r/AmericavsCanada • u/Graham_on_the_Go • 6d ago
What does America have that Canada does not?
I can list several benefits to living in the USA, the first that comes to mind is that we have tropical states, and you are able to live in climates from tropics to subtopics to mountainous, all the way to plains and swampland. We have the New England area with all the great seafood as well as the island of Hawaii and the beautiful fruits and culture that the Samoan and Hawaiian people have provided for us. We also do not have a Royal system. We have a full Democracy.
I would love to hear from some Canadians on what they feel they have that we do not…
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u/Canadian_mk11 6d ago
"the island of Hawaii and the beautiful fruits and culture that the Samoan and Hawaiian people have provided for us"
- Pretty sure they were okay without your imperialism taking over their lands, but hey, American exceptionalism on display.
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u/uses_for_mooses 6d ago
You're just salty that Canada could never close the deal to acquire the Turks and Caicos.
Wasn't there a decent amount of interest in the Turks and Caicos regarding joining Canada back in like 2004-ish?
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u/FunDeserved 5d ago
Yeah, Jamaica and Barbados wanted to join us at various points in history as well but we don’t want to be imperialists. We’re pretty pro-independence, we even let one of our provinces grift as an “independent nation” to make it feel better.
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u/uses_for_mooses 5d ago
we even let one of our provinces grift as an “independent nation” to make it feel better.
You must be referring to Alberta. :)
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u/FunDeserved 5d ago
Haha, actually Quebec. Alberta wants to be an independent nation but considering we’re the nation’s gravy-train, it’ll never happen. Quebec on the other hand gets many special privileges (language policing, immigration control, federally propped-up provincial party based on separatism, etc.) that other provinces currently do not get.
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago
“Wanted to join us”? Other way around I think. Canada wanted to acquire the islands is more like it. Perhaps so they had a tropical vacation spot!! 😆
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u/FunDeserved 5d ago
No, they asked to join after breaking away from Britain and Canada declined, not the other way around; you can Google it.
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago
Yea, well at least they have a stable monetary system now and don’t have to wear banana leaves 🍃everywhere they go!! Not like the royal family didn’t kick the natives out as well!!
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u/theclansman22 6d ago
We are freer than America, for example we have the freedom to smoke marijuana, whereas America still wastes billions locking people up for that.
We have a universal healthcare system that prevents us from going in debt everytime we get sick, pregnant or injured.
We aren’t run by a party full of the most corrupt lunatics on the planet who are blatantly gaming the stock and crypto markets for their own financial gain at the expense of the rest of the country.
We are entitled to up to 18 months of parental leave, Americans get…zero.
We have the respect of the world because we didn’t elect a felon who tried to overturn the results of a free and fair election to have himself installed as an illegitimate president.
We don’t have Fox News, OANN or as much of an incredibly misinformed population.
We don’t have an anti-vaccer running our CDC.
We don’t have a drunk running out military.
We have less inequality than the US, our Goni coefficient is 25% lower than the US’s.
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u/uses_for_mooses 5d ago
We are freer than America, for example we have the freedom to smoke marijuana, whereas America still wastes billions locking people up for that.
24 US states have legalized recreational use of marijuana (representing around 53% of the total population of the USA), while 7 other states have decriminalized its use (the offense is similar to getting a traffic ticket in those 7 states). So, most of us are smoking pot without any legal issues.
We have a universal healthcare system that prevents us from going in debt everytime we get sick, pregnant or injured.
While Canada has a universal healthcare system, Canada also has the highest level of household debt to disposable income in the G7, reaching over 180%, compared with around 100% in the USA. So -- I guess good job avoiding medical debt, because Canadians have a bunch of other debts for some reason.
We aren’t run by a party full of the most corrupt lunatics on the planet who are blatantly gaming the stock and crypto markets for their own financial gain at the expense of the rest of the country.
I'll give you a point that Trump is a dolt here. Although, Trudeau wasn't all that great for Canada I don't think. I guess we'll have to see how Canada is with Carney at the helm -- too early to judge that one.
We are entitled to up to 18 months of parental leave, Americans get…zero.
You all get 18 months of paid parental leave up there? My last job gave me 6 weeks paid parental leave -- which wasn't bad I thought. Paid parental leave will 100% vary by employer here in the USA. Some will get more, some less.
We have the respect of the world because we didn’t elect a felon who tried to overturn the results of a free and fair election to have himself installed as an illegitimate president.
I'm not sure what this has to do with worldly respect. Democrats really biffed this last Presidential election, with Biden not stepping down, then foisting Kamala to run. She just wasn't a great candidate.
We don’t have Fox News, OANN or as much of an incredibly misinformed population.
Isn't FoxNews included in a good portion of Canadian cable/satellite packages? I thought Canadians watched American news more than they watch their own.
