montreal mike

On another thread a poster wrote 'I feel that in many areas the population is growing further apart rather than coming closer together and that multiculturalism combined with many not learning the languages of the country are the prime reasons.

I am not going to answer or talk about this anymore on this thread or perhaps any other. We can start a new one to discuss the future of Canada if you want ..... '

my question is why would that be ?

Aviator

Not too sure what the question is, however I have always viewed Canada as less of a melting pot than it is perceived. In Canada many see themselves as their native nationality first and Canadian second. In the US they are more of a melded society, American first and foremost and where they originated second.

Personally I prefer the American outlook.

Jingsamichty

I wonder how many other 'multicultural' societies have reservations for their indigenous people?

I think a good yardstick of any country is to look at the cops... here they're pretty much all white, mostly male, frequently British. Speaks volumes.

Auld Yin

I heartily agree with you. However, I believe the same thought process exists in other countries that have experienced large influxes of immigrants in recent years. The patriotism existing in the USA with most residents does not exist here or in most other countries.

Novocastrian

On another thread a poster defined a troll as "nothing but a nasty low life sh*t disturber who gets his jollies trying to create chaos. It is not a person who is a little mischievous or cheeky or different."

My question is who would that be?

Aviator

The indigenous people in Canada or the US were displaced by those calling themselves First Nations. Some theories claim they came across the Barring straight, other theories include the Pacific Islands.

We are all immigrants, just some got here before others.

montreal mike

I myself make a distinction.

The natives here were around many generations before the whites showed up. I do not think the native indian would consider himself an immigrant who just happened to be here before the rest. Similarly the french quebecker can trace his ancestry back some 400 years would take a similar view.

How many generations or centuries does it take to lose the immigrant label?

montreal mike

Moi.

Novocastrian

Pre´cisement.

<bugger, I'll get the hang of acuteness one day>

Novocastrian

That's news to me. Can you cite a reference?

Aviator

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_..._the_New_World

Novocastrian

No, a reference, not a wiki article. There's complete and general agreement that humans did not inhabit north america until about 20,000 years ago.

There's also no doubt that they arrived from Asia via the Bering Straits land bridge. It's true that some evidence (but no proof) exists for an earlier sparse arrival further south by boat from the pacific islands , but to characterize that tenuous theory as demonstrating an earlier "indigenous population" of Canada and the US is nonsense.

This link will take you a great deal longer to read than a wiki article, but might be more helpful.

http://www.questia.com/read/6683698?...st%20Americans

Cheers.

Aviator

So if you had why ask?

Novocastrian

I thought I might learn something. Always my goal.

dbd33

I don't think that in the end it makes very much difference what the government's policy is; Queens is as diverse and as multicultural as Toronto. However, since Canada is defined by multiculturalism, the idea that everyone is a hyphenated Canadian, adoption of the American melting pot idea here would eliminate the small difference between the countries; does your support for the American ideal extend to merging with them?

(Anyone wanting to catch a preview of this silly argument might want to look at the "What's wrong with Canada?" thread or search on "unhyphenated").