The difference in Mentality

[Shyguy222]

Figured I'd post this in hear just to get a head start.

The following story illustrates that as much as Canada and the USA may seem the same and in fact are the same in some manners, we are still very very different. One of the biggest differences being the mentality.

For those that don't want to read, quick synopsis.

American cop was visiting Calgary and walking through a park. He was approached by two men who asked him if he'd been to the Stampede. Instead of answering he said nothing, so they asked again. He felt they were threatening in manner and said he didn't have to talk to them and walked away. He wrote a letter to the Calgary paper telling his experience and that he felt it unfair and unjust to not be able to carry his firearm, basically saying he would have shot these men just for asking him a question. He was then laughed at and critiqued for being a paranoid American.

http://www.globalnews.ca/paranoid+michigan+cop+ridiculed+over+desire+to+car ry+gun+in+calgary+park/6442694535/story.html

The mentality of your average Canadian vs your average American is so different and it's because of this difference that we get pissed off when we see the American way creeping it's way into our society.

Where we see a shooting as a tragic but ultimately infrequent event, the US freaks out and people respond by becoming more paranoid and more armed.

I use it as a joke but it is also the truth. The mentality difference was shown on the largest scale when the huge blackout occured in 2003. While the US jumped to another terrorist attack and the get your guns, Canadians threw a huge party to use up food and beer before it got warm.

[fluffybunny]

You can't judge all Americans by a few fringe idiots or the messed up media. Americans or Canadians, they are all humans and act silly. Silly humans.

[Captain_Fantasy]

I love a good shyguy rant.

[CoyoteStarrk]

Yep, that's us! XD

[ASHSON]

It seems to me that this guy has seriously over-reacted.
How do you ask a tourist if they've seen a major local attraction in a threatening manner?
The cop only needed to say yes or no and keep on walking, not stage a confrontation.
It seems to me that he has a touch of paranoia ill-becoming a police officer. If I was his employer I think I'd want to reassess his fitness for duty.

And if this seems a little harsh, wanting to carry a gun to chase of questioners seems a bit much to me.
* Did the two questioners actually threaten him? No.
* Did they pull some sort of weapon? No.
* Did the offended cop have any sort of evidence that the men were armed in any way? No.

Paranoia runs wild.

[infantrystud]

Well, its easy to kick back and suck down beer rather than worry about security issues when you have a big brother to the south that handles all of that for you.

On the plus side, we have a fair amount of your Canadian military here in Afghanistan. Good on them for sharing in this cluster fuck.

Originally Posted by Shyguy222

Figured I'd post this in hear just to get a head start.

The following story illustrates that as much as Canada and the USA may seem the same and in fact are the same in some manners, we are still very very different. One of the biggest differences being the mentality.

For those that don't want to read, quick synopsis.

American cop was visiting Calgary and walking through a park. He was approached by two men who asked him if he'd been to the Stampede. Instead of answering he said nothing, so they asked again. He felt they were threatening in manner and said he didn't have to talk to them and walked away. He wrote a letter to the Calgary paper telling his experience and that he felt it unfair and unjust to not be able to carry his firearm, basically saying he would have shot these men just for asking him a question. He was then laughed at and critiqued for being a paranoid American.

http://www.globalnews.ca/paranoid+michigan+cop+ridiculed+over+desire+to+car ry+gun+in+calgary+park/6442694535/story.html

The mentality of your average Canadian vs your average American is so different and it's because of this difference that we get pissed off when we see the American way creeping it's way into our society.

Where we see a shooting as a tragic but ultimately infrequent event, the US freaks out and people respond by becoming more paranoid and more armed.

I use it as a joke but it is also the truth. The mentality difference was shown on the largest scale when the huge blackout occured in 2003. While the US jumped to another terrorist attack and the get your guns, Canadians threw a huge party to use up food and beer before it got warm.

[HoratioBrock]

Wow you dirted on Canada and praised them in the same post....not sure what to take from that.

[Captain_Fantasy]

I heard the only difference between a Canadian and an American was a gun.

[wiiGod]

Originally Posted by Captain_Fantasy

I heard the only difference between a Canadian and an American was a gun.

um, that's like saying the only difference between a monkey and a human is their hair...

