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by abernard1 145 days ago
> When I think about the counterfactual me that grew up in a large American city, New York or L.A. instead of Toronto,

And just think, those are the American areas most common to Canada.

There are places in America where those counterfactuals do not exist, where the necessities aren't locked behind counters, where community is thriving, and where the normality of civic life is an expectation.

I expect no honors for those parts of the country. If Canada didn't have an air of superiority to comfort itself with, it would have nothing at all.
2 comments
MegaDeKay 145 days ago
> If Canada didn't have an air of superiority to comfort itself with, it would have nothing at all.

Canada might be known for many things, but you're the first I've heard refer to an "air of superiority" that we carry around. "Nice" and "polite" maybe. Sorry you feel this way. Have a good day.

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I-M-S 145 days ago
Canadians aren't crass enough to describe it as superiority, but it is true that the identity of English-speaking Canada is largely built on "not being America" and that the vast majority of the population is content as long as things are "better than in the USA".
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abernard1 145 days ago
They of course are "not better than in the USA." But one can hold that weight long past you're drowned in the ocean.
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footy 145 days ago
ah yes, the places where women can expect to die if they happen to need medical care while pregnant and where LGBTQ people are not treated the same as most citizens. Sounds lovely.
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abernard1 145 days ago
Whatever the epithets, the truth of the matter is those urban areas are closer to what Canada aspires to be (and currently is). Whereas the parts of Canada she cares about are alive and well in the US (and used to be more like what Canada was).

The question becomes: if you're traveling on a line, and you see the destination looks dark ahead of you, do you turn around or keep going?

Canada's notoriously polite deference led them to align with those powerful tech, marketing, and financial hubs in the US. A cheerleader on the sidelines. But everyone gets to pick. There's a lack of acknowledgement that there's even a choice; the dog that didn't bark one could say. But it's part and parcel of why modern Canada is the way it is.

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footy 145 days ago
This comment is nonsensical. The parts of Canada the author cares about are also alive and well in Canada and your entire premise is that they're not
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