Honestly - who are the retarded ones here?

Canada described as 'retarded cousin' by U.S. pundit, in spate of attacks
15:40:35 EST Dec 19, 2005
BETH GORHAM

WASHINGTON (CP) - Canada has been described lately by a conservative U.S. television host as "a stalker" and a "retarded cousin."

Another pundit recently asked if Canadians weren't getting "a little too big for their britches." There's been a spate of Canada-bashing by right-wing media commentators in the United States ever since Prime Minister Paul Martin's complaints about lumber penalties and U.S. policy on climate change. His remarks prompted an unusual rebuke last week from the American ambassador.

The attacks on Canada have had web bloggers typing overtime and a non-profit group that's monitoring the trend, Media Matters for America, says it's disturbing.

Yet Paul Waldman, a senior fellow for the group, said Monday the criticism is confined to the usual faction that erupts whenever there's criticism of President George W. Bush's administration and it probably won't last past Canada's Jan. 23 election.

"There are always going to be occasions when it pops up. But Canada is never going to occupy an extraordinary amount of American thought," said Waldman.

"It's more like: 'Who can we beat on today?' It's never going to reach the heights of animosity toward France in the run-up to the Iraq war."

Last week, MSNBC host Tucker Carlson, a well-known conservative pundit, let loose with a string of anti-Canada rants.

"Anybody with any ambition at all, or intelligence, has left Canada and is now living in New York," he said.

"Canada is a sweet country. It is like your retarded cousin you see at Thanksgiving and sort of pat him on the head. You know, he's nice but you don't take him seriously. That's Canada."

Carlson also said it's pointless to tell Canada to stop criticizing the United States.

"It only eggs them on. Canada is essentially a stalker, stalking the United States, right? Canada has little pictures of us in its bedroom, right?"

"It's unrequited love between Canada and the United States. We, meanwhile, don't even know Canada's name. We pay no attention at all," he said.

The day before, Fox News host Neil Cavuto highlighted Martin's remark at a news conference that the United States is a "reticent nation" lacking a "global conscience" on climate change.

"So have the Canadians gotten a little too big for their britches?" Cavuto asked.

"Could our neighbours to the north soon be our enemies?"

Douglas MacKinnon, a press secretary to former Republican senator Bob Dole, also recently accused Canada of harbouring terrorists.

"Can Canada really be considered our friend anymore?" he asked in a recent commentary in the right-wing Washington Times newspaper.

"What other question can be asked when the Canadian government not only willingly allows Islamic terrorists into their country but does nothing to stop them from entering our nation?"

U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins warned Martin last week to tone down anti-American jabs or risk hurting bilateral relations. But Martin was unrepentant, saying he would "not be dictated to" by the United States and his hard line appears to be resonating with some voters.

While the offensive from American pundits isn't widespread, it still has the potential to affect cross-border ties, said Waldman.

"On Capitol Hill, the TVs are turned to Fox News. This kind of media environment is what the White House pays attention to," he said.

"That hostility is probably shared by a lot of people in the administration."

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Ooh! Big bad Canada is such a threat to poor defenseless America! That's what the right-wingers would have you believe. If America is so freaking awesome, why do the Fox News pundits and the likes of good ol' Ann Coulter take such offense to comments made by leaders/media of other nations at all? Like, if TROTW is so insignificant to America, why do they even give a flying crap what anyone else says? Sounds like a case of an overabundance of conservative self-consciousness gone mad. Why is that? What is going on in the back of their heads that makes them react to outside criticism with such bitterness and rage? I thought the people in power (and the media that they control) were of the "if you're not with us, fuck you!" mentality? Are there some sensitivity issues there that we're not seeing? Maybe we should look on this hypersensitivity as the Achilles heel of the conservative movement, just in case we need to exploit it...

Okay, it's not like I'm offended by any bile spewed by the Canadian or American right-wing pundits - I'm only offended by their incredible ignorance of reality - but what really disturbs me about this article (although I'm not surprised) is that the Bush Administration watches, and apparently ONLY watches Fox News. Yipe! That is a tad scary. Talk about lack of perspectives. If I had to listen to Tucker Carlson all day, I think I'd be a little fucked up too!