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Before You Compare: Canada vs. The United States |
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In this month’s issue, The Seminal explores Canadian life and politics, with a particular eye towards comparisons with America. Though America and Canada look very similar to most people, and Canadian healthcare, drug policies, and education (pdf) have all been targeted for American imitation, key differences between these two countries should be noted before wholeheartedly adapting Canadian solutions to American problems. While some of these differences are minor, they all subtly affect American and Canadian politics. So, what differences make direct comparison so hard?
Revolutionary Birthright
To begin, America was forged during a revolution, while Canada gained its independence gradually from Britain. From the start, America has had its eye on its northern neighbor. America tried to incite revolution in Canada during the American Revolution, and invaded Canada repeatedly during the war of 1812. After the World Wars, Canadian/US relations eased tremendously. However, when comparing the two countries one should remember that Americans look at Canadians as younger brothers, with less of the independent spirit that Americans believe sets them apart. In fact, survey research has shown a distinct “counter-revolutionary” tradition in Canada, compared with a “revolutionary” one in America. While this is a gross generalization, each country’s birthright has no doubt affected its subsequent path in numerous subtle, yet important ways.
Government and Elections
Canada, in a lot of ways, has a less centralized government than the United States. Each territory or province (the equivalent of US states) has control over the universal healthcare and education programs (though these are sometimes centralized in the federal government). Some territories retain their control over things that have nearly always been federally controlled in the US, such as immigration in Quebec. This can lead to a less unified system across Canada, and sometimes leads to problems when richer states feel they heavily subsidize poorer states. However, it speaks to the grassroots nature of Canada’s progressive politics that even though power is less centralized, policies are generally more liberal than in America.
On the federal level, Canada’s Senate is filled with unelected lawmakers who generally serve until they are 75. This changes the way laws are created in Canada (in comparison to the United States), with the Senate often looking after longer-term goals, much like appointed judges do in America. Also, the Prime Minister is directly controlled by his or her party members in the legislature. Unlike America’s President, a Prime Minister elected with a minority of seats held in the legislature can face a vote of no-confidence and be forced to resign or call for a new election.
Election practices vary as well. As alluded to above, Canadians do not directly elect their Prime Minister, only their local representative, and political campaign donations are strictly limited. This means that politicians only have to campaign in a small, local areas and campaigns aren’t nearly as expensive as they are in the US. Consequently, the influence of rich special interests, big business, and organized labor on Canadian politics is severely limited On top of that, though Canada has a “winner-takes-all” election system like the United States, there are four major Canadian political parties of note, while there are only two here in America. Though American and Canadian political parties operate very similarly, Canada has more parties in play, so politics tends to be less dualistic, with more room between and beyond the classic liberal/conservative dichotomy.
Adding to that, Canada is dominated by Anglicans and Roman Catholics, while America has a much higher proportion of evangelicals. Due to the differing church models, America has seen many more political/religious movements than Canada, and religion in America tends plays a much larger role in public life, elections, and politics.
Lastly, Canada stands in contrast to America with respect to Quebec. No US state has such a powerful government whose ruling party’s stated goal is independence. Puerto Rico may be on the fence with respect to this issue, but there has been nowhere near the amount of succession talk as heard in Quebec. The fact that Canada would likely let Quebec go if they voted to secede speaks volumes about the differences between these two countries.
Market Size and Economics
Canada’s market is smaller than America’s, thus causing some significant differences in economic policy between the two countries. For example, there is virtual free trade between the US and Canada, with Canadian industries making products for a unified US-Canadian market. For the few industries that are still protected by tariffs, some Canadian companies hold monopolies over an industry because Canada’s market is not able to support more than one major player. By and large, Canada has not been overly aggressive in breaking up these monopolies.
Perhaps because of this smaller size, Canada has been much more likely to legislate for the “public good” than to allow market forces to decide prices and competition levels. Canada is more apt to enact legislative fixes to social problems (healthcare, broadcasting, etc…), and is more likely to stick to a balanced budget. Contrary to American politics, Canadians are much less likely to hold up “the market” as the perfect economic example. This makes Canadians less susceptible to anti-communist rhetoric thrown around in America in response to universal healthcare initiatives (socialized medicine), welfare (handouts), and market regulation (intervention).
On the other side, the breadth of the American market also contributes to Canada’s brain drain, as Canadians emigrate to the US to find opportunities that are just not available back home. Also, because of the inefficiencies inherent in Canada’s smaller market, Canadian workers are on average 18% less productive than their American counterparts.
Social Issues: Drugs, Poverty, Health, and Race
Canada’s looser drug enforcement policy (pdf), without mandatory minimum sentences or a national “war on drugs,” means that Canada has a dramatically lower incarceration rate (pdf) than the United States. While the US incarcerates over 700 criminals per 100,000 people, Canada incarcerates slightly over 100. Without as many drug arrests, and without the kind of “three strikes” laws that mandate long sentences for repeat offenders, Canada’s crime rate is many times lower than America’s. With less crime comes less cost to the government charged with arresting, housing, and feeding inmates, and fewer ex-convicts (with all the social and economic stigma that go with incarceration) in the general population.
Working with that, Canada does not have a history of institutionalized slavery like America does. Though there were slaves held in Canada, especially during the colonial years, by the early 1800s slavery was gradually being abolished and Canada was a destination for many escaped slaves travelling on the Underground Railroad from America’s South. Consequently, race relations in Canada are less divisive and more complex than in the US, dealing more with the ramifications of indigenous populations and immigration than American race relations, which have focused almost exclusively on African-American equality.
Also, due to a myriad of factors such as different taxation rates, different costs-of-living, different social programs, different education policies, and different ways of measuring, Canada has a lower poverty rate than the US. This is important to keep in mind when discussing welfare, universal education, and crime solutions in the two countries, as the cost and scope of these programs and problems can vary dramatically in relation to the percentage of the population living in poverty.
Lastly, on the health front, Canada has fewer smokers than America, less obesity, and less physical inactivity, all resulting in fewer health problems. These three indicators are some of the main preventable causes of later disease. The fact that they are less prevalent in Canadian society means that Canada’s healthcare costs are inevitably lower than America’s. This, in turn, affects the debate when talking about adopting Canadian universal healthcare policies to the US.
Foreign Policy and Energy
Because of Canada’s smaller size, it often has no choice but to act diplomatically and come to consensus when dealing with international problems. Simply put, unilateral military action like the current US-led war in Iraq is unthinkable in Canadian military circles. Consequently, Canada has fostered strong diplomatic ties to many nations and in general believes heavily in international governing bodies like the United Nations and the World Bank, organizations that many Americans inherently distrust.
