Yay! Apparently Vancouver had parties to celebrate the victory before the results were in. Generally, Canada was in favour of Obama. A few days ago Palin actually got prank called by a Montreal Radio Station. It was pretty amusing.
Have you ever seen Talking to Americans? Canadian comedian and political satirist Rick Mercer went around telling people about "Canada", such as putting our elderly on ice flows to perish. This happened years ago. The general public being ignorant about the countries that surround them is forgivable, but he interviewed a few politicians and they either bought what he said or decided not to question their previously held beliefs and go along with Mercer`s story, making them seem pretty gullible. Politicians included Mike Huckabee and George Bush when he was running for his first term. Call me crazy but I think every politician, especially if you`re aspiring to be president-elect (this includes Huckabee since he did run this year), should know something about foreign relations and the politics of the United State`s biggest trading partner: Canada. I hold this belief for every politician. I`d be disappointed if our Prime Minister knew nothing about the United States, although it`s hard not to. For us it`s also required that our Prime Minister speaks French since we`re a bilingual country.
Through research you can see otherwise. Here`s a website, for example: http://www.buyusa.gov/canada/en/traderelationsusacanada.html. It`s the first sentence under Trade and Investment. Free trade among us, as well as Mexico, came about with the signing of NAFTA in December 1993. Most of what we trade with you is natural resources and not manufactured material you`d find in Walmart.
I understand people are "ignorant" about the world around them for numerous reasons, the education system being one example. I`m not expecting the general American public to know a lot about Canada nor did I ever state that in my previous post. I get my information about the United States through numerous American programs shown in Canada and through my studies in Canadian history, as our histories are often entwined. Nonetheless, I often get states and cities mixed up. I know the first four sentences of your national anthem. At least I know the capital though. I just find that politicians who boast about "not being able to be stumped on world leaders" (referring to Bush`s quote) or how their foreign relations experience is being next to one of our territories should actually know the name of our Prime Minister and capitial.
I'm glad one of us thinks this occasions a 'yay'. For my own part, I'll be glad if he is able to rise to the needs of the office he's gotten, but the way he ran his campaign suggests to me that no substance lies behind the smile of Barack Obama.
As it stands, though, congratulations. Though I did not wish him to be, your chosen is our new champion. May he defend us well.
I didn`t chose him. I`m not American so I can`t vote. I don`t think he`s perfect though, but rather the lesser evil. Issues aside, I don`t agree with Republican philosophies, so if I could vote I`d have a hard time voting for them anyway.
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Date: 11/5/08 05:05 (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/5/08 05:19 (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/5/08 18:17 (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/6/08 02:16 (UTC)I could be wrong, as it has been a few years since I've been able to pay anything more than scant attention to US policies.
I'm sorry for that, by the way. I am an ignorant American, but not entirely by choice.
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Date: 11/6/08 02:41 (UTC)I understand people are "ignorant" about the world around them for numerous reasons, the education system being one example. I`m not expecting the general American public to know a lot about Canada nor did I ever state that in my previous post. I get my information about the United States through numerous American programs shown in Canada and through my studies in Canadian history, as our histories are often entwined. Nonetheless, I often get states and cities mixed up. I know the first four sentences of your national anthem. At least I know the capital though. I just find that politicians who boast about "not being able to be stumped on world leaders" (referring to Bush`s quote) or how their foreign relations experience is being next to one of our territories should actually know the name of our Prime Minister and capitial.
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Date: 11/5/08 05:20 (UTC)As it stands, though, congratulations. Though I did not wish him to be, your chosen is our new champion. May he defend us well.
no subject
Date: 11/5/08 18:07 (UTC)