tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post114908251846856437..comments2023-08-03T07:33:41.442-07:00Comments on Idealistic Pragmatist: The U.S. as the unexamined alternativeIdealistic Pragmatisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296481430598981678noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post-1149352587692396022006-06-03T09:36:00.000-07:002006-06-03T09:36:00.000-07:00Kevin,Heh. Then you're reading the wrong blog, ma...Kevin,<BR/><BR/>Heh. Then you're reading the wrong blog, man. ;-)Idealistic Pragmatisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18296481430598981678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post-1149163106872506092006-06-01T04:58:00.000-07:002006-06-01T04:58:00.000-07:00m@,Yeah, I'm not sure I buy that. My read is that...m@,<BR/><BR/>Yeah, I'm not sure I buy that. My read is that what prevents Canada from swaggering around isn't that we know that "there's a world of differing opinions out there"--do you really think Joe Canadian could name what some of those differing opinions are?--but because it would run counter to Canadian culture to behave that way. Why we do the peace-keeping and the U.S. does the imperial stuff is a cultural difference, and to do things according to the way your culture dictates them, you don't <I>have</I> to look beyond the boundaries of your little world. <BR/><BR/>It so happens that I prefer Canadian culture on this, as I do on many things. But that doesn't mean Canada is any less insular than the United States.Idealistic Pragmatisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18296481430598981678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post-1149134920543407022006-05-31T21:08:00.000-07:002006-05-31T21:08:00.000-07:00I agree with you completely when it comes to under...I agree with you completely when it comes to understanding and continuing to better our domestic policies.<BR/><BR/>However, it's totally different when it comes to our foreign policy, and that's a big difference. Obviously we don't have the power to swagger around like the USA. But at least we know that there's a whole world of differing opinions out there, and we try to come to grips with that when we're figuring out what we should be doing out there.<BR/><BR/>It's why we do the peace-keeping, and the USA does the imperial stuff, I'd hazard. And I think John Kerry's "international test" statement in the 04 debates resonated with most Canadians, while the right wing response ("international test!? for US!? For god's sake why? We're the USA!!!") mystified us.<BR/><BR/>(On the peacekeeping front, I'll add Afghanistan notwithstanding -- and I'm sure that if Canadians had a clearer idea of what we're doing there, more would be against our involvement there too.)M@https://www.blogger.com/profile/13408488215496128814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post-1149131947753393752006-05-31T20:19:00.000-07:002006-05-31T20:19:00.000-07:00Harsh truth.I'd like to disagree with you, but I r...Harsh truth.<BR/><BR/>I'd like to disagree with you, but I really can't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com