Striving Against Opposition

The Weekly Standard - The Not so Great White North

The weekly standard has in its own rather tongue in cheek fashion rather thoroughly chastised Canada as a nation. The entire article tends to rather fondly poke fun at our country mostly for well deserved conciets and silly Canadianisms. But really do give it all a read as I burst out laughing several times along the way. After all any article that starts like this:

WHENEVER I THINK OF CANADA . . . strike that. I'm an American, therefore I tend not to think of Canada. On the rare occasion when I have considered the country that Fleet Streeters call "The Great White Waste of Time," I've regarded it, as most Americans do, as North America's attic, a mildewy recess that adds little value to the house, but serves as an excellent dead space for stashing Nazi war criminals, drawing-room socialists, and hockey goons.

And hits a high point here:

Equal outrage was caused when Conan O'Brien showed up to help boost tourism after the SARS crisis. Along for the ride came a Conan staple, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who in dog-on-the-street interviews relentlessly mocked French Canadians. When one pudgy Quebecer admitted he was a separatist, Triumph suggested he might want to "separate himself from doughnuts for a while."

Canadians seethed--though polls show they pride themselves on being much funnier than Americans (don't ask me why, when they're responsible for Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, and Alan Thicke). One MP from the socialist New Democratic party called the show "vile and vicious," and said it was tantamount to hatemongering. Historians believe this to be the first time a member of parliament has so categorically denounced a hand puppet.

I've never heard everything that's wrong with the NDP aside from being socialist elucidated so succictly - ah we all know who the 'Silly Party' is in Canada. Although I'm still waiting on the Jack Layton and Kermit the Frog debate where they can both discuss how "its not easy being green".

posted by Chris @ 3/15/2005 12:55:00 a.m.