Help! Ronald McDonald and Wal-Mart are Taking Over My Countryyyyyy!

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I just ran across Mr. Multicultural Jeff’s blog, and in celebration of the American Independence Day from 2006, Jeff had some quoted material in his post that sounded familiar.

Some quotes to share:

“Canada will be a strong country when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them.” -Pierre Elliott Trudeau

And in his “about me” section, I found the following quote written by him:

“I am a very vocal Canadian who speaks out against the “Americanization” of Canada”.

Side Note: Thanks to Jeff’s command of good-hearted self-contained Canadian spirit and ambitious contribution, I am now aware that Pierre Trudeau’s quote was referring to the separatism situation between Quebec and the rest of Canada. More information can be found here about that. I had confused the “wanting to feel that Canada belongs to Canadians” with the ongoing problem of “Americanization” in Canada where Canadians are fighting to be a sovereign nation ( independent from the US) as exemplified by the Canadian Action Party.

My apologies for the misunderstanding! America loves you. ♥♥♥

My point still remains the same, however. Let’s continue…. shall we? Many Canadians feel this way. Many Don’t. An example can be found from this topic on Facebook, “Which is better: Canada or America?”

(sic) I totaly agree, we dont start wars everywhere and the only reason we’re so full of gay stuff is all cuz we are so close from the usa and by that i mean the medias and commercial music, fast f00d and tv that make everyone lazy and fat…we live right next to the kingdom of greasy food and bad tv so we might end up like that. an oh yea, there’s more ppl smoking dope in canada than in the usa

I am so sad more people are smoking dope in Canada. I am jealous and heartbroken too. Since having read that, my heart skipped a few beats and any spirit left in me has vanished leaving me with feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and ruin. But I shall try to continue to tread… Oh Canada.

I also found out today that America is a “cultural wasteland”. But I am here before you to tell you what America really is. The only true Americans are those whom are native. Everybody else whether their ancestry be European, Canadian, Mexican, Cuban, Haitian, Brazilian, Jamaican, Japanese or the natives themselves, —> it is all these mixed cultures in the US that make up what American culture is today. We are a country that is what we are today due to its multinational make-up. Immigrants built America and immigrants continue to build it. America doesn’t pretend to be perfect as there will always be something to work toward. And the salad bowl that we are, we continue to strive without giving up. Americanophobia only makes the true American spirit more alive as we become more bonded as a family.

I made the following comment in Jeff’s blog: (especially after my finding that his favorite TV show is *gasps* Family Guy).

If you are against “Americanization”, why do you watch our TV and use our stuff? Most stuff we have in the US was made in China and you don’t hear us screaming about “Chinesation”. I am happy that you’re vocal about it, though. I mean, it’s not our fault that you guys are doing and using the same stuff as Americans. We’re not pointing our guns at you and forcing this stuff down the throats of Canadians. It’s your choice. You are a democracy. You should be able to change this rather than blaming us for “Americanizing” you.

In my opinion, I find Canadians need to have more confidence in themselves and not look to your neighbors to the south as a scapegoat.

These are the thoughts of MANY Americanophobes living in democracies. And that’s why I’m devoting a whole blog post to this issue. Americanophobes, in their infantile nature, have one thumb up their bum with the other being sucked on. They are in this constant mode of looking for a nipple. A more concise way of saying this: Americanophobes play the “victim card” all too much. We hear them cry often. We hear them play the “blame game”. One thing we never hear them doing is taking responsibility for themselves.

What an awful way to live!

I sincerely do not understand all this whining about “Americanization”. It’s hypocrisy at it’s finest.

Another point that I believe is hypocritical is the fact that the Americanophobic Canadians blame us for voting in Bush twice thinking we have more power than we do. (Hint: electoral voting system). If you’re going to make all Americans (even those that didn’t vote for him) responsible for Bush, then I find it fair enough to hold Canadians RESPONSIBLE for rampant “Americanization”.

I find it only practical and logical to

• boycott our products including our movies, TV, any websites, our disgusting fast-food (heck, if it wasn’t making money in Canada, it couldn’t exist) technology, products, blue jeans, popular websites, or inventions by Americans. That will teach us because then we’d lose a lot of money and it won’t be worth it anymore to export our “Americanisms” across the border.
• and to keep it a Canadian Problem and not a problem with American people.

If the Americanophobic claim from Canadians saying that their stuff is so much better than Americans is true , then you’d think the boycott would be easy, no?

I realize that this gentleman wasn’t outright accusing Americans of this misfortune in his country, but I’ve seen enough Americanophobes whine, moan, and groan about “Americanization” to American people (blogs and social networking sits are public, by the way) as if they think we can change this for them? What’s the point? What can I do about this? How is this ONLY the problem of America? Isn’t trading a two-way street – a *MUTUAL* commitment, anyway?

