I got a kick out of this..
http://www.nationalpost.com/home/sto...07/144326.html
U.S. thinks little of Canada: poll
'A tendency to take the near neighbour for granted'
Adrian Humphreys, with files from Anne-Marie Owens
National Post
While Canadians embrace their southern neighbour as their closest friend and trading partner, Americans dismiss Canada as almost irrelevant in economics and foreign policy, according to a new poll of citizens in both countries.
Only a few Americans said Canada is their country's biggest friend and ally. More than half chose Britain instead.
Americans also underestimate Canada's economic importance. The vast majority of Canadians, 82%, know the U.S. is our largest trading partner, but only 14% of Americans thought Canada was its most important trading nation. Japan was picked by the most Americans, followed closely by China.
The poll, conducted by Ipsos-Reid and provided to the National Post, highlights a deep disconnect in how the two nations perceive each other.
"It is a function of Canada's size and significance -- politically, economically, strategically -- in terms of the radar screen for most Americans," said Ronald Pruessen, professor of U.S. foreign policy and international relations and head of the history department at the University of Toronto.
"There is a tendency to take the near neighbour -- especially when that neighbour isn't very powerful or very threatening -- very much for granted," he said.
Several observers said the views of Americans on our political and military role reflect reality, while their mistaken view of our economic role is clear ignorance.
"There is an inordinate asymmetry between a country that is the most powerful in the world -- and has become even more powerful in the last 20 years -- and Canada," said Richard Johnston, head of the political science department at the University of British Columbia.
"In relation to the rest of the world, Canada has shrunk. Not just relative to the U.S., but also relative to the other major economies. Some of this reflects an unfortunate but nonetheless real geopolitical reality," he said.
The favour with which Britain is viewed is also thought to be enhanced by the strong role Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, has played in the U.S.-led war against terrorism.
Relations between the U.S. and Britain have become particularly cozy in the aftermath of the terrorist bombings.
While George W. Bush neglected to mention Canada in his nation-rallying speech to Congress shortly after the attacks, he heaped praise upon Mr. Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, who sat in the audience beside the President's wife.
While Mr. Blair's speech to the British House of Commons echoed the powerful, warlike tones favoured by the U.S. administration, Jean Chrétien's comparatively low-key speech caused barely a ripple of interest across the border.
Given these events, it is no wonder Americans suggested Britain was their greatest ally, foreign relations experts said. And while Canada's ego may be bruised over not being picked, it is the Americans' economic ignorance that might be the most harmful.
Canada and the U.S. trade about $1.5-billion a day, the largest amount of commerce between any two nations in the world.
Since NAFTA was implemented in 1994, the volume of trade has increased at an average rate of 13% a year. About 40% of Canada's gross domestic product and up to a third of its jobs are said to depend on sales to the U.S.
"We need them more than they need us and that makes us hugely vulnerable to any rising tide of protectionism that comes along in the United States," Dr. Johnston said.
For many Americans, Canada hardly exists, said James Laxer, author of books about the United States and a political science professor at York University .
"The Canada-U.S. border seems to be the beginning of outer space for an awful lot of Americans. But benign neglect by most Americans seems to be working well for us," he said.
The U.S., officially, said Canada should not fret over the results.
"Canada should not feel insulted by this," said Mary Ellen Gilroy, spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa. "For the vast majority of people in the U.S., they don't see Canada as 'the other.' We share so much in common. I don't think there is disrespect intended towards Canada. We do love Canada."
She said the people in the know -- the business leaders, the politicians, the military officials -- all understand and value Canada's role and contributions.
The poll of 1,000 Canadians and 791 Americans was conducted between April 30 and May 2 and is considered accurate to within 3.1 to 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The poll was released to coincide with a dinner tonight in Toronto heralding the launch of the Canada Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a Washington, D.C.-based institute designed to highlight cross-border issues, such as trade and security, and increase knowledge about Canada among U.S policy makers.
The National Post is a sponsor of the event and Angus Reid, of Ipsos-Reid, is chairman of the institute's advisory board.
BORDERS:
- 27% of Americans think Japan is their biggest trading partner; 25% think it's China; 14% know that it's Canada.
- While 69% of Americans see Canada as a separate nation, 30% view it as just another state, along the lines of Oregon.
- 56% of Americans say Britain is their greatest ally; 18% named Canada (though that did exceed France's paltry 2%).
in case someone thought I was too serious, or too silly here>
. Personally I like it up in Canada, if I could find a job that paid enough to pay my american debts I'd consider moving 
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