i lived in canada for 15 years. i almost lost my wife to canadas ohip health practioners when she had a etopic pregnancy and could not be attended to because government cutbacks had shut one of the emergency operating rooms. i had a friend with brain cancer and was told to wait 2 and a half months for a mri. he died 9 months later.
i paid 20 percent provincial taxes and 20percent federal taxes on almost everything i used. not to mention that the federal tax was compounded on the provincial tax. thats what you get for your money in socialized free health care system in canada. like they say if you think health care is expensive now wait till its feee. while in canada i watched all civil liberties suspended in the province of quebec by the federal government when 5 ministers of parliament were assisinated by the flq. only 3000 dies in the wtc and nothing close to the elimination of civil liberties as was done in canada was mandated by the conservative cowboy.
before you ignorant people start proclaiming the wonderfulness of canada I THINK YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THE REALITY OF THIS TAX NERVANA AND PLACE WHERE YOUR LIVES ARE JEAPORDIZED BY THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM BASED ON EQUALITY WHICH REALLY MEANS EQUAL INCOMPETENCE SHARED BY ALL.

Jerry,
It's only a joke! Where is your sense of humor.
Also, I don't think the Canadians would want us.
Even with our best in the world medical care in Massachusetts and New York, I think our high crime rates would scare them off.
Jim from Massachusetts.

No! Come on up! We would love a bigger military (for peacekeeping, of course), and as many progressives as possible to prop up our own Liberal Government. We can set up a Progressive Democratic Homeland / Super State!

As a Canadian, I have to disagree with your proposed 'United States of Canada". Canada has provinces not states, so the name of the expanded country will remain 'Canada'. Please leave your imperial attitudes in your country of origin. You are not taking over Canada, you are arriving as guests with propects of becoming Canadian citizens.

Canada would be pleased to admit Washington as a province in order to round out its protection of its major west coast port of Vancouver.

Canada does not want Oregon or California in order to prevent the emergence of a political entity called Cascadia which, of course, would be a serious blow to a coast-to-coast-to-coast Canada.

Michigan we would probably give to our natives to fulfill the promise we made to them for their support in Canada's victory in the War of 1812.

We would be interested in reclaiming Maine and would also be interested in adding New Hampshire, Vermont and upstate New York. We are not interested in Massachusetts or lower New York state because of the drain on the public purse when global warming indundates Boston and New York City.

In addition, all of this would happen over time in order to avoid an American take over Canadian politics. We will give you time to leave behind all those unproductive American attitudes and adopt the more progressive and communal attitudes of Canadians.

There will be some surprises when an American immigrates to Canada:

1. Canada is a multi-cultural country not a melting pot. This means that you will be involved with people of different cultures on their terms.
2. There is strict gun control and no right to bear arms.
3. There is less litigation in Canada. Monetary awards are significantly less. There are no draconian prison sentences.
5. Taxes are higher.
6. There is a national medical system. While you are free to choose your physician, you cannot buy treatments.
7. There are two official languages - English and French.
8. If you live in Quebec your children will be educated in aFrench language school and you will be restricted to an official list of names for new-borns. You will meet people who do or refuse to speak English.
9. Canada’s main enemies are the U.S. (now Jesusland) and Denmark.
10. Communism has a legal political party.
11. One of our favourite vacation spots is Cuba.
12. The growing season is shorter. Winter is longer and colder. Be prepared to like and participate in winter sports.
13. Canadians have a respect for but are wary of Americans (based on 400 years of American attempts to take over Canada).

The Dominion of Canada (this fine country's full constitutional name) welcomes good folk from everywhere including the (erstwhile fine country) US.

Canada gained a good deal of American talent and soul during the Vietnam War: more than 30,000 American fled to Canada, continuing the 150-year old saga of the Underground Railway, and bringing with them intelligence, warmth . . . and the remnants of a sense of humour that had sadly been eroded (the toll of crappy American media and an ocean of uncivil discourse).

Now with the prospect of Canada gaining a few more tens of thousands of Americans, let's look ahead to see the likely effects:

- America's collective IQ drops; Canada's rises

- scientific research in Jesusland is restricted to disproving the "theory" of evolution; scientific research in the Dominion fumbles along producing the odd genius (like Polanyi or Fleming)

- the new Canadians find they don't need a new wardrobe (global warming means that current Canadian winters are like Massachusetts winters of 15 years ago); Canadians stop buying toques

- America loses the last audience for intelligent radio programming (NPR); the CBC gains another 30,000 supporters

- tourism to the US drops to zero; Canada gets voted again by the Economist magazine as the world's "hippest" country

- America's population drops as capital punishment rates exceed the birth rate; Canada experiences its first birth boom in 50 years as exuberant immigrants make love all night every night

I'm looking forward to it.

One assassinated Quebec cabinet minister in 1970, not 5, and it was the kidnapping of the British trade rep Cross which prompted the War Measures Act, not the murder of Laporte, which happened with thte troops already on the streets; 8%+7%, not 20%+20%, and not on everything; your poor command of the facts prompts me to question your anecdotal evidence as well, Jerry.
Not to mention your spelling ... how did you qualify to immigrate here with that poor an education?

This may surprise Americans, but my family decided to leave the U.S. when they backed the loser in a political campaign.

It was 1776, and my ancestors decided that they did not want to become part of an independent nation, but instead wanted to stay loyal to the King of England. So they packed up their belongings and travelled to what would later become Canada.

In the States, I believe these people were tarred and feathered. In Canada, they were called the "United Empire Loyalists", which not only was less painful on the skin, but sounds a whole lot better than "traitor" or "enemy".

It may be more than two hundred years later, but if you have decided to throw in the towel and leave the U.S. to the neoconservatives and the religious right, we Canadians will welcome you.

We value diversity up here, and could only be made stronger by an influx in caring, compassionate, intelligent people from the south. As an added bonus, we even speak the same language (but don't get hung up on our pronunciation of 'about' or 'house').

Can we add Southern Florida as the Southern Canadian Province? We already have a bunch of you here. If you would consider maybe Orlando South to Key West, maybe we could be second class citizens like the Inuits used to be (or maybe we could be the new Quebecis (sp), I mean y'all need somebody to ignore now that the French and native populations have been respected:). Us liberals are used to being ignored as Jeb has been Gov for 6 yrs, and before that we tended to have Blue Dog Dems running the state anyway.
We are somewhat less well educated than your average Canadian, so you might have to be patient with us for awhile.
Anthony Watkins

No, you can't have Florida, but you do get Hawaii. Enjoy.

For non-canadians (who apparently don't like the idea of making fun most of America unless we spell things THEIR way), there's a cool site selling shirts with a similar Jesusland graphic on them:

http://www.merch-bot.com/product_info.php?products_id=149

Cracked me up!

One other benefit of people migrating from south of the border is you will get real American junk food, not the fake American junk food I ate in a Taco Bell in Windsor, ON a few years back.

On second thought, that may not be a benefit.

