Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsri!utegc!utai!ubc-vision!fornax!chapman
From: chapman@fornax.uucp
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: definitions of culture, really Brad, Brad, Brad....wake up
Message-ID: <205@fornax.uucp>
Date: Wed, 25-Feb-87 15:48:55 EST
Article-I.D.: fornax.205
Posted: Wed Feb 25 15:48:55 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Feb-87 19:48:47 EST
Distribution: can
Organization: School of Computing Science, SFU, Burnaby, B.C. Canada
Lines: 49

> 
> We forbid (or hinder) free trade and exchange between Canadian residents
> and foreigners.  This is as much a restriction on the foreigners as it is
> on the Canadians.  These restrictions are put in place for various reasons,

Everything you do affects someone else - the point being that our motives
are rarely to interfere with another country's internal life.  This is
hardly true of the US.  Somehow I can't see us saying to New Zealand 
"you won't let us dock our nuclear ships (if we had any) there so we
won't buy your lamb"

.
.
.
> >> >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. 
> >
> >That is quite a big jump from our backyard to the rest of the world.  If 
> >people set up rules for their family it doesn't mean they are going to
> >go out into the street and try and enforce them on others.
> 
> It is quite a leap from Halifax to Vancouver, or even from Toronto to Montreal

Apples and oranges.  Halifax and Vancouver both voluntarily argreed to join
confederation and abide by it's rules.

> The point I'm making is that your whole definition of Canadian culture stems
> from the idea that Canadians are more collectivist.  That's another way of
> saying that we like to meddle in other's affairs.  Why should this stop at

Big Big hole in logic. How on earth do you get collectivism=>meddling in
others affairs?  Our (communal) house has some rules about what goes on
in it, guests coming over, finances etc. but last I heard we weren't
planning on forcing our neighbours to live by them too!

> the border if you feel it is right for those in Halifax to control those in
> Vancouver?
See point re confederation.
> >> >
> Anyway, the main point still remains -- many of the examples of Canadian
> National identity given on the net are results not just of Canada and its
> peoples, but of the relationship between Canadians and the USA.
Yes our neighbours do effect the way we define out identity; I don't
find that unusual - you have to have a reference point.

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***