In the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about the possibility of Canada becoming economically and culturally a part of the United States. Such talk, which I find terribly defeatist and discouraging, has probably been around since before there even was a Canada.
Perhaps it is happening. Perhaps it is already too late to reverse the process. I believe, though, that there are a great many major psychological differences between natives of our two countries, differences which make such a union highly unlikely, if not downright impossible.
Consider the following points:
Americans hate to pay taxes. The country was founded on a tax revolt, and the people find the paying of taxes revolting to this day. Taxes are considered a drain on the profits of entrepreneurs, something that stifles the growth of the economy. Canadians love to pay taxes. We all love our government services, and would rather pay more than receive less. Oh, sure, some wealthy Canadians try to avoid paying taxes by using loopholes and shelters, but, by American standards, they’re strictly small potatoes.
Americans have a vibrant, colourful history. Their most famous historical characters (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Herman Munster) serve as role models to this day. Their most memorable events (the winning of the west, the emancipation of the slaves, the first season of Laverne and Shirley) have the status of legends. Canadians feel that that their country just sort of happened while everybody was watching the Americans. Our most colourful characters are a Prime Minister who held seances to talk to his dead mother and a Prime Minister’s wife who hung out with rock stars.
Americans are individuals with a great amount of personal initiative. They all have a great desire for success. They believe in laissez-faire capitalism, where, with hard work, anybody can become President, or even Tom Hanks. Canadians are laid back. We have a decidedly more socialist view of the world: if at first you don’t succeed, run to the government for help.
Americans love violence. The right to bear arms is enshrined in the American Constitution. The American national anthem glorifies the country’s bloody history. Canadians prefer to watch. Standing on guard for thee is about as violent as we get. It is theoretically possible that the colder Canadian climate is responsible for this difference in temperament.
American money is boring, a sickly shade of green. Canadian money comes in all flavours.
Americans claim to hate sex, but secretly enjoy it. True, there are pockets of Americans who honestly hate sex, who would like to see the country return to the morality of the Middle Ages; but, while they exist in enough numbers to sway certain state legislators, they do not exist in enough numbers to spoil people’s fun at the national level. In reality, the United States is where the sexual revolution happened, and is still going strong. Canadians claim to love sex, but secretly hate it. Remember the claim, “The government has no place in the bedrooms of the nation?” That certainly hasn’t stopped most provinces from enacting blue laws that make the Moral Majority look like a bunch of Marines. The one notable exception is Quebec, but they don’t like to consider themselves a part of Canada in any case.
America is a “melting pot” where all people are expected to put the country first and their own ethnic heritage second. This contributes to a fierce nationalism (which, in turn, leads to American chauvinism). Canada is a multi-cultural “vertical mosaic” where all are allowed, indeed, encouraged, to do whatever they want. This contributes to a lack of a cohesive national identity (which, in turn, leads to a wimpy foreign policy).
Please understand, there are no moral judgments involved in this discussion. Whether, for instance, having more interesting money makes Canada a better country than the United States is not the central point of my argument.
Despite the fact that Canadians often seem to lack a proper appreciation for the unique culture which they have created, there can be no doubt that it is that culture that will keep us forever separate from the United States, no matter how intertwined the two countries become.