WE ARE APPALLED AT THE OVERT CRIMINALITY AND CORRUPTION OF THIS ADMINISTRATION. I MEAN POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT HAVE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SOMEWHAT CORRUPT, BUT NOW THE LYING AND USURPATION OF POWER SEEM TO BE ACCEPTED BY MANY. THIS ELECTION WAS, LIKE THE ELECTION OF 2000 FRAUDULENT AND CORRUPT. THERE WAS RAMPANT VOTER INTIMIDATION,ESPECIALLY INTIMIDATION OF MINORITIES,AND VOTER PURGING. IN ADDITION, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE DIEBOLD ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES USED IN MANY STATES WERE CORRUPT. GREG PALAST,AUTHOR OF THE BEST DEMOCRACY MONEY CAN BUY,HAS SOME DATA COMPARING EXIT POLLS IN SMALLER FLORIDIAN COUNTIES WITH THE ACTUAL RESULTS. IN ONE COUNTY EXIT POLLS SHOWED 77% VOTING FOR KERRY AND THEN ABOUT THAT PERCENTAGE ACTUALLY VOTED FOR BUSH. SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENED IN SEVERAL AREAS OF FLORIDA WHICH WERE LESS IN THE LIMELIGHT. HOWEVER IN EXIT POLLS WHERE KERRY WAS PREDICTED TO WIN IN THE MORE VISIBLE COUNTIES, HE,INDEED, DID WIN.THERE IS MUCH MORE. OF COURSE HERE IN AMERICA, THIS IS ONLY TOUCHED UPON BY MAINSTREAM MEDIA. AND KERRY CONCEDED POLITELY WITHOUT MENTIONING VOTER FRAUD AND CORRUPTION. ONE HAS TO WONDER ABOUT OUR DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP.KUCINICH WAS THE ONLY DEMOCRAT WHO HAD THE COURAGE TO SPEAK THE TRUTH. SO THE TWO PARTIES PLUS THE MEDIA DECLARED HIM DEAD AND MARGINALIZED HIM OUT OF THE POLITICAL GAME
FINALLY, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE ENJOYED OUR VISITS TO TORONTO,MONTREAL AND QUEBEC WHERE WE HAVE INDEED SEEN MORE MORE HARMONIOUS INTERMINGLING OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS;MORE OPEN AND INTELLIGENT REPORTING IN THE MEDIA LESS AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA AND IN HUMAN INTERACTIONS AND FINALLY LESS COMMERCIALISM. ALSO-IT'S SEXIER, DUE TO LACK OF JESUSLAND MENTALITY,I SUPPOSE.WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING EXPATRIATES AND LIVING IN CANADA, BUT WOULD NEED TO HAVE WORK OR GET JOBS THERE. IS THIS POSSIBLE? CAN YOU STEER US TO WEBSITES OR ADDRESSES WHERE WE CAN FIND OUT MORE INFO AND DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO DO THIS?.
MY HUSBAND IS AN ARTIST AND I AM A PSYCHOTHERAPIST SPECIALIZING IN ATTACHMENT AND BONDING.
THANK YOU,
DIANE & LEIGH IN BIBLELAND(WE SHOULD LEAVE JESUS OUT OF THIS--HE IS AN INNOCENT VICTIM)

Newsflash: The Canadians don't want us. They have a good thing going, and they don't want us screwing it up (Would you?). But I think they WOULD be happy if the U.S. split up into several smaller nations based on geography and culture. Then they would no longer have to worry about a single, powerful, continental nation state looming over their border waiting to absorb them or flooding them with Hollywood sitcoms. Besides, I like the fact that the Canadian dollar is Monopoly money and I get lots of it for my U.S. dollar.

Hey, Diane, um... take off the Caps Lock, there's a dear.

Hey, Jerry Miller. Anecdotes like yours don't really stir me. There's a couple of reasons why:

• Anecdotes are anecdotal. They don't prove anything about larger trends one way or another.
• Even if that anecdote does prove anything about the Canadian health care system, it doesn't prove anything about the relative merits of the Canadian system (or other single-payer or government-run systems) compared to the American system. For example, you claim your wife's life was endangered because an emergency operating room was shut down. Well, here in Los Angeles County, 6 emergency rooms (the entire emergency services division of the hospital) have closed in the last 18 months, with more closures likely next year. The state government is suspending nurse-to-patient ratios because of the lack of funding for nursing care. So a story of a closure in Canada means nothing unless it's presented in context.

OK, so context, let's get some. I think everyone can agree that the point of a health care system is to keep people healthy (OK, everyone besides the companies that run for-profit health care systems). That means it should be pretty easy to compare a system run on the principle of "EQUAL INCOMPETENCE SHARED BY ALL" and a system that is "the envy of the world," according to our once and future President (in case you didn't get it, the "equal incompetence" one would be Canada's based on Jerry's judgment of it and the "envy of the world" is the United States).

Probably the roughest big picture stat you could use to compare performance in health care would be mortality rates, that is, the number of people per capita that die each year. Admittedly this statistic is pretty broad-brush, but c'mon, the main thing is that you don't want to die, right? So you'd have to think that the system based on incompetence would get whipped by the envy of the world, right?

Actually, in every category of mortality (male adult, female adult, male child, female child, and infant), Canada performs about 35 to 45% better than the U.S. For example, adult male mortality in 2002 was 95 in Canada and 140 in the U.S., a difference of greater than 50%. Other categories have a smaller differential, such as infant mortality, where the U.S. has a rate that is "only" 41% higher than Canada's (7.2 vs. 5.1). You could argue about causes for these differences, such as the U.S. having an older population contributing to the higher adult mortality rates, except that Canada actually has a higher percentage of population that's aged 60 or older (17.1% compared to 16.2%).

Hmm... OK, but surely Americans live longer. The one thing our interventionist cure-at-all-costs system must get us is longer lives. But again, we lose to Canada. As of 2002, overall life expectancy in Canada was 79.8 years compared to the U.S.'s 77.3 years (Japan tops the list at 81.9 years).

Then surely the biggest advantage is that the free-market system that provides consumer choice and flexibility in the United States provides all of these services that may underachieve a bit but are much less expensive because of the efficiency we achieve by getting government out of the way. Right? I mean, as Jerry points out, "if you think health care is expensive now wait till its free" (although, to be honest, most Canadians I've talked to about this are actually more cognizant of the cost than most Americans, since in Canada the taxes are fairly clearly noted when they're taken from your pay; in the U.S., you never see a statement indicating the cost of your health care plan).

Um... No. For our health care system that covers less of the population, provides a lower life expectancy rate, and has a higher mortality rates, we pay 46% more than Canadians! That's total expenditure as a percentage of GDP and takes into account out-of-pocket expenses, governmental expenses, insurance coverage, and so on. Overall, we pay more and get less.

Interestingly, the most efficient health care plan in the U.S., Medicare, regularly gets the best performance, with an administrative cost burden of around 1 to 2%, compared to 15 to 20% for most private insurance plans. Maybe we should all just use Medicare here then. For our trouble, we'd get a similar single-payer system to Canada.

I've written a little bit about this before. I tend naturally towards the single-payer system just on very facile grounds (i.e. it doesn't seem right that you should lose your health care when you lose your job: you're not any less likely to get sick). But the more I examine the facts, the more I believe that the story of America's health care system is a myth. All statistics on this bear me out; I'd love to see statistics that contradict that, but the raw numbers all seem to bear this out.

Finally, compared on a moral basis, the idea of health care as commodity fails on very simple grounds: the life and health of two people, similar in every way other than income level, can turn on the amount of money that each of them can pay. This says, clearly, that the life of one of those persons is worth more than the other, solely because of financial resources. That's not something that I can accept as the basis for an enterprise that is, from its inception, a moral undertaking and not one of personal enrichment.

"A Before-You-Move Primer"
or
"Further Fields Always Look Greener"

What would you know about your new fellow citizens should you move to Canada?

