Geez

A columnist at Inside Higher Education today shows how difficult it is for Americans (aka "U.S. citizens") to understand Canada as a nation. The column is interesting but honestly, even bright Americans don't seem to understand that citizens of countries other than the U.S. don't have this need to shout, "I'm from [insert country here], dammit, and I'm proud."

If pressed, Canadians I know would say that Americans are brash, loud, and egotistical, except for those Americans they know well, of course. Americans would say that Canadians are polite. Both generalizations may be true, but they may be equally false. My family is as egotistical as the next set of Americans, but we're quiet and demure about it. And I've met some rude Canadians.

It's possible to talk meaningfully about the relationships between the two countries, their economies, and their policies. However, it's less meaningful to try to encapsulate a Canadian persona. After all, Uncle Sam doesn't accurately represent half the population based on his gender alone. Generalizations about either country aren't really useful. Including that one.