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Steve Myers
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by Arthur Weinreb, Associate Editor, Canada Free Press
June 30, 2004
Can West News Services, owners of several Canadian newspapers including the National Post as well as the Global Television Network commissioned a series of polls to determine how young people feel about the issues that were facing the country’s voters. Dubbed "Youth Vote 2004", the polls, sponsored by the Dominion Institute and Navigator Ltd. were taken with a view to getting more young people involved in the political process.
In one telephone poll of teens between the ages of 14 and 18, over 40 per cent of the respondents described the United States as being "evil". That number rose to 64 per cent for French Canadian youth.
This being Canada, the amount of anti-Americanism that was found is not surprising. What is significant is the high number of teens who used the word "evil" to describe our southern neighbour. As Misty Harris pointed out in her column in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, evil is usually associated with serial killers and "kids who tear the legs off baby spiders." These teens appear to equate George W. Bush and Americans with Osama bin Laden and Hitler, although it is unknown if the teens polled would describe the latter two as being evil. Whether someone who orders planes to be flown into heavily populated buildings would fit that description would make a good subject for a future poll.
The Liberal government came into power in 1993 gushing anti-Americanism. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s communications director, Francoise Ducros, made headlines when she referred to President Bush as a moron. Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish was picked up on a boom microphone saying, "Damn Americans — I hate those bastards". Not only did Parrish not apologize for her remarks, but she later appeared on a television show hosted by alleged comedian Mike Bullard and laughed about the incident. Parrish played to the anti-Americanism of the youthful studio audience by saying that she couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t do it again.
Not only did then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien not take any action against his staff or caucus members, he himself engaged in America-bashing. The depth of his anti-Americanism surfaced shortly after the 9/11 attacks when he blamed the arrogance and greed of the West (read the United States) for those attacks.
When Paul Martin assumed office last December, the childish cheap shots ended but, if anything, anti-Americanism became stronger.
Anti-Americanism played a prominent role in the election strategy of the Liberals. Paul Martin portrayed himself as the saviour of Canadian medicare while saying that if Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada came to power they would introduce "American-style" health care. Martin was happy to take credit for cutting taxes and eliminating the deficit during the 1990s when he was Minister of Finance, but he referred to tax cuts included in the Conservative Party platform as being "American-style tax cuts". Canadians who favour lower taxes or the private delivery of health care services or smaller governments or anything similar to what is found in the United States were called "un-Canadian" by Paul Martin.
It is therefore not surprising that a high percentage of Canadian youth think that the United States is evil. Nor is it surprising that this feeling is more pronounced in Quebec where Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe said that he would rather live under the United Nations than the Stars and Stripes. The left wing Canadian political parties, aided by their supporters in the elite media don’t seem to be able to say anything positive about Canada without denigrating the United States in the process.
The poll results reflect that anti-Americanism will be solidly entrenched in future generations of Canadians. As well as listening to the propaganda espoused by their political leaders and the media, these kids have no experience with what constitutes real evil. They live in a country that much like pre-9/11 America, thinks that terrorist attacks are something that happens in other countries. And as the World War II veterans slowly die off, they have no conviction of the evil that the allies risked their lives to defeat.
With anti-Americanism playing such a prominent role in this past election campaign, it is no wonder that the United States was viewed in such a negative light.
Arthur Weinreb, a lawyer and author, is Associate Editor of Toronto Free Press and Canadafreepress.com. He can be reached at: aweinreb@interlog.com
Full Story:
http://www.torontofreepress.com/2004/weinreb063004.htm |
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Tue Jul 06, 2004 12:29 pm |
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Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:28 pm |
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Tegan
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I wonder how the poll question was asked. "Do you think America is evil?" probably would render different responses than "What do you think of America?" And if Canadian teens are anything like American teens, most have a pretty cynical attitude about things like governments, corporations, authority figures, etc. If the question would have been "Do you think America is stupid?" the same percentage may have said "yes," and stupid is pretty different than evil.
