The U.S. and Canada, as I've learned, are distinct places with distinct ways of doing things. But at the core, I think we are quite similar--even cut from the same cloth, so to speak. One of the deep-seated similarities between the two is a culture of fervent patriotism, fed by a history of relative prosperity. While the average American is quite convinced the Stars and Stripes are emblematic of the "greatest country in the world," Canadians tend to look snobbishly down on this notion from their Ivory igloos, and are as sure as the sun rises that the Great White North is, well, greater.
These notions are fundamentally flawed, as evidenced in lackluster quality of life metrics, and the failure to agree on, let alone pass, important legislation to fight the problems of the day. How can you solve a problem when you can't even admit that there is one?
All of this to say, I love my countries. But they are not perfect. Which brings me to my point: as much as I try to abide by my no-politics rule on this blog, I have to share what I have observed as a troubling phenomenon: a lot of Canadians think Canada is perfect when it isn't. Like it or not, Canada has some problems--big problems. And one of the biggest is...