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From: brad@looking.UUCP
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: definitions of culture
Message-ID: <744@looking.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Feb-87 23:26:40 EST
Article-I.D.: looking.744
Posted: Mon Feb 23 23:26:40 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Feb-87 04:35:40 EST
References: <192@fornax.uucp>
Reply-To: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Distribution: can
Organization: Looking Glass Software Ltd. Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 82

I found it interesting to note that several of Mr. Chapman's examples
of Canadian Culture are direct results of our close relationship with
the US of A!

In article <192@fornax.uucp> chapman@fornax.uucp (John Chapman) writes:
>
>1. Canada is one of the few (perhaps only) countries which has had
>   the ability to become a major nuclear power and yet we have
>   resisted the temptation to stockpile or even manufacture nuclear
>   weapons.

We have no need, because we have all the nukes we need nearby.
>
>2. Health care is of good quality and access is almost universal (you
>   still have to have some money).  It is unlikely you would have
>   your dialisys (sp?) machine turned off because you are broke.

Most of the innovative health care is imported from our near neighbour.
(The techniques, not the actual practice)
>
>3. Canada has not (recently anyway) attempted to force it way of
>   life (or advance it's economic and political interests) on other
>   countries through military force - covert or otherwise.
I guess Korea isn't that recent.
>
>   Ditto for economic force.
Like the calls for sanctions on South Africa, and our many tariffs.
>
>4. Canadians are not egotistical enough to think they know what is
>   "best" for the rest of the world.
This I doubt.  Some Canadians sure think they know (and should force) what
is "best" for the rest of Canada.  Given the authority they would surely
do the same to the world.
>
>5. Canada lets itself be pushed around a fair bit by other countries.
>   We seem to have a foreign policy of being "nice guys".
Give me a break.  This is not a foreign policy.  I don't think anybody
lets themselves get 'pushed around.'
>
>6. We apparently have a reasonably high regard for the worth of human
>   life in general as evidenced by our broad system of "safety nets"
>   in the social services area.
Did you know that the U.S.A spends a greater percentage of its G.N.P.
on social services than Canada does?  Of course, they mismanage it to
the same level we do.
>
>7. Canadians are quite self critical and self effacing as can be seen
>   in our media, and we are capable of admitting to the world when
>   we make mistakes.
What a great definition of national identity.
>
>10. There seems to be a smaller distance, economically, between the
>    rich and poor than is the case of a lot of other countries.
Not from what I have read in recent articles about the Conrad Blacks and
the Bronfmans and Irvings and McCains etc.
>
>11. Political and economic decisions seem less tied to military
>    interests in Canada.
Only because we are in the uniqe position of not needing a military because
of our strong neighbour.
>
>12. Education through to post secondary is generally available to
>    all who desire it at relatively low cost (however this has been
>    changing -particularily in BC).  You do not have to be upper
>    middle class or above to be able to attend university.
State schools are available in the USA at a cost near to the cost of
our schools.  Of course, the most respected schools, like Stanford, MIT,
Carnagie-Mellon, Harvard, Yale, Princeton etc. are all private and in
the USA.  Many of our best students go there.  Even NSERC recognizes this
by having multiple scholarship levels.  Average scholars have to stay here.
The best get to go to places like Stanford.
>
>13. We seem fairly federally oriented - the balance of decision
>    making and enforcement powers between the federal and provincial
>    governments is in the federal government's favour.
This is really a comparison to the USA only, since most countries aren't
large enough to have a serious federal/provincial distinction.  The USSR
is, and boy is that federally oriented!


-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473