Also, the article doesn't include results from a poll of adults. It simply gives the poll results for teenagers, then mentions a few specific adults who seem to support those results. I wonder what a POLL of Canadian adults would reveal.
Or I could just be naive. |
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Sun Jan 21, 2007 2:16 pm |
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CandyCane
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That poll was from 2004 when the old government was pushing an anti-American attitude. The liberal government was toppled and now a conservative Canadian government has taken power (as of February 2006). Don't worry, young Canadian attitudes towards America will change in due time.
I have friends that have moved here from Canada and they say they'd never go back to Canada; they absolutely love it here...except for the fact they can't get their Tim Hortons. |
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Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:23 pm |
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Chris
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| I am 18, live in Flushing and I think americans are evil. The world hates us,and it will be our undoing. |
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Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:14 pm |
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Biggie9
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quote:
CandyCane schreef:
That poll was from 2004 when the old government was pushing an anti-American attitude. The liberal government was toppled and now a conservative Canadian government has taken power (as of February 2006). Don't worry, young Canadian attitudes towards America will change in due time.
I have friends that have moved here from Canada and they say they'd never go back to Canada; they absolutely love it here...except for the fact they can't get their Tim Hortons.
why, there is one at the corner of Linden & Corunna, and I'm sure elsewhere.
are the doughnuts different? |
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Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:48 pm |
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CandyCane
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Right you are Biggie. There are a few Hortons in the states, but I'm pretty sure there are none west of Flint [out here in CandyLand]. You could drive from Swartz Creek to the Pacific Ocean and not come across another one.
In Toronto there is one like every three blocks. |
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Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:05 pm |
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DEMCAD
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If 40% of Canadian teens think that America is evil then I'm willing to bet that 90% of Americans don't care.
In case you don't know, teens aren't exactly the smartest people in the world. |
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Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:27 pm |
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pissed off ma ma bear
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| well having a myspace site,,,I have spoken to several people from foreign countries lately,,,you know Since Bush has become President,,,his dictator type leadership has caused how others feel about us to go way down hill,,,we are hated every where,,,,I was shocked at how the Greeks even hate us now,,,,Hell,,,I dont like us very much lately either and I am one of us,,,,,so I dont blame other countries for feeling the way they do,,,we have a majority of people who want to bring our boys and girls home from this WAR,,,,and we have a lone dictator sticking it up our A>>>>> ,,,,not listening to a word the people say who elected him,,,I have never in my life seen a president get in trouble like Clinton did over a simple Blow job,,,and a President get away with 1000s of our childrens lives in a war he knew he could never win,,,,we went into this war based on a lie,,,,he lied to us and he needs to be IMPEACHED |
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Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:35 am |
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Biggie9
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unfortunately, Greece has been a socialist society for some time now.
The Greek-Americans that have come over, enjoy the benefits of being Americans. Our relatives back in the old country, don't understand.
Its kind of like American's and their disdain for the French...its easy to paint everyone a certain way based on generalities that are untrue in specific instances.
of course, our position as super-power in the world and the only country with the ability AND WILL to intercede in the world [most of the time beneficially] also makes us the target of envy, spite, of others..its the penalty of leadership.
Is any other country without fault in their own their actions and behaviors? Of course not. We see man's inhumaity to man in every country, society and region of the world.
But its always easier to point out others mistakes than recognize our own...
"there but for the grace of god, go I..."
I can't control what other people think of what I do, only control what I do. |
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Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:48 am |
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Biggie9
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unfortunately, Greece has been a socialist society for some time now.
The Greek-Americans that have come over, enjoy the benefits of being Americans. Our relatives back in the old country, don't understand.
Its kind of like American's and their disdain for the French...its easy to paint everyone a certain way based on generalities that are untrue in specific instances.
of course, our position as super-power in the world and the only country with the ability AND WILL to intercede in the world [most of the time beneficially] also makes us the target of envy, spite, of others..its the penalty of leadership.
Is any other country without fault in their own their actions and behaviors? Of course not. We see man's inhumaity to man in every country, society and region of the world.