I’m genuinely trying to make sense out of all this.

This reminds me of a quote by Jean-François Revel:

“Is Euro Disney Land a threat to the French Culture? If French culture can be squashed by Mickey Mouse, or more exactly by simply moving Mickey geographically, it would have to be disturbingly fragile.” Moreover, Revel argued, culture always circulates and, in the case of Euro Disneyland, California was merely repackaging for Europeans such European stories as Cinderella and Pinocchio. According to Revel, French culture was not being colonized and if any culture was in crisis, he contended, it was that of America with its fad for political correctness and other forms of “neoprovincialism.”

Here’s one more interesting point Mr. Multicultural Jeff jotted down in celebration of the Fourth of July in his blog that I found equally confusing:

“Canadians have an abiding interest in surprising those Americans who have historically made little effort to learn about their neighbour to the North.” -Peter Jennings

(I know who Peter Jennings is and I am aware that he’s passed away). On air in the US, Peter Jennings wept over 9-11 and began to smoke again on that day. He doesn’t sound all too Americanophobic to me – at least from what I know of him. However, this is a redundant argument used by Americanophobic Canadians – not figuratively – but LITERALLY like a broken record.

Same ole song. Same ole song. *yawn*

There’s much hypocrisy to be said here. It is fact that Canadians learn about America in school. They are forced to memorize our states and capitals and well as “learning” about our history. It is also fact that Americans get limited knowledge about Canada in school. (This is another reason for rampant Americanophobia in Canada as they are said to be always feeling left out, unnoticed and unappreciated. In any event, though, our lack of knowledge about Canada is out of our control as young grade-school pupils in a classroom. You cannot blame the average American for this. However, you CAN blame the system for this. The “system” does NOT represent the average American. Later on in life, as an adult, it’s up to them to learn about Canada if they want to – especially if they plan a visit. Canadians need to think more reasonably and realistically about this issue.)

Here’s the hypocrisy: Americans know just as much about their neighbors to the North as do the Canadians about their neighbors to the South. See, what the Canadians DO know about us is mostly distorted facts and heavily relied upon stereotypes. What has all this “learning about America” done for Canadians other than incite hatred and friction between the borders? Education is supposed to OPEN one’s mind – not close them. This is one of the few inspirations for my entry, “America, the Stupid”.

Yes, there are Canadians who see American people and America with a more balanced view. What separates these Canadians from those that are so bitter?

Short. Man. Syndrome.

Yes!

Your “Average American” according to the Americanophobes:

We are nationalistic, paranoid, arrogant, fat, lazy, greedy, racist, spoiled-rich, slutty, prude, ugly, ignorant, stupid, humorless, loud, obnoxious, carbon-emitting, baby-killing, flag-waving, bible-thumping, gun-toting, inbred and self-centered hicks.

This stereotype was even further validated by one of my commenters.

(sic) I do NOT live like an American. Trust me on that one. I watch real football, hockey, speak four languages, don’t carry a gun, am not scared by watching the evening news, and spell colour and flavour with a u

The evening news? Are you the same people that tell us yanks that all of our news outlets are biased and to not watch them? So, which is it? Make up your minds!

Oh Canada!

Actually there is more!

I never denied the Canadian ego problem. Our bear is better. Our food tastes better. We have REAL maple syrup. And we kick your ass again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again… in hockey. Just as it’s the man with the smaller phallus that needs too belittle the other by ‘trying’ to redirect the argument, it’s the confident, larger phallused male who can take the slings off the arrows of argument. Nothing like having the ego of a field moose, EH?

You can call it what you want: A poor attempt at trying to sound funny or a fashionable display of his unwell hidden “short man syndrome”. I say BOTH. While the above quote may appear as a “joke”, if you look at his blog and the comments he left for me down below, this is “truth” for him.

Mr. Multicultural Jeff!!

A Columbian blogger against Americanophobia wrote a piece in her blog challenging the views of so many South Americans and Europeans who had gotten upset with her for standing up for Americans and calling out the rest of the world for their irrational hatred.

I had wanted to talk about the American people for a long time, especially since I received a shower of criticism due to a piece I wrote in my Spanish blog called “Que Europa se Vaya al Carajo” (To Hell with Europe). There were a lot of comments that demonstrate the immense gap existing between the rest of the world and Americans. This is not news. Nevertheless, that piece made me realize that Americans are not the ones who have closed minds and conserve stereotypes of others. I had been reading what some Colombians, Spaniards, French, Germans, etc. think of Americans, I now know that they are the ones who conserve exaggerated stereotypes and they refuse to recognize the true face of America.

Read the rest here.

I really don’t know exactly what she meant by “to hell with Europe”, but if you can read Spanish, this is the piece that she wrote referring to her feelings about Europe (a different blog post).

