Question

[james_davis_nicoll]

Is it possible to find nice things to say about France without the ensuing discussion rapidly evolving into a U!S!A! U!S!A! U!S!A! discussion of health-care systems and such?

No.

Comments

[schizmatic.livejournal.com]

Well, I lived in Canada for about six years, and noted that a discussion of things like, say, level of social services a government does/should provide quickly devolved into nationalism about the absolute moral superiority of Canada. (Although I suspect that if I'd known any Tories the flavor of said conversations might have been different).

[maruad.livejournal.com]

There are many Americans whom I feel are morally superior to our current Tories if that helps. Unfortunately I think our Tories are modeling themselves after the Americans to whom I feel superior.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

if I'd known any Tories the flavor of said conversations might have been different

I dare not mention the title as the story is not yet published but I think everyone here will be thrilled to know that I got a story featured 1: a community of grasping, lazy welfare bums taking advantage of their betters thanks to a soft-headed reformer and 2: an oppressed ethnic minority who turn out to be reflexively violent back-stabbers if not kept aggressively oppressed by their betters.

Interestingly, it was a fantasy novel and not SF.

[jsburbidge.livejournal.com]

In my experience this is true mainly when the contrast, explicit or explicit, is to the U.S. When it's to any other country, the usual Canadian response is "What?" because they don't know anything about them.

[schizmatic.livejournal.com]

Well, being an American, yeah, most of the stuff that I heard was along the lines of "We are the best, and totally different from America, because FREE HEALTH CARE!!!"

Which is why I like to say that as of a few months ago, all Canada has for a national identity are American co-pays and deductibles.

[schizmatic.livejournal.com]

Oh, and on another note, I just had a quick look at your LJ--are you at St. Thomas? Because it would be really weird if I was in the same church as you for close to four years and have only actually said anything to you on James's LJ.

[jsburbidge.livejournal.com]

SMM, down the way. I have known a number of people at St. T's for over 20 years, though...

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

Up until the 1950's or so, the Distinct Canadian Identity (TM) was based on being more tory than the United States and not having namby pamby programs like the ones FDR peddled. So itgoes...

[schizmatic.livejournal.com]

I think the thing I find oddest in the whole Shifting Canadian Identity thing is that it hasn't been too long since Quebec was well-known for reactionary Catholicism.

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

Was ?