Helping that multinational outlook, Canada is a net exporter of energy, even though the cost of heating is generally higher (because of Canada’s cooler climate), and the cost of transportation is generally higher (because of Canada’s sparse population). In contrast, America must import energy because our natural resources cannot keep up with demand. This means the US and Canada react differently to geopolitical concerns relating to energy and energy prices, the latest example being Canada’s refusal to enter into the conflict in Iraq. These differences also mean that higher energy prices tend to grow Canada’s economy and stock market, while depressing ours.
Dare To Compare?
There is no reason Canadian solutions can’t work for the United States, but some adaptation will be necessary. Michael Moore, in his latest documentary “Sicko”, is only the latest in a long line of activists (free registration required) calling for Canadian style healthcare for American citizens. Moore has also cited Canada as an example of how to deal with gun control in “Bowling For Columbine.” However, the complexities of such an adaptation quickly add up. Take the comparison of gun control policies for example: One must remember that Canada does not have the same level of independent spirit present in America, Canada has far less drug crime (because drug use is more tolerated by authorities), and far less crime in general due to liberal sentencing laws and sparser population.
The problems are complex and the solutions are never easy. And for the record, no, it’s not Canadia. What are your feelings on the differences between Canada and America? What key points have I left out?
Illustration by jackrascal.
Just as an FYI, Canada is in Afghanistan, and Canadian soldiers are dieing in Afghanistan. The Canadian contingent has the the most difficult area in the entire country.
Also, the Canadian Senate is completely useless and does almost nothing. In the more common Majority government, the Prime Minister has more power than the US president. A Prime Minister would be the equivalent of the President, Senate Majority leader, and Speaker of the House all in one, with better party discipline. In a minority government (as Canada has now), things do change.
It should also be noted that election campaigns are national affairs. While a local candidate can make a difference, national considerations do take precedence. The reason money isn’t as involved is 2-fold. First, campaign spending is much more limited. Second, alot of election spending is publicly financed. Each vote a party receives in an election gives them $1.75. This makes up a large component of election spending.
Thanks for your thoughts, Derek. Be sure to check out the article that Mac is working on about Canadian involvement in Afghanistan - it should be up toward the end of our Canada series.
Thanks for the correction. I’ve updated the post to reflect the facts. Always appreciated.
As for the Prime Minister, I find it highly interesting that though he holds way more power than the US President, Canada is still much more liberal, and in many ways, much less totalitarian than the US. I guess it speaks to the qualities found in the electorate that Canada is often seen as some kind of liberal bastion state. I guess with the new government, things may be changing. Either way though, we tend to make huge fusses in the States about minor points of government organization and policy. Though these things may well be important, we would do well to remember that you can have a more powerful executive and not fall into dictatorship. Not that I’d trust Bush with that power…
Good article. One major difference between the countries is immigration policy. Canada welcomes immigrants, with one of the highest rates in the world. Once here, immigrants are encouraged to keep their cultural roots alive. There is no “melting pot” here, and it’s made Canadian society better. Being exposed to people from everywhere has made us less afraid of the “other” and less threatened by foreign languages. To say nothing of giving us a wider variety of cuisine to choose from.
Compare the two national mottos. America: “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, Canada: “Peace, Order, Good Government”. Americans believe that an armed society is a polite one, but I can’t imagine where they get data that supports that idea. America as a country and as a group of citizens, is armed to the teeth, but nobody could describe America as anything but a bully. Crime rates are hard to compare, but my experience is that Canadians are far nicer to one another than Americans are. And you’re certainly at a far, far lower risk of getting shot in Canada than in America.
Good article, except for one thing: Drugs are not legal in Canada.
Keith , I can appreciate your allegiance to Canada {are you canadian ? }I am an American that was born in Denmark and immigrated here at 3 and naturalized at 10. I find your comparisons to be contemptfull.
How does the comparison of the two mottos make America out to be a bully? You beleive that Americans beleive an armed society is a polite one,so why should we come up with data to support your interpretations of our society ? If I have a gun in my house to protct my family , does that make me a bully ? Also , I have been all over this country ,I am a chef and have
managed a few restaraunts. and I can tell you with the utmost confidence that we have a wonderful if not endless supply of cultural cuisine.
I don’t know where you get the idea that anyone or immigrants are expected to dump their cultural roots once they get here. We just want you to function in the system thats in place.
My whole family is made up of immigrants who’s cultures are still very much intact in their lives .I have a daughter that is Mexican , Italian ,Danish and German . My son is Portugese , Hawaiian , Scottish , Danish and German. And we all celebrate these cultures in a lot of ways.
Canada is great , I’ve been there 3 times and it was always good . But I can’t sit here and let you marginalize my country with opinions and unsubstantiated facts.
Preach Micky!! As a resident of Brooklyn, New York, working in Manhattan, I can say the cuisine is top shelf, any variety you could wish to taste. I can also tell you any immigrant here will attest to the fact that their cultural heritage is alive and well, encouraged and nurtured by the city and its residents. Granted New York is an exceptional place, but in small town USA (where I was born and raised), you’ll find the same inclusive attitudes. Of course there are a number of small minded people out there as well, ones who will try to keep other cultures down and/or out, but that’s not solely an American phenomenon, that’s a human phenomenon.
Keith, I’ve loved Canada every time I’ve been, love the people, love the culture. In fact, I’ll be traveling to Manitoba for some fishing at the end of this month. But let’s not raise one up by putting the other down. They’re both wonderful places, and I’d be thrilled to call either home.
As a Canadian with a mostly American family, I’ve lived a lot of my life crossing back and forth over the border… I’d really strongly disagree with anyone who thinks there is a great cultural gap between America and Canada.
There is a political gap and also a sociological gap… one in which Canada comes out with a much rosier picture.
I’d definetly disagree with the poster who thinks you can get more diverse cuisine in Canada though… that’s just backwards. However, I think Canada and the US differ in that America wants people to become American and Canadians want people to express their own individual ethnic identities.
@Keith
I do think the difference you pointed out is worth noting. While there is no question immigrant culture survives in America, Canada has not seen assimilation, or even working inside the system, as a goal for its immigrants. Case in point, Canada has two official languages. I don’t necessarily think either system is wrong, but it is a difference worth pointing out when trying to understand the two countries.
@Dylan
I agree with you. The cultural gap is there sometimes (more so in French Canada), but it really isn’t a big deal. There are many more similarities than differences culturally.
You should note that in Canadian parliment the common practice is for all the members of a party to vote together. In the US, contentious bills are won by pressuring reluctant senators to change their vote. In Canada, only a few reluctant rebels vote against their own party. Most members of the ruling party are what we call “backbenchers” They have less say over how their party votes than the cabinet which is the prime minister and his ministers (who form the closest thing we have to an executive branch). What this means though is that earmarks do not exist in Canada and a bill about, say, transportation is actually about transportation, unlike the omnibus bills in the US.