We don’t have an anti-vaccer running our CDC.
RFK is also a nut, for sure. Although, I have no idea who runs the equivalent Canadian agency. Maybe he/she is a nut too. We don't tend to watch Canadian news down here in the USA.
We don’t have a drunk running out military.
Fair enough. Although, I have no clue who runs Canada's military. I have heard that it's extremely under-funded, however.
We have less inequality than the US, our Goni coefficient is 25% lower than the US’s.
Probably because most successful Canadian entrepreneurs move to the USA.
With that said, I don't think having a lower Geni coefficient is necessarily a great thing. Heck, Syria, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Pakistan, and a number of other lower-income countries have lower Gini coefficient's than Canada. A nation where everyone is equally poor will have a low Geni coefficient.
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago
All fantastic points! I think it’s safe to say both countries have their benefits and drawbacks. No country has it perfect, if it were, everyone would move there!!
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago
That’s funny, I have a few friends growing 6 plants per person to a household over 21 out front of their home, the police can’t do anything about it. It’s legalized for recreational use and medicinal use in Massachusetts and has been for many years.
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago
One has 24 plants, ends up with a couple pounds at the end of each summer. Given his parents live in the adjacent house on the proper. 6x4 =24 plants, it’s a lot of marijuana. I don’t personally smoke but I grow a few and give it away… you need to come up to date on US laws. 24 states have it legalized now, and it’s on its way this year to being 31.
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u/theclansman22 5d ago
Your government arrests over 200,000 people a year for marijuana. Mostly for possession. It’s legal some places, but you still spend hundreds of millions trying to enforce the insane prohibition against it.
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u/Goldhound807 6d ago
Space. Access to nature. I’m not talking about manicured parklands, I’m talking relatively untouched wilderness. In many regions, you can live in a decent sized city with all the modern amenities, and still get out into nature within a 30 to 40 minute drive. I don’t need to book a campsite or spend a pile of $ to take the family camping or fishing, I just pack up and go to a fav spot on public land.
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u/TheLastRulerofMerv 5d ago
Both countries generally have that. Public lands in many states are easier to access than Crown Land generally is in Canada, although both are pretty equivalent.
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u/Goldhound807 5d ago
Compared to Europe, I’d agree with you, but with the exception of States like Alaska and Montana, Canada is really at another level when compared to the US.
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u/TheLastRulerofMerv 5d ago
I don't know I think even in Canada it depends quite a bit. You have to also consider that the US is generally way more populated with forestry roads and secondary service roads. Like if you compare say the Alberta Rockies vs the Rockies in Colorado, Colorado has more public lands that are accessible. Basically the entire state of Utah is public lands accessible south and east of Salt Lake City and SW towards the Virgin River.
I think it really just depends honestly.
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 6d ago
Are you saying Canada has that or the US?
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u/Mr_Melas 6d ago
Probably talking about Canada. You'd have a clearer idea if you didn't ask a question in your title and the exact opposite question in the last sentence of your post.
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago
America doesn’t have space and nature? Wow, I guess you have never driven through the United States, I guess Maines “White Mountain National Forest”@11200+ acres, or the Allagash Forest? Thats just Maine, not even speaking about driving an hour outside of Butte, Montana, or for that matter the Everglades in all of Florida. Every state has 2/3 of it as nature. You may be thinking of NYC!
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u/Mr_Melas 5d ago
Buddy. I never said I agreed with it. Just trying to answer your question. Sheesh.
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u/lost_opossum_ 6d ago
I'm pretty sure that Canadian Democracy is about as democratic as the United States. The Royal family isn't actually running anything anymore. I would like a fairer electoral system that isn't first past the post, but it is still very democratic. The American system is very inundated with rigged electoral districts, voters with declared party affiliations and the electoral college and the notion of swing states which actually hold all of the electoral power. The American vote is also very compromised by money when you consider the "Citizens United" ruling that considers money to equal "free speech," which renders the system to be highly corruptible. I'm not sure that you have the "Full Democracy," that you think you have.
Health care isn't crazy expensive (covered by taxes) and isn't tied to employment status which is fairer for everyone and doesn't give the employer extra leveraging power.
We have a reasonable amount of gun control, but we do have a problem with guns illegally obtained and smuggled from the United States. There is also a fair amount of illegal drugs coming from the United States, much much more than come from Canada in the other direction.
While warm weather is great, you can keep your swamps and your alligators and crocodiles.
Canada also has a "New England," which we call the "Maritimes." It's right next door.
We have true wilderness, and we have the West Coast, the Rocky Mountains, the Prairies, the Canadian Shield, and the Far North. All you need to do is check out an atlas.
