PaperDog wrote:I'm an AMerican.. I have no idea what makes Canadians proud.
It would appear (based on this article) that Canadian's spend a great deal of energy shaping themselves nationally, in order to be liked.
http://www.filibustercartoons.com/canguide_cliches.php
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How Canadians See Themselves
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I took this photo at the airport in Holland. This guy has a maple leaf flag on his backpack because he assumes this will make him more popular with the Europeans.
Like any country, Canada is a nation of cherished national myths and self-praise. We are also a nation rather obsessed with how others perceive us, with many Canadians eager to play up positive "outsider" observations about Canada as a source of national pride.
There is now a generally well-understood list of stereotypes about Canadians that forms the basis of much of the Canadian self-identity. Looking at the list below, you'll notice that most of these stereotypes generally make Canadians look good, and reflect a sort of liberal-left philosophy on life. As a result, some nationalists will describe these clichés as fundamental statements of "Canadian values," rather than mere generalizations.
In recent years, however, many have started to become critical of the existing flattering stereotypes of Canada. Many conservatives in particular have argued that Canada's current national myths are excessively political, leftist, and divisive, and have had an overall negative influence on the country's modern development. Others have simply argued that these clichéd statements are overly idealistic and utopian, and only describe a Canada we wish existed, rather than one that actually does.
The following is my attempt to compile a list of the most common Canadian stereotypes, self-perceptions and national myths, as well as the contemporary criticisms that are leveled against each.
* Table of Canadian stereotypes on site.
Canadian polling firms are constantly releasing statistics to either prove or disprove these various claims and counter-claims. Trying to define exactly what "values" are truly Canadian is thus somewhat of a cottage industry in this country, with numerous books having been churned out by many prolific Canadian authors in an attempt to answer the question.