Free votes do happen, and are now more commonly used for social issues (although each party decides whether to vote as a block or not). Recently, the Conservative party had parliment vote on whether to repeal the same sex marriage laws, some parties chose to let their members vote freely, some parties voted as a block. The result was that Parliment voted to keep same sex marriage as legal in Canada. The Conservativee Party (who represent Canada’s social conservatives) now felt they had done their duty towards the social conservatives and stopped worrying about gay marriages and moved on to other issues, perhaps glad to be able to leave such a hot potato alone.
In Canada, divisive issues (abortion, gay marriage,etc) are bad politics. Best not to be defined by those issues. The system seems to favor middle of the road parties. The right wing party learned their lesson the hard way. Our Reform party tried to run the right, and found that ultimately, it could lead the opposition, but never govern, so it merged back with the center-right Progressive Conservatives to form the current Conservative party.
That, right there, seems to encapsulate some HUGE differences between America and Canada. In America, it sometimes seems like divisive issues are all that gets discussed in the political arena. Who wants to worry about the farm bill or transportation initiatives when we can talk about other people’s sex lives?
I wonder why that difference exists.
One glaring problem I find with this editorial is the statement that “Drugs are legal in Canada”. This is absolutely untrue. This is a misconception based on the “Safe Injection Centres” for heroin users and the misdemeanor marijuana possession law.
Also, anti-communist sentiment is completely unnecessary north of the border as we do not fear a governmental system that clearly does not fit with a North American way of life. (Yes, including Mexico)
I fully agree with your statement regarding religion being completely separated from governmental policy, however. As a Canadian I’m surprised at the amount of Americans politicians who call upon a middle-eastern deity to guide their actions.
No offense intended, but discussing a Judeo/Christian god openly while representing people of countless faiths could be deemed as exclusive
To Brian and Tisha -
I think you’re misreading the following sentence:
J is referring here to enforcement, sentencing policies, and the mentality of having a government-declared “war on drugs.”
At no point in the article does he assert that drugs are legal in Canada, merely that the way Canada enforces its anti-drug laws is different than how we do it in the US. This plays into the lower rate of incarceration in Canada.
Thanks Ish.
I guess I need to clarify my drug statements. Drugs are illegal in Canada, but the level of enforcement and incarceration is nowhere near what we see here in the US. One third of America’s prison population is in on drug charges. Canada has taken a much more moderate approach towards drug users, rightly preferring to treat drug crime more as a nuisance than a national priority.
It was in reference to the paragraph “Dare to compare” where the author wrote
“One must remember that Canada does not have the same level of independent spirit present in America, Canada has far less drug crime (because drugs are legalized), and far less crime in general due to liberal sentencing laws and sparser population.”
The parentheses hold the point the author made to which I had contention.
I’ve been following the last few posts and it brought a question to mind.
Does Canada offer a system for drug offenders that offers better choices other than the paradox most American users face. I get the impression that they dont have this snowballing problem that america has. I know that the penalties are less severe in Canada, but I’m curious as to what kind of treatment or preventative measures the govt. offers.You can be hopeless in jail, but you can also be hopeless on the street.
I wonder what the cost is to there govt. is, seeing as how universal health care is already supported by tax revenues. I wonder how much of that is put into drug and alcohol programs. Or is it all a separate system.
Brian,
Our mistake, and good eye! We’ve amended the offending passage.
Yes, the paragraph Brian quoted is what I was responding to also.
(Initially I couldn’t find the original comment - I wonder if it’s a great idea to amend or edit the original work. Perhaps a footnote would be better? I dunno, just a thought.)
I’ve lived in the Toronto area my entire life, so I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but: Police in Toronto and the surrounding areas use a certain amount of discretion with respect to marijuana. Often, they don’t seem to care if you smoke a joint even in their presence, as long as you are not being a jackass about it. I think I’ve heard of similar situations in the US also, when cops just look the other way. When the Liberal party was in power and planning to de-criminalize pot, the police became the most relaxed about pot that I’d seen in thirty years or so. When the PCs got in and scrapped the proposed decriminalization legislation, levels of police response rose and then levelled off again. They care as much as they’re told to care, pretty much. Through my work and social life, I’ve gotten to know a few narc officers and detectives over the years, and they do NOT want to waste their time busting people for anything that will not stick or can be watered down. Seems understandable.
However, having said that, they still can and somtimes do do bust people for simple possession if circumstances merit.
Most people here, including the authorities, seem to realize that pot is by far the lesser of many evils and behave accordingly.
I have lived in several areas of Canada for 26 years of my life and have recently immigrated to the US and became a permanent resident. I can offer some views on the diffrences that i have seen thus far between the two countries. As far as immigration goes (I have just went through it to enter the US) I think Canada has a much more stream lined system as far as immigration goes and I know thats not much help for those who are currently going through it as its rough. The US has a decent system but the complaints I have is the money that is wasted on performing the same endless tasks numerous times to enter the US. On several occasions I would need to fill in and then pay for the same form over and over again as one part of immigration would not speak with the other part of immigration. This seems to be waste of resources and I think something that should be looked into as a possible cost/tax reduction. As far as the health care system goes there is huge diffrences in the quaility of care. I have noticed not just with myself but with family in friends back in Canada the doctors don’t seem to go the extra mile like they do in the US. There are large northern cities in Canada who are paying high taxes but have either no hospital facilities or limited facilities. The government does not want to fund the extra rural areas or to create a center in the rural areas but instead relies on costly and time consuming air ambulances flights back to major cities for the most minor of conditions. So Canada does have good health care but in a sense if your not in the hand full of major cities it seems your at times out of luck. The issue when you move to most cities is that none of the doctors are taking new patients due to the shortage of doctors in the country forcing those that cannot find a doctor to wait in emergency rooms to try to see a doctor thus increasing wait times for those who are in need of emergency services.In the US I am able to find a decent doctor and there appears to be less of an issue with shortages. They all seem to want to go the extra mile to find out what the issue is and take care of it in a timely fashion minus all the lenghty waiting lists which is nice. My only complaint about the US system is that its pricey. But then again you pay for what you get!
I would also like to speak on one of the matters that another person has posted on about the nature of Canadian citizens and American citizens. I can tell you after moving to the US that the people here seem to slightly less friendly than there Canadian counterparts. As far as the statement made in one of the posts about Canadian views to new immigrants and there cultures…well I am still not certain there is a huge diffrence. I work with many diffrent races here in the US and have even had special dinners with diffrent cultural foods to respect the diversity. Back in Canada we did the same thing so I am not buying into the fact that you must drop your culture at the door. I find alot of the people I work with very interested in my Canadian roots.I worked with an American back in Canada and we were all very interested in his views and the way he did things so the respect of others cultures seems to be about on par.
