Canadian breaking news and politics and hats and general sexiness

lettertodaddy · 08-30-2011, 04:00 PM

You know there was a hurricane and an earthquake that happened in the US within days of each other, right? And the US economy is on verge of a collapse, and the President is gearing up for the political fight of his life, right? I'm sorry if it seems insensitive, but I just think he has bigger things to worry about than sending condolences to someone who isn't a head of state. The Pelosi/Boehner mention is slightly different for a number of reasons because until very recently, she was in the direct Line of Succession. Boehner is now in that line of succession. Jack Layton wasn't.

I'm not saying it is right or wrong, but what I am saying is that as someone who is American by birth, but Canadian by choice, the Canadian finger wagging gets old after awhile.

I loved and respected Jack Layton, but I don't think lack of coverage of his passing is evidence of some great moral failure or cultural myopia on the part of the American media.

lettertodaddy · 08-30-2011, 04:03 PM

It's also important to remember that just because you didn't hear or read about any official condolence that it didn't happen. There is lots and lots of official (yet personal) correspondence that comes out of The Oval Office or 24 Sussex that just doesn't make it into the daily news cycle.

lettertodaddy · 08-30-2011, 04:18 PM

Being the librarian that I am, I searched our digital newspaper subscription service for mentions of Jack Layton's death or funeral in American newspapers over the past week and found 92 mentions, including The Wall Street Journal. I'd say getting coverage in a major American paper of record counts. And that's just the papers I have access to.

betenoire · 08-30-2011, 07:00 PM

The two people who did the two mentions in the Wall Street Journal (one to say he died, one to say that a temporary leader for the NDP was appointed) are both Canadians. The one person who mentioned his passing in the New York Times? Also Canadian. Just saying.

MSNBC on Sunday finally got around to hotlinking to a few articles from other sources (reuters, ap) and Fox has said nothing.

(That Prime Minister Jean Poutine thing really did happen, by the way. It was funny.)

(and of course I am aware of the hurricane and earthquake. the hurricane hit the east coast of Canada, also. And we felt the earthquake in Ontario.)

You don't think there is a phenomena where the US as a whole is very disinterested in anything outside of the US, that's cool. I think there is, and that's cool too.

lettertodaddy · 08-30-2011, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by betenoire

You don't think there is a phenomena where the US as a whole is very disinterested in anything outside of the US, that's cool. I think there is, and that's cool too.

I never said there wasn't, I'm arguing that during this news cycle, the American media (and President) had bigger issues to focus on. I'm also arguing that maybe it would be better if my fellow Canadians focused inward a little more instead of wringing our hands worrying about what Canadian news stories Americans did or didn't cover.

suebee · 08-30-2011, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by betenoire

......
You don't think there is a phenomena where the US as a whole is very disinterested in anything outside of the US, that's cool. I think there is, and that's cool too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lettertodaddy

I never said there wasn't, I'm arguing that during this news cycle, the American media (and President) had bigger issues to focus on. I'm also arguing that maybe it would be better if my fellow Canadians focused inward a little more instead of wringing our hands worrying about what Canadian news stories Americans did or didn't cover.

You know ltd, your remarks make me think of the remarks made by Janet Napolitano after her visit to Ottawa. She was annoyed that so many people brought up the topic of her mistaken belief that the 911 hijackers came to the States through Canada, even though the story had been debunked and OFFICIALLY recognized as having no merit many times. It seemed to be a small affair to her - though I would think somebody in her position would have access to accurate information. We are one of two immediate neighbours, and the largest trading partner to the U.S., and the average U.S. citizen knows jack shit about us. I live in a border town and I am repeatedly amazed at how little folks know about their northern neighbour. You seem more embarassed by us bringing it up than anything. The U.S. as a society is VERY ego-centric. This doesn't mean that every individual is - but as a whole Americans know little of what happens outside of their own country. It's a fact. Perhaps you haven't been paying attention. And if you have and you still feel that we're "wringing our hands" - a comment I found pretty condescending - well then all power to you. You have the right to your opinion.

Sue

lettertodaddy · 08-30-2011, 08:33 PM

I'm not embarrassed. It's just curious to me how Canadians can spend half their time kvetching about how Americans don't pay any attention to them, and half their time trying to appease Americans (especially with the current government).

There was a Canadian comedian - I wish I could remember his name - who said that the relationship between the US and Canada was like the relationship between him and his little brother. Whenever he wanted to go off and do anything, his mom would say "be sure to take your little brother with you!" and if he ever dared to try to go off on his own, his little brother would whine and run and tell mom.

It's lazy thinking to be so biased and so bigoted about an entire country of people. It seems like disordered thinking to be so dismissive of an entire country yet completely obsessed with getting them to pay attention to you. It's so easy to drift into that lazy thinking, and I get that Canadians obviously get something out of this national obsession with trying to catch the eye of the United States, but as an outsider who chose to make Canada her home, I've never understood it. Canada's awesome in its own right - we don't need the klieg lights from down south to focus on us to realize it. Rep your own. Hype your own. Don't mind what the others are doing, just do you, Canada.