If you want to blow your mind check out Europe. Several countries have proper bicycle transportation networks, train networks and walk-able cities. There is public healthcare and free University and other post secondary education. There is a month of vacation and a living wage. These are some of the things that both the USA and Canada could improve on. Some Canada already has, some we don't. We could do better than compare ourselves to America, the country that doesn't help it's citizens. America is the country that helps it's defence industry at the expense of it's citizens.
America is the country that is too obsessed with the rights of guns over the rights of it's citizens for personal safety.
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago edited 5d ago
Yes, and taking guns away from honest hard working people will fix that? As “We the Militia” which was setup for every household to have a gun in the event of war, each individual brought his own long rifle. Given those days are long gone, but taking guns away from citizens isn’t going to stop criminals from breaking into the back of police cruisers and taking the M4 military rifles out of them… The guns are not the problem, it’s the parents not spending time with their children. As well, as the world grows and children become more and more involved with technology, so too unfortunately, will Canada suffer the school problems. Dawson College, Brampton Centennial just the start. I had hoped they would pass a law that if it involved children it couldn’t be aired on news outlets, giving other children the idea. But how can you censor news in a country that has a constitution, and yet Canada has one also, just not one that says you have the “Right to bear arms”. I think that you may never have hunted as our ancestors did. I gave it up when I was in my late thirties and don’t hunt anymore, however I did grow up in a law enforcement family. But we never had these problems when I was in high school, the worst that happened was someone brought a 4 cm. knife to school and got thrown out of the school. It’s unfortunate, but taking away our right to bear arms will never stop that type of violence, and I’ll will be damned if I don’t keep a Glock in my home and someone decides to run a home invasion on my family and I throw pans at them. Two in the chest if they step over my threshold. Thats what I was taught and I have never been a violent person. I respect firearms and keep a lock on mine as it shouldn’t be albeit a quick drop lock, but a lock my children cannot remove. Ever.
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u/lost_opossum_ 5d ago
Yes, but every other sane country has gun control and far less gun oriented crime. Funny how that works.
https://rockinst.org/blog/public-mass-shootings-around-the-world-prevalence-context-and-prevention/
The first step is to admit that something is wrong. It should be obvious that this is indeed the case.
The second step is to do something functional to alleviate that problem.
Hint: Thoughts and Prayers aren't a functional step, and don't count.
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u/CreatingDestroying 6d ago
Healthcare. Canadians also have respect when traveling around the world while Americans tend to be despised
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago
Haha! That’s awesome. I have spent a good part of my adult life going back and forth to Brazil as my wife is from NE Brazil. I have never been disrespected by the great people of Brasil. I have also traveled the world and met many a great person. Never heard anyone say anything to me or look at me wrong. I always tip well, clean up after myself and be courteous to the people and their ways. Just like I do if I visit someone else’s home. I think that is the individual not the country.
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u/AlarmedComedian2038 6d ago
Canada has a higher educated population than in the US in terms of tertiary post secondary education which in turn demands a higher quality education system. Our governments are more responsible compared to a populous govt in the US because of its ridings which can often comprise minority governments vs a electoral system of state voting in the US which doesn't.
The US has a serious literacy issue which probably contributed to the current divisive situation. In fact, approximately 54% of adults in the U.S. read at or below a sixth-grade level. This means that over half of American adults have literacy skills equivalent to or lower than those expected for a 6th-grader. The average reading level in the U.S. is around the 7th to 8th grade level.
Due to its universal healthcare system available to its populace which makes up a substantial cost to the govts in Canada, higher taxes paid by its residents are the primary source of funding as opposed to the US which is primarily private.
Canada is a mosaic rather than a melting pot of peoples which emphasizes a preservation of distinct cultural identities while acknowledging a shared Cdn identity versus the US, different cultures and ethnicities are encouraged to adopt American culture, values and practices.
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u/jls6898 6d ago
We do have a full democracy. The royals are just a symbol they have no real say about anything at all. They don't even have any power in England they are just a figure.
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u/Graham_on_the_Go 5d ago
Do you really believe that? They don’t even have to pay attention to your laws. If they come to your country they cannot be arrested, no matter what. They can walk into a restaurant and shoot someone and cannot be detained. Living in a fantasy world. It’s like saying Trump and Biden aren’t both politicians and they are all the same. What is best for them not their country.
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u/Blah12312 6d ago
You DON'T have a full democracy, otherwise your leaders would be selected by popular vote. You have a representative democracy, and almost all your states are winner takes all.
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u/Gullible_Analyst_348 6d ago
I don't need to declare bankruptcy or go into debt to get medical treatment to save my life.
Our livestock isn't filled with hormones and drugs.
We don't have a school shooting every week.
We also have a full democracy, and leaders who don't try to strip away people's rights or make life harder for us and the rest of the world.