I have found the American people to be less laid back particulary when it comes to working. When working in Canada there is so many days off and made up days off for us to relax. In the US it seems the emphasis is more on working alot more hours then I had found back in Canada. I can say we used to get atleast one long weekend every month.
Anyways just thought I would share my thoughts on some of the issues form a perpective of someone who has lived in multiple locations in Canada such as rural north Canada and the major cities as well as the USA.
Jeff !
I’d be interested in hearing hear more about your initial reason for your move and wanting to be a resident as opposed to citizenship. Health care ? Weather ?
I moved to the US due to the fact that I met a girl that I ended up marrying after a year or more of travelling back and forth. As for being a resident I have been here coming up on a year so I have recently became a permanent resident and in 2 years and a bit I will be able to apply for citizenship at this time. Another comment on the immigration system here in the US. I moved to Texas and was lucky enough to be part of a test program for rapid adjustment status. Basicaly the old system you would get your non-immigrant visa to enter the US and you would then have to apply by mail and go through a lengthy procedure to adjust status to a permanent resident which can take a year or more in some cases and if you forgot a form or did not dot an i or something it would be sent back to make the changes. At this point you would then have to go to an interview where you would be approved. The new program has you make an infopass appointment and go to the office where they take your fees and check over all your paper work to be sure that your case will fit in to the program. Once accepted you get your interview the same day and then in a week or so you go and get finger printed (for about the 10th time I might add) and then get your permanent resident card within 90 days. I think the biggest issue with immigration reform and the policies they need to change is to look at steam lining some of the procedures in immigration. After having gone through the immigration procedures and the stress and length of time it takes of constantly filling out the same papers over and over again I can understand why so many people have bypassed this and entered ilegally! With the current immigration talks about granting a path to citizenship I think it needs to be a very strict process and I find it disturbing how the ilegal immigrants are protesting to get this done like it is a right they have to citizenship. After spending thousands of dollars and over a year in the immigration procedure like many others and came here legally it bothers me to see that the ones who slipped through the cracks get to stay in the country and can now presure for legal status. I have many ideas on this issue having gone through it and a couple horror stories from my own case.
As far as why I decided to move here instead of her. We thought about all the issues and there were a couple considerations. The first being the weather. It was a tough one as she could not stand the cold and I have a hard time with the heat! In the end I thought I could deal with the heat a little better then someone thrown in to 40 below winter conditions. Financialy it was also a better decision for us as she is in a medical field that would have required her recertify again in Canada where as I am in the IT field and my education and certifications are universal between Canada and the US so the move would be easier for me then her again. Finally the health care issues. She heard too many horror stories about the level of care and wait times in some of the places in Canada and thought that although expensice the US system is a better choice for her—and its hard to differ on that. One thing I would like to see change in the current US system is a way to reduce the insurance rates or setup a system that would take some of the benifits to the Canadian system and some of the benifits of the US system. The Canadian system would work great in theory but much of th issues stem from government waste of money. For example in Canada the recent ad scandal where millions were pumped into Quebec (and I believe still are in some instances) to help with the issues there. That money could have been better spent on education and health care to get more doctors and reduce the current wait times…so in the end the Canadian system could be great if there wasn’t so many hands in the cookie jar!
Anyways thats just my 2 cents on it!
Those are interesting comparisons Jeff. As far as healthcare goes, there is no denying that the profit motive for healthcare translates into generally better service and lower wait times. However, as you point out, healthcare is incredibly expensive, especially for the complex procedures. I can understand why those with money do not want to give up their good service to help those without. That is probably the biggest obstacle to healthcare in the States. But the fact is, if only a certain percentage can afford healthcare, we have failed our citizens in a moral sense.
Most proposals for US healthcare reform try and keep the advantages of a profit-driven model while insuring everyone. People are enrolled in basic, government funded care, and can then opt for premium, private care if they want better service. This seems like it will work to some extent (and I believe Canada does the same), but infrastructure can still be a problem. The key would be to pay doctors the same amount while lowering the costs to patients, and that really means government subsidies. It is a vexing problem, to say the least.
Personally, I would advocate for better primary and preventative care, available to all. That way, we could reduce the number of complex, expensive procedures and be able to handle the volume with a reduced staff. The primary care fields would still be well paying because of the increase in patients and government subsidies on the front end, thus reducing cost throughout the lifetime of a patient.
I’ve noticed something { I think } or at least thought of something. I have no question that America wastes millions on the cost of incarcerating harmless people as compared to Canadas jail population and inmate turn over rate which is much less.In America jails have become big business that is granted to private security firms. Which is a big part of why the system here won’t change. And all states are reimbursed a certain % by the federal govt. for each inmate , and not all that money is put into the respective states prison system. Do you think an incentive for carrying the cost of universal health care would be to stop locking up drug users and people that simply posess a small amount. If Canada had to lock up everyone like America did would they be able to do both at the same time. And does the cost of treatment , illness and collateral damage from drugs take a big chunk out of Canadas health care system ? Seeing as how Canadas drug use polocies are relaxed and incarceration is low.
I think Canada treats the real problems, not the perceived threats. If you stop locking up any kid with a bag of weed, then you free up your resources to rehabilitate the addicts that actually need your help. I think a large part of Canada realizes that drug use is not necessarily detrimental to a person’s ability to function in society.
As for the prison system, there is a ton of money tied up in it. I’d think that most conservatives, though, could get behind something that would reduce costs, no matter where the money was going.
Unfortunatly I’ve noticed the conservatives are the most ignorant on the subject of addiction being a disease.And are the party that looks at it as a crime instead of a need. I would count on the left to approach this a little more compassionatly.
A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions. Being willing to ignore the basic instincts of survival such as the need for shelter and personal well being to feed your addiction isn’t a disease, its natural selection at work.
Addiction is recoknized by the CDC , DEPT of health and listed in all American journals of health and medicine as a disease. Schizophrenea and other mental disease do not have to be contagious or transferable to be considerd a disease. It is anything but a natural selection. An addicts organs are highly abnormal and will severly impair bodily function due to serious chemical imbalances This can be due to genetics or the inability to process a chemical due to ones lack of counteractive chemicals in ones body.
Go to the wikipedias site on alcohol and addictions. That should educate you. It will be hard for you to argue your point if you read the findings from The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.If you have a doctor , ask him.
Or you could scroll up to the top ,click on “guests” and read my article ” Thoughts on the drug war from a recovering addict ” Then you and I can talk some more.
There was a great book on Canadian studies - published in India, I believe (could be wrong) called “Ambivalence”. That word, in all of its negative and positive connotations (include just bi-lavence as well), captures *so* much of our cultural self-identity. Comparing the USA in the same conceptual register, the key word might be “Certainty” or “Mission”.