Here's a DEFINITION OF "A CANADIAN" that was posted on November 25, 2002 at votp.blogspot.com

What is a Canadian from Pat Buchanan’s “Soviet Canuckistan”?

They are happy and take pride in living in a top-down, party-line-controlled dictatorship.

They love their ‘hockey’ and its fights.

They celebrate and are actually proud of their failed, socialistic, health care system that kills multitudes of them each year due to long waiting lines. (“Still better than Americans though, eh?”) While they wait and many die, collectively, the words ‘private’, ‘profit’, ‘quality’ and ‘excellence’, pertaining to the Canadian health care, have become 4-letter words in their belief systems.

They are told and believe that they are the unquestioned leaders in “peacekeeping” in the world’s trouble hot spots. In fact, Canada’s head-count contribution ranks at a low 31st amongst all of the United Nations’ peacekeeping participants. 30 countries contribute more ‘peacekeepers’ than Canada including Nepal (8th), Guinea (10th), Morocco (15th), Tunisia (29th) and Ireland (30th).

In English Canuckistan, they suppress any mention of their country’s heritage or values while rejoicing in having ‘no pride or nationalism’ worth mentioning compared to that of their southern neighbours.

They keep striving to create a ‘multicultural country’ (something that has neither worked nor survived throughout the history of mankind) by importing people from non-traditional cultures to produce a country with ‘no shared values’ at all. This is the complete opposite of the USA’s ‘melting pot’ concept.

They suffer from an ‘inferiority complex’, possess enormous ‘envy’ and love to knock ‘all and everything’ about the United States, including its leaders, health care system and foreign policy.

They have, basically, no ‘operative’ military forces.

They prefer to sponge off the United States to defend their borders. In reality, it is the U.S.A.’s military that ‘stands on guard for thee’. Not Canada’s. Otherwise, Canadians would have been speaking ‘Russian’ long ago.

They have very little recognition or meaningful voice in world affairs except for regularly opposing the USA by supporting 3rd world dictators’ positions. They foolishly think that this is a way of demonstrating their (supposed) ‘independence’ from the U.S.A.

They conveniently forget that it is the investment, trade, defence and geography of the U.S.A. that delivers one of the highest living standards in the world to Canadians.

“US-bashing” is quickly replacing ‘hockey’ as Canadians’ favorite, national pastime.

Yes, right-winger Pat Buchanan was correct. Canadians are, indeed, the “spoilt brats of the new world order”.

Sadly, my Canadian forefathers, who built and fought for Canada, must be turning in their graves.

.............

Are you really certain that you want to become part of this?

If I were an American, I'd think deep and think twice before I jumped the border.

Further fields always look greener.

Wow, there's compelling analysis from a deep thinker like Pat Buchanan. Not at all hateful or distorted.

On second thought maybe you guys should stay where you are. As the old joke goes: "Every time someone from Canada emigrates to the US, it raises the IQ in both countries". Maybe someone could explain the joke to J. Michael.

Hey, if Canada's a no-go, you're all very welcome to come and live in Australia if you so choose. However, you must leave your annoying sterotypical ideas about us behind you. And please try not to talk so loudly or stand so close. We're quiet people who like our space. :)

Hey Xalph,

I think you may have it wrong concerning your UEL ancestors. They most likely did not "pack up their belongings and travel to Canada" They were more likely herded into homes in Port cities like New York and Boston(at least the Northeastern tyranny lovers). Placed on ships and forged out a living until the tyrannical British government finally granted them a parcel of land.(I grew up, by the way, on one of these land grants)
Some of the UEL may have brought luxuries. Most were forced to leave everything behind because they preferred Tyranny to freedom. Isn't it funny how the apple does not roll to far down the hill after it falls on its head.

Pierre Berton has written an interesting history on the next war, the war of 1812. As I am sure you are aware this was a defining moment in Canadian/American relations. Mr. Berton says it like this :
"Out of it, shaped by an emerging nationalism
and tempered by rebellion, grew that special
form of state paternalism that makes the
Canadian way of life significantly different
from the more individualistic American way"

The biggest problem with liberals in the USA and the average Canadian is that they have the belief that government is their nanny. One who is paid to take care of them. Have you ever seen what happens when a nanny decides that she is only going to look out for herself? If not look at the nanny called New Zealand and the economic earthquake that occured there in the late 80's.

I guess what you liberals are looking for is a place to go suck your thumb in defeat. Have your nanny tuck you in while she robs you blind.

Why don't you wake up to the amazing freedom that you have in the United States and do something with your life? That is what it means (historically at least) to be American.

Small Government=Large minds; Large Government=Small minds!

Bo

PS
Unless you know something I don't Xalph, none of the UEL left until their dog had lost the fight. Therefore it was not 1776 when they left, it was closer to 1782.

First off, to Dave, yes our money is colourful (with a "u") but with the election of Pres. Bush, again, the Canadian dollar is inching closer and closer to even with the American (around 80 cents to the dollar I believe).
To J. Michael: You are a misguided canuck. You describe Canadian politics as a party-line-controlled dictatorship. Would you rather have a two part system whose beliefs are so similar your vote didn't matter?
But this isn't my problem. My problem is your statement of how we surpress our country's heritage. How could this be true when history in all of highschool and elementary school is canadian-based until you hit grade 12? We all learned about the battle on the plains of Abraham, canadian's successful burning of the White House, and the HBC. How can this be seen as surpressing our heritage?
I also don't understand how Canada would have ever been soeaking Russian. You must be under the false assumption that the USSR was a threat to the world, that communism is bad and democracy is good. Guess wht? You're the product of American propaganda, congrats!
My view on this subject? americans, stick with your country. If you all left, who would fight for true freedom and rights?
The world's hopes lie in the (almost) half of Americans who did vote for a change, albeit a small change with such similarity between the two parties.
You're always welcome, but your country needs you in 4 years time.

I am very liberal, and I am from Massachusetts. I don't see the need to emigrate to Canada, and I think that people are over reacting. I'm not happy that Bush won again, but seriously; Kerry isn't that better. They both sucked, I voted green; the Democrats and Republicans have pretty much become heavily moderate parties, we need a voice for the liberal cause. Why don't you direct your anger towards changing things instead of leaving? Leaving is for cowards. Most of what is going to happen under Bush can be counter acted at a state level. In two years we have a chance to make him a “lame duck” president. And a draft? Yeah right, the politicians want to keep their jobs; they vote for a draft, they lose their job and cause riots. So, he is a little religious, but we can let that go; we should be more concerned with making our voices heard. As Gandhi said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. I’m only 19, I am still learning how things work; so why don’t you guys get crackin and start working on fixing our country.