Stereotypes and Americanization go hand in hand as noted in this article.

It is my belief that Americanization gives other countries a false sense of the American way of life and, in the end, causes hatred for the U.S. and threats on our power and freedom.

[snip]

Americanization is not only changing the world, but also causing wrong judgments to be made about American life. In a recent French poll of images that come to mind when thinking of America, 67% of those polled said “violence” and 49% “inequality” as opposed to only 20% who said “freedom” and 4% “generosity” (3). In Europe, Americans are stereotyped by globalization as being shallow, spoiled, and shortsighted. Tim Synder writes that only a little more than ten years ago, America was a great model of democracy. “As an American I was asked about Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, and the Constitution. In 1998, I’m asked about Paula Jones, William Jefferson Clinton, and the Fifth Amendment” (4). What happened between those ten years that would drastically change the way Europe and the world view American life? Even President Bush isn’t exempt from this kind of stereotyping. When asked to describe President Bush in France, the most popular answers are “a ventriloquist’s dummy” and “the Forrest Gump of American politics” (3). In Singapore, words like violence, workaholism, and disrespect for authority are all synonyms for the “American Way.” “In your movies and your materialism, we don’t see the real America,” writes Simon Tay, a Harvard grad and lawyer from Singapore trying to explain this misperception (6). When looked at around the world, Americanization seems to have the opposite effect than what was imagined, causing many nations to incorrectly stereotype America.

You can read the rest here.

Aside from American TV and celebrities, I had never thought that American stereotypes could also stem from American globalization, so I found this an interesting read. And I must say that if I had lived in a different country, I would be against “Americanization” too! (I prefer all-things-Japanese if I had my way!!) However, I believe this problem has a solution. Being that American globalization has taken over the world, I feel the French and Germans raising taxes and tariffs on foreign companies and investors justified. I feel that other countries should also follow suit as those in Israel are doing too. With that said, I also believe in the boycott of American products as well. For example, when I was living in Japan, I saw McDonalds, Coca Cola, and other Americanisms – so to speak. Because I favor Japanese food and products over American, I would, for the most part, buy Japanese over there. I also had a TV in my Japanese apartment and had a choice of what to watch. I had absolutely NO problem in Japan avoiding American products. Easy beans.

While I believe that globalization IS a REAL problem, I find it troubling when I watch other countries consume what we make and feel that all Americans are “such and such” when you really cannot place such a “label” on over 300 million people that come from all over living in America.

Some say that the “Mexicans are taking over” here in the US. I find (read carefully, now) ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION to be a REAL problem too —– HOWEVER, I don’t blame the Mexicans. That would be stupid. If I was Mexican, heck, I’d try to leave my country illegally too. I find their motives justified. But I blame the American government/Bush and $$$$ Corporate $$$$ America $$$$ Fat $$$$ Cats $$$$ for allowing this to happen —- NOT the Mexicans.

Anyway, this is not to imply that Mr. Multicultural Jeff, the author of the aforementioned blog is a full-throttle Americanophobe nor is it to suggest that he is guilty of being indoctrinated to believe in the “Ugly American” stereotype that blankets us all. I read his “about me” section and he notes how he traveled two different cities in the US. He describes the US as being a “cultural wasteland” as proudly noted in his blog. I mention what I mention because what’s stated in his blog is nothing out of the usual from what one would hear from an Americanophobic Canadian – which is definitely not uncommon.

Same ole song. Same ole song. *yawn*

How is the United States a “cultural wasteland” when other countries continue to buy and use this “waste”? See, the hypocrisy? Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

For every few fit-pitching disgruntled and insecure Americanophobe, I find one civilian who doesn’t subscribe to such blind hatred. One can only assume from this post —> (a Canadian Tribute to Memorial Day) that this Canadian gentleman judges people by the individual and not the group they belong to. Go visit Fracas. He’s a nice guy, has a nice blog, and if you’re a WordPress user, he’s also very helpful.

Before I end this post, may I just formally apologize for my fellow Americans that think you guys live in an igloo and ride polar bears? I am profoundly humiliated and embarrassed by this. My first experience with Canadians head-on was when I was living in Japan. They used to work with me. I never thought these crazy things about them, and am having a HUGE problem with those Americans that do think you all live in… igloos. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. So, please accept my apology. I feel your frustration as I’ve been on the end of stereotypes being an American. But please know that not all Americans are this STUPID.

To any Canadians reading this, if you have a problem with my challenging the views of the Americanophobic Canadians, you should be just as upset (if you’re fair and impartial) with the thoughts that I’m challenging. If AA Canadians are bold enough to flaunt publicly about how they feel about Americans, then they should also be just as bold and prepared to expect a reaction. I also recommend taking the thumb that is in the bum and switching it with the one that is in the mouth for a change… or to mix things up a bit. Amuse me. I get bored easily