[Captain_Fantasy]

Originally Posted by wiiGod

um, that's like saying the only difference between a monkey and a human is their hair...

But we have less hair.

[infantrystud]

I didn't dirt on them. It is what it is. They don't have to worry about spending a lot of money on defense issues because we are their neighbor to the south. Its in our interest to make sure they are protected.

I mostly chuckle at my Canadian brothers taking shots at the USA. Its all in good fun, mostly. They'll make some comment and I'll just tell them they are jealous because anyone with talent or good looks catches the first plane south to the good ol' US of A.

All in good fun. Like the little brother poking the big brother a little bit and vice versa.

Originally Posted by HoratioBrock

Wow you dirted on Canada and praised them in the same post....not sure what to take from that.

[12941]

Originally Posted by infantrystud

Well, its easy to kick back and suck down beer rather than worry about security issues when you have a big brother to the south that handles all of that for you.

"Big Brother". Well, the american sense of superiority is on full display.

It is sometimes useful, even welcome, but when it is waived in one's face by people without any sense of history, context or proportion, utterly annoying in its stupidity (I mean the sense of superiority, not the person). When such sense of superiority forces or imposes itself on others, it leads to tragedy (which people without a sense of history will fail to comprehend or acknowledge).

Every Empire our world has ever known has had such pretensions and, when viewed from the future, such notion (while understandable) seems quaint or even laughable.

Empires fall, new ones take its place. That is the way of the world.

The opening post talked of differences which, of course, turned to talk of which is better. If evolution has taught us anything, it is the most adaptable (and not necessarily the strongest or most dominant) that survives.

.

[garison808]

Let me see if I have the details of this correct.

One of Michigan's Finest was in Canada without his weapon.
A couple of locals asked if he had been to the rodeo yet.
The American cop rudely ignored them.
They asked again, in a manner indicating they recognized his rudeness.
He assumed a defensive posture, and made a curt retort.
Lastly, he announced his paranoia in a major newspaper.

I have to side with the Canadians on this one. The man is an idiot.

Word on the street is there were two men in Nose Hill Park passing out free tickets to the Calgary Stampede. Had our American friend been a bit more Canadian for a moment, he might have had a more enjoyable afternoon.

[infantrystud]

It is what it is. Is it not true? Sometimes the truth hurts. I don't wave it in anyone's face. I don't feel the need to, really.

Originally Posted by 12941

"Big Brother". Well, the american sense of superiority is on full display.

It is sometimes useful, even welcome, but when it is waived in one's face by people without any sense of history, context or proportion, utterly annoying in its stupidity (I mean the sense of superiority, not the person). When such sense of superiority forces or imposes itself on others, it leads to tragedy (which people without a sense of history will fail to comprehend or acknowledge).

Every Empire our world has ever known has had such pretensions and, when viewed from the future, such notion (while understandable) seems quaint or even laughable.

Empires fall, new ones take its place. That is the way of the world.

The opening post talked of differences which, of course, turned to talk of which is better. If evolution has taught us anything, it is the most adaptable (and not necessarily the strongest or most dominant) that survives.

[Shyguy222]

Originally Posted by fluffybunny

You can't judge all Americans by a few fringe idiots or the messed up media. Americans or Canadians, they are all humans and act silly. Silly humans.

I don't judge all and I give each individual the chance to show otherwise when I do meet them. I'm just talking on a general basis, which if you talk to any other country, they also see it. It was even in an olympic story on the news last night, on what the connection was between the US and Britain. It talked how the Brits are baffeled by the US and it's Guns, God and Government topics.

Originally Posted by infantrystud

Well, its easy to kick back and suck down beer rather than worry about security issues when you have a big brother to the south that handles all of that for you.

On the plus side, we have a fair amount of your Canadian military here in Afghanistan. Good on them for sharing in this cluster fuck.

This is both ignorant and arrogant.

We don't need nor want any protection from the US. In fact, we are now more at risk because we are so closely associated with it.

We have a perfectly fine military that would be able to handle any attack from a country that would want to attack us. Which is the big point because no country wants to attack us, since we haven't gone around beating our chests and picking fights with other places like the bully the US is.

