MacLean's: How Canada stole the American Dream

[Tewder]

Of course Canadians have worked hard for what we have, however, you have to admit that we have benefited from being located next to the largest economy in the world, and one with a free and open border we can use to exchange our resources and goods across.

In many ways this has been both a blessing and a curse.

True the US has not "let" us do anything -- we have a mutually beneficial relationship, for the most part -- but if you look at history, or at much of the modern world, it is a rare occurrence to have a small and militarily weak nation prosper beside a powerful empire. If a nation like Canada had appeared in 1867 beside, say, Russia or China, we would have been assimilated long ago.

In fact, if you look at our history you will find that we were invaded by the USA. In retrospect that invasion was essentially Canada's 'War of Independence', not from Britain but from the USA.

This is the oft-used American argument (particularly after we refused to invade Iraq), as if we ought to be grateful that we are being "protected". Modern reality is very different. The idea that someone is going to invade us and that we need a military to prevent it, or that the US is protecting us is the stuff of bad Hollywood fiction.

I'm not sure what you find so preposterous and unthinkable about this? What is it about the 'modern reality' that precludes international warfare? I would agree that the world has been relatively free from major international conflagration for some time now, but this has been more to do with the long stalemate of the cold war years followed by the ascendancy of American military supremacy than any international trend to pacifism. In other words, haven't we just been enjoying a lull of peace, historically speaking? It would be incredibly short-sighted to view this situation as indefinate. History changes constantly, and with the rise of China and India and other major players to rival the US, with the rise of fundamentalism and other 'isms' throughout the world, and with a growing population putting pressure on dwindling natural resources, including fresh water (flowing freely through Canada, by the way) would it be completely unreasonable to imagine growing conflict? We've already seen growing conflict in the Arctic with the opening of shipping lanes through global warming, and some minor challenges to Canada's sovereign claims here. Is this the tip of the melting iceburg?

It has nothing to do with "white" colonies and far more to do with the spread of mercantilism and the growth of capitalism. Rule of law (particularly related to property) and adherence to basic democratic and individualistic principles also played a very crucial role.

Ultimately the PC Gestapo here will judge, but to be fair I don't think Admiral Beez was putting the emphasis on 'whiteness' in his argument, so much as differentiating between the post-colonial development of ethnically 'white' former British colonies and that of colonies where other cultures/ethnicities dominated.

The Scots, as a group, did not build much of the world's infrastructure and tech, as you have suggested. Infrastructure was (and is) built first by low cost local or imported labour.

If you travel through Southwest Ontario you will find that the Scots as a group did build much of the 19th century infrastructure here.

 

[Hydrogen]

Ultimately the PC Gestapo here will judge, but to be fair I don't think Admiral Beez was putting the emphasis on 'whiteness' in his argument, so much as differentiating between the post-colonial development of ethnically 'white' former British colonies and that of colonies where other cultures/ethnicities dominated.

Uh, nobody is being PC here, so please put aside the sensitivities. Skin colour is not central with respect to the ideological and economic forces that drive (or have driven) wealth creation. The exception, of course, was slavery.

If you travel through Southwest Ontario you will find that the Scots as a group did build much of the 19th century infrastructure here.

Southwestern Ontario is not the world.

In an effort to allay any hurt Scottish feelings that might have been derived from my comments, I am not saying that Scots as a cultural group had no impact, but they are certainly not responsible for building much of the world's infrastructure as indicated in the post that I commented on. The original statement said that "the Scots built much of the world's infrastructure and tech." That is simply not the case.

 

[Hipster Duck]

Ah, but in addition to a common language and ethnicity, we also share those other gifts of the British Empire bequeathed to the white colonies, including the USA, that of a strong rule of law, a lack of overt political corruption, excellent economic foundations, strong Protestant work ethic (laugh now, but the PWI told its followers that only through building great works could you obtain salvation, which is why the Scots built much of the world's infrastructure and tech) and a cold climate that made the original settlers work hard or die.

