Late night Thoughts
From a day of contradiction
Captains Log…Tuesday Oct. 31st 12:02 a.m. …..
I’m confused, Americans are addicted to celebrities, but Canadians aren’t. Americans want to know how they died (eg. Mathew Perry) Canadians are excited to learn that he spent half of his life in Canada. Celebrities are writing books in record numbers. Some ghost writers have so many celebrity clients, they have to turn down business from everyday people like you and me.
American celebrities like to talk about themselves, in particular , if they have some “juicy dirt” to share about their childhood and adult life. Americans love “juicy dirt”.
Canadians hate anybody who talks about themselves too much, or sounds too full of themselves , like Americans. Canadians confuse bragging with confidence. Americans like to buy and sell everything. Canadians like to save and be saved by the government. Americans hate government.
Canadians love American television programs but hate the idea they have to pay Americans for Netflix and Prime. Canadians love to hate the CBC, and only see it’s value when it broadcasts Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights, a national tradition.
Most Canadians don’t seem to care that the CBC has received $1.2 billion annually from the federal government since fiscal 2018. Government funding increased to almost $1.4 billion for 2020-2021 to cover 'retroactive salary inflation' and potential issues arising from the pandemic. It returned to $1.2 billion the following year.
Given the choice between watching “Strays” or “The Nature of Things” on the CBC or “The Bachelor” on ABC- they’ll pick “The Bachelor”.
Most Canadians seem to be perfectly fine to have their tax dollars pay for something they don’t use. Most Americans want the government to stay out of their business. Most Canadians want the government to help them with their business.
The Canadian national psyche is “insecurity”. The American psyche evolves around “The American Dream,”- where anything is possible. Americans get “high” on life and are always pursuing goals and being Number One. Canadians, like to lead a quite life of mediocrity. Canadians will wait three hours in a border lineup to buy American gas, and then complain about how high the gas prices are in Canada. Americans think Canadians are stupid. Canadians think Americans are stupid. Why do we think that??
As an admitted American trapped in a Canadian body, I choose to remain neutral, but with the caveat that both countries suffer from the same disorder that drives people crazy. “Common Sense Disorder’.
I leave you with this. At the United Nations, the ambassadors of three countries (Canada, U.S and France) were asked to go away for a year, and then come back and bring a report on the elephant. After a year, they all returned. The U.S. ambassador got up first and said “ We are going to be reporting on the buying and selling of elephants.” Next , the French ambassador; “We are going to report on the sexual habits of the elephant”. The last was the Canadian ambassador: “Elephants, a federal or provincial responsibility.”