Lou Dobbs of CNN has called Harper Un-American. How dare he? Harper is already Uncle Sam. He has sucked up to Bush like no one else. He has been practically a poodle to him for the last 2 and a half years. He has put down Canada in the past in favour of the US. What more does Lou Dobbs want?
The story I heard that Harper was interviewed and asked about the economic situation. Harper admitted that economy was in bad shape and may get worse and indicated that he was afraid that depression may follow. Lou Dobbs said to be afraid is Un-American and hence Harper was Un-American.
I've lived in the USA for half my life So I can speak with some experience. To a majority of Americans, Canada is a non-entity. To those who know anything about Canada, they talk about it with compliments about how nice and clean it is. They are generally respectful. But a solid minority are openly antagonistic. Not so much because of Canada's policies, although most pro and con Americans do think Canada is a Socialist country, but because Canada is not the States. It's not just Canada but most other countries that are ridiculed. During my decade in Texas, this notion was especially prevalent.
ReplyDeleteSo, Lou Dobbs is speaking, not for all Americans, but the loud minority. He is echoing the media's mocking of Canada, that has a storied past. But it is during the Bush years that the mocking has turned up the heat as can be seen in references to Canada in late night shows from Craig Ferguson to the Daily Show to the bigot Lour Dobbs and of course Fox News.
The thing we have to remember, it doesn't matter how right wing our leader is, Canada will still be thought of an almost-Communist country that will never be taken seriously. So what?
Jymn, thank you for your comment and link on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI have some idea how Americans feel about Canada. Some in the South think that we are a country with a lot of snow and polar bears but that is their problem. However, my point was that Harper thinks very highly of America and did everything to please Bush and I thought it was really funny that someone will call him Un-American and that someone is Lou Dobbs- a moron himself. Harper should be hurt because he prefers American values over Canadians.
LeDaro, it is funny, very funny.
ReplyDeleteIf anything, Harper is un-Canadian.
Although many accuse Harper of pandering to the U.S., they often do so without referring to any specific facts or instances.
ReplyDeleteSo let's hear it. Just how does Harper toady up to the U.S.? Afghanistan might be cited, but that is a war that Chretien got us into, not Harper.
At any rate, Lou Dobbs is a xenophobic idiot.
His opinion counts for nothing in my book.
Sassy, thank you for your compliments.
ReplyDeleteRabbit, I do not disagree with you on Lou Dobbs. He is a moron. But you do not know how American, Harper is? That is amazing. Let us see.
1) Soon after he became PM he ran off to Afghanistan and declared that “either you’re with us or against us.” Bush’s mantra since day one when he invaded Afghanistan.
2) He strongly and unconditionally supported Iraq invasion when he was opposition leader. He actually parroted John Howard of Australia’s speech supporting Iraq war. Howard was another pro-Bush/American guy and Harper walked on his footsteps supporting Bush.
3) Before he became PM he bragged about US values and called Canada a welfare state/socialist state. Just go to Google and you would find ample examples.
4) On foreign issues Harper usually waits what Bush has to say and then he regurgitates the same. In recent memory no PM has been that subservient – not even Mulroney. He did that on North Korea issue, Iran and other hot spots in the world. He verbatim repeated Bush,s stand on Middle East when war broke out between Israel and Lebanon.
5) More recently he waited for Bush’s talking points on auto rescue and regurgitated that auto industry must restructure and labour must take less wages – exactly what Bush said.