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How Canadians
See Themselves
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I took this photo at the airport in
Holland. This guy has a maple leaf flag on his backpack
because he assumes this will make him more popular with
the Europeans.
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Like any country, Canada is
a nation of cherished national myths and self-praise. We are
also a nation rather obsessed with how others perceive us,
with many Canadians eager to play up positive "outsider"
observations about Canada as a source of national pride.
There is now a generally well-understood
list of stereotypes about Canadians that forms the basis of
much of the Canadian self-identity. Looking at the list below,
you'll notice that most of these stereotypes generally make
Canadians look good, and reflect a sort of liberal-left philosophy
on life. As a result, some nationalists will describe these
clichés as fundamental statements of "Canadian
values," rather than mere generalizations.
In recent years, however, many
have started to become critical of the existing flattering
stereotypes of Canada. Many conservatives in particular have
argued that Canada's current national myths are excessively
political, leftist, and divisive, and have had an overall
negative influence on the country's modern development. Others
have simply argued that these clichéd statements are
overly idealistic and utopian, and only describe a Canada
we wish existed, rather than one that actually does.
The following is my attempt
to compile a list of the most common Canadian stereotypes,
self-perceptions and national myths, as well as the contemporary
criticisms that are leveled against each.
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NATIONAL MYTH / STEREOTYPE
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CRITICAL COUNTER-ARGUMENT
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Canadians are polite and respectful.
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Canadians are passive and boring.
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Canadians are law-abiding and have
an orderly society.
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Canadians are too trusting and uncritical
of their laws and authority figures.
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Canada is a caring nation in which
the state actively assists the less fortunate, including
the handicapped, the elderly, minorities, etc.
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Canada is governed with a socialist
mindset that discourages personal responsibility and
self-reliance in favor of government dependence and
a huge welfare state.
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Canada is a tolerant, multi-cultural
society that promotes ethnic, cultural, and linguistic
diversity and does not demand its immigrants assimilate.
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Canada is a country lacking a strong
sense of national unity or purpose, and is thus becoming
highly fragmented along racial and ethnic lines.
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Canadians have a very subdued form
of patriotism.
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Canadians don't have much to be patriotic
about.
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Canadians are moderates.
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Canadians are afraid to express controversial
opinions.
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Canadians don't engage in hero / celebrity
worship.
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Canadians are resentful towards successful
people.
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Canadians are beloved in foreign countries.
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Most of the world knows absolutely
nothing about Canada, so it is hard for them to have
any opinion on us, good or bad.
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Canadian society is similar to the
United States but is superior because of the uniquely
Canadian qualities mentioned above.
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Canadian society is blindly and obsessively
anti-American which encourages Canadians to ignore the
criticisms above.
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Canadian polling firms are constantly
releasing statistics to either prove or disprove these various
claims and counter-claims. Trying to define exactly what "values"
are truly Canadian is thus somewhat of a cottage industry
in this country, with numerous books having been churned out
by many prolific Canadian authors in an attempt to answer
the question.
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