[martin14]

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

I can only think of fewer than a half dozen countries I'd prefer being neighbours with, but those are for specific reasons only. When the big picture is looked at, the US is still the best neighbour we could have.

I'm curious about your list, and the reasons.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

BartSimpson wrote:

Hmmm. I don't know, but it sounds like you may have been donating blood to a pharmaceutical company because they are known to buy blood.

That doesn't surprise me that they do, but I specifically called the Red Cross as that's who I always donated blood to. Not only that, but I thought they were the only game in town anyway Wouldn't have even crossed my mind to call some pharma company.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

martin14 wrote:

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

I can only think of fewer than a half dozen countries I'd prefer being neighbours with, but those are for specific reasons only. When the big picture is looked at, the US is still the best neighbour we could have.

I'm curious about your list, and the reasons.

Well, to be honest, more for personal reasons, than much else. Mostly because I don't know the way polictics are played in those countries.
But I've always thouroughly enjoyed the times I've spent in Holland, Denmark, Scotland and Wales. People were super friendly, even the police. Heck, even had one police officer in Wrexham in Wales, call the custodian of the St. Giles Church hall to unlock it so I could go inside and look around. It used to be the orphanage my dad was raised in back in the '20s and '30s, run by the same church.
The pace also seemed less hectic(except for the big cities of course), compared to equivalent sized small cities and towns over here.
Economically, they might not be the best for neighbours, but from a strictly friendly, helpful neighbour point of view, I'd prefer them. Which is NOT meant as a slight against the US. I know that the average American is generally pretty friendly and helpful too, I just always felt more at home in the aforementioned countries than I do in the US, with the exception of MN.

[BartSimpson]

In fairness, the Europeans ARE more relaxed. They work 3-5 hours less per week than Canadians or Americans do, they have leaders who think that an annual six-week long vacation is a 'human right', they have cradle-to-grave socialism, and for the most part, they don't worry about war like they used to since the USA is protecting them with 10,000 nuclear weapons.
Canadians and Americans, on the other hand, work 40 hours a week..or more. We don't get government funded vacations, we're not assured of a job, and we do worry about war since we're the ones who've shouldered that burden for Europe for a good fifty years now.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

BartSimpson wrote:

In fairness, the Europeans ARE more relaxed. They work 3-5 hours less per week than Canadians or Americans do, they have leaders who think that an annual six-week long vacation is a 'human right', they have cradle-to-grave socialism, and for the most part, they don't worry about war like they used to since the USA is protecting them with 10,000 nuclear weapons.
Canadians and Americans, on the other hand, work 40 hours a week..or more. We don't get government funded vacations, we're not assured of a job, and we do worry about war since we're the ones who've shouldered that burden for Europe for a good fifty years now.

In all fairness, the US wouldn't be protecting Europe(or Canada for that matter) with its 10,000 nukes if it didn't suit its own self-interest. Consider it the ultimate bargaining chip. Not as a threat to nuke them, but to not protect them anymore unless they do this or that.

What you said in this post(and no disrespect meant) is akin to an enabler blaming the alcoholic in their life for drinking too much.

[BartSimpson]

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

In all fairness, the US wouldn't be protecting Europe(or Canada for that matter) with its 10,000 nukes if it didn't suit its own self-interest. Consider it the ultimate bargaining chip. Not as a threat to nuke them, but to not protect them anymore unless they do this or that.

What you said in this post(and no disrespect meant) is akin to an enabler blaming the alcoholic in their life for drinking too much.

In light of the fact that the US got dragged into two European wars it not only suits us to prevent anymore such wars, it is in our self interest.

That does not change the fact that Europe has been able to more or less eschew military expenditures for nigh on sixty years because they could depend on the USA to take care of those things.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

BartSimpson wrote:

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

In all fairness, the US wouldn't be protecting Europe(or Canada for that matter) with its 10,000 nukes if it didn't suit its own self-interest. Consider it the ultimate bargaining chip. Not as a threat to nuke them, but to not protect them anymore unless they do this or that.

What you said in this post(and no disrespect meant) is akin to an enabler blaming the alcoholic in their life for drinking too much.

In light of the fact that the US got dragged into two European wars it not only suits us to prevent anymore such wars, it is in our self interest.

That does not change the fact that Europe has been able to more or less eschew military expenditures for nigh on sixty years because they could depend on the USA to take care of those things.