I love this site but have some commnets.
IF you hate the present state of the US govt then
by all means go ahead and move to Canada. Few if any states voted totally for Kerry.
As to the comments made by Peter I have pasted his comments and added my responses:
1. Canada is a multi-cultural country not a melting pot. This means that you will be involved with people of different cultures on their terms.
Try going to any major city in the US & you will see the same thing so what is your point?
2. There is strict gun control and no right to bear arms. Go to Washington DC and NYC and see what strict gun control does.
3. There is less litigation in Canada. Monetary awards are significantly less. There are no draconian prison sentences. I love the less litigation idea. As to Draconian sentences it is designed to keep the trash off the streets and is not being followed so we have the repeat offenders on the streets.
5. Taxes are higher. This is good????
6. There is a national medical system. While you are free to choose your physician, you cannot buy treatments. You also have to wait long times and might die. Ask the Canadians that live on a land border to the US (Michigan) about MRI wait times.
7. There are two official languages - English and French. The US has no official language.
8. If you live in Quebec your children will be educated in aFrench language school and you will be restricted to an official list of names for new-borns. You will meet people who do or refuse to speak English. Again go to any major city in the US and you will find the same thing.
9. Canada’s main enemies are the U.S. (now Jesusland) and Denmark. HUH? we have the longest unmilitarized border in the world, share many companies and have loved Canada since it started.
10. Communism has a legal political party.
Hate to tell you this but in the US it is also.
11. One of our favourite vacation spots is Cuba.
Actually it is the US if you read your own stats.
12. The growing season is shorter. Winter is longer and colder. Be prepared to like and participate in winter sports. Ever try visiting Alaska?
13. Canadians have a respect for but are wary of Americans (based on 400 years of American attempts to take over Canada). Never read this in your papers or heard it on my trips there.

These are very funny comments. But lets take a look at a more detailed map of the U.S. Lets go county by county, looks a bit different. Many Blue states were barely won in popularity. Also consider the session, militarily. Most the soldiers are from jesus land and vote conservative, not to mention most military schools are in jesus land. Many fat cat buisness owners are conservative too. So leave if you want to leave but dont go complaining when you get to Canada and realize that its sucks 100 times more than you think America does. God luck on your trip and good riddins.

From the Left Coast:

"A day or two after Tuesday's returns were in, somebody circulated a map on the Web depicting the blue states of the West Coast, the Northeast and the upper Midwest as part of the "United States of Canada," the red states as an isolated theocracy.

"It was good for an ironic laugh on the left, which desperately needed it. But there was also a smidgen of sardonic seriousness. Maybe we'd be better off as part of Canada, where the health system is better, where there's no crushing defense budget, where Californians would probably get back more than 77 cents of every $1 they sent to the national government and the feds wouldn't be arresting cancer and glaucoma patients for smoking the marijuana their doctors had recommended and that the voters sanctioned.

"More realistically, if California's blueness in the culture wars distances it from much of the country, it also brings it much closer to the rest of the world and to its perception of reality: on Iraq and terrorism, which Europeans have been fighting much longer than we have; on drugs, on politicized religion, on stem cell research and the priorities given to science; on global warming, on energy conservation and environmental concerns generally.

"California even found itself a moderate Republican, one of the last of a breed - or maybe the first of a new breed - to serve as its governor. Now if the state seceded, Arnold could be president of the world's sixth-largest economy, and he wouldn't even need a constitutional amendment to do it."

by Peter Schrag
Sacramento Bee
(edited)

From: An isolated Red county in California.
To: Canada

My ancestors on my Mom's side were some of the early settlers of Quebec. See:

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=brambo&id=I10

& follow the links back to the 1600's.

Would this help us get in?

And my wife & I love Montreal, whenever we can get there during the Canadian GP.

And on the health care issue:

About two-thirds of Americans want a tax-paid system like Canada has. Less than 10% of Canadians would prefer the American system.

This discussion is near and dear to my heart. I have lived in Canada (still have many relatives living in QC and ON), England, New Zealand, all over the U.S., and currently reside in Bibleland. I am an unabashed liberal, and from what I have seen and experienced of politics, culture, and health care, I would be thrilled to live in Canada.

Well, actually I think that some considerable progress is needed on the multicultural matter. It sounds great from the outside, but both Anglophones and Francophones in Canada seem to have an abiding dislike of it in practice.

But any disagreements with regard to George III aside, that monarch and the dispute surrounding him has passed into history, and Canadians are by and large and very obviously a democratic minded people (so are the Brits, for that matter).

As for the current King George II, we Americans have a serious problem. And part of that problem is the matter of how we elect our King. Was there fraud or not (probably), did it account for the popular vote leaning toward Bush (probably not), and did it account for the Electoral College total favoring George II (possibly). The really troubling consideration is that we -- the voters -- don't know the answers to these questions. Thus, we won't know in future elections if we get the leaders we vote for! Not(!) a recipe for stability!

BTW, Bo... New Zealand like any other country has had economic ups and downs. Now it is very much up (granted, also more conservative). But NZ booms and busts have a lot more to do with world economy and trade (for which NZ lacks any economic buffer) than the health care system.

To all the conservatives who speak with such unabashed venomous hatred of government: I say to you that if small government is good, certainly no government would be even better. And just as I would recommend that American liberals take-up residence in my homeland, so too would I advise American conservatives to take-up residence in nations more suitable to their political views. There are no shortage of them; I'm sure that they wouldn't have to pull many strings to gain entry into such libertarian 'success' stories as Somalia. Or Haiti. Or even Afghanistan. Essentially, their mass-immigration to any of these afforementioned lands would do them a world of good. Indeed, it would do us all a world of good, as they would no longer be in a position to use nuclear weapons.
If none of these locales suits their fancies, than I would be more than willing provide a few other recommendations for just where they ought to go.

Getting error message trying to post - this is a test.

Brother Peter and Brother J. MacKinnon ...

I'm from Iowa and unfortunately am now living in Jesusland ... Jesus help me! I'ld say pray for me, but I guess that's redundant!

Responding to your original proposal in which you did not include the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota, we respectfully make the following proposal.

As my brother and sisters live in Minnesota and Wisconsin and would like their states to be considered as refugee camps, or alternatively as South Bank Settlements - you know, kind of like the Palesti nians. Certainly, you would consider this a fair exchange as you would then control the Great Lakes of the United States of Canada/Dominion of Canada. You would then be able to control border access through the Great Lakes, the Missippi, St. Lawrence River and The Great Red River of the North. In addition, you gain the major Southern Ports of Duluth, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit. The benefit – Dev il’s Lake remains in Jesusland (formerly the state of North Dakota). And Dev il’s Tower remains in Jesusland (formerly the state of Wyoming). Of course, as is the case with the Palestnian Cause, any citizen born in said States, and extended families (except the bible thumping members), would be allowed the Right of Return. If agreed, this saves myself and two other siblings, so I consider this a non-negotiable part of the treaty. (Since we have friends living in Jesusland – formerly Iowa and Alaska, that do not have the Right of Return, I'm sorry! But have faith, you’ll be included in the Rapture!)

we seem to have hit a space limite I will attempt to to continue in a future post, once cleared ...

Hmm. Forgive the rant to follow, but I need to vent.
Much as I'd love to head up north, where global warming is sure to make a paradise in a few decades, I can't. I'm too ornery to give surrender, and that stems from where I call home. I know Bush made a lot of jokes about Kerry being the "Senator from _Massachusetts_", as if that made him some kind of oddball fringe liberal, but to me, it was a compliment. Bush might have paid more attention to the facts, like our having the lowest divorce rate in the country (as opposed to the top 10 hightest, most of which are a distinct red color). Or, perhaps he forgot all of our universities, hospitals, etc. No, I'm happy here. I think the real reason Bush hates us is that we have a distinct history: when a dictater named George shows up, and tries to run our lives, we pick up our rifles. All of the so-called Christians in Jesusland should remember that. The original liberals from Massachusetts were also called Minutemen. BTW, I say so-called Christians because Jesus made a point of telling people that wanted to follow him that they had to forgive always, never harm another, and give up their material possesions. Bush is not Christian, if Christian means following Jesus's word - don't even try and find a loophole to that, Jesus didn't leave you one. He never said: "Turn the other cheek, unless it's a Muslim that hit you, in which case, kill him and his family." Remember, the reason the Romans fed the Christians to the lions wasn't becasue they were Christians. It was because the followed their Master's teaching, and refused to fight in the Roman army against barbarians who were threatening Rome. How many of you Christians have the guts to stand up and say: "Let the terrorists win, we won't fight. We'll suffer here, because we know that Heaven only admits the peaceful, and the path to Heaven is more dificult than trying to put a camel through the eye of a needle." If you're Christian, you should live simply, and peacefully. If you're like the average "Christian", well, why don't you go and build some temples to your real gods: Jove and Ares. They're the ones your really worshiping, anyways. Your actions prove you.