Margaret Atwood wrote the preface to that book, and she wrote about a theme in Canadian studies, which is that the USA is founded on an “Adamite myth” - a moment of genesis, and of self-remaking, growing out of its revolutionary moment. During that moment, America had to define what it was and what it stood for, and develop its own iconography and mythology.
This never happened in Canada. Our soldiers fought under the Union Jack in WWI, and Canadian students only started learning Canadian history in school in the Trudeau era. Before then “history” meant learning European history, and British history more specifically. Modern Canada slowly emerged as a colonial administration basically re-branded itself. Canadian identity has evolved slowly, and we still argue about what it is or what it means.
When Canadian history was being phased in to the primary school curriculum, the contrast was made with the USA often - Americans grow up learning everything about their own country and nothing of the world, whereas Canadian kids (at that time) grew up knowing nothing of their own history and everything about the world’s. Canadian history is still kind of in a “reclaiming our own importance” mode - digging up Canadian heros and Canadian accomplishments for us to build up our own heroic pantheon. Canadians in general resist the idea of heroism in thinking of themselves though. We have lived on the periphery of the French, British and American empires for so long that we are very, very good at detecting the irony and puffery of the heroic poses taken up by imperial representatives. Canadian humour is very subversive towards self-professed powers.
Politically, I would say that although the Parliamentary system does not separate legislation from executive power the way the Republican model does, it is effective at limiting power. We have no term limits, so today’s session in Parliament is *always* about the next election. Also, perhaps because your vote for a party is a vote for a platform, people who have wanted to introduce new platforms have had to launch new parties, and the arrival and departure of political parties keeps changing the political landscape. There is a strong movement afoot to introduce some proportional representation into our electoral system, which will make it even easier to launch new parties that can actually enter parliament.
Our constitutional woes may deserve mention. THe US Constitution is a historical document that is treated with reverence. Our has yet to be fully ratified by the whole country - and in fact the prospect of full ratification seems remote. People accept the same Charter of Rights and all the rest. The main issues that remain unresolved are the balance of powers (and transfers of funds) between the regions/provinces and the federal government. Quebec in particular is holding out for a sweeter deal than the current proposals would offer.
Scale - The US is so much larger - in terms of population. A combination of the scale of communications, the need to make political messages penetrate this mass, the heroic sense of historical mission and the two-party system make it easy to use narratives of good-vs-evil in the American context. THis is *way* too dramatic and Wagnerian for a Canadian context. We’ll settle for reasonable vs. misguided. Also, in the Cold War, the US was one of two adversarial world superpowers. Hey, guess who was right in between the two of you!!
Red scare didn’t play well up here, in part because it is just too dramatic for a non-adversarial culture, and in part because the US was the source of it. Canada is awash in American media and info all the time, but its biases and limitations are so transparent to us, because it almost talks to us, but not quite. We always don’t quite fit the position being addressed… So we develop an ironic distance from US-based information. Then it is *so* hard to get our own messages, stories, movies and stuff circulating with all of this expensively-produced US media around, so we get a real “grain of salt” attitude towards the information we consume. That included red-scare stuff, and in general Canadians were willing to think about socialist countries in ways that preserved important distinctions between our evaluations of the people, their governments, and their economies. We didn’t assimilate socialism wholesale into a good vs evil dichotomy as much as the Americans did, in part because we don’t view that dichotomy as a touchstone in our decision-making. Americans sometimes think we’re wishy-washy because we don’t take sides as categorically as they do.
This difference in “taking sides” is extremely pervasive. Except for hockey, Canadians don’t get into the home-team vs away team mind set as much, or in the same clear-cut manner as Americans do. THis is huge. I don’t know why, but it kind of touches everything, and leads to a very different feeling when in each culture.
Americans accept inequality more than Canadians. Canadians don’t like to see people struggle and fail. We like to lift them up to the point where they are able to contribute like the rest of, and not a milimeter farther. Canadians hate the welfare state as much as Americans do at the point where able-bodied people become lazy and dependent. The difference is that when we perceive that someone is actually so hard off that they are unable to pitch in, we are generally willing to help them back up to their feet. If you google research on Canadian Values, this should turn up.
However, the US tolerance for inequality also means that they recognize champions. When Americans recognize a talented person, they tend to back that person. Canadians are much more likely to apply pressure for that person to conform to the mean, and not to think that they are anything special. So the brain-drain (and music-drain, and comedy-drain) to the US is not just because of the size of the US economy, but because you can be a winner in the US and not be punished for it. Canadian musicians and actors etc, *often* comment that Canadians will not recognize their talent until they gain recognition in another country first. Maybe we are still conditioned to see what happens elsewhere as “real news”, and what happens at home as “only Canadian”. - A colonized mentality, for sure, but hardly surprising, given our history.
In terms of multiculturalism, the way you become culturally Canadian is not via assimilation, but precisely by retaining your distinct identity and then agreeing to get along with everyone anyhow. So precisely by *not* assimilating at the identity level, but *still* accepting a neighbourly attitude to those around you, you become Canadian, because unity-in-difference is what we are about. If one is a “traitor to America”, there is an obvious kind of symbolic dramatic meaning implied. To be a traitor to Canada, it would have to be literal treason (e.g. a military officer giving information to the Taliban that harms our troops), or something like in-group supremacy (white supremacy, islamic supremacy, etc.). Those kinds of in-goup/out-group fascistic kinds of things are betrayals of the Canadian ideal and the promise of Canada.
MacMic, very good ideas and observations. As an American for my life (40 yrs) and a recent visitor to Canada with the intent to move, I was perplexed by some of my observations of Canada:
* No bumper stickers on cars (or very few)
* No exaggerated personalities of the people I met (which I initially deemed as unfriendly)
* No political rhetoric advertised on clothing or billboards.
I think your message cleared some of those observations. It was a refreshing change from the States where it seems everyone has an opinion and willingly advertises it.
Interesting article… some statements were true but a few… id have to say that this page was written up by an american because the facts on some Canada facts were very untrue and only a American wouldnt know how there neigherboring government works… First Prime Minister has more control then the President if he gains majority.. Canada has fought every war that was needed to be fought in the last century ( www1 and ww2 ) I also believe we were in bosnia, we are currently in aghanistan.. and iraq is a war that the States should be court marshalled for by the United nations! they went through the United Nations, and everyone said NO.. they dumped the united nations and went in anyway.. ne other country doing that would had gotten in big crap.. so the war in iraq is just for Bush to do his thing and has nothing to do with the safety of United States or ne other country.. Vietnam:S.. theres another terrible war.. we wont even go there..lol.. korean war?? … We dont have a big army but we do use it a bit smarter.
immigration laws have changed lately and we do not allow as many people in, but we still have a high percentage and i think Canada should be commended for that. Giving people a chance to better themselves in a beautiful Country, Also alot of these immigrants are richer or create massive wealth over here.. definitly adding to the economy! ( look at Vancover and Toronto Canada’s two major cities where foriegns settle..