As for Afghanistan, yes we have men and women sacrificing their lives for nothing just like the American soldiers.

[sleepneat]

I don't know know enough about Canada to reply, except for a personal experience with Canucks I met in Vegas at an Ozzy Concert.

She owns a bowling alley in AB; she's hot, smart, and is a single mom of 4 kids. She took her oldest for his 21st birthday to Ozzy and a good time in Vegas.

If I were single, I'd love to date her, but the commute is a long ways. She's not political, loves camping, her kids, and is smart in her business.

I don't look down on people from other countries. I've been to enough places to know everyone isn't the same, culturally. It's when we embrace those differences and see each other as individuals and respect that individuality.

Heavy Metal brings people from all walks of life together to enjoy something they have in common, while leaving their cultural/ethnic/distance differences out of the gate for a short time, and forget all the political bullshit.

/ofsleepstupidrant

[infantrystud]

Canada has about 68,000 active duty military personnel to defende a pretty big country. If you think you can defend your country with your own military against a Russian invasion, have at it. The thing is, you'll never have to do it by yourself because we have your back. You can try to brush that off and minimize it but its true.

I've go no problem with Canada or Canadians. I work with a handful of them here in Afghanistan. Why you want to make this adversarial is baffling. Don't let our political differences make you ignorant about military matters.

America does more good in the world than any other nation. And, we never get any "thank you". Just a bunch of shit from other countries. Personally, I'd like to see us pull out of lot of places and stop aid to most every place. Let other countries deal with shit on their own. However, I realize that for the most part, the shit we take from other countries is pure envy.

Like I said, it is what it is.

Originally Posted by Shyguy222

I don't judge all and I give each individual the chance to show otherwise when I do meet them. I'm just talking on a general basis, which if you talk to any other country, they also see it. It was even in an olympic story on the news last night, on what the connection was between the US and Britain. It talked how the Brits are baffeled by the US and it's Guns, God and Government topics.

This is both ignorant and arrogant.

We don't need nor want any protection from the US. In fact, we are now more at risk because we are so closely associated with it.

We have a perfectly fine military that would be able to handle any attack from a country that would want to attack us. Which is the big point because no country wants to attack us, since we haven't gone around beating our chests and picking fights with other places like the bully the US is.

As for Afghanistan, yes we have men and women sacrificing their lives for nothing just like the American soldiers.

[Shyguy222]

Originally Posted by infantrystud

Canada has about 68,000 active duty military personnel to defende a pretty big country. If you think you can defend your country with your own military against a Russian invasion, have at it. The thing is, you'll never have to do it by yourself because we have your back. You can try to brush that off and minimize it but its true.

I've go no problem with Canada or Canadians. I work with a handful of them here in Afghanistan. Why you want to make this adversarial is baffling. Don't let our political differences make you ignorant about military matters.

America does more good in the world than any other nation. And, we never get any "thank you". Just a bunch of shit from other countries. Personally, I'd like to see us pull out of lot of places and stop aid to most every place. Let other countries deal with shit on their own. However, I realize that for the most part, the shit we take from other countries is pure envy.

Like I said, it is what it is.

And like I said, that's the fucking difference in mentality. Where the US is paranoid that they will get attacked by a country that is supposed to be an ally, Canada is not because they are an ALLY.

You're a shining example of the American ignorance that has led to the world we live in today.

[Captain_Fantasy]

I remember you saying once that you will kill a person in your lifetime and it was only a matter of when and where so youve got some nerve disparging American attitudes about guns and violence.

And since when is it everyone elses job to prove to you that they don't suck?

Man you sound like Bird Lover lately.

[Tea-Mistress]

I'll be honest in saying that I only read a few of the posts and all I really have to say is this;

People in general are stupid, arrogant, ignorant, self-entitled fucks.
I, personally, believe that age, race/nationality don't have much to do with that.

So the fact that this cop happened to be American... Doesn't exactly reflect well on the stereo type of the country... But, being a Canadian I've met just as many overreacctive and agressive Canadians in my short time.

Just my 2 cents on the original topic at hand.