Canadian victim of anti-American racism and heartless judiciary!

Normally I would explode with lots of bleargh’s and jesus christ’s however I’m trying to temper my temper (wakka wakka).

Race

3. Anthropology.
a. any of the traditional divisions of humankind, the commonest being the Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negro, characterized by supposedly distinctive and universal physical characteristics: no longer in technical use.
b. an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes, esp. formerly, based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based on such genetic markers as blood groups.
c. a human population partially isolated reproductively from other populations, whose members share a greater degree of physical and genetic similarity with one another than with other humans.

It is my charge that a nation-state does not make a race, particularly in the specific context of the USA. Furthermore, even if we were to accept the use of race in that sense, to use ‘racism’ is to stretch that term far out of its intended meaning.

If I must be the sole rock standing against a thousand crashing waves of sloppy word use, then so be it.

From Dictionary.com

rac·ism (r?’s?z’?m) Pronunciation Key
n.
The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

did you look it up in the dictionary? cos I did.
And if the shoe fits..

Monster of the Deep said :

I was born in America, moved to Canberra when I was 5 and was schooled here for three years before moving to New South Wales. My treatment at the ACT school was terribly cruel, and every day on TV or in other media I see racism – yes, racism – against Americans. Yet nobody cares, I guess because we’re white.

That’s it. Screw you guys, I’m going home.

FC said :

I have noticed that especially since Bush was president people seem to think that it is okay to be racist toward/about the United States. maybe people think that its okay because the they are generally dissing white people and somehow that doesn’t make it racism..

It doesn’t make it racism.

Can everybody please go to http://www.dictionary.com and learn what the word racism means. There are numerous words to describe the particular piece of bigotry you may be referring to in a given situation so you don’t have to rely on racism.

AngryHenry said :

I think anti-US sentiment stems solely from George Bush, which is stupid because he is one person heading a nation of millions. A nation that is responsible for some of my favourite things, like peanut butter M&M’s.

Sorry for the double-post, but anti-US sentiment was around long, long before George Bush, and long before my moving here in 1990. He’s just a convenient target for comedians. But hell yes to peanut butter M&Ms!

pembina said :

As a Canadian and Canberra resident for some years I have experienced being asked/accused if I’m American many times. On learning of my more northerly origins the enquirer often appears ready to defend themselves and then asks if I am now terribly offended as they have heard that Canadians are very insulted when confused with their American neighbours.

It’s funny, I get asked if I’m Canadian all the time! As soon as I meet someone new, maybe the third thing they’ll say to me is, “Do you have an accent?” It’s an odd one that’s neither Australian nor American. Even though it’s just an icebreaker, I don’t like being asked because it’s something that has caused me a lot of pain when I was younger!

I was born in America, moved to Canberra when I was 5 and was schooled here for three years before moving to New South Wales. My treatment at the ACT school was terribly cruel, and every day on TV or in other media I see racism – yes, racism – against Americans. Yet nobody cares, I guess because we’re white.

As a Canadian and Canberra resident for some years I have experienced being asked/accused if I’m American many times. On learning of my more northerly origins the enquirer often appears ready to defend themselves and then asks if I am now terribly offended as they have heard that Canadians are very insulted when confused with their American neighbours. While other Canadians may be, I certainly am not.

I know a number of Americans who I would rate higher than some Canadians I know (and that would include the Canucklehead who is referred to in this post) and a few of the Aussies I’ve met (including the @$$hat who randomly abused my family at Lyneham shops last Monday).

To cut my ramblings short, I agree with the title character in the ‘The English Patient’ (Good book by a fellow international Canadian, too)when he says something to the effect of, “What does it matter where we come from?” People are individuals. No, not all Canadians are ‘nice’ but we’re not all tantrum-throwing, Proton-bashing, over-sensitive, nationalistic man-boys either.

Okay, we are all over-sensitive.

God bless 😉

I can’t believe I’m saying it but…….yeah, what vg said.

Maybe he kills baby seals and this was karma biting him on the backside.

If this had happened in the UK, Jeremy Clarkson would be asking the Queen to give him a knighthood for GBH to a Proton.

Sorry but you’ve lost me a bit here. Someone gets a mouthful of unsolicited abuse for which he gets involved in a fight. Sounds somewhat logical to me but then……………………goes ahead and damages the private property of a person completely detached from the situation.

His initial treatment may well have been shabby and response somewhat justified, but to wantonly damage property for the sake of it shows immaturity and an inability to control one’s anger and emotions.

To say his judicial treatment was heartless is somewhat misguided. He got what he deserved for that part of it. In fact he could probably have counted himself lucky that he wasn’t apprehended by the owner of the Proton, he might have gotten his 2nd thrashing of the evening.

There’s 2 parts to this story. What happened to him in the 2nd part is entirely justified. I only hope the door didn’t hit him on the arse on the way out of the ACT. We have enough people here that can’t manage their emotions on the squirt

Personally, I like how he’s been given the serial killer treatment of publishing his middle name.