As now for the market and wealth… Canada is a more exspensive country to live in and has less poverty then the states. though are market is smaller due to the lack of only have 40million in population roughly compared to the states with 400mil? Are country has a debt that will be paid off in 15 years or less.. the States will never see there country debt free, China owns like a qauter of the states.. there are many factors why id invest into Canada then United states.. so overall Canada is finically doing better.
as of 2008
Wow! your really smart. if i hadn’t read your comment i would be putting false info on my report about the differences between canada and the us’s government. thanks for the help!
Did you hear about why Canadian’s have double paned windows . . . so their kids won’t hear the ice cream man.
Some of the biggist skin flints alive are up here.
I have lived half my life in the US and half in Canada….. here is my 2 cents on the both of them
canada free health care to all but definatly not the best !!!
usa healthcare 2nd to none, but if seriously ill you could lose your house and life savings paying for it
canadian people alot more frindly and more willing to help one another
usa very rude and rasist ( not all but very widespread )
canadian schools, all equal
usa schools the richer area you live in the better the schools
canadians are taxed out the a** on everything, makes it very hard financially on alot of people
usa moderate taxation system much fairer and easier on the average middle class
canada alot safer, low crime rates and big cities still very safe to visit or live
usa most big cites run down and poverty strickin, where crime runs rampade
canandian winters long and cold,
usa the same in some areas but aleast you could move south
canada goverment services way better, better roads, more parks, cleaner, good public transit systems
usa not so much,,,the better area you live the better the services
econimies are very similar both have ups and downs at different times,
all and all in my experiences, both are Beautiful FREE countries in which to live and raise a family !!!!
The usa altough alot of crime and rasism, and services and people are judged by your income level its still easier to make a decent income and have a decent life to afoord some of the better things in life
Canada a very clean safe place to live where all are treated equally, no matter what, but the high taxes make it hard for the middle class to afford alot of the things the average middle class can in the usa
This is rediculus! this is saying that Canada is a bunch of sissies! and I can clearlt tell that this was an american who wrote it OMG!
This is a good dialogue - and I’ll briefly share my point of view as a Canadian living in Calgary, who has spent his life living equally in that city and Ottawa. I was going to write something long and self-congratulatory about Canada’s firearms laws, but I wont’t. I’ll just say that if I want to buy a pistol in Alberta, before the seller hands the gun over to me, I have to show my right to possess that firearm. I have to have undergo an extremely thorough background security check. I have to also take a gun safety course (written and practical) - all of which takes, on average, 3 months. In 1978, I took basic training with the Cameron Highlanders Rifle Regiment and shot enough weapons to be, in the end sick of them - at the time I owned a shotgun and twenty-two rifle, and a few years later sold them - this entry I know is anecdotal - but if you want to talk in terms of the oil and gas workers I know in Calgary, maybe ten percent own shotguns/rifles and maybe one in a hundred, if that, own a pistol. Are the gun laws similar in your States? Do people own as many (more or less) firearms as mine don’t? Thanks - Andrew
Andrew Lynch, the gun laws in the U.S. for the most part are far different than Canadian gun laws. There are gun laws at the federal level which apply to all states, there are gun laws at the state level, which apply only to their respective states, and depending on the state there are gun laws at the local level, which are only valid in their specific localities. Federal gun laws are extremely lax, but are more complex and litigious compared to Canadian gun laws, which are more streamlined and centralized. The federal gun laws are always supplemented by state gun laws which vary in restrictiveness. In places like New York City, it is virtually impossible for anybody to even get a .22 rifle, whereas in places like Montana, you can buy virtually any type of firearm you’d like with very few restrictions. Overall, people in the U.S. own far more handguns and firearms in general than Canadians. If you would like to find out more about our state firearm laws go on http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/
I’ve lived in Canada my whole life and let me say this: Canada’s healthcare is actually very good, my father had surgery to repair his heart and now he’s actually physically healthy. I also went to the U.S. 2 years ago and I had an anaphylactic reaction and the first thing the doctor said was, “what’s his problem……it’s going to cost you around 1490 dollars American.” Thank god I was insured by the Canadian goverment. Lastly the weather in Canada is much more milder than you think I checked my bills last year and I paid more for AC than heating. It’s actually very hot during the summer in Ontario. Except around the Hudson Bay and north of that is when it get REALLY COLD!!! Just to verify any doubts.
you didn’t say the simalarities here!!!
i need to finish my homework and i need 3 more things canada and the united states have in common!!!
& it’s due tomorow!!
Travis, Canada isn’t full of a bunch of sissies. If we were ’sissies’ then we wouldn’t be fighting in the Middle East now would we? No, Canada isn’t full of a bunch of sissies. We fought in the first two World Wars with honor and bravery, If my history also isn’t incorrect then Canada joined the first two World Wars far before America did. I belive in it was 1914 for Canada and 1917 for America during WWI and 1839 for Canada and 1941 for America. Then again, America didn’t have reason to go to war so I wouldn’t say that my WWI proves enough.
We are currently disobeying our peace loving ways to battle in a American caused war.
I think fighting is wrong, Everyone knows it’s wrong. So we tend to try to stop fighting, calm down the rest of the world from having a fight. I think it takes more guts to stand up and stop the fighting then be fighting yourself.
As for the artical, Very well written. I agree on the facts that some Canadian based policys are not going to work in the United States. However, With a bit of tweaking then some of them should be able to work. Both are great countries in there own ways. But I rather live with my sweet girl Canada.
Your article was interesting and thought provoking. I and my family just spent 6-1/2 years living in the US and are in the process of returning to live in the Greater Toronto Area. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the US and had very positive experiences. One difference I noticed is that, in general, Americans tend to view the glass as half full whereas Canadians tend more to view it as half empty. I am appreciative that my children were raised during these 6 years with this very positive attitude surrounding them.
The flip side of this is that Canadians tend to have a deeper sense of humility than Americans. This humility is important in our “global economy/smaller world” as it keeps us aware of our short-fallings and drives us to improve our systems and processes. Overall, I found a sense of humility to be somewhat more lacking in the US.
Many considerations factored into our decision to return to Canada. Some of them, which relate to your article, are the health care system in the US and the threat of conscription possibly being reinstated and affecting my children. I, as many Americans, could share many, many healthcare horror stories that I experienced through neighbors and acquaintances. We had good healthcare because our company offered good insurance, but I was always very aware and worried about what could happen with a different set of circumstances.