The protestant work ethic certainly did not smile on the Scots in the 1970s when seemingly half of Glasgow was unemployed and living in the most miserable council estates in all of Britain.

 

[JasonParis]

Scotland to this day has some of the most violent crime rates in the western world. It's otherwise quite lovely though.

 

[syn]

The idea Britain bequeathed a strong work ethic to the US is pretty ridiculous too considering it was built on the back of slaves.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The original statement said that "the Scots built much of the world's infrastructure and tech." That is simply not the case.

I recommend reading "How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It" by Arthur Herman http://www.amazon.com/How-Scots-Invented-Modern-World/dp/0609606352

 

[Hydrogen]

In turn, I recommend a study in the history of science and technology - for a more global and less selective view.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Relax, it's obviously authored in a tongue in cheek perspective. That said, it is interesting to note how much impact the Scots did have on technology, medicine, engineering, etc., especially for such a small population living much in poverty. That doesn't mean we forget that the Chinese invented ice cream, gun powder, etc.

 

[Brandon716]

We do have it pretty good here in Canada, but it seems all we ever do is complain. Sometimes you'd think we lived in a third world hellhole based on the end-is-nigh newspaper articles I see every day.

However, constantly comparing ourselves to the US and gloating over every positive point is pretty embarrassing. Much of the wealth and prosperity we enjoy is precisely because we live next to the US, who has been happy to let us piggyback on their economy and the security their powerful army provides for many decades. Sure, let's give ourselves credit where due, but remember: pride cometh before the fall. And if the US goes into serious decline, Canada will decline along with it.

The biggest thing about Canada that shocks me is how many people don't appreciate what they have. I know Canadians completely unrelated to these urban forums who complain about not having as many fast food chains as America, or maybe they don't have a certain high end clothing shop, but then again America doesn't have Harvey's or certain Canadian clothiers either. I really don't care because Harvey's isn't that special, and neither is Jack in the Box despite these respective chains can't be found in the opposite nation.

What makes Canada great is beyond subtle material non-sense, its far from a perfect nation, and there are plenty things I could nit-pick about Canada on, but I still love Canada and wish to move there after all these years. Even after the immigration office has denied a work permit, even if I haven't found a significant other to persue a serious relationship with (because marriage could make me legal in 3 months straight up, VERY easy by comparison of coming in as a skilled worker individually), even if I have to wait a few more years I'm still going to enjoy living in Canada someday.

And yea, I'm aware America has Manhattan and Russian Hill (or South of Market or The Castro if you prefer). I'm aware we have 36 or maybe even 106,000 flavors of ice cream. In the end if you can't marry your loved one, can't go to the hospital after the delicious ice cream gives you a heart attack, and if you can't live in a neighborhood that is clean and affordable that DOESN'T have jesus freaks or gunshots all around, really what is the point of life anyway?

Okay, so that was another sarcastic statement about my motherland the US. But the point still stands, Canadians should enjoy what their nation offers the world. Its quite possibly the most advanced modern civilization Earth has going for it. The history of Canada doesn't include mass wars over race or religion, it doesn't include millennia of details. Canada certainly hasn't had time to build the most architecturally dynamic cities in the world. But that relatively "boring" history yields the most open, most accepting, most prosperous society in the western hemisphere.

From Argentina to Brazil, from the Dominican Republic to Mexico, from the US to Canada, where else in the Americas can you get married if you're gay, get modern, top notch health care just for being a part of the society, AND not have to live in a gunshot dump just to afford your life?

The answer is no where.

Sure, I could get one of them thar cheap houses out in metro Atlanta and live with the gun lovin, god fearin' good ole' southerners, but that just isn't my bag. And I have yet to be able to afford a decent home in Manhattan or San Francisco, because so few Americans can dream of it.

And people wonder why Canada is special? LOL

I guess they just don't know how good they have it.

 

[ganjavih]

The biggest thing about Canada that shocks me is how many people don't appreciate what they have.

I would have to agree with that. We have it pretty good here, and a lot of us take it for granted.