On a side note, though, I wonder if car-stomping is the new rebellion? Get drunk, come off second best in an exchange of words, angrily stomp on a car in a display of rampant toddler-syndrome.

And is Kolouch Canadian for Carney?

Given that the majority of the music that was pumping out of the clubs they were enjoying themselves in comes from the states they should all give themselves several uppercuts. Morons.

But then again, anyone who hangs out in Manuka nightclubs should be beaten (I’m kidding, to each their own, live and let live etc).

I think anti-US sentiment stems solely from George Bush, which is stupid because he is one person heading a nation of millions. A nation that is responsible for some of my favourite things, like peanut butter M&M’s. The cultural impact they have on the rest of the world is undeniable.

Do you think because their leader has changed the majority of Americans have changed? Of course not, they may be a bit more optimistic about the future direction of their country but they are the same people. They put a man on the moon, they invented blue jeans, they make Peanut Butter M&M’s, rock and roll was born there man give them a break.

But this is aboot a Canadian. Obviously not a Fench Canadian though or he would have surrendered before a punch was thrown.

Again I’m joking, everyone from every corner of the world and any walk of life should be able to sit back, laugh at others and most importantly have a good laugh at themselves from time to time. Let’s be a bit smarter aboot it though, being able to identify someones accent would certainly help, and if that fails asking where they’re from is a good start too, old school comedians use that for an opener all the time.

Can we have a separate post on comparative drama then?

Enough on comparative drama please, back on topic.

Pommy bastard said :

It will surprise no one I suppose if I admit at having railed long and hard against the all pervasive Americanisation of entertainment…the dreadful “remakes” of classic movies by Hollywood eg; Alfie, the Italian Job, The Wickerman, all of which have been entirely dreadful.

Have to disagree with the inclusion of ‘The Wickerman’ as the original was god-awful. And the remake of ‘Life On Mars’ is an exception that proves the rule. Otherwise, agree with the general principle about remakes. Perhaps the locals involved in the fight with the Canadian were diehard fans of Kath and Kim. Seeing Selma Blair as Kim could have provoked me to violence…

I like alot of American made entertainment. There’s good stuff. Then there’s a baaad stuff – which the major channels seem to buy all the time.

In fact, I tend to get bored of the only major alternative in this country – the british stuff. There’s great british comedies, don’t get me wrong – and I’ve seen some great drama…but please, please don’t import another boring detective-in-the-rainy-night yarn. Just because the originals were smart, it doesn’t mean we should be bombarded with thousands of useless copies.

They have to remake the programs. There isn’t enough canned laughter in them so people won’t know when a joke occurs.

I guess Canberrans ought to be more cautious about blaming every American in sight for their country’s evils, mistakes and all-out cockups. Don’t we all get hammered for happening to live in the same place as the Australian government? Our fellow citizens are quite happy to dump on us as if we’re somehow more responsible for what the elected government does than is the rest of the country.

On the other hand, the US is a nation whose citizens grow up with the idea that they’re the most wonderful/beautiful/successful/moral/powerful/amazing/creative country in the world, champions of freedom, bringers of light….hardly conducive to building a national ethos of humility or reflective self-evaluation.

There are many Americans who are critical of their country across a wide range of issues, but the rest of the world have an overwhelming perception of a citizenry who seem to subscribe to the idea ‘US – we’ve got it better than you’. As the US declines in international political and economic status, its people will struggle to understand how this could have happened to them, because the message they’ve been taught for so long is that the US is special, better/stronger/smarter than other countries, a message reinforced for decades by US dominance on the world stage. An end to jingoistic nationalism can only be good for the US, and leave the world a safer place for Canadians…

johnboy said :

They just make them PB.

It’s our networks that buy them and our audiences which choose the watch them.

Sure, but they buy them as they are cheap and some channels have a heavy American bias, and no one ever went broke appealing to the LCD crowd. Don’t mean I have to like them though.

Abusing someone because you don’t like the small cross-section of their culture that appears on your TV doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Which is exactly what I was trying to point out I was not doing. Some people call you biased and bigoted and “racist” even, for expressing any displeasure with things or actions American. It’s just not apt to do so, was my point. It should be fair game to offer ones views, ones likes and dislikes, even if the object of approbation comes from the USA.

It is not right to abuse Yanks because “Two and a half men” sucks dogs eggs.

Pommy bastard said :

It will surprise no one I suppose if I admit at having railed long and hard against the all pervasive Americanisation of entertainment, the proliferation of (in my view) awful American cop “drama’s” on TV, (Comedy, don’t get me started on American comedy) the unavoidable (in my view) hip hop pap that is plaguing the airwaves, and the dreadful “remakes” of classic movies by Hollywood eg; Alfie, the Italian Job, The Wickerman, all of which have been entirely dreadful. However, this is not “racist” it is a statement of taste and view.

Does anyone else believe that the coming decline in the financial clout of the US will bring a softening of attitudes towards them?

no comment on the financial stuff – but I do think its funny that the American television industry seems to think they need to re-make so many shows-that are already fantastic in their own right – for their audiences to appreciate them. The office, Kath and Kim, life on Mars etc.