Keep writing and best regards!
Thanks for the article and comments! I have never been to Canada but I fell in love with the ideas of equality and tolerance that I seem to hear from people who live and visit there. I am a liberal and gay, and I have to say that living in America can be hard for sexual minorities because of the religious right. I am also in the Midwest which is the more conservative part of USA along with the Southern states. Im finishing up grad school and considering where to move which will be a more liberal area (Either the NE or West Coast in USA) and I have been researching Canada because it might just be easier to not have to deal at all with the religious right if I move completely out of the states. So anyway, thanks for your thoughts and insights on the two countires!
Just throwing this one out there… Canadians have provinces, not states. You also fail to look at multiculturalism, which is a huge difference between Canada and the USA in both your constitution and population. And as much as Canada is viewed to be the 51st state, I think we can be expecting Canadians to reach out on a more global level in the future. Also, in a lot of your comparison, you’re not looking at population at all which LARGELY affects the statistics and their meaning between the two countries. Canada has 32 million people; USA has 300 million. So of course crime rates are going to be lower in Canada, and of course the USA is going to be an economic power house. Canada is very Americanized these days - and Canadians certainly aren’t appeased. Trust me, Canadians certainly do not embrace American ideologies, overbearing patriotism and exploitation in American media. Currently Canada exports 82% of its resources to the USA and I do believe Obama has plans of changing that and creating a foreign policy that isn’t so dependent on American discussions. Either way, it can be expected in the future when USA makes a turn towards socialism and there will be a huge international power shift from North America to China. This will definitely loosen Canada will loosen its ties with America. America will no longer be the economic hot spot; just wait until capitalism is embraced in Asia. Both Canada and the USA will be S.O.L. Can you say, “Japan, anyone?”
Oh, but I should probably tell you this is a very useful blog for my current research, and overall you make very valid points…so thank-you!
I’m canadian and I live in the northern parts of canada. It can get to -50C at winter and 40C in the summer and alot of people can’t take the extreem tempature changes. We like the winter because we make our money in the winter and then summer comes and we can book a month off and head down to the lake and just injoy life.(for those in the gas&oil industry or affected by they gas&oil industry) The biggiest problem our country and Gov’t has is with canada’s size and population, for exapmle roads. Canada is huge and because of our winters our roads don’t last long so they constintly need work but canada only has 30 billion people to pay for those roads so the avrage canadain pay’s alot more for roads then the avrage amarican. then there is snow removeal brining the cost of road construction and mantnince up even more. We have the same problem with Hospitals; our need for hospitals and docters have skyroketed with our population getting older and bigger and the provances are trying to keep up but it’s difficult to atract enough doctors when they can live somewhere warmer and make more money and pay less tax’s. Most canadian doctors arn’t from canada, most are immergrants who got a short cut through emergration because we’re desprate for more. the province of BC has desided to lower health care costs by helping it’s citizens lose weight and live a better lifestyle. the city of FSJ for example has increased it’s parks, sports, and walking paths by 7x what was there just five years ago. Already the kids 3-13 are in far better physical condition then those 13-20 who don’t score much better then the avrage amarican.
A big differents I see in canada and the states is that when you hear amaracan’s talk about alternative power they only talk about themselves. They talk about their econamy, and their energy crises and them leading the world in eviromental issues where canada doesn’t. Canada, when talking about alternative power, talks about helping the econamy, not just canada’s but the USA’s and the worlds. We don’t have a energy crisses but we could sell extra energy to the states helping them with theirs and give ourselves a boost. We don’t talk about leading the world in eviromental issues, we talk about fallowing germany and other countries. We talk about improving ours so we can help others. We talk about taking the expensive plung so later when parts of Africa and South America are choosing their energy plans the price of wind and soaler will be down making it an easer choice.
Another big diffrence is the avrerage canadian troop training compaired to the average american troop. The average American in the army get six months I belive. They get Basic combat training and then Advanced Individual Training. The average canadian gets 2 years. I belive they need to go through Basic Officer trianing and their Initial Assessment Phases before moving on to learning a Second Language and then they get occupational training. Also at the end of their training a US troop gets a PT test. Just a few months ago canada finaly got rid of the fitniss rules to join. the PT test for the army is 2 minutes of pushups, 2 minutes of sit-ups and a 2 mile run. In canada, before you could even join the army you had to run 1.5 miles.
One of the things I grew up hearing was that if the US tried to invade canada, all canada had to do was turn off their lights. that may no longer be as true as it once was but A lot of resorses that Americans take for granted does comes from canada. How long do you think America could fight a war in canada if canada stoped shipping power, oil, gas, and other resores to the US. Canada also has far more allies then the US. The US has better tech and more troups but in a war that isn’t everything. If it was the case then they would have stopped drugs and torrerism and the middle east would be an american Haven. (Also American army vechiles arn’t ment for the cold and neither are Americans. They can’t fight a ground war here in the winter)
I love America and what it stands for and most of it’s people are great but some of them just don’t know what their talking about.
I apologise for my spelling; I’m not always that bad and normaly I spell check but I just don’t have the time at the moment; I should have left for work ten minutes ago.
Okay you people that are all disagreeing is really getting on my nerves I’ve got an hour to do a report on Canada vs. America and all your indecisiveness is a real pain in the ass!
Hello Everyone and Thank You for your comments.
As a quick precis about myself, I am a true Canadian and wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my Queen, my Country and my People. I proudly wore our uniform and my brother proudly wore it in Afghanistan. I come from a large family (7 children) which could have been rightfully described as poor. However, I have been granted many opportunities to better myself and I live to believe I have.
I found the original article quite interesting. However, it lacked the insight needed to really flesh out the differences between our two countries. The most important difference between America and Canada is that we Canadians do not feel the guilt of slavery. The bondage faced by many blacks in the states has created a permanent sub-text to all American dialogue. The institutional racism has no analogous brother here in Canada. Our greatest shame as a nation would be the ‘Residential Schools’. These were schools run by the federal government and in some cases commissioned by the crown to educate all children in certain areas. Due to the population dispersal, white families often lived nearby and so the children were never removed from their homes. Native families were widely scattered on their ancestral lands and their offspring were forcibly removed by government agents and enrolled in these schools. The stated goal was to remove Native culture from the fabric of our society by educating the next generation in a European manner. To that end, English was the only language permitted and there was extremely strict segregation. The actual conditions in the school ranged from excellent in government run urban centres to appalling in Jesuit run outposts. The real abuses occurred mainly in Jesuit schools and is an accurate reflection of the Quebecois/Catholique mode of government. These schools were largely shut down by the 1920’s and an official apology was given by our Prime Minister just last year. The combination of sincere regret, physical separation and elapsed time has relegated this issue to the absolute sidelines of Canadian politics. Races otherwise mingle extremely well in most parts of Canada and we have provincial Human Rights Tribunals dedicated to ensuring just that. The strength of American media has imposed a measure of guilt on us for slavery, but our country was the the forerunner of the abolitionists, only held 4092 slaves (40% intra-tribal, 30% French and 30% English) and have fully expunged our wrongdoings over the course of the last two centuries. With the election of Obama, hopefully a similiar healing can take place in the States.