I'm not gonna say dragged so much as decided to eventually join in. From a purely idealogical perspective, maybe the US was dragged into them, but the US DID have a choice in the matter, at least as far as Europe goes.
And to be fair Bart, Scotland and Wales are also where my roots are. I'm the first and only Canadian born in my immediate family.
I mentioned Holland mostly because of the way I get treated over there when they know I'm Canadian. And Denmark, well, what can you say about a country that has awesome beer, friendly people, hot women AND Legoland???
I'm not exactly sure why you seem to be taking this personally. I already explained my reasons had nothing to do with politics and were just personal reasons.
One question though. Some of those nukes are also supposedly protecting Canada too. How many wars did you guys get dragged into because of us again?
Seems to me that based on proximity and the protection of the US nuclear umbrella, that we should have a standard of living that's off the charts.
But if you want to get into political reasons as to why I preferred those countries, well hell, we can't even pass certain legislation without the US gov't getting it's panties in a bunch and threatening the border and trade.

[BartSimpson]

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

I'm not gonna say dragged so much as decided to eventually join in.

I'm going with 'dragged'. http://www.threeworldwars.com/world-war-1/ww1.htm

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

From a purely idealogical perspective, maybe the US was dragged into them, but the US DID have a choice in the matter, at least as far as Europe goes.
And to be fair Bart, Scotland and Wales are also where my roots are. I'm the first and only Canadian born in my immediate family.
I mentioned Holland mostly because of the way I get treated over there when they know I'm Canadian. And Denmark, well, what can you say about a country that has awesome beer, friendly people, hot women AND Legoland???
I'm not exactly sure why you seem to be taking this personally. I already explained my reasons had nothing to do with politics and were just personal reasons.
One question though. Some of those nukes are also supposedly protecting Canada too. How many wars did you guys get dragged into because of us again?

Because of Canada? None. Because of the UK whose government Canada more or less answered to until after WW2? Two.

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

Seems to me that based on proximity and the protection of the US nuclear umbrella, that we should have a standard of living that's off the charts.

You do. The US spends about 4% of GDP on defense while Canada spends about 1.4% of GDP on defense. That 2.6% difference (per capita) is where you're finding the funds to pay for health care and etc. Call it an indirect subsidy. Now that Obama is working to disarm the USA so he can divert the defense spending to health care that subsidy won't be there for Canada anymore.

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

But if you want to get into political reasons as to why I preferred those countries, well hell, we can't even pass certain legislation without the US gov't getting it's panties in a bunch and threatening the border and trade.

Mostly because we're right next door and that 4,500 mile border can have quite an effect on us both.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

BartSimpson wrote:

Because of Canada? None. Because of the UK whose government Canada more or less answered to until after WW2? Two.

And you would have stayed home had Canada not gone? I find that highly doubtful.

BartSimpson wrote:

You do. The US spends about 4% of GDP on defense while Canada spends about 1.4% of GDP on defense. That 2.6% difference (per capita) is where you're finding the funds to pay for health care and etc. Call it an indirect subsidy. Now that Obama is working to disarm the USA so he can divert the defense spending to health care that subsidy won't be there for Canada anymore.

Hmmm so when I say off the charts, you use our medical system(which you have continually claimed was inferior to yours) as your basis for our standard of living being off the charts. Wow. No, your claim was that US protection was allowing these countries to be "slower paced" in their daily lives with an increased standard of living. I asked then why your protection AND proximity haven't raised our standard of living well beyond the perceived level in the EU? Re: off the charts.

PublicAnimalNo9 wrote:

But if you want to get into political reasons as to why I preferred those countries, well hell, we can't even pass certain legislation without the US gov't getting it's panties in a bunch and threatening the border and trade.

BartSimpson wrote:

Mostly because we're right next door and that 4,500 mile border can have quite an effect on us both.

It can, but it usually affects us. I don't see your gov't guys giving a shit about any legislation affecting Canada negatively. And no, I'm not referring to health care either.

[Lemmy]

I've lived a significant portion of my life in the USA. I know lots of Americans. I have a lot of close friends who are Americans. I love baseall. I love Civil War history. I love American art and literature. Maybe it's the format of the internet forum, I can't say. But my opinion of Americans was higher before I started participating on this forum.

[Tman1]

The sooner Canadians get rid of this fixation on Americans, the better we'll be.

[EyeBrock]

Tman1 wrote:

The sooner Canadians get rid of this fixation on Americans, the better we'll be.

Our American-United Empire Loyalists roots are supringly strong.

[Lemmy]

EyeBrock wrote:

Our American-United Empire Loyalists roots are supringly strong.

It goes well beyond UELs. Americans have emigrated to Canada in massive numbers over the years. About 20% of immigrants to Canada between 1900 and 1950 listed their country of birth as the USA.

[fifeboy]

EyeBrock wrote:

Tman1 wrote:

The sooner Canadians get rid of this fixation on Americans, the better we'll be.

Our American-United Empire Loyalists roots are supringly strong.

[angler57]

Newton S. Minow, television exect. many years ago said, TV was a
"Vast wasteland".

Today, it has evolved into a vast Garbage Can.