02.21.2002 || 10:23

The USA, canada, and me

I have said many times that I think the US is the Holy See of the lowest common denominator, and that it is a swamp of cultural consumerism. All that is true, but there is something else to the US as well. They occasionally show flashes of brilliance that are too bright to be ignored. It would be tempting to say 'Because they gave us Apple Computer,' or something similarly flip, but really, they gave us the ubiquitous personal computer. They drove the industry until it was everywhere, just like they do with the fast food that is their culture. They drove the PC into so many homes and other environments that the prices fell out of the bottom, and now even laptops are affordable to many people who could previously not have even dreamed of owning one. The by-products of this are numerous. It means, for instance, that I could inadvertently use another American invention (this 'Internet' thing. I think it's going to be big) to get a girl.

There are many things like this that come from the States. Up here, we invent things like Pablum and the green garbage bag. They invent the Macintosh. We invent the Canadarm for Nasa, but we needed a Nasa to be invented first.

They didn't invent the idea of spouting words like 'Freedom' while they take over the world, but they've perfected the practice.

They placed their capital city into a district, outside the borders of any one state. Why the hell didn't Canada do the same thing?

And I think that we can learn something from them in terms of athleticism. No, I don't mean that ours should whine in defeat and be tasteless in victory, I mean that a team of athletes that is supported and loved by their country will do better than one which is ignored by most of their home. We bitch and whine when our people do poorly, but we do nothing to improve their morale. This is evident in many sports where Canada is a third-seat player, though our athletes are good and strong, and it's becoming true of our traditional strengths as well -- Hockey and figure skating come to mind.

I'm not saying tha Canada should become a nation of jingoistic idiots or anything, but I *am* saying that it's okay not to be embarassed about our people and our nationhood.

Jeez...



||Gods save the Queen,
||cf

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One last little note... - 09.21.2006

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