Our form of government is what is called a ‘Constitutional Monarchy’ which means even though we have a constitution, the crown still resides as the ultimate fount of power. The Royal seal pervades Canadian life and is one of the most important parts of our heritage. Regardless from whence they came, immigrants are only asked to accept Queen Elizabeth II as their queen and recognize her authority. Since the Governments authority is legitimized by the Crown, by accepting the Crown, you likewise recognize the authority of the standing government. This elitist viewpoint is one of the things that allows us to live in such a well ordered society. At each level of government there is a check to the political process with ultimate veto power. On the surface this might seem totalitarian but it manifests itself with wise immediate decisions being made by people beyond the petty politics of every day government. Likewise, our military is loyal to the Crown and acts on its behalf with its authority. For that reason, you swear allegiance to the military and the Queen. This also acts as a safeguard against abuse of power by the legislative/judicial branches of Government. While the Prime Minister has de facto control over the military, it is truly controlled by the Crown and only the Queen’s Officers have the authority to command. As well, this also means that our military is strictly federal and while we have a ‘militia’ (Reserve Units) they are under federal control and are only used when an ‘Aid To The Civil Power’ request is made by the government. It is then up to the Crown to decide whether or not military force is called for. This is an extremely rare occurrence but has indeed happened on several occasions. Never in Canada will you see Militia units clearing university campuses at gun point. The National Guard is a state run relic of the 19th century.
Our government manifests itself in other aspects of our lives as well. Since the Monarch swears to protect their subjects, they are required to protect us from crime, warfare and illness. This is the real truth behind why we have universal health care in Canada. In discharging our duties we respect and obey the sovereign and in discharging theirs they provide for and assume personal responsibility for each individual under their reign. On one end of the spectrum you have the local constabulary sworn to protect you from crime all the way to soldiers sworn to protect you from foreign harm and doctors sworn to heal. The obligation of the sovereign is to protect us from others and ourselves. This might seem frightening to a nation where freedom is more important than duty but it has worked out very well in Canada.
That quote is lifted directly from the Monarch’s site. While directly referenced to the UK, it is equally applicable to Canada.
There are more differences between our two countries, but for the sake of brevity, I won’t illustrate them in any greater detail. Thank You for reading this and I hope it provides some clarification for you.
Sincerely,
Daniel
thx for all the unbiased opinions.i have two graduate admissions from a Canadian and an American University and i am struggling to decide. can you plz help me on deciding which one to pick.
Flora
I’m a German who has traveled extensively in both the USA and Canada. I attended university in the USA and feel I have a fair understanding of both countries. I have found that similarities and differences are more pronounced among east and west than north and south. What I mean is that Canadians from the west coast are much more like Americans from the northwest than like Canadians from the east. You’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between Calgary and Denver. Toronto and New York are more alike than New Yorkers and Californians.
In fact, the only large differences I can see are in the American deep south.
Most young people in Germany are amused by Canadians who make such a big deal out of the Canadian flag on their baggage. We don’t really see a big difference. I don’t see a big difference among northern europeans either.
The reason we proudly sew our flag onto our baggage is because our country has never done anything shameful and we are proud to be its representatives.
” Toronto and New York are more alike than New Yorkers and Californians. “
You nailed it.
As a Canadian who travels to the US frequently, its easy to see the differences between our two nations, along with the differences within our own country!
As for the drug comment in the article; marijuana is de-criminalized, it doesn’t mean it’s legal.
Kudos to all who thoughtfully wrote sharing their opinion regarding info in the above post. As a USian (American) now living in Toronto I have now ten months to contemplate first hand the Canadian existence and how it compares to that in the U.S. My opinions mirror many of those stated, especially of those folk who have lived in both countries.
Canadians seem to, in my opinion, be able to breathe a bit easier. They seem to be more affable to interacting with their fellow neighbor on the street or subway despite whatever stresses or concerns they are feeling in the moment. They are more willing to give someone a smile. The U.S. is a “melting pot.” Canada is a “tossed salad.”
Health care in the U.S. is part illusion. One might have the best health care insurance available and still have a nightmare with the health care delivery system. Or getting reimbursement for services. Even those with “A” class (if you will) insurance can find that co-payments, deductibles and circumstance can lead to financial disaster or bankruptcy. I have lived in three major U.S. cities and have had to wait in all to become a patient of the doctor of my choice. Same as in Toronto. No difference. I don’t believe for a second that ALL U.S. doctors go the “extra mile” as is mentioned in one of the previous posted comments. One, anyone, in either country, must be proactive and comfortable in conversation with their doctor to achieve great health care. I have and have had excellent doctors in both countries. Many communities in the U.S. also do not support tertiary health care (hospitals). The difference is that in the U.S. one is not transported to the nearest appropriate facility on the States dollar. In Canada, the Province will, indeed incur the cost of transportation if a patient can not be treated in their own community. Each system has its own faults, I suppose. I have lived in three States and one Province. I have always been well insured. I would choose the Canadian Health Care system over the U.S. any day of the week.
There is more to say, of course. I will collect my thoughts more and post when I can. I feel I have a greater depth of understanding thank to many of the comments above.
You point out our system only having two parties but also fail to point out that in a first-past-the-post system, results become more and more distorted when more competitive parties are introduced.
In Britain and Canada you have situations where 3rd (and fourth parties) can receive as much as 35% of the the vote without winning anything! Right now the BQ is disproportionately represented in parliament (meaning they represent more seats than they earned as a percentage of the votes cast). Because of this disproportionate representation the current government of Canada is a minority one. If Canada were to adopt a PR system there would be a better possibility of forming a coalition government in Canada, and Quebec’s influence would wane.
You also implied that Canada is being exceptionally nice for “allowing” Quebec to leave Canada, I find this to be absurd. It hasn’t happened for one, and in Canada there is a legal procedure involving a referendum that would allow Quebec to leave. No similar process exists for US states but were one to, and were it to be utilized by a state/territory like Puerto Rico, I see no reason to assume the Federal Government wouldn’t allow them to do so. We did, after all, respect the independence of the Philippines.
Also you should consider that Quebec makes up about a quarter of Canada’s population; to prevent them from seceding would be like preventing the entire Northeast from legally seceding from the United States.
It’s funny, but Canada is in America. America is a continent, not a country.