Canada, America’s favorite child

By Liam Kavanagh-Bradette

Canadians are feeling the love from south of the border.

A Gallup survey released Feb 16 shows that the average American has a more favorable view of Canada since this time last year.

We are now sitting at a 96 per cent approval rating, the highest ranking any country has ever been rated in the 20 years that Gallup’s been conducting these surveys.

Exciting, isn’t it?

The Toronto Star, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Hamilton Spectator have all run the same Canadian Press story, written by Lee-Anne Goodman, which is full of pride and bluster at being America’s favourite.

Why do we act like being liked by the U.S. is some lofty goal? That earning the approval and a metaphysical pat on the head by the U.S. is something that should be trumpeted by the Canadian media?

I just spent the weekend in New York. They’re sure nice and had nothing negative to say about us, but neither did they have anything particularly smart or deep to say.
I guess I should have expected all this crowing, but it’s still depressing how eagerly we are as a nation at earning our neighbour’s approval.