Hmm how abotu USAian?
Would sound like some wierd DBZ race.
We could call ourselves Uniters (not Dividers). Or possibly Statesmen.
It makes me kinda uncomfortable to see this unjustified nationalist pride of being Canadian and not a “stinking American” instilled by shows such as “Talking to Americans” on the ol’ teevee and by Talk radio stations. Makes us no better than the American stereotype we’re putting below us, really.
Yeah I know “Talking to Americans” only picks the segments with really stupid people when it comes time to picking their clips. But then again they’ve managed to university professors and governors to sign petitions about idiotic stuff like legalizing central heating and condemning the Canadian school system because 80% of students can’t find their home state on a map of Canada. It case your wondering, Canada has provinces, not states. They’ve also managed to trick George Bush a few times. During the presidential elections they convinced him Canadian President Jean Poutine said he supported Bush. Canada has a Prime Minister and his last name isn’t Poutine (fries with gravy and cheese) it’s Chrétien.
To be fair, it was more of Bush failing to correct a person who approached him as a Canadian journalist. It was underhanded in a way.
MERCER: Governor Bush, a question from Canada? Prime Minister Jean Poutine said he wouldn’t endorse any candidate [but] he says you look like the man who should lead the free world into the 21st century.
GOV. BUSH: Really?
MERCER: Yeah, so what about that? How’s his endorsement?
GOV. BUSH: Well, I appreciate his strong statement. He understands I believe in free trade, he understands I want to make sure our relations with our most important neighbor to the north of us, the Canadians, are strong, and we’ll work closely together.
Now, I know Chretien (I refuse to use accent marks!) was PM then, but isn’t the PM Paul Martin now? Or has that not fully gone through yet?
Nope, Paul Martin doesn’t get his wish until Wednesday the 10th. But hey, he’s waited 10 years for Chrétien to retire, what’s 3 more days.
North America and South America were technically one continent (just as Europe, Africa, and Asia are technically one continent), but they’re two now because of the Panama Canal.
Central America is more like a region or sub-continent. Like “Middle-East.” But it, and the Carribbean islands, are part of North America.
“American” generally refers to citizen of the US. Calling anyone else an American, and you’re just playing with semantics.
Originally posted by Megaman984
As for Monroe Doctrine, that was later modified by the Roosevelt Corollary to make it stronger or something. Some later president, FDR I think, threw it out so the Americas aren’t treally technically in our Sphere of Influence any more foreign policy-wise.
That may be true, but the idea of them being in our sphere of influence has not changed. Part of the whole Cuban Missile Crisis was based on the whole concept that the infamous Soviet Union had entered our informal sphere of influence. That and the fact that they had nuclear missiles that could target most of “America”.
Oh yes, stop badmouthing the US. We have our political problems, but don’t stereotype us and call us stupid. The thing about the US is that there are so many different types people you really can’t stereotype us. Besides, Canada has its fair share of idiots.
In Japan, they refer to the USA as “America”, and to citizens of the USA as “Americans”, and I believe this is exclusive. My ex-gf (who is from Japan) actually equated “American” with being white, for some odd reason. Like she’d talk about my friends who were black, Asian, etc. and then say I was “American”. Even though all of us were US citizens.
So yeah, Japanese are silly people. 