First off, Jerry Miller is a liar. The October Crisis happened in 1970. Jerry says he lived in Canada for 15 years, therefore he left in 1985, before the first MRI rolled off the assembly line. How can his friend wait 2.5 months for a treatment which didn't exist at the time?

To J. Michael: Guess what, our health care system, waiting times and all, still works better than yours at half the cost. As for our military, guess who's supplying the largest ground contingent in Afganistan besides your own? But I guess you don't appreciate us, so I guess we'll call them back. At least then we don't have to worry about you bombing them again, whoops!

Did you ever stop to think that maybe you're the anomaly? The US spends what, as much on its military as the next 12 nations put together? On a per capita basis, Canada spends about an average amount on it's military..you spend more than four times that. And you still can't seem to handle a country the size of California even after its military has been crippled by ten years of sanctions. Fancy that.

We also got to experience how Americans really feel about fair trade during our recession...oh wait a minute we didn't have one, I meant YOUR recession! The one where you slapped illegal tariffs on our lumber and grain. Not to mention shutting down your border to our beef because some Alberta farmer made the mistake of buying a cow from an american who hadn't got the message that it's bad to feed your cows other cows. But we're still doing fine, thanks for asking. (Meanwhile the Bush recession enters it's fourth year...)

A couple more points...

First off, let's stop blaming Jesus for this electoral disaster. Let me let you in on something: BUsh is about as religous as a Vegas strip joint. Speaking as a baptized, God-fearing Christian, you fundamentalists have swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Hey, you know the parable about the gnat and the camel? Well gay marriage - GNAT. Lying to the public to support an illegal war without an exit plan - CAMEL. You hypocrites just voted in a grossly incompetant, immoral President for the simple reason that he furthers your agenda. Jesus is up there shaking his head.

ANd to the blue states - thanks for the offer, but we're really not interested. If you decide to separate from those hicks, we wish you all the best, but we really aren't prepared to call places like Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York Canadian cities until you clean up your own mess. Thanks anyway. And stop electing movie stars and pro wrestlers, for crying out loud, it makes you look like idiots!

To Shannon, HERE HERE!

Its funny to call it Jesus land, but on the other side, these pigs like Bush are about as Christian (or any religion) as a fuukin dog...

The first time I went to visit American friends in Toronto, I was so filled with strange ideas about Canada, that I was astonished when I finally decided to visit. It was nothing like I was led to believe. I thought it would be a moron's version of America [I know, go ahead and laugh], toothless hockey players with wool hats and hunting jackets, and everyone is white.

You have to understand, even the best of us in America, are bombarded with so much bigotry and nationalism, that an open heart and high I.Q. are often eroded into a puddle of...of...of...well, a puddle.

Canada, though different from one are to another, seems more European to me than American.
I have had wonderful times and met some very friendly and warm people [Not as much in Quebec, as I was called a pig in French at a restaurant. At least the waiter was smiling when he said it].

I also love the fact that all the different nationalities seemed equal. I have never seen so many inter-racial couples before. In America, no matter what anyone tells you, white is best.

I was astonished by the news on television in Toronto. If it wasn't uncencored, it seemed that way, compared to the blatant fairy tales we call news in America.

God Bless Y'all,
Leigh Feinberg

The first time I went to visit American friends in Toronto, I was so filled with strange ideas about Canada, that I was astonished when I finally decided to visit. It was nothing like I was led to believe. I thought it would be a moron's version of America [I know, go ahead and laugh], toothless hockey players with wool hats and hunting jackets, and everyone is white.

You have to understand, even the best of us in America, are bombarded with so much bigotry and nationalism, that an open heart and high I.Q. are often eroded into a puddle of...of...of...well, a puddle.

Canada, though different from one are to another, seems more European to me than American.
I have had wonderful times and met some very friendly and warm people.

I also love the fact that all the different nationalities seemed equal. I have never seen so many inter-racial couples before. In America, no matter what anyone tells you, white is best.

I was astonished by the news on television in Toronto. If it wasn't uncencored, it seemed that way, compared to the blatant fairy tales we call news in America.

God Bless Y'all,
Leigh Feinberg

Is it just me or does the stupidity of the human race grow everytime someone opens their mouth? What a wonderful place America is where we can spend millions of dollars on our so highly regarded "Democractic Process" to have one of the canidates concede to waste it all. Did the democratic party just not have anyone else to run? The country is already in a rediculous amount of debt to begin with...why waste even more money. There were a record number of voters show up at the poles for it all to not matter. And for Kerry to say he conceded so that the US would not be divided makes no sense. Take a step back and look at what our democracy is....two opposing sides...there cannot be unity under such a government. I am glad for all those dying in Iraq. Thats what they get for enlisting in the first place. If you wanna go to war to make yourself feel like you did something with your life...I say go for it....just don't come crying to me when you are a vet with only one leg....you did it to yourself for yourself....get some selfesteem. And of course with all of those idiots eliminated the intelligence level of the average American may be raised above the 0 mark! YAY!

P.S. These are only my opinions....we are all allowed to have them...even you. So don't get to huffy and puffy over them.

Shannon, I see you have done some reading. Good for you. Read on. The truth is out there and it is a lot scarier than you think. Study Noam Chomsky and John Pilger, they are lighting the way. But Shannon, do not put the whole blame on the American people. By my observations the majority are very compassionate, caring and generous. Propaganda is a powerful tool and the upper crust of their society have mastered it well. Knowledge is power, war is not peace and 2+2 still equals 4.

Is the "Jesus" of this so-called "Jesusland" the Jesus of the Jefferson Bible (also called "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth Extracted Textually from the Gospels")?

Morning all from "across the pond" !

Looks like there's a fair old debate going on out there! Having originaly been drawn to this site simply because I wanted to find a copy of the new map (it'll make a great T-shirt...) I feel I must now also add a short comment.

If things over there are getting that bad and, as it seems, Canada aren't too keen to help out, why not "come home" to the UK ??

We could re-name ourselves "The United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Jesusland "? Yes? No? Let's have a debate.

Obviously you'll have to do something about your spelling as it's been slipping lately
(it's "colour", "aluminium", "cheque" etc...) but I can't help feeling that you're not a bad bunch really and it's not your fault your democracy's gone completely out of control.

...oh, hang on, yes it is...

Yours,

The Mother Country.

Adam - London -
ENGLAND (That's in Europe, next to Africa and The Middle East (boo hiss!!!))

Hey "Mother Country", why not move "Jesusland" to Chagos Island. Your country and cohorts seemed to have sanitized the place of any undesirables such as native inhabitants. And all the Jesuslanders can get jobs at the large US military base there. Leave the "Blue state" people where they are.

