Why is it that other countries know NOTHING about Canada, especially the US, but just assume they know???
602484
I don't! Official Declaration: I solemnly swear that I don't know much about Canada and will never pretend that I do! :)
316442
I think the US and Canada get along quite well, actually.  We are like siblings sometimes.  We squabble over silly things, but when it comes to important things, I think we get along well, or at least agree to disagree.  I am a proud dual citizen, US/Canada and I love both countries very much.  There will always be ignorant people in both countries who verbally put the other down, but there will always be those uneducated, intolerant types.  Luckily, they are not the majority.
96447
blame paris hilton and george w bush.\nLOL\nBut yes we see americans as being rude crude eating machines at times. We know the names of the states and the majority of americans have never even heard of anything but quebec and ontario. It's amazing cause there are only 10 provinces. I know it's predjudiced because alot of americans are fine people.
569605
yeah, America is often viewed as the country filled with people who are uneducated and have no clue what is going on around them. \nI heard a comment from a comedian, he said,\n"As a whole the U.S. is a country filled with idiots, but as a whole they are genius; Russians on the other hand are all Einsteins, but as a whole you can't find a dumber group of people." \nIt's sad, but somehow true, for example, try asking an Average American what the capital of Italy is, or even France. Americans don't care about what is going n in Dafur, in fact 95% probably didn't even hear about the country. Or ask an American to place Iraq on the map... and we are at war with this country!\nThere is nothing that anyone can do about that. But the fact that we are the most individualistic country in the world has something to do with that. People just don't care, they would rather watch American Idol, then worry about what is going on in Congress. Arrogance... \n\nOne day the political arrogance and ignorance of the general population will get us into trouble...
794357
Much less so than in most countries.  However, in all countries, there is some bias....Canada is one of the better countries that way in my opinion.
674007
I know several Canadians that put US folks to shame where politics are concerned. They are much more attuned to international affairs, domestic affairs than their southern neighbors are attuned to Canadian affairs.
853515
Actually, no.  Being an American myself, I can tell you at least from my experience that the people I know think of Canada as our neighbors to the north.  Canada is just like America, only you guys got it right, while we continue to spiral down into a pit of despair.  A friend of mine recently moved to Canada and I'm actually quite jealous of the things that are better in Canada.  Being an American, he sees and doesn't take for granted what you guys have up there.
1164039
The United States of America do doubt about it.
1112734
It's all in good fun. With all the politically correctness that American society says we should have, there is almost no one that we can joke around about that won't get overly offended. It's not that Americans don't like Canadians, it's that it's safe to joke with Canadians, because so many of them are such good sports about it. Canada is like a close cousin that you pick on at family gatherings.\n\nAlso, many people say mean things about Canada to be ironic. Someone might say that they hate Canada, which is funny and ironic, because there is pretty much nothing to hate about Canada. \n\nSo, because it's ironic and because it's safe, Americans have made jokes about Canada a soft of trendy running gag. There is no true dislike of Canada here, at least, none from me or anyone I've met.
786829
I've done travelling throughout Europe and North America and today I would think that Canadians are the friendliest towards tourists and immigrants.  In general, the Brit's tend to be more conservative and yet are open and curious about other cultures.  A couple of years ago I would have said that Australians would win this little contest but there seems to be a growing climate of rascism which is frightening. Many people from the U.S. tend to be unaware of global cultures and politics and yet can still come across as arrogant.  One of the biggest differences between Canada and the U.S. is that the U.S. considers itself a "melting pot" of different cultures while Canada sees itself as a mosiac, where cultures can co-exist independantly.  I think there's a lot of factors to consider before this could really be answered. ie: people in large urban areas tend to be far more accepting of different nationalities than those in rural areas, people who have directly experienced acts of terror tend to be a little less likely to be open with strangers (to put it mildly), etc.  Interesting question.
207439
Because people think that since we're "north" we are like greenland or something. they are dumb, that's why! and for the french, thats also dumb too...the person before said that 50% of canada speaks french? you must be kidding! with Quebec being the only main pocket of french speakers, with scattered francophones it is not half of canada!
