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Jeffrey Simpson took your questions on the U.S. of A.

JEFFREY SIMPSON

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 8:31 AM EST 01/04/08

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  1. daniel coates from Almonte, Ontario, Canada writes: A very insightful, even profound, picture of the USA.
  2. CPT America from United States writes: How about we get a little more about Canada and quit being so mesmorized by the US?
  3. Kevin Wells from United States writes: I thought these comments from Mr. Simpson showed a lot of wisdom....

    'Canadians, for example, exude a moral superiority that is very often at variance of the facts, but that does not stop people believing the national myths that flow from that self-perception.'

    'I suspect, alas, that a certain amount of anti-Americanism stems from a desire to assert our difference. It is an outgrowth of our untoward and unjustified moral superiority. They are bigger and stronger; so we will compensate by being purer and more virtuous. It is, of course, rubbish, but comforting.'

    'We should grow up. We are a mature, successful country. We don't need the crutch of anti-Americanism to make ourselves feel better about ourselves.'

    'a Liberal/NDP government would take a much more prickly attitude towards the U.S., because the NDP, alas, is deeply impregnated by anti-Americanism. '
  4. Kevin Wells from United States writes:
    And this was particularly insightful comment by Mr. Simpson,

    'I have always deplored knee-jerk anti-Americanism, which is centered more in Toronto and in certain chic intellectual circles than in the rest of Canada. (Quebec has a lot of it, too).

    I oppose it for many reasons: (a) it inflates our corrosive sense of moral superiority, (b) it clouds the pursuit of our self-interest, (c) it dilutes attention away from what we have in common (values, institutions, trade etc.), (d) it prevents us from properly examining our own weaknesses when we can assert that whatever we are doing is 'better' at least than what 'they' are doing.'
  5. B D from Saskatoon, Canada writes: CPT America: I agree; isn't this a Canadian Newspaper? If it were not for the Report on Business section I wouldn't even bother looking at this webpage. The Globe needs to stop trying to be so much like the Cable news in the US and try and cover stories past Toronto.
  6. Kevin Wells from United States writes:
    If you're Canadian, you may be too close to the problem to see it.

    But for an American, these characteristics are shocking.
  7. Brian Dell from Alberta, Canada writes: 'it dilutes attention away from what we have in common (values, institutions, trade etc.)'

    I think this is a key point. Often on the G&M when there is a story about Russian or Chinese sabre rattling commentators jump on saying it's a good thing those powers are 'balancing' American power.

    Having lived in Europe I don't believe that you would see commentary like that. Especially in Eastern Europe close to Russia. I doubt you'd hear it in Malaysia or Japan either.

    The European Union is far more integrated that North America. Yet the paranoia against integration in Canada is relatively enormous. It makes no sense on its face. Europeans are generally 'progressive'. A psychological explanation is accordingly the most plausible.
  8. Greg Gyetko from Dunrobin, Canada writes: I'm not anti-American. I don't want to hurt American people or go around insulting them en masse.

    I do, however, believe that Canada has a better record on the international stage. We led the way to a Land Mine banning treaty, while the U.S. opposed. No Canadian public would ever support the use of nuclear weaponry while the U.S. actually has used them. We take care of our poor people when they get sick. We invented peace-keeping under Lester Pearson and supported it wholeheartedly until our most recent governments. In fact, most Canadians think we still support it and are unaware of the change in our military posture.

    We do have a better record.

    Mr. Simpson is correct when he implies that we are not the paragons of moral perfection some of us think we are. P.M. Martin led us in to Afghanistan to support one set of theocratic, misogynistic warlords (the Northern Alliance) against another (the Taliban). Harper is content to continue and deepen our troubles. Our behaviour was similar in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Haiti, which we (with the Americans and the French) briefly replaced with a government with no popular support.

    We are not perfect, Mr. Simpson, but there is no support for the idea that we are just like the United States and that our sense of difference is 'rubbish' based on a false sense of moral superiority.
  9. Ron White from Calgary, Canada writes: Several of the commentaries here did not read in full what Mr. Simpson said. We are tied to the US economically and geographically, if not emotionally. Some may love to hate them, but what a waste of energy that is.