The Daily Mirror was right - 59,000,000 Yanks are that dumb. I'm one of the 56,000,000 smart ones but I no longer consider myself a Yank. I've had it with the backwards direction the US is headed into. In spite of everything that has happened in the past four years, 59 million idiots want four more years of this. It sickens me that my tax money is being used to finance the Bush Doctrine of American Imperialism and the 21st Century's Christian Crusade. My wife and I and our old Volvo are moving to Canada very soon (which won't be much of a trek since we're in Ohio). The US can kiss our Liberal butts goodbye. Let them rot in their myopic black-and-white 18th Century view of the world.

Everyone needs to relax, stop taking life so seriously, also to whoever said Denmark was an enemy of Canada, Why?

ok. to say it once and say it right. bush did 'win' again. however, there were 240 000 or more ballots cast in flordia then people that voted. the same in ohio. and arazona. the lsit goes on. diebold is a good company! the ceo even promiced bush that he would get him ohio! bush doesnt want a small govt, he wants to control all life. he beleives jesus is coming and must clear his path.
as to moving to canada...canadas cool, id like to visit, but if yer runnin away from the draft, or cause yer political ideals are overlooked, yer vote isnt counted, then dig yer heels in and fight. dont be a lame ass and run away. if ya have any brains you know theres more you can do than vote once every 4 years theres 3 parts of the govt, the people being 1 part of it. divide and conqure will only werk when you spend 200 milion on tv commertials. btw, you should stop watching american tv, it rots the brain.
well, thats my 2 cents. run and hide and be a coward, or stand and fight, for the world depends on you (sounds something like they said in the LotR movies).

Of course, the best solution is obvious: Canada should "surrender" to the U.S. In doing so, Canadians would actually assimilate the Yanks, and not the other way around. The math is simple. Although a naive assessment would have 30 Mpersons in Canada swallowed up by 300 Mpersons in U.S., note that the difference in our election was only 3 Mvotes (and even that is questionable, as afroman has pointed out). So Canadians as a block represent 10-times the number needed to tip the balance and vote this country into a state of rationality.

The option suggested by Adam G doesn't add up so well. I lived in GB when Thatcherites instituted the poll tax and disbanded the duly elected gov't of Greater London. Now Labor is in power, but the liberal leanings of the modern Labor party have become questionable, and Tony Blair's support of Bush certainly did Kerry no good at all. Oh, wait! Adam G wants "Jesusland"! Hmmm. That would be interesting ... and frightening!

Enemies? Denmark and the US?

Actually, we had a bit of a set-to with a Spanish fishing boat a few years back. And Finland seems to be getting much too good at hockey....I would put those two as our axis-of-evil.

I think that the implication was a conflict between Canada and Denmark. Presumably this has something to do with Kalaalit Nunaat or its associated fishing zone/rights? For those who don't recognize the place name, a hint: Denmark is a whole-lot bigger than most people realize!

Oh Canada! Our home and native land. True patriot love, in all thy son's command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, the true north strong and FREE. From far and wide, oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee!!!!

Dear Kimberley. Very sweet. Be proud. But also be humble. Don't wrap the flag around yourself too tightly. It has a tendancy to lead to blindnes, deafness and clouds the mind. We here in Canada got lucky. But just barely. We are also on a slippery slope, just as our friends to the south. As you sing, the machine calls you. It tells you to put on your Nike's, get in your GM and drive to Walmart to buy a Coke. It uses your patriotism, sympathy, fear and passion to fill it's belly. And you can't vote it out of office. Be careful and be vigilant.
Robert and Company (not Incorporated)

I think this is a great Idea, we should realy think about this. The only thing Iwaould do different is i would let the american keep the southern half of illinois and we could sent the conservative canadians and evangelical christians there.

I'm going back to a post made by J Mackinnon on November 7th. He said "America's population drops as capital punishment rates exceed the birth rate; Canada experiences its first birth boom in 50 years as exuberant immigrants make love all night every night." I'm sorry but you are sadly mistaken. The current birth rate in Canada is 1.6 (below the replacement rate of 2.1). The only Americans that you would ever get are those that view abortion as back up birth control. So, this mass exodus that you call for would not create a "birth boom" in Canada but only had more stress to your social structure.

I watch FOX not CBC,
I speak english not french,
I love Hockey and the NFL,
I vacation in Vegas not Toronto,
I love yanks not frogs,
I drive a Chevy not Toyota
I love god and cowboys,
I think north-America is one nation and
oil is worth fighting for,
my name is Jason...and I AM ALBERTAN!!!

I would encourage each and every one of you liberal hippies and yuppies to please move to Canada. You can have communes full of igloos with lesbians aborting children. Gay marriage on the house, no war(unless we decide to bomb you pussies for fun) and our taxes, divorce rates, crime rates and whining rates will all plummit to 0%. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

I am a Canadian living in America. I miss Canada a great deal. It is amazing, how different the two nations really are, even though we neighbour one another. After doing a lot of travelling around the world, I have to say, there really is no place like home, Canada! Most Canadians should be very proud of our country, the people, cultural diversity, resources and our good nature and warm acceptance towards all the people of the world, even the bullies like Americans. This is why the world always continues to respect, appreciate and love Canadians. We raise the standards on human life, compassion, respect, acceptance and quality of life. I cannot wait until our contracts expire here and we are finally able to go back home to Canada and join the land of our family and friends. I will not say all Americans are bad, but it is very hard finding Americans that share our (Canadian) perspective on life and world issues. It is also hard finding Americans that are educated enough to carry a conversation without them thinking in terms of violence or greed. I have met a few very nice Americans, but majority of the times, it has been a dissapointment. All the best to my fellow Canadians! Wear the flag and maple leaf with pride, the world will welcome you with open arms.

To mind in your discussion: Quebec will join the European union long before doing anything to get closer to North American lifestyle. Sorry guys, you'll never achieve your dream! Even though we eat poutine, we drink Pepsi, and love fast-food and oversized clothing to the same extent as the rest of North America, we just have something else too, widely unknown by the english-speaking world (because this monocultural world relates things in its own terms by nature, rather than by reaching out to sow links between cultures). Now let me tell you what: without that damn frog province, Jesusland would have reached to the North pole a long time ago. And let me tell you what: without the US, Canada would indeed be a collection of lumberjack cabin hamlets and hockey rinks filled with toothless brutal players. So before being proud at not being americans, canadians should mind a couple of thank you's to the americans for the huge sleeping capital that allowed such prosperity that lead today's Canada (and US too) among the top nations in the world for quality of life. And they should also thank the two full centuries of slave-style french Canadian labour (did you know that my people used to get paid in food products rather than money for their labour? who'd accept that today? Well it was still in operation at the beginning of the 20th century) that made its GDP so high. Productive, the canadians? No, they simply were the bosses back in the days.

Why is it not mentioned in Canada's history books? Because it doesn't fit in their multicultural nation paradigm. Look at the canadian flag again, my friends. What does the red stand for? Canada's multiculturalism has been nurtured more by the government than by the population. Because if the canadians learned their history, they would themselves ask the US to be annexed to Jesusland, ashamed to be the source of such racism, slavery, and hoping that standing along king Bush would make them look human again. If Canadian-style mansions across Ontario look so nice, it is because the wealth was gained through Quebec and other minority peoples' labour. For us, a punishment for the French and Indian wars, right from the Loyalist side. How close the US and Canada can be in that point of view? close as twins are. My point: upper Canada and Britain have been as bad as Jesusland in principles and actions, but history made it such that they conveniently forgot themselves. Another form of propaganda, without problems as long as nobody stands up.