They just make them PB.

It’s our networks that buy them and our audiences which choose the watch them.

Abusing someone because you don’t like the small cross-section of their culture that appears on your TV doesn’t make a lot of sense.

It will surprise no one I suppose if I admit at having railed long and hard against the all pervasive Americanisation of entertainment, the proliferation of (in my view) awful American cop “drama’s” on TV, (Comedy, don’t get me started on American comedy) the unavoidable (in my view) hip hop pap that is plaguing the airwaves, and the dreadful “remakes” of classic movies by Hollywood eg; Alfie, the Italian Job, The Wickerman, all of which have been entirely dreadful. However, this is not “racist” it is a statement of taste and view.

Does anyone else believe that the coming decline in the financial clout of the US will bring a softening of attitudes towards them?

Can you blame him for smashing up a Proton?

Cool, gotcha DMD. I’m a little slow this morning. 🙂

That was the point. I was illustrating what the australian right does, so people understand that a whole people should not be judged by the actions of it’s conservative f-kwits.

Pommy bastard said :

I think it’s more a case of the insults and factual taunts that are levied against the previous Bush maladministration being taken as racism.

In my case, comments/stereotypes have definitly been racist. but somehow the people thought it was ok to make them toward “yanks” because they are either whites they were insulting, or not a minority group.

> I’m having a go at people who criticize every American they meet over Bush and American imperialism, tending to forget the racism and oppression our nation has also taken part in.

OK, but you tied it up into hassling the “wannabe left” & then mentioned a bunch of bad things done by the extreme right…although yes, the Australian right. 🙂

Americans are for the most part fine people, just like people the world over.

I’m having a go at people who criticize every American they meet over Bush and American imperialism, tending to forget the racism and oppression our nation has also taken part in.

> To the wannabe left – Howard. Iraq. Afghanistan. Cronulla. Aboriginals. Pauline Hanson. Refugee Camps. Rupert Murdoch. Shut the f-k up and stop embarrassing the better samples of the left.

I don’t get the point of that last bit?

There’s nothing wrong with Americans in general. It’s a huge diverse country, full of different kinds of people and subcultures. I’ve met quite a few Americans and tended to like them – probably because I met good people who happened to be born in the US. The same goes for Canadians.

I think the bigotry comes from both small-minded nationalistic fevor and small-minded wannabe left (as opposed to the actual left, who are generally open-minded deep-thinkers).

To the nationalists – Australia isn’t the greatest country in the world. I don’t know what is – I’m kind of inclined to think there isn’t a greatest country in the world. There’s just a sh-tload of them with good points and bad points – some more extreme than others. Bashing people of other nationality does nothing to increase our own international status.

To the wannabe left – Howard. Iraq. Afghanistan. Cronulla. Aboriginals. Pauline Hanson. Refugee Camps. Rupert Murdoch. Shut the f-k up and stop embarrassing the better samples of the left.

Is his name Kolouch or Canuck?

KandyA said :

I live with a Quebecois andn he is insufferable.
We dont usually let him in the house but when we do his frenchy affectations are just embarrassing. Only last night I declared that I was going to go all Underbelly on his ass with a cricket bat.
But I dont have one.

I have to concede that Ice hockey is way better than cricket, and, does anyone know, Canada is way bigger than Australia

Ohhhhh. French Canadians are a whole other ball game!

I live with a Quebecois andn he is insufferable.
We dont usually let him in the house but when we do his frenchy affectations are just embarrassing. Only last night I declared that I was going to go all Underbelly on his ass with a cricket bat.
But I dont have one.

I have to concede that Ice hockey is way better than cricket, and, does anyone know, Canada is way bigger than Australia

Almost every Canadian I’ve ever met has been great.

Almost every American I’ve ever met has been a loud, arrogant, ignorant, ****hole.

Therefore, does drunk Canadian = American?

🙂

I think it’s more a case of the insults and factual taunts that are levied against the previous Bush maladministration being taken as racism.

I have noticed that especially since Bush was president people seem to think that it is okay to be racist toward/about the United States. maybe people think that its okay because the they are generally dissing white people and somehow that doesn’t make it racism..

Cue Mr Jessieduck ….

*chuckle*

johnboy said :

It wasn’t his citizenship that got him in trouble, but the sound of his voice and his appearance. (Possibly also being a drunken ****hole)

Mr Jessieduck is Canadian and I have a few mates that are Canadian- I’ve never witnessed racism towards them so I think it’s more about this kid being a drunken a-hole more then his accent… Mr Jessieduck occasionally gets a bit irked at they “eh” jokes when they are coming thick and fast but that’s only because he thinks he doesn’t do it (but he does).

It wasn’t his citizenship that got him in trouble, but the sound of his voice and his appearance. (Possibly also being a drunken ****hole)

That sounds more like racism to me. It’s certainly bigotry.

I’ve seen americans treated very shabbily in this town a few times now, I think it’s time to start kicking against it before things get really ugly.

Racism isn’t the right word, nationalism perhaps?

Being a US citizen doesn’t denote your race.