    We must know our neighbours, and we must understand them. To fail to do that will balkanize us. We will never be part of the EU (thankfully) and neither will we be a part of the Asian economy. Like it or not we are NAFTA. CPT and BD, get your heads out of the sand.
  10. Not left,right or centre but forward got it from Toronto, Canada writes: We claim moral superiority easily because we are not powerful enough of a country to do any harm to anyone. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. To imply that Canada's or even Toronto's anti-American base because it clouds, dilutes or prevents any meaningful analysis of ourselves is what is rubbish. The US fails to submit their soldiers to international military war crimes tribunals, they refuse to sign the land mines treaty, the conduct wars of agression permanently on a small scale. I don't believe we are really superior to Americans and there is very much that I admire of them as a nation and a people. However, none of that negates our duty as a good neighbour and 'brother' to point out when they are wrong. Combating communism was morally justifiable, but McCarthy'ism was a nightmare. By studying and criticizing our neighbour who can indeed do wrong unlike the guest speaker today implies, we can learn what roads NOT to go down as well as those to adopt. The current administration has shattered my once held belief that the US are different but our friend and brother in all. I now see that even the once great America is vulnerable to the same evils other countries have fallen to. China and Russia, were not always the relatively corrupt countries they are now. Just like Germany was not always a Nazi agressor. Jefferey Simpson seems to think that America is above criticism and can do no wrong. In the lifetime of nations, who is to say that America doesn't eventually become the bad guy. Should we not speak up when crimes are comited? Should we not try to hold those responsible in a court of law? Why is bush not going to a war crimes tribunal for an admittedly illegal war? Who said 'When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.' I don't hate America, and I love Americans, and as their friend, my anti-Americanism is to point their crimes of the last 20 years and hope for a better direction.
  11. Ed Long from white Rock, Canada writes: First, this is Jeffrey Simpson at his best. He is uniquely capable to analyze the big picture and dispassionately offer his theories.

    Two, the anti-Americanism is an embarassment to any Canadian who does business internationally or to any Canadian who understands the global picture.

    Greg G. .... the peace-keeping myth is cr'p. Canadian governments committed Canadian Armed Forces personnel directly or seconded through the UN to Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Afghanistan. In each case we sent under-equipped people into active war situations, without votes in the House of Commons, and billed the missions as 'peace-keeping'.

    Please Wikipedia 'Somalia Enquiry' to find that the only conclusion after over three years of sittings and a maxed out budget was that we sent CAF into an active war that required them to be in active service using weapons to achieve political results, while still feigning peace-keeping at home.

    You want 'peace-keeping'? Try Sudan where the UN is looking for a nation to manage refugee repatriation. The biggest problem, other than money, is finding transportation specifically helicopters to patrol and assist in Africa's largest country, over 2.5M square kilometres.

    However, Canada's government cancelled our helicopter contract and sold our heavy lift helicopters to the Netherlands. We now beg rides and attempt to bump orders for new helicopters from that country you arrogantly judge while sitting on the throne of ignorance .... the United States.
  12. Steve Prime from Canada writes: As Simpson says about Canada-US relations: 'We need, in other words, to have a mature, level-headed relationship. I agree that this is often hard.'

    I agree, it is hard to have a mature relationship or discussion with immature people - like some Americans that write comments on G&M.
  13. s d from Canada writes: It seems fairly obvious that the majority political stream in Canada stands well to the left of American politics. While it's just to rebuke Canadians for being reflexively anti-American, it's pretty silly to call us to account for not liking the present American government. Iraq, Gitmo, no protection of personal information, antipathy toward the UN and the World Court, trade relationships with dubious countries and political meddling in democracies they don't like... a lot of American policies woudn't fly that well over here. Quite simply, we don't have to like Bush. We don't have to pretend to like any of his decisions. We're a different country, we tend to think differently, and we would certainly have voted differently than Americans have recently. That's how it should be - not anti-American, but having the right to a contrary opinion. (oooh forgot, that's not exactly commonplace down south... drink the Fox News cool-aid....) No wonder Obama sounds like a blast of fresh air - he thinks deeply, and is not afraid to make his audience do so. Not sure how well that will translate into political office, but it sure sounds refreshing from the spectator seats! Now if only our own politicos could manage to be that inspirational.... one or two of us might bother to vote again....
  14. Not left,right or centre but forward got it from Toronto, Canada writes: We must indeed always keep our discussion level headed and work towards common goals between our two nations. This does not negate our need to criticize them when they make mistakes. They cannot always see it themselves. It is difficult to see the truth through the zeitgeist, just as we benefit from their consideration when they politely reminded us of the dangers of becomming a basketcase economy around the time of the 90's recession. Americans can help us understand that while the extreem left's brand of socialism starts with their hearts in the right place, we also run the danger of losing ourselves to the well meaning but incompetent and currupt managed economies like what China and Russia are just now comming out of. Criticism is a healthy part of our relationship with the US and we need to be more frank with our neighbours not less. While a diplomat has to be willing to shut up about one subject in order to gain in another, the court of public opinion doesn't benefit from anything other than open communications. Praise when they get it right, and criticize when they get it wrong. America's foreign policy is a nightmare. They are responsible for as much destabilization as otherwise in global affairs. Iran, Iraq, Al-queda, Cold War, Panama, Hugo Chavez, and so on. The list of american enemies and constructs are almost identical. You reap what you sow.
  15. Kevin Wells from United States writes:

    Steve Prime wrote:
    'I agree, it is hard to have a mature relationship or discussion with immature people - like some Americans that write comments on G&M. '

    I know you are, but what am I?
  16. Jim Terrets from Vancouver, writes: Unfortunately Jeffrey Simpson greatly damages his credibility on the issue by making statements such as the following: 'By the way, about those military bases: Many of them are ardently desired by the governments in which they are located.... Ask some Arab states how they would like the U.S. to leave their area.'

    In his statement, Mr. Simpson is suggesting that the people in the Middle East welcome American military bases, which is either an incredibly disingenuous or incredibly naive thing to say. If you ask the peoples of these states what they want, they overwhelmingly want the US military to leave and want the US to stop interfering in their countries.

    It is the governments of the Arab states which welcome US military bases and assistance, and these governments are all near-dictatorships which are propped up by the US. Take Saudi Arabia for example, the US's 'greatest ally' among the Arab states: it's a non-democratic kingdom where women are not allowed to drive and can be arrested for 'flirting', and where criminals are executed by beheading.

    It is this kind of naivety (or willful blindness) towards the hypocrisy of US foreign policy on part of members of the press such as Mr. Simpson which harms any productive discussion of Middle East issues in North America. If we can't accept that the US and the West support human-rights violating regimes in spite of the US's and the West's very vocal commitment to 'human rights' and 'democracy', we're in for a very rough ride.
  17. Edmond Dusablon from United States writes: Not left,right or centre but forward got it -- The US fails to submit their soldiers to international military war crimes tribunals, they refuse to sign the land mines treaty,...

    The US will not subject our soldiers to any int'l war crimes tribunals because we know they'll be used as a kangroo court / harrassment tool by the Left. As an example of bias in so-called international law, we all saw that Pinochet was legitimately pursued to his grave but we won't hold our breath waiting for similar legal action against an equally foul thug called Castro.

    Oh, and the US will consider signing on to the landmines treaty the day Canada ponies up several thousand well-trained and armed-to-the-teeth combat troops to man the DMZ in Korea. You know, to replace those evil but effective and necessary landmines that help to keep the North Koreans from invading the South.
  18. Howard Citrin from Canada writes: Greg: Your comment is a perfect example of the false superiority we, as Canadians, launch upon ourselves.

    You select a couple of areas where you think Canada may have a morale advantage but choose to ignore the hundreds of other situations where the US has aided another country, voluntarily, and Canada chose not to get involved. We are as guily as they are at picking and choosing our spots.
  19. David any from RRRRICO!, Canada writes: I love Americans and come from an area in Canada where may of us come from American rather than European ancestry. Our Area is full of Americans in the summer and many of us owe our prosperity to their wealth.
    We have learned that it is OK for a Yank to Criticize a Yank but as a Canadian ...don't criticize them. The inverse is also true.. The Yanks are getting an education this election. Their eyes are open. We will see a new government ...Thank COD!
    We have more in common with the US than any other country.We need to criticize them gently and intelligently ...not with a baseball bat. We need to lead by example....not moral high ground.
    We need friends....Do you want Japan , India , China or Russia as our partner? No Way!
    God Bless America. Any way you cut it ...their culture is ours...We all need to learn to love Mexico too. My vote is for a continent of work and prosperity....and back to back in times of trouble.
    Our mutual corruptions are nothing compared to some of these other countries. Count your blessings!
  20. steve allan from Welland, Ontario, Canada writes: -----daniel coates from Almonte, Ontario, Canada writes: A very insightful, even profound, picture of the USA.----- There's never anything insightful about anything Simpson says and his ideas are about as profound as a pancake. Simpson has never evolved as a journalist and that's quite sad for a man who's been at it as long as he has. He continues to be an apologist for the U.S. that he was 20 years ago. He resorts to name calling to attack anyone who doesn't fall into line as though we're supposed to be pro-American, come what may! The U.S. is the most powerful nation on earth, yet it is far from being benevolent despite the tremendous advantages it has over less fortunate nations. You would think a nation so blessed would be grateful and behave in a civilized and decent manner vis-a-vis the rest of the world, particularly the poorer nations, but instead they rain terror and aggression on any nation they consider to be standing in their way. American society is sick, the culture lacks refinement and is polluting the rest of the world with its crassness and vulgarity, its politics is amateurish and embarrassing, its economic and social values are a monument to greed, arrogance and depravity, yet there are still those like Simpson who think we must bow before them in some sort of perverse servant to master relationship. If you don't mind, I prefer to live in obstinate opposition. Sad, very sad Jeffrey.
  21. Greg Gyetko from Dunrobin, Canada writes: From my throne of ignorance, I reply thusly.

    It doesn't matter what you think of the 'crap' which is international peacekeeping. Nor does it matter what the success rate is, nor even which one of us is arrogant and ignorant.

    Although I can't speak authoritatively on Rwanda, I do know that Dallaire requested more soldiers and was refused.

    Peacekeeping in Bosnia was a mission designed to fail so that the foreign supported K.L.A. could go up against the government forces, lose, and allow N.A.T.O. an excuse to start bombing. Bombing, if anyone cares, which was against civilian targets for the purpose of effecting political change.

    The mission in Afghanistan, regardless of how it is sold to the Canadian public, is not peace-keeping. It is war making for the purpose of seizing oil and natural gas resources.

    Of course these 'peacekeeping' missions failed. They were designed to fail! That was the whole point: get us out of these unprofitable peacekeeping missions and in to the money.

    But that is not my point. My point is that the Canadian public supports peacekeeping, is proud of our history in peacekeeping, even if we've been fooled in to thinking wars for resources like the NATO bombing of Bosnia and the conquest of Afghanistan are peacekeeping. The American public does not appear to have any such support for peacekeeping.

    And that difference is not rubbish.
    And that analysis is neither ignorant nor arrogant.
  22. Stubblejumper Don from Lower Mainland, Canada writes: I don't doubt for a moment that Canada operated in a better and more rational manner internationally than the US did over the past 7 years. (I'm excluding domestic politics here). The US 'stepped in it' many times. They are richer and more powerful but have 47 million people without healthcare, spend 14% of GDP on health vs 10% in Canada and don't live as long. They have created a full blown international financial crisis due to unfettered greed. Since Americans think they live in the best country on earth, why am I not allowed to think or tell them I do? Why can't I feel just a touch more superior as a result? Does that make me anti-American? Perhaps I'm out of touch because I lived in Toronto for 33 years.
  23. Dr Demento from Canada writes: It always amazes me that any justified criticism of American policies, actions or practices is labelled as 'anti-Americanism'.

    Anyone who cannot improve themselves by addressing criticisms is indeed a sorry loser.

    Jeffrey Simpson has an American bias - he was born in the USA.
  24. matt e from Canada writes: Not left,right or centre but forward -- well said.
  25. Dana Cruickshank from Canada writes: I think this was a very interesting, and correct assessment of the USA and its relations with Canada, specifically Canadian views of Americans. There is for some reason a massive amount of anti-americanism here in Canada, yet those same people don't mind watching 2 hours a day of American celebrities having babies or getting caught with cocaine.

    I'm not saying that we cannot be critical when need be, but its at the point where we have entire political parties running on an anti-american platform, which is disgusting.

    The sad thing I find, is that although both countries have myths and ideals that we hang on that are simply false, ours tend to be more far fetched and most importantly less useful.

    In the states there is an inherent self confidence that they are the greatest country ever, which although is true in many measures, they do make mistakes. But despite this, they can mobilize themselves and their businesses even when they are on the brink of recession, a very USEful thing.

    In canada, we just have this 'moral superiority' that doesn't exist. Because we don't have the resources to dominate the world like the US does, we somehow decide that it is wrong despite the fact that we could be so much more involved and powerful than we are now. So why don't we look at the US, see what they've done right and wrong, and try to improve on it, not hate them for being successful.
  26. Shaun Kaser from Vancouver, Canada writes: Anti-Americanism is not a thing. Or at least it is not simply ONE thing. Those on the left may appear at times to possess a 'knee-jerk' reactionary attitude, but when one analyses the behaviour of the US it is easy to understand the true cause of the apparent automatic negativity: the US consistently follows policy directions anathema to left interests. The difference between North American and European integration is the most simple idea to grasp: the US is ten times the size of Canada in terms of population and economy. No similar disparity exists in Europe, obviously. Simpson reiterates constantly the fact that the US pays so little attention to Canada, and that we inflate our sense of importance vis-a-vis the US = well imagine if our status were reduced to (a less well-off) New York State broken into ten pieces. US culture is, as all educated leftists know, extremely diverse and interesting, though there are also many aspects that are rampant which the left anywhere dislikes (massive sprawling overconsuming cities, especially in the West, in addition to the super competitive greedy capitalism). That he mentions in passing the massive growth in the division between rich and poor in the US is a sign of the disregard he holds for the real issues of poverty in comparison to his own morally righteous efforts to instill 'rational' discourse in the public sphere. Many of his efforts are laudable, charting a middle line between extremes, but on this score he does not follow his own balanced approach. There are many anti-americanisms, and only the type that hates without reason, a disposition undesirable anywhere, should be denounced. The left has many reasons to be angry, and the US could have easily acted differently (Vietnam, Iraq, Kyoto, Missile Shields, etc. etc. etc.) in many cases better furthering the self-interest that Mr. Simpson (also in a knee-jerk fashion) assumes should be or will be followed by nation states. More refined scepticism, please.
  27. Imperial K from Toronto, Canada writes: Well it's not anti american for sake of anti american.

    It's just that, so many of our governments (not all but most) did whatever they told them to do, and it gives me..and i think others, that they are being pushed behind the scenes to do what the U.S. wants...come hell or high water.

    Look at the trade fiasco with free trade, we've been dragged over the coals and basically told 'you will have to agree to the trade agreements, but not us'.

    So this tells me our governments are likely pressured into doing what they are told by the U.S. and not by us.

    Also, most people you may identify as anti american, are in fact, anti bush and the current 'general coo coo bananas' down there. I have no ill will to educated Americans. But their administration has become akin to Emperor Palpatine! ;)
  28. Imperial K from Toronto, Canada writes: Dana Cruickshank, well i don't know exactly what you mean by ideals?

    Ideals such as universal health care are pretty good if not perfect, so is the lack of a right to carry guns.

    The u.s. certainly does reward (usually) the uber leaders, but the ranks of poor and the fact that 15000 people die due to lack of medical care...and they have one of the worst levels of infant mortality in the world...well that is not a superpower.

    Again, I cannot blanket them and say 'ALL BAD' but they are not the image to follow. Yes, if you want an Imperial overlord class, millions of poor, and the majority of your taxes funneled into defense for the sake of a military industrial complex...well go for it.

    That is an evil world to exist in.
  29. Bob K from United States writes: Bravo Simpson. As for the remaining anti-American Canadians on this message your vitriol makes you the 'ugly Canadians' What is it the weather that makes you so miserable and arrogant.
  30. Brian Bailey from North Vancouver, Canada writes: If I saw the world in black and white, I would be both an Anti-American and a Pro-American. However, because I don't believe in simplistic, black and white analysis of complex and ever-evolving relationships, I respect and even admire some aspects of the United States, while at the same time, holding critical views on other aspects.

    The US has a very complex and diverse society, a very diverse and complex system of government and it is made up of the full range of human beings - just like every other country in the world except in one respect. The sum of its parts make it the world's greatest superpower. This is the lens through which the rest of the world views the US...and it is a distorting lens. As a result, the US is always held to a higher standard, sometimes rightly and sometimes wrongly. The US will always endure more criticism than it deserves because the people who make up its citizenry are no different than the people who make up any other country on the planet. The people of the US are ordinary, like us, NOT extraordinary, like we expect. Hence, the world will generally be disappointed. Furthermore, nobody really likes number 1....and that might be a good thing because you know what they say about absolute power........
  31. Was Canadian from New York, United States writes: What started as a somewhat insightful - 'Hmm, I never thought of it that way, maybe Canada SHOULD base its identity on being something other than 'not the United States' has devolved into just the 'but we ARE better than Americans, greedy capitalists, occupiers...' Hmmm the more things change... well, they don't.

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