That's why, in an ideal world, we'd want to be as far as possible of that self-unconscious world (Europe seems just perfect for us anyway: as liberal as can be, and lacking the inherent stupidity associated with Hollywood-style North American culture), who still thinks is it anywhere near close to the center of the world, or anywhere near close to important, after all. A mari usque ad mare... d'une merde à l'autre!

I just wanted to say thank you for your page of facial expressions. My son has aspergers syndrome,and we have been using your expressions for the past two years. It's been a wonderous help to him and thank you so very much

I just wanted to say thank you for your page of facial expressions. My son has autism and we have been using your expressions for the past two years. It's been a wonderous help to him and thank you so very much

"I am a Canadian living in America. I miss Canada a great deal. It is amazing, how different the two nations really are, even though we neighbour one another. After doing a lot of travelling around the world, I have to say, there really is no place like home, Canada! Most Canadians should be very proud of our country, the people, cultural diversity, resources and our good nature and warm acceptance towards all the people of the world, even the bullies like Americans. This is why the world always continues to respect, appreciate and love Canadians. We raise the standards on human life, compassion, respect, acceptance and quality of life. I cannot wait until our contracts expire here and we are finally able to go back home to Canada and join the land of our family and friends. I will not say all Americans are bad, but it is very hard finding Americans that share our (Canadian) perspective on life and world issues. It is also hard finding Americans that are educated enough to carry a conversation without them thinking in terms of violence or greed. I have met a few very nice Americans, but majority of the times, it has been a dissapointment. All the best to my fellow Canadians! Wear the flag and maple leaf with pride, the world will welcome you with open arms. "

Christi, I must say, it really depends on where you are in the US. You can't just lump Americans together like that if you're living only in one area. I have a lot of Canadian friends (from Ontario to BC) and we see eye to eye on a lot of serious issues. You can't say a person from DC is the same as someone from Nebraska or even Cali. A Canadian friend of mine has been all over Canada and the US and she found very little difference in the major cities for both countries in terms of a diverse populous and culture. Having lived in DC all of my life (92% voted against Bush), all of this stuff Canada preaches with multi-culturalism is pretty much what I live from day to day. You walk down the street and will hear any language or you'll see fliers for an upcoming festival for some ethnic group. I have friends of different races and I am actually multi-racial myself. Nobody really thinks about race as a superiority thing or a factor for friendship. Of course, this is just my life. I know that racism is everywhere. I am just lucky enough to not have this problem in my life.

After reading some replies here, one can really see how Canadians misconceive things about the US. We have a family friend that immigrated to Canada first, but then left and is now here to stay. He said that he, along with other immigrants, found it extremely hard to find work and the jobs available were things that Canadians wouldn't want to do. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, he experienced a lot of racism. I'm not saying that every Canadian is going to do this or that every immigrant can't find work, but I'm saying it happens. No nation's perfect.

I have so far lived in Canada since birth and hated it. I'd much rather live in Jesusland. Our currency, the polar bear peso, is a joke (it's pretty much fully dependant on the American economy and it's actually in our favor to have it at an inferior value to the American dollar). Sure Canada has never known oppression, therefore Canada never knew to fight for freedom. As all great Americans know, freedom isn't free (it costs a buck-o-five... it's something to achieve and preserve). We have more taxes and less rights... gun control is mind control.

If the few democrat states joined Canada, that would only make Jesusland all the better (conserving the best and leaving the worst for Canada, which makes sense). Socialists hold back a country's economy, and for all you who believe in "evil-ution", you're endorsing Hitler's victory in global domination. America, being a Christian nation, has all reasons of believing in creationism. Darwin at the end of his life admitted his theory was false, and Hitler succeeded at putting that theory in science textbooks. Besides, if the universe were as old as "evil-ution" says it is, there would be dust floating sky-high on the moon's surface... Upon arrival on the moon, they found out their calculations (based on evil-ution) were false, seeing as there's but the thinest layer of dust on the moon's surface. Denying that Armstrong has been on the moon is like denying that there was ever a U.S.S.R. Sure winners write history but we can't deny this happened (especially wit recent history).

Back to the United States of Canada and Jesusland. I wouldn't mind the USA invading Canada... I'd much prefer the American government to what we have now. As I am Canadian, I am therefore bilingual (English and French... although I speak fluent Spanish and I'm learning German, that doesn't matter to Canada as part of one's identity). It makes sense that if a Canadian isn't bilingual, they are compermising their Canadianism. How can you be Canadian and not speak all of our domestic languages? How can you be Canadian and not be able to converse with all other Canadians? This sounds like a serious compermise on a social and national level of unity. And by the way, Québec isn't Canada's French-speaking province as the "Province du Québec" (province of Québec) is, in itself, an English colony. If there is to be a French-speaking province of Canada, it would have to be a tie between Canada's two worst provinces (as I hate all of Canada, I hate some parts more than others): Manitoba and New-Brunswick. Those two provinces have preserved their French language not through force.

I have never lived in Québec, nor do I plan to move there, I hate Québec as much as I hate Ontario (not as bad as the worst provinces, but to come out ahead, I'd have to leave Canada altogether).

Also, what I find blasphemy is some Canadians call themselves French, while many others call themselves English... reality check: unless they be dual-citizens, they aren't European, they're simply Canadian (by the way, France is a better country than Canada but England is not... not because of official language, because of political system... I love plenty of English and French colonies alike, just not Canada and certain others). Some people will extend to "French-Canadian" or "English-Canadian", although their European ancestry goes way further than 5 to 10 generations. If Canadians (who prefer to speak a given domestic language) consider themselves different than other Canadians (prefering the other domestic language), then they should become their own nation with their own government.

Compared to most English colonies (regardless of previous colonisations of those nations by the French, Spanish... etc.), Canada would rank 2nd worse (after Australia, being so terrible for not only being a parliamentary democracy like Canada, but also for having mandatory voting and banning of certain goods based on government preferences as opposed to what the people want banned). There is one great advantage that English speaking nations/people have over others... they have a tendancy of making the best governments (the two most recent worl empires are English-speaking). Americans make great government (George W. Bush is alright, but just to upset all you socialists, he's a hero for preserving American freedom). Although William Jefferson Clinton was a democrat, he was still the best democrat he could possibly be (other than the Lewinsky incident... it's stupid to bring your government to court because the government uses tax money to pay the best lawyer). Canada, on the other hand, prefers the most retard scenario possible. Statistically, based on first language, Canadians earning highest income are Anglophones who are also fluent in French, followed by Francophones also fluent in English, followed by Anglophones who can't (or claim they can't) speak French, and ending with lowest average income to Canadians who are Francophone and can't (or claim they can't) speak English. According to statistics and history, Anglophones end up creating a better national atmosphere than Francophones in the public and private sector. Then I look and Canadian political history and notice that, at least for the last few decades), we mainly get Francophones, Canada's official minority, as government leaders. Keep in mind that to me, all Canadians are equal regardless of first language, but I do believe that different cultures have different strengths and that if we are to seperate people by first language, we might as well get the Anglophones to run our country, whether they be bilingual or not (but that's not happening because "bilingual Francophones" outnumber "bilingual Anglophones" because the Francophones are the minority and it's more accessible for them to learn the other domestic language).

