March 23, 2006
Canada: Not Just a Quiet Neighbor to the North
The District is full of the powerful and political, people whose decisions have a national impact. It's also full of the people pitching their causes and products to the powerful and political, any way they can. As we have discovered before, many a cause have used ads in Metrorail stations to catch the attention and, hopefully, good favor of passing riders whose jobs involve power or policy. Defense-related ads are concentrated heavily near the Pentagon or the Capitol, pitching everything from helicopters to high technology for the war against terrorism.
As we recently walked through Metro Center, we stumbled across the ad pictured above, which features an image of soldiers above a message reading, "Boots on the Ground. U.S.-Canada Relations: Security is our Business." Sponsored by the Canadian Government, the ad promotes a website, CanadianAlly.com, which describes Canada's role alongside the U.S. in the global war on terror.
We're not ones to question the allegiances of our neighbor to the north. But we are curious as to why they are looking to promote their security policy and close alliance to the U.S. to Metrorail passengers transferring from the Red Line to the Orange and Blue Lines. Has that ever been in doubt? We do suppose it's good to know they're there if we need them, unlike, say, those spineless Mexicans. They haven't even bothered to buy an ad and pretend.
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think this has anything to do with the new conservative government in ottawa?
I had guessed so, though I am still confused as to why they've found the need to promote their alliance to the U.S. in such a fashion. Has it ever been questioned? Is something pending before Congress that they are trying to influence in a subtle manner?
Actually, I think it has more to do with the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. He came out of the private sector, and is very interested in reminding Americans about how important the American/Canadian alliance is. (And also how they are our leading provider of energy.) I read an interview of him (in the Washingtonian, mayhaps?) well before the new conservative government took over. (And remember when they say "conservative" they mean, raining in costs, lowering taxes, while increasing funding for national healthcare, education and preschools. While still supporting same-sex marriage. Oh, how I wish that's what "conservative" meant here.)
I suspect it has very much to do with the trade spat over softwood lumber & other such tariffs. Any alleged lack of support for the war on evildoers always seems to affect trade legislation in congress, and US exports are Canada's lifeblood.
I think this is more a case of American ignorance of Canadian affairs and Canadian obsession of defining themselves as not Americans. During the last two parliamentary elections in Canada, America was a hot button issue. In fact, former Prime Minister Paul Martin would constantly attack America on the campaign trail and when the American Ambassador warned Martin that continuing such talk might not be beneficial for Yankee-Canuck relations, Martin played up the warning as America trying to meddle in Canadian affairs.
In any case, for those who pay attention to Canadian affairs, I think it was quite clear that things weren't always so close and comfortable between our two governments. Of course, since most Americans don't pay attention to Canadian politics and current events, they're not even aware of the tension. As such, I would think that those ads are rather ineffective. However, Canadians (or at least the Candian government) might not realize this because to them their relationship with America is always a top issue. And because it is such a top issue, the current Conservative government probably feels like they need to make good with not only the American government, but also the American people.
I found it entertaining in a pathetic kind of way watching a couple of web-fingered homonids in full redneck regalia boo loudly during the Canadian anthem at a ballgame last year....some perceived shortcoming on their part having to do with the lack of Canadians being blown up in Iraq.
I'm surprised they are even bothering, since Canada is about to improve its national virility in a manner that even the sharpest neocon beak in Washington has to respect, killing a third of a million seal pups. Man, are they cool.
This advertisement for CanadianAlly is not the first. There was (or still may exist) an ad placed just outside the turnstiles of the Pentagon Metro. Obviously, the Pentagon Metro is an apt place for communicating an entity's wishes that relate to military spending. What is interesting is placing of this ad to influence civilian leaders and a (usually more so than other regions in the US) politically aware public. As other posters above have made references to the divisions in Canadian politics, few Americans understand that there is a similar battle between eastern (read as Toronto & Montreal)/west coast(Vancouver) liberals, versus western province conservatives (a loose union of oil and mining interests and social conservatives), spiked with Quebec separtist politcs to make things really interesting. If you think that there is a divide between Red and Blue states, that can't hold a candle to the political identity problems that Canada has.
I don't think most Americans know or care that Canada has more going on than hockey and beer production. Hell, most people I know don't even realize that America Jr. has a military. They view Canadians as naive and well-mannered folks who can't properly pronouce the 'ow' phoneme in 'about'. Sorta like Minnesotans.
You're right...and Americans might be interested to know that once you factor in the Alberta oil sands, Canada has more energy reserves than any other country (perhaps save Saudi). All that oil with just 30 million people sitting on top of it...you'd that's enough to generate some interest here in Rome.
As a Canadian I feel that our relationship with the U.S. is extremely important. That being said, I don't think we need to play up our support in Afghanistan to the American people. We're there because we feel we need to be there, regardless of the views of the American people. I just don't like the idea of Canada feeling that we need to appease the U.S. The truth is, both countries are important to each other. We're neighbours and friends. What happens to one will affect the other. I've never had a problem with so-called "arrogant Americans". In fact, some relatives of mine lived in Detroit and when I would visit I found the people in the Greater Detroit Area to be generally more polite than those of the Greater Toronto Area. The point is, generalizations of either country are meaningless. Let's just continue to work together. Not for Canada, not for the U.S., but for North America.
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