is being run they just move in and change it to the way they want to see it..Canadians are more laid back and don't worry so much about what goes on outside of their own back yard.. When I lived in Canada a standard work week was 35 hours and health care was free..no worries in Canada..you get a year for maternity leave and are paid while you are off...I move here and I now work 40 hours a week..I can barely afford family health care coverage..$650 a month..most companies don't offer maternity leave so you have a baby and are back to work in a matter of weeks..I think what it boils down to is levels of stress..and I would have to say that Americans are a lot more stressed than Canadians..

AGain just my humble opinion

[HeatDeath 430]

Maybe it's just Winnipeg, Manitoba, but there's a pervasive anti-Americanism in the culture there so thick you could cut it with a knife. My now-wife came up to visit me the summer before we got engaged, and she did not come away with a positive impression. We were in a nice restaurant, and these two drunken idiot businessmen were loudly talking smack about Americans two tables down. I should've belted one of them, but I'm a little too Canadian for that. Anyways, GOOD LUCK trying to get her to move up to Canada after that! [Wasn't gonna happen anyways, but that sure didn't help!]

Even my grandmother, before her Alzheimers got bad, used to talk smack about Americans and would have to specifically qualify to exclude my now-wife from her comments.

"Americans are ok, but would you let your son/grandson marry one?"

OK, they never actually said that, but I know they've thought it. I know they're not entirely at peace with my plans to get American citizenship.

Yeah, that bugged the heck out of me, even years before I got married and moved down here.

Edited October 19, 2010 by HeatDeath

[Sprailenes 47]

I get it from both ends. People here make fun of Canada, Canadians make fun of the U.S. - sometimes it's in innocent fun and sometimes it's plain ignorant.

I spent a lot of time trying to educate people on both ends but most of the time it's a big waste of time, people are going to do what they do regardless of what I say.

[Jill & Jeff 3]

I see a lot of it on both sides too, especially because my husband is Quebecois. I live in New England, and the sentiment here was that the French Canadians were rude, frugal and overall snotty. My husband is from the Montreal area and is actually the only person in his family that speaks English. However, I do get a lot of the Anti-American attitudes from them, and even from my husband (he hasn't moved down just yet). Like someone else posted, many times they have to specifically exclude me from their American comments.

My husband and I joke that if my French was better, immigration probably would have ended up going the other way.

J-

[Gemmie 142]

Like Sprailenes, I get it from both ends. My US family make fun of my "socialized" viewpoints, and my UK family make fun of the need-to-move-into-21st-century lifestyle. I do try to educate and defend both sides, but people will think what they want.

My brother is the most judgemental person I've ever known, and I've heard him claim that Americans are braggers/egotistical and up themselves. It bothered me more when he accused my husband of being a braggart just because he had a better laptop system, and because he had money to send to me when I needed it - and then another time when he didn't laugh at one of his racist jokes, he accused him of being too up himself.

One time I sent him some pictures of our weekend trip, and he emailed back with "You sure are lucky. I mean, America might have a lot of bad people, but there are nice places to visit." I replied telling him that there are bad people everywhere, but didn't get a response.

[Sprailenes 47]

Yea I just came back from a trip home this past weekend, my son was naming all of the presidents and talking about what he's been learning in school, and one of my family members compared his learnings to brain washings. They actually feel that the schools here brainwash the children. Then before I left she actually gave my son a present and told him to open it on the way home, it was two books, one about Canadian history and one about the wars we fought with a note that said: "Never forget where you came from"

[Colleens 40]

I think that there are ignorant people in both countries. It seems that a lot of the ignorace comes from a bad encounter with one or 2 of the opposite nationality and that makes a person brand all americans or canadians as rude and ignorant...a few bad apples ruin it for all the rest.

[Jill & Jeff 3]

Yea I just came back from a trip home this past weekend, my son was naming all of the presidents and talking about what he's been learning in school, and one of my family members compared his learnings to brain washings. They actually feel that the schools here brainwash the children. Then before I left she actually gave my son a present and told him to open it on the way home, it was two books, one about Canadian history and one about the wars we fought with a note that said: "Never forget where you came from"

Oh wow, how did you take that? As more of a, "learn about the other side of your family" or as a bit of an insult to your American history? I can completely agree with wanting to educate my future children with both histories though. I keep telling my husband that when we have children, I want them to know both English and French, but he's perfectly happy with saying he doesn't care if they learn French.

My husband's family has tried to make comments about the American school system, but I shut them down by comparing the US high school dropout rates to the ones in and around Montreal. And then I point out that my husband is one of the only ones in his family to even graduate from high school (mom and two sisters all dropped out).

J-

[Sprailenes 47]

Oh wow, how did you take that? As more of a, "learn about the other side of your family" or as a bit of an insult to your American history? I can completely agree with wanting to educate my future children with both histories though. I keep telling my husband that when we have children, I want them to know both English and French, but he's perfectly happy with saying he doesn't care if they learn French.

My husband's family has tried to make comments about the American school system, but I shut them down by comparing the US high school dropout rates to the ones in and around Montreal. And then I point out that my husband is one of the only ones in his family to even graduate from high school (mom and two sisters all dropped out).

J-

I took it as her being ignorant. She never asked my son one single question about Canada or the prime ministers, my son was just speaking about what he's learning now. I talk to my son about Canadian history and he has a few books on the matter, but he happens to find American history more interesting though, so he soaks it up like a sponge.

My son is in a great school here, but I have to agree that the education system here is a lot less consistent than Canada, and not because Canada is better. I personally think it all boils down to population, teachers unions and a lot of other factors. It has nothing to do with one country being better than the other.

[SonoranSongbird 3]

I hear a lot more of that kind of my-country-is-best attitude on line than in person. And it isn't just Americans and Canadians; everyone else seems to do it too. My husband's family immigrated to Canada from England and my grandparents and great grandparents all immigrated to the US from various different places, so maybe our families are not representative samples, but if anyone else we know has those opinions, they seem to be able to keep it to themselves.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Interesting conversation this generated - it all boils down to the fact that a lot of people don't experience much in life past their own backyard...no matter where you're from. That stay at home attitude contributes to a feeling of thinking what you have is best versus what happens in other countries.

When I'm back home in ON I notice not a lot of people hold doors anymore, say hello when you're walking around the neighbourhood or whatever. I get a kick out of how we drive through our neighbouhood here in VA and people just wave to you as you pass by - they don't know you, they're just being friendly while standing in their front yards