But its always easier to point out others mistakes than recognize our own...
"there but for the grace of god, go I..."
I can't control what other people think of what I do, only control what I do. |
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Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:48 am |
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CandyCane
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quote:
pissed off ma ma bear schreef:
well having a myspace site,,,I have spoken to several people from foreign countries lately,,,you know Since Bush has become President,,,his dictator type leadership has caused how others feel about us to go way down hill,,,we are hated every where,,,,I was shocked at how the Greeks even hate us now,,,,Hell,,,I dont like us very much lately either and I am one of us,,,,,so I dont blame other countries for feeling the way they do,,,we have a majority of people who want to bring our boys and girls home from this WAR,,,,and we have a lone dictator sticking it up our A>>>>> ,,,,not listening to a word the people say who elected him,,,I have never in my life seen a president get in trouble like Clinton did over a simple Blow job,,,and a President get away with 1000s of our childrens lives in a war he knew he could never win,,,,we went into this war based on a lie,,,,he lied to us and he needs to be IMPEACHED
Iraq violated UN regulations a thousand times over, not to mention the Geneva Convention as well. If America is the last nation out there willing to stand up to the scum, so be it. As President Truman said: THE BUCK STOPS HERE.
All the foreign students I have befriended or talked to in my time at Michigan State absolutely loved America and its people. We're talking about even Chinese and Russian kids who may have been taught to not like the US growing up. I think in other countries people only know about the US from what their governments say and their media outlets prescribe. Once they come to America and experience it first hand they will tell you this is the greatest nation on Earth. I know alot of them didn't care to return home and found ways of staying here. |
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Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:45 pm |
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Adam Ford
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quote:
CandyCane schreef:
Iraq violated UN regulations a thousand times over, not to mention the Geneva Convention as well. If America is the last nation out there willing to stand up to the scum, so be it. As President Truman said: THE BUCK STOPS HERE.
Who gave Saddam the weapons used on the Kurds? Who helped kill thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians with economic sanctions? Who supported the Iran-Iraq war that killed many thousands? Hmm cruel dictator or bloody civil war. What a wonderful choice. If we protected Iraqi civilians as good as we are protecting and taking over Iraqi oil fields Iraq would be a wonderful place. I'm pretty sure the U.S. is also violating the Geneva convention with our secret "interrogation centers" among other initiatives. Since the U.S. obviously lied about weapons of mass destruction I wonder if Iraq was telling the truth when it claimed U.S. supported Kuwait was drilling into Iraqi oil fields??? |
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Adam Ford
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Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:47 pm |
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Biggie9
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quote:
Adam Ford schreef:
quote:
CandyCane schreef:
Iraq violated UN regulations a thousand times over, not to mention the Geneva Convention as well. If America is the last nation out there willing to stand up to the scum, so be it. As President Truman said: THE BUCK STOPS HERE.
Who gave Saddam the weapons used on the Kurds? Who helped kill thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians with economic sanctions? Who supported the Iran-Iraq war that killed many thousands? Hmm cruel dictator or bloody civil war. What a wonderful choice. If we protected Iraqi civilians as good as we are protecting and taking over Iraqi oil fields Iraq would be a wonderful place. I'm pretty sure the U.S. is also violating the Geneva convention with our secret "interrogation centers" among other initiatives. Since the U.S. obviously lied about weapons of mass destruction I wonder if Iraq was telling the truth when it claimed U.S. supported Kuwait was drilling into Iraqi oil fields???
Iraq was armed primarily by Russia and France. Those were T-72 and T-80 tanks we took out in 91 and 2003......
Check your history.
Also, US troops are doing as much if not more to protect the Iraqi people as the Irqi military & police; maybe more so. Its a red herring to posit to say they aren't vice fixed facilities..there are a finite set of facilities; 25 million people spread all over. Those aren't even comparable. |
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Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:14 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
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Look at how our president leads in the world, look how he presents himself, look how Mr. Bush talks? I think very poorly of him, and many people in the world do as well, because of how much of a bully he is"
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:37 pm |
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