Americanization of Canada

We Canadians who speak English and some who speak French are descending very rapidly down the slippery slope to becoming Americanized, for example, the Canadian military.

Americans love land and all that it signifies, room to grow, wealth, agriculture, mining, forests, open spaces for recreation and many other activities. From the exploration days of Lewis and Clark of two hundred years ago, we have seen the westward expansion of the United States of America.

One hundred and fifty years ago the Mormons opened a mission in Las Vegas. Today, most Americans and Canadians are familiar with the fun, pleasure and games city of Los Vegas. I know of it only through advertisements in publications and on the television. I shall probably never go there; I have no interest in that type of life style, yet many Canadians do; they love the place!

One hundred years ago the American automobile was being used on Canadian roads. A pattern and way of life crossed the border without experiencing any difficulty. Our way of life was affected by changing technology, without any consideration of a border dividing the two countries. In all areas of living, as Americans changed so did Canadians.

Fifty years ago, in fact three years earlier, I bought my first car, a 1952 Ford; the car was built in Canada. That car permitted me to drive great distances in both Canada and the Unites States. Although I viewed my first television programming in the pre-fifties in the United States, it was about fifty years ago that Canadian skyline was changed by the mounting of thousands of television antennas on roof tops; these antennas are all but gone, the passing of an era!

And today we see the proliferation of computers, cellular phones, digital cameras and a wide variety of other high technological equipment and materials; we see the results of massive changes in agricultural developments as well as those in industry and business. All these changes, coupled with the ownership of property in the forms of houses, televisions sets, other goods and the ubiquitous automobiles and transport trucks, with the development of millions of miles of black-top roadways necessary for transportation in Canada, clearly signify that there is little difference between our societies.

All this to say that over the space of some two hundred years, major changes can be seen in the ways people live. Yet, through all of these years the sociological elements and conditions between the two countries have not caused a division; rather there has been a parallelism of ventures. And, the most influential cause of this parallelism was that of the mechanical and electronic revolutions during the past one hundred years. If we confine ourselves to examining the world of entertainment and communication, whatever the United States had, the Canadians were not far behind. In film, radio, transportation by air or on land, television, newspapers, magazines and books, there was little to differentiate the two countries. As Americans lived, we in Canada did as well.

For all of the elements characterizing the parallelism that exists, there are some major differences. These relate mostly to politics and language and not to religion or economics. In Canada the legal institutions and how the government functions is somewhat different from those in the United States When it comes to language, Canada has adapted to a state of entrenched bilingualism with government being greatly influenced by a large French speaking minority. The same can not be said of the large Spanish speaking minority in the United States. That minority has not been able to influence the American government as has been the case in Canada where the Francophone majority has exerted power far beyond their numbers should deserve and this has been rather well accepted, mostly to preserve Canada as one nation; a nation with two official languages.

Though there are some differences in the ways we live, these do not become barriers or prevent Canadians from being influenced by the North American Anglophone culture. American stars of the film, television and the music industry are our stars as well. And as time goes on, we are becoming more like Americans, yet we continue to be Canadians. I have no desire to ever be identified as being American but I enjoy the benefits of being so close and so much like them. I accept all the good that I choose from American society there yet maintain the values coming from my Canadian heritage. We Canadians are fortunate in that regard.

I believe that our Canadian military needs to become Americanized. We need to profit from all that is good from their military. We need to plan our training techniques and our supply of equipment based on the best that is available from the Americans. We need to have a common territorial and defence system include that of missile defence. We should call this the harmonization of our military.

It should be understood that Canadian sovereignty would not be compromised to any extent that it would be of any value beyond the posturing of political party that serves as the opposition
.
The Americanization of Canada does exist but it is not significant. The differences in our cultural, political and linguistic characteristics will stand in the way of total
Americanization.

In any family, two brothers may have the same family name and share in family values but they are unique individuals who respond to whatever occurs in their unique ways. There may be discussions and the giving of advice, the providing assistance and the sharing of particular necessities but how life proceeds is done independently. Canada is a sovereign nation, distinct in political, social and cultural ways from the United States that will never permit our being taken over by that powerful, the most powerful nation on earth. We are far from being equal in any way apart from the fact that each of us has a love for people and culture and our individual countries. We will always stand together yet, separately.
It is with respect for one another that we can exist as neighbours, American and Canadian!