Back in the days of my childhood and youth we made a number of trips to and from the west. Back then Canada hadn’t developed a highway system good enough to support cross-country bus travel, so Greyhound carried us Alberta-bound travellers through the United States. Boy, do I have some memories of travel south of the border, but the most vivid must have happened on my first trip. Even at 11 years old, I should have known better. I tried to buy some candy and, without thinking, pushed Canadian money across the counter. It came flying back at me, closely followed by a smirk and the angry words, “I’m not taking that stuff!”
Back then, most Americans had a good grasp of their superiority and didn’t hesitate to express it even to an 11-year-old. How things have changed in recent years.
MacLean’s Magazine ran a special Canada Day Report: How Canada stole the American Dream. It began with the words, “The numbers are in. Compared to the U.S., we work less, live longer, enjoy better health and … now we’re wealthier too.” They quote sociologist Reginald Bibby, well known for tracking social trends, “Americans grow up with the sincere belief that their nation is a nation that is unique and special, literally called by something greater to be blessed and to be a blessing to people around the globe.”
It seems that while Americans spent the 20th century living their dream, Canadians worked away, caught up, and passed them in the opening years of the 21st century. According to research done by MacLean’s Magazine, the polite, underpaid Canadian is gone. Even though we work shorter hours, we have passed Americans in personal wealth. And even more important, we experience better health and happiness, and live longer. We have a lower percentage of teen pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases.
We seem to have more fun with family and friends and take more time to explore the world. The MacLean’s article also said, “Even in crime we come out ahead: we’re just as prone to break the law, but when we do it, we don’t get shot. Most of the time, we don’t even go to jail.”
How do we manage to outrank them in personal wealth? We have higher average salaries and owe much less per capita. Americans have larger houses, 2,500 square feet compared to our 2,000 square feet, but they have much bigger mortgages. They drive larger cars; America’s most popular car is the upscale Toyota Camry, while Canadians opt for the basic Honda Civic.
Jack Mintz, former president of the C.D. Howe Institute said, “The fact that we’re now richer is a big reversal. It’s a huge change in the way we view the world.” Mintz credits the rising loonie, the boom in commodities, and better public policy. He further indicates that while productivity in the U.S. has slowed, we have hacked away at our government debt and lowered taxes. Simply put, nationally, we’ve done everything the right way, while the U.S. has done everything the wrong way.
Reginald Bibby notes the irony of the situation. The U.S. aggressively pursues happiness, but Canada has stumbled onto it. He said, “The pursuit of happiness is ingrained in Americans as part of what it means to be an American. But in Canada, happiness is almost something of a by product of coexisting peacefully.”
If we have succeeded in hijacking the American dream, let’s use our success to gain the respect and admiration of the rest of the world, including the Americans. Let’s not turn people off by flaunting it.