As stated by Danielle, there is racism in Canada, but it's not in the same shape as American racism, which is clearly more visible.
In the USA, they divide people by skin color. I don't think it's necessarily the best way to divide people, but people are born and die of a certain skin color so it is part of one's identity. In the USA, whites figured they needed not to kill black people, they would simply supply blacks with firearms, and through the power of media, they would convince the blacks to kill eachother. This required a lot of work and planning on behalf of the racist (I myself am against racism in all forms, I'm just stating the way things are).

As for Canada, it's the only place where you'll see black people get themselves firearms (even though they're less accesible up here), just in order to shoot other blacks in Canada who prefer an other domestic Canadian language. No racist person anticipated this, yet Canada itself encourages racism as opposed to certain individuals... Certain Americans are bad, but the State of Canada is terrible.

Canada has one of the stupidest forms of corruption, and that's being too passive. We pass on helping out the Americans, yet we'll clean up after them afterwards. Canada is the USA's backwards neighbor and that is visible.

I'm sure ya'll have noticed that I don't use Canadian English... I hate Canada more than I love the USA so I'll use the counter-Canadian preference in synonym, spelling and pronunciation in the English language. I'll say chesterfield instead of couch, but there's no need for the letter "u" in color and favor.

By the way, India has more official languages than the European Union and yet they don't struggle with prefered language... Canada has two official languages and it's killing milions (not necessarily at gun point but in stress, waste of resources...). Canada is terrible, unless there be serious changes around here, I'll be leaving when the opportunity rises.

I live in The United States. I live in North Dakota which is closer to Canada than it is to most other US state borders. I have the priveledge to see both sides of the saddle quite frequently. Although I am a US citizen I wish I was Canadian. Canadian's are friendlier. Winnipeg and Minneapolis are about the same distance from me. I'll take a weekend in Winnipeg any day over a weekend in Minneapolis. I feel the US government is a bunch of bullies and they push every other country around. I'm ashamed to say I'm american because of some of the things we have done to other countries. Then we bomb all these countries then go spend millions of dollars to rebuild them yet we can't rebuild our own backyard. I hope someday to live in Canada. I've checked into it a little and feel very discouraged. It seems to be a long process and I was wondering if anyone knows how to ease my immigration worries. I understand me being American will perhaps work against me. I understand almost all countries hate America. I would to if I were you. In fact I live here and everyday I'm looked down upon because I have no pride. I guess I just don't have pride for bullies. And I know if I lived in Canada, I'd be looked down upon for being American. I understand that though. I'm willing to go through it though, just to show that all Americans aren't as bad as most think. Some of us don't like it here either.

HEY READ THIS ONE PEOPLE,
i'm not even done high school so this will eb a very sparodic argument. but i think the united states should take a look at themselves before they start to critisis canada. ur the ones that have the terrorist attack. I'm not saying the united states deserves it but it's brought upon themselves. look who they elected... you want a change in OUR government when you can't even control the temper tantrums of ur countries leader. I may not have all the facts about the terrorist attacks and that may mean i shouldn't talk bu then if my statement is going to be null invoid in ur mind cause i don't know exactly what i'm talking about... everybodies should be. nobody knows everything just the way it is, and even the people that are on my side saying bugger off ur not gonna control canada have holes in their argument... lol and severe spelling mistakes, bu t again... i can't talk, look at mine :) But that's what poeple don't understand! EVEN WHEN IT"S JUST A JOKE , PEOPLE WANNA WIN THE AGRUMENT! doesn't matter weather it's government officials like bush or two toddlers fighting over a toy. It's all a fight someone has to win just to feel proud or stand tall in front of their freinds or their country! But it all comes at the expense of humanity, the integrity and the honesty. HUMANITY:the fact or quality of being human or humane; people - the humanities, literature, philosophy, history; etc. (webster's newworld dictionary) I REALLY DON"T THINK WE REALIZE THAT THAT DEFINITION IS SLIPPING FROM OUR MODERN DAY HUMANITY! but words from a 16 year old aren't going to change the world , but it has added to this site... lol :) peace out everybody, and learn how to take a joke! Although even i think JESUSLAND IS A LITTLE OVER THE TOP

going back a bit

1. the us has invaded canada a few times
every time they have had a bigger army
every time they have lost

2. notice how americans always complain about canada, or say the us is better

it isnt
3. you say your military is so good
it isnt
you wouldnt go into the world wars until they were half over(canada went in right away)
your military never proved itself as elite soldiers (canada's did)
US snipers have to pass 3 out of 10 tests to become a sniper
Canadian snipers have to pass 10 out of 10

Canada Rocks :)

I live in Canada, worse I live in Quebec.

Everything you say about Quebec is true. Health Care sucks, you have to wait 2 months just to go see a doctor. 6 months for a specialist, 2 years for surgery, how can you survive ?

In Quebec, it is criminal to offer private health care and to purchase private health care. Well, not quite criminal but a big regulations hassle. You could get fined or prosecuted as a customer.

Yet I pay 40% income taxes, 15% sales taxes, it costs a fortune to have a driver's licence, to have a plate on your car, the government of Quebec forces you to pay for Medication insurance $600 per person, even though you are healthy. So I pay more than 50% in taxes for crappy services.

In Quebec, our roads are filled with holes and our bridges collapse, our public schools are falling appart and in our hospitals people die because of poor sanitation. I am sure that in third world countries, schools, hospitals and roads are in better shape than quebec.

Montreal's administration, for 2 Million people, costs 2 Billion dollars annually, while it costs ten times less to manage the big city of New York.

In Quebec you cannot go to a drugstore with a prescription and pay the medication out of your pocket, you are FORCED to pay the medication with the Quebec Medication Insurance, which means the government has a record of your purchases and can decide to FORCE you to buy generics instead of true brands. There is absolutely NO market freedom in Quebec.

In Quebec, you pay much more for food than the USA, that's because in Quebec the offer is controlled by government, which means higher prices.

In Quebec you are FORCED to pay a Parental Insurance premium to pay for the kids of other people, even though you plan to stay single without kids all your life.

In Quebec, you always pay for everybody else and then you have little left to pay for yourself and when you are in need, the same government who took your money now humiliates and intimidates you for asking them for help.

Quebec is a communist totalitarian land and we are threatend by even worse political formations. Quebec Solidaire and Quebec Vert, both left-wing nuts bloated government pushers have obtained 10% of the votes. This is a disgrace.

In Quebec, it is criminal to own pepper spray or a taser to protect yourself from an attacker. Your only options are to RUN and that's written in the LAW, no jokes I am not making this up.

In Quebec, you can end up in a Mental Hospital and involuntarily committed in a ward for a VERY LONG time just for having defended yourself against attackers. If you use any weapons to defend yourself in Quebec, it's because you are mentally ill and they will lock you away for good. To be SANE, you have to either run or let yourself beaten up or killed by attackers or else if you seriously defend yourself with a piece of wood, club, pepper spray, taser, gun, baseball bat or any serious weapons, you could get into serious problems with the "law" and locked up into psychiatric wards.

In Quebec, to own a handgun, you have to fill a 16 pages application form, take a HUNTING course even though all you want to do is target practice in a shooting range, I couldn't care less about HUNTING. I want to do SHOOTING, in a shooting range. Yet, everyone interested in firearms is assumed to be hunters. Police officers don't even want you to own airguns or black squirt guns.

Quebec SUCKS, it's a land of brown-noze communist, socialist liberal fags.

@ Quebec Hate

That's great satire. It's INSANE to make people fill out forms and take classes before being given a gun.