 

[Brandon716]

I would have to agree with that. We have it pretty good here, and a lot of us take it for granted.

Something many Canadians don't also seem to feel - again I'm talking about the real world outside some intellectual circles - is that the type of American Dream you see in the movies and on TV and in certain neighborhoods is, for all intents and purposes, very limited to a select group of people.

I have read through tons and tons of Statistics Canada information throughout the years and compared it against US Census Bureau stats. A consistent thing you find that is characteristically Canadian is that across Canada you will find fewer billionaires and multi-mega millionaires per capita; however, what you do see in Canada is that the nation is awash in jobs that make $50, 60, 70k that are simply nowhere to be found in the billionaire-happy US culture.

Any Canadian can tour the US from upstate New York communities to Eastern Kentucky and its a totally different world than you find in Manhattan, and there's tens of millions of people in these communities.

In our grand cities you'll find mass poverty just in the shadow of the world's richest wealth. In the shadows of Manhattan are people in Queens surviving on an average income of $25-30k a year in one of the most expensive cities on the continent. And its not a small number relative to places like Toronto.

There's a story to be told, and the American story is one of very divisive, huge income disparities. Its a story of cities totally abandoned or gunshot and gang banged. From Detroit to Memphis, from New Orleans to Cleveland, from St Louis to Baltimore there is a story in every American city of huge tragedy.

There's always poverty, but the amount of poverty in Canada is more of choice than of circumstances beyond the individual's control.

America holds so much wealth and power for it to be a nation that really looks poor compared to Canada.

Canada has its blight and its spots of problems, and some of them aren't a small deal, but you'll find a genuine lifestyle well above the average American in all provinces, even the poor Atlantic Canada provinces are rich compared to our West Virginia and Mississippi communities.

 

[Hipster Duck]

The biggest thing about Canada that shocks me is how many people don't appreciate what they have. I know Canadians completely unrelated to these urban forums who complain about not having as many fast food chains as America, or maybe they don't have a certain high end clothing shop, but then again America doesn't have Harvey's or certain Canadian clothiers either. I really don't care because Harvey's isn't that special, and neither is Jack in the Box despite these respective chains can't be found in the opposite nation.

What makes Canada great is beyond subtle material non-sense, its far from a perfect nation, and there are plenty things I could nit-pick about Canada on, but I still love Canada and wish to move there after all these years. Even after the immigration office has denied a work permit, even if I haven't found a significant other to persue a serious relationship with (because marriage could make me legal in 3 months straight up, VERY easy by comparison of coming in as a skilled worker individually), even if I have to wait a few more years I'm still going to enjoy living in Canada someday.

And yea, I'm aware America has Manhattan and Russian Hill (or South of Market or The Castro if you prefer). I'm aware we have 36 or maybe even 106,000 flavors of ice cream. In the end if you can't marry your loved one, can't go to the hospital after the delicious ice cream gives you a heart attack, and if you can't live in a neighborhood that is clean and affordable that DOESN'T have jesus freaks or gunshots all around, really what is the point of life anyway?

Okay, so that was another sarcastic statement about my motherland the US. But the point still stands, Canadians should enjoy what their nation offers the world. Its quite possibly the most advanced modern civilization Earth has going for it. The history of Canada doesn't include mass wars over race or religion, it doesn't include millennia of details. Canada certainly hasn't had time to build the most architecturally dynamic cities in the world. But that relatively "boring" history yields the most open, most accepting, most prosperous society in the western hemisphere.

From Argentina to Brazil, from the Dominican Republic to Mexico, from the US to Canada, where else in the Americas can you get married if you're gay, get modern, top notch health care just for being a part of the society, AND not have to live in a gunshot dump just to afford your life?

The answer is no where.

Sure, I could get one of them thar cheap houses out in metro Atlanta and live with the gun lovin, god fearin' good ole' southerners, but that just isn't my bag. And I have yet to be able to afford a decent home in Manhattan or San Francisco, because so few Americans can dream of it.