08-30-2011, 04:00 PM	#1
lettertodaddy Member How Do You Identify?: dorky queer femme bottom Preferred Pronoun?: feminine ones Relationship Status: single, dammit. Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: vancouver, bc Posts: 240 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 157 Thanked 715 Times in 158 Posts Rep Power: 8075874	You know there was a hurricane and an earthquake that happened in the US within days of each other, right? And the US economy is on verge of a collapse, and the President is gearing up for the political fight of his life, right? I'm sorry if it seems insensitive, but I just think he has bigger things to worry about than sending condolences to someone who isn't a head of state. The Pelosi/Boehner mention is slightly different for a number of reasons because until very recently, she was in the direct Line of Succession. Boehner is now in that line of succession. Jack Layton wasn't. I'm not saying it is right or wrong, but what I am saying is that as someone who is American by birth, but Canadian by choice, the Canadian finger wagging gets old after awhile. I loved and respected Jack Layton, but I don't think lack of coverage of his passing is evidence of some great moral failure or cultural myopia on the part of the American media. __________________ "If I'm in a room full of cookies, the cookies ain't got no damn chance." - Charles Barkley The meaning behind my screen name:

08-30-2011, 04:03 PM	#2
lettertodaddy Member How Do You Identify?: dorky queer femme bottom Preferred Pronoun?: feminine ones Relationship Status: single, dammit. Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: vancouver, bc Posts: 240 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 157 Thanked 715 Times in 158 Posts Rep Power: 8075874	It's also important to remember that just because you didn't hear or read about any official condolence that it didn't happen. There is lots and lots of official (yet personal) correspondence that comes out of The Oval Office or 24 Sussex that just doesn't make it into the daily news cycle. __________________ "If I'm in a room full of cookies, the cookies ain't got no damn chance." - Charles Barkley The meaning behind my screen name:

08-30-2011, 04:18 PM	#3
lettertodaddy Member How Do You Identify?: dorky queer femme bottom Preferred Pronoun?: feminine ones Relationship Status: single, dammit. Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: vancouver, bc Posts: 240 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 157 Thanked 715 Times in 158 Posts Rep Power: 8075874	Being the librarian that I am, I searched our digital newspaper subscription service for mentions of Jack Layton's death or funeral in American newspapers over the past week and found 92 mentions, including The Wall Street Journal. I'd say getting coverage in a major American paper of record counts. And that's just the papers I have access to. __________________ "If I'm in a room full of cookies, the cookies ain't got no damn chance." - Charles Barkley The meaning behind my screen name:

08-30-2011, 07:00 PM	#4
betenoire Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Satan in a Sunday Hat Preferred Pronoun?: Maow Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: The Chemical Valley Posts: 4,086 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 3,312 Thanked 8,740 Times in 2,565 Posts Rep Power: 21474856	The two people who did the two mentions in the Wall Street Journal (one to say he died, one to say that a temporary leader for the NDP was appointed) are both Canadians. The one person who mentioned his passing in the New York Times? Also Canadian. Just saying. MSNBC on Sunday finally got around to hotlinking to a few articles from other sources (reuters, ap) and Fox has said nothing. (That Prime Minister Jean Poutine thing really did happen, by the way. It was funny.) (and of course I am aware of the hurricane and earthquake. the hurricane hit the east coast of Canada, also. And we felt the earthquake in Ontario.) You don't think there is a phenomena where the US as a whole is very disinterested in anything outside of the US, that's cool. I think there is, and that's cool too. __________________ bête noire \bet-NWAHR\, noun: One that is particularly disliked or that is to be avoided.

08-30-2011, 08:33 PM	#7
lettertodaddy Member How Do You Identify?: dorky queer femme bottom Preferred Pronoun?: feminine ones Relationship Status: single, dammit. Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: vancouver, bc Posts: 240 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 157 Thanked 715 Times in 158 Posts Rep Power: 8075874	I'm not embarrassed. It's just curious to me how Canadians can spend half their time kvetching about how Americans don't pay any attention to them, and half their time trying to appease Americans (especially with the current government). There was a Canadian comedian - I wish I could remember his name - who said that the relationship between the US and Canada was like the relationship between him and his little brother. Whenever he wanted to go off and do anything, his mom would say "be sure to take your little brother with you!" and if he ever dared to try to go off on his own, his little brother would whine and run and tell mom. It's lazy thinking to be so biased and so bigoted about an entire country of people. It seems like disordered thinking to be so dismissive of an entire country yet completely obsessed with getting them to pay attention to you. It's so easy to drift into that lazy thinking, and I get that Canadians obviously get something out of this national obsession with trying to catch the eye of the United States, but as an outsider who chose to make Canada her home, I've never understood it. Canada's awesome in its own right - we don't need the klieg lights from down south to focus on us to realize it. Rep your own. Hype your own. Don't mind what the others are doing, just do you, Canada. __________________ "If I'm in a room full of cookies, the cookies ain't got no damn chance." - Charles Barkley The meaning behind my screen name: