http://george.loper.org/~george/trends/2004/Jan/937.html

Rest assured that most Canadians would not want to live in Toronto either. In fact, most Canadians, whether they live inside or outside of Toronto, consider the city to be a “distinct society” with very little resemblance to the rest of the country.

I love Toronto, I visit family and friends there every year, and it’s a happening place, what with the epicentres of business, media, and culture residing there, sort of like a great sucking vortex. But if the city of Toronto could literally emigrate to the US, it would be gone in a heartbeat. Toronto is an awkward blend of pleasant social consciousness and brash, balls-out capitalism.

Nancy pointed out that she was simplifying Canada in a very quick blog posting, and certainly there’s more to the country than what was described. The alleged flap about Conan’s visit was just fodder for lazy columnists, and hay for the P.C. machine. That kind of tsk-tsking by the media is evident in the US as well these days, but I’ll bet that like us, most Americans don’t sweat the small stuff.

I like what it means to be Canadian. And as much as I like the US, I’m glad that in some ways my values are different from what Americans (and Torontonians) hold dear.

There is a long, long tradition of the Quebecers and other Anglophones publicly proclaiming respect for different cultures and Quebecois rights, whilst in private laughing at the “pea soup eater” jokes, the bare mention of Celine Dion, and the expiration of Rene Levesque in his vichysoisse.

And don’t forget that bitch Anne Murray, too.

Canada has sacrificed soul for political correctness. The US isn’t far behind.