And people wonder why Canada is special? LOL

I guess they just don't know how good they have it.

Brandon,

With respect, I think you're giving Canada too much credit. I am a Canadian and I have lived in three provinces in 6 cities ranging in size from 50,000 to 5,000,000. I have lived in everything from the highrise condo that I currently share with my girlfriend to a dingy motel for transients on the outskirts of Brantford. I've had almost 20 jobs that ranged from a research analyst to working at a scam call centre with no fire exit to cleaning the tables at a bingo hall. I have stared poverty in the face. I have seen the Canadian underclass exploited, beaten and abused. I once traipsed through a rooming house on Dundas East, not a kilometer away from upscale Riverdale, where 30 recovering heroin addicts were jammed into a dilapidated bay and gable and there were shit smears on the bathroom wall. I once worked and shared stories with a guy cleaning carpets in Peterborough who possessed an 8th grade education. He supported his recovering addict girlfriend and their two children in a miserable wreck of a house on the wrong side of the tracks on what I estimate to be about $7 an hour. We drove 300-400 km every day in his beat up Dodge Le Baron across central Ontario steam cleaning carpets and the company still refused to reimburse him for anything related to his car other than gas.

Am I saying that things are better in the US? Certainly not. There are more such horror stories coming out of the US but we do have to recognize that tales of plight and social injustice are much more thoroughly documented in the US - both academically and by the media - than in Canada. Far from being ignorant, I think most intelligent Americans are actually more aware than their Canadian counterparts about how badly off their most underprivileged social groups are. Very few books or newspaper articles are printed in Canada that deal with extreme poverty in this country, and I've found most Canadians to be downright smug about their social situation vis a vis Americans.

 

[TrickyRicky]

I take issue a bit with the entire concept of the maclean's story. Not because comparison isn't important and useful but because it play into the whole strain of identity complex that permeates our society that requires people to dump on the USA in order to make ourselves feel happy. This complex reaches it's height of poor taste when inaccurate facts are used as supporting evidence. Comparison should be used to support or refute reforms we make to improve our own standard of living here in Canada, not armchair quarterback the decision-making of other people not subject to our jursidiction.

Is Canada a good place? Absolutely. But I am far from satisfied with the direction and realized potential of the nation. Looking at the bigger picture I would like to see Canadians take more risk, show more leadership, be warmer people, and maintain a strong sense of the collective good, while being good humoured and just a touch self-depricating in character.

 

[urbandreamer]

In reality, Canada is just a brand name. Its actual people, living conditions and separation of the classes are no different than in America.

Like Hipster Duck, I've experienced it all--from the downtown eastside of Vancouver living on $10/day to working in factories where poor uneducated people are kicked around like dirt for $55/day to hanging out with the cultural elite in Forest Hill who think giving a waitress a 10% tip is "being nice" while screaming at their cleaner and nanny "you stupid dumb b****" to hanging out at a Liberal Party convention (where the rich, mostly white, spoilt brats sneer at anyone who actually has to "work" for a living) to working with Amish farmers who avoid the "English" folk--Canada is filled with bigots and hypocrites, assholes and some decent people.

Having a Southern background myself, I'd say overall, Southerners are much friendlier people than 90% of Canadians.

 

[Brandon716]

In regards to my message, it was very idealistic in certain ways, but in a general sense there is a far better outlook in Canada in a real, measurable sense.

I would be naive to believe there are no problems in Canada, and there are plenty of problems to go around. People still have poor/no housing in certain circles, the economic situation obviously isn't perfect.

Really what I am talking about is the amount of dire poverty, in the United States you can see it first hand and it afflicts tens and tens and tens of millions of Americans in vast swaths of land.

And I'm also not sure the intellectual or wealthier classes of America truly realize the problem in a way that is productive. There are books about American poverty, but nothing is ever seriously done about the working conditions of the general population anymore.

Anytime a discussion comes up the word socialism or nanny state is thrown around as a perjorative until the discussion comes to a standstill, nothing is ever accomplished in the US government anymore.