Canadian Perspective On Americans

I decided to write this after visiting Historic Fort York in Toronto, which the American military attacked and briefly occupied during the War Of 1812.
I stood under the shade of a Sugar Maple Tree donated by the Buffalo Historical Society in the fifties and read the accompanying plaque: "In appreciation of our two countries who build not walls, but bridges."
I started thinking about our bumpy relationship with The United States, whom some consider our greatest ally, and others a threat to our freedom. I wanted to define my own opinion on this perpetual issue.
I know the barstool philosophies: A Canadian I know thinks Americans are obnoxious, uneducated, self centred, self rightious, bullies. An American I know thinks Canadians are meek, weak and boring, and that Canada is too insignificant to form any further oppinion. The Canadian might point out that a largely disproportionate number of Hollywood's most tallented/popular performers are actually Canadian, and that Canada is America's biggest and most important trading partner. The American would then point out that the Canadians must have an inferiority complex.

WAR AND FORIEGN POLICY
The general consensus in Canada is that the average American is a solid person with good intentions, just a little too gullible to their corrupted, war mongering government. It is a sad truth that Americans truly do seem to not want peace. Although so many Conservitive Americans claim to be Christians, those same Americans are shockingly quick to justify war. Is it because of the poisonous American credo: "War is good for the economy" (Not exactly words that Jesus might profess), or is it the unfortunate way the system is set up? - President wants to go to war. Public opinion is against it. Government uses media, and general public's potential fear and gullibility to muster support. President brings issue of invasion before international body. I.B. rejects due to lack of proof/justification. President invades anyway. Americans shifts more towards support because president must know what he is doing, plus war is fun to watch on t.v. As it becomes apparent that invasion may have been a mistake, some concerned Americans speak out. Government and media spins opposers to appear as unpatriotic traitors who are endangering the troops morale.

There is an apparent short-sightedness when it comes to American foriegn policy. The most current example is how they thought they would be welcomed as liberators in Iraq, when now, it is obvious that they are brewing more long term hatred every day (This outcome was obvious to everyone else in the world from the beginning).
Why does America continue to make enemies of regimes that they propped up or armed (or both)?
Why were they so unprepared during the first days of the invasion when all the cash and cultural riches were being looted from the banks, museums and innocent homes of Baghdad? Because, I think, of reckless urgency, and a disregard the Iraqi people's culture, security and liberties.

The rest of the world was not convinced that Bush wanted to invade because Iraq's military was an urgent threat to the US, but he sure did a good job of convincing Americans that was the case. The confusion of Canadians peaked of course, when America re-elected Bush.

Canada is not a perfect place, and we sure do make mistakes in our election booths, but we are not afraid to challenge our government when we think they are making decisions outside of our best interest.

Throughout the Bush years, America seemed to take on some very un-American policies, as freedom of speech was replaced with a fear of being sent to Guantanamo for treason.

work in progress