1042656
YES!!!  For starters, a little respect and acknowledgment of how, not only the U.S., but Canada as well,  was stolen from the very people who tried to be friendly and 'good' to fellow man!
513291
No idea.  I'm not America.  But in Canada, we're all queer!
574992
That is an excellent question, and one that I complain about on a daily basis. It is especially ironic considering the sheer size of the country, and the fact that most current residents of the country came originally from somwhere else.\n\nPart of the reason why Americans (as a whole) remain so geographically ignorant is due to the education system or lack thereof. "More important" topics are being taught or are given a stronger emphasis than "mere" geography. That is the reason why the National Geographical Society was formed, to enhance the spread of knowledge on all things to do with mapping and geography. \n\nAnother reason is, when you are taught only one language (English) and also taught that "America is the only country worth learning about", why should you bother learning about other people's places? And this is despite the fact that this country is so big and important to the WHOLE WORLD, and this country's policies affect the lives of people worldwide, one would think that they would take the time to know more about the cultures and geography of other countries, as well as ensure that they take care when dealing with them, since, as they say, what goes around always comes around. Americans often accuse Britons of being from an "insular" island nation, but based solely on the geographical knowledge that the average American (and their leaders!) exhibit, I think that the shoe is on the other foot now. The only difference is, the American "island" is huge compared to the British Isles.\n\nA third reason is, the more interested you are about something, the more likely it is that you will learn about it. Have you noticed how often it is, that kids can learn all the words to the latest song on the radio, but ask them what they learned in school today, and they will look at you like you asked them to do brain surgery or something?\n\nA fourth reason: parents aren't taking the time to instill in their children a love of learning, and they are not supervising their education. They don't follow up on to make sure that they're doing their homework, and they don't attend Parent-Teacher Conferences. There's a reason why they call the language you speak best your "mother" tongue -- it's because your mother is the one who probably taught it to you in the first place. Any fool can have kids, that's a biological thing, but it takes a special person to be a parent. Parents have to care for all aspects of their children's well-being and development, and that includes their education about the world in which they live.\n\nThose are a few reasons.
738241
I echo Blaken's comments.\n\nI'm Canadian, and I have lived in the US for a number of years.  As a general rule (but not always the case), neo-cons and war mongerers dislike Canada because it believes in peace, order and good government.  On the other end, middle of the road Americans and those Americans who have issues with the current foreign policy of pre-emptive action tend to admire Canada.
1176044
Isn't that funny, i was asking myself the same thing. I assume that most have never travelled abroad and experienced the world beyond their own back yard. Call it ignorance. But I do agree that there are people out there who don't know that there is a whole world of opinions and ideals that are waiting to be explored. By the way, explore some of the questions in politics and you will discover that there are a considerable amount of people who are questioning their present government in the US.
38756
Why do you say "our" enemy without explaining who you are? I assume it is because you are American and since America is the centre of the world, you don't need to state the obvious. I assume you think I just spelled "centre" wrong because it should be "center" because that's how American's spell it.\n\nMy point is, criticism of the US by Canadians and others is because of the arrogance of Americans and your tendency to impose your will around the world.\n\nCanadians have most things in common with Americans. (But not banks as someone else said in their answer.) We are not becomming your enemies. But Canada and US are supposed to be partners in the North America Free Trade Association. A dispute arose over soft wood lumber. The dispute was settled by an indepenedent tribunal but the US refuses to accept the decision. Free trade has been great for both countries but America's refusal to play by the rules has two results. One, it has cost Canada billions of dollars. Two, it has lead to increased criticism of American arrogance, whether it be on this issue or any of the other ways the US acts like a bully.  \n\nIt's not true that Canada is becoming your enemy, but if it were, it ought to tell you something about how pooly to treat your friends. After all, you don't have many in the world. If you start to worry about losing your few remaining friends, with whom you have so much in common, maybe you need to consider that you may be doing something wrong yourselves.\n\nWe in Canada need to improve as well. For too long we've been taking advantage of the US and not pulling our weight militarily. With the election of a Conservative government on Monday we will be taking a step to correct this.