Poll: over 40% of Canadian teens think America is "evil"
by Arthur Weinreb

June 30, 2004

Can West News Services, owners of several Canadian newspapers including

National Post as well as the Global Television Network commissioned a

polls to determine how young people feel about the issues that were facing

country's voters. Dubbed "Youth Vote 2004", the polls, sponsored by the
Dominion Institute and Navigator Ltd. were taken with a view to getting

young people involved in the political process.

In one telephone poll of teens between the ages of 14 and 18, over 40 per

of the respondents described the United States as being "evil". That

rose to 64 per cent for French Canadian youth.

This being Canada, the amount of anti-Americanism that was found is not
surprising. What is significant is the high number of teens who used the

"evil" to describe our southern neighbour. As Misty Harris pointed out in

column in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, evil is usually associated with

killers and "kids who tear the legs off baby spiders." These teens appear

equate George W. Bush and Americans with Osama bin Laden and Hitler,

it is unknown if the teens polled would describe the latter two as being

Whether someone who orders planes to be flown into heavily populated

would fit that description would make a good subject for a future poll.

The Liberal government came into power in 1993 gushing anti-Americanism.

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's communications director, Francoise Ducros,
made headlines when she referred to President Bush as a moron. Liberal MP
Carolyn Parrish was picked up on a boom microphone saying, "Damn

I hate those bastards". Not only did Parrish not apologize for her

she later appeared on a television show hosted by alleged comedian Mike

and laughed about the incident. Parrish played to the anti-Americanism of

youthful studio audience by saying that she couldn't guarantee that she
wouldn't do it again.

Not only did then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien not take any action against

staff or caucus members, he himself engaged in America-bashing. The depth

his anti-Americanism surfaced shortly after the 9/11 attacks when he

arrogance and greed of the West (read the United States) for those

When Paul Martin assumed office last December, the childish cheap shots

but, if anything, anti-Americanism became stronger.

Anti-Americanism played a prominent role in the election strategy of the
Liberals. Paul Martin portrayed himself as the saviour of Canadian

while saying that if Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada

to power they would introduce "American-style" health care. Martin was

take credit for cutting taxes and eliminating the deficit during the 1990s

he was Minister of Finance, but he referred to tax cuts included in the
Conservative Party platform as being "American-style tax cuts". Canadians

favour lower taxes or the private delivery of health care services or

governments or anything similar to what is found in the United States were
called "un-Canadian" by Paul Martin.

It is therefore not surprising that a high percentage of Canadian youth

that the United States is evil. Nor is it surprising that this feeling is

pronounced in Quebec where Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe said that

would rather live under the United Nations than the Stars and Stripes. The

wing Canadian political parties, aided by their supporters in the elite

don't seem to be able to say anything positive about Canada without
denigrating the United States in the process.

The poll results reflect that anti-Americanism will be solidly entrenched

future generations of Canadians. As well as listening to the propaganda
espoused by their political leaders and the media, these kids have no
experience with what constitutes real evil. They live in a country that

like pre-9/11 America, thinks that terrorist attacks are something that

in other countries. And as the World War II veterans slowly die off, they

no conviction of the evil that the allies risked their lives to defeat.

With anti-Americanism playing such a prominent role in this past election
campaign, it is no wonder that the United States was viewed in such a

light.

Arthur Weinreb, a lawyer and author, is Associate Editor of Toronto Free

and Canadafreepress.com. He can be reached at:

Poll: over 40% of Canadian teens think America is "evil"

Poll: over 40% of Canadian teens think America is "evil"
by Arthur Weinreb

June 30, 2004

Can West News Services, owners of several Canadian newspapers including the
National Post as well as the Global Television Network commissioned a series of
polls to determine how young people feel about the issues that were facing the
country’s voters. Dubbed "Youth Vote 2004", the polls, sponsored by the
Dominion Institute and Navigator Ltd. were taken with a view to getting more
young people involved in the political process.

In one telephone poll of teens between the ages of 14 and 18, over 40 per cent
of the respondents described the United States as being "evil". That number
rose to 64 per cent for French Canadian youth.

This being Canada, the amount of anti-Americanism that was found is not
surprising. What is significant is the high number of teens who used the word
"evil" to describe our southern neighbour. As Misty Harris pointed out in her
column in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, evil is usually associated with serial
killers and "kids who tear the legs off baby spiders." These teens appear to
equate George W. Bush and Americans with Osama bin Laden and Hitler, although
it is unknown if the teens polled would describe the latter two as being evil.
Whether someone who orders planes to be flown into heavily populated buildings
would fit that description would make a good subject for a future poll.

The Liberal government came into power in 1993 gushing anti-Americanism. Former
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s communications director, Francoise Ducros,
made headlines when she referred to President Bush as a moron. Liberal MP
Carolyn Parrish was picked up on a boom microphone saying, "Damn Americans —
I hate those bastards". Not only did Parrish not apologize for her remarks, but
she later appeared on a television show hosted by alleged comedian Mike Bullard
and laughed about the incident. Parrish played to the anti-Americanism of the
youthful studio audience by saying that she couldn’t guarantee that she
wouldn’t do it again.

Not only did then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien not take any action against his
staff or caucus members, he himself engaged in America-bashing. The depth of
his anti-Americanism surfaced shortly after the 9/11 attacks when he blamed the
arrogance and greed of the West (read the United States) for those attacks.

When Paul Martin assumed office last December, the childish cheap shots ended
but, if anything, anti-Americanism became stronger.

Anti-Americanism played a prominent role in the election strategy of the
Liberals. Paul Martin portrayed himself as the saviour of Canadian medicare
while saying that if Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada came
to power they would introduce "American-style" health care. Martin was happy to
take credit for cutting taxes and eliminating the deficit during the 1990s when
he was Minister of Finance, but he referred to tax cuts included in the
Conservative Party platform as being "American-style tax cuts". Canadians who
favour lower taxes or the private delivery of health care services or smaller
governments or anything similar to what is found in the United States were
called "un-Canadian" by Paul Martin.

It is therefore not surprising that a high percentage of Canadian youth think
that the United States is evil. Nor is it surprising that this feeling is more
pronounced in Quebec where Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe said that he
would rather live under the United Nations than the Stars and Stripes. The left
wing Canadian political parties, aided by their supporters in the elite media
don’t seem to be able to say anything positive about Canada without
denigrating the United States in the process.

The poll results reflect that anti-Americanism will be solidly entrenched in
future generations of Canadians. As well as listening to the propaganda
espoused by their political leaders and the media, these kids have no
experience with what constitutes real evil. They live in a country that much
like pre-9/11 America, thinks that terrorist attacks are something that happens
in other countries. And as the World War II veterans slowly die off, they have
no conviction of the evil that the allies risked their lives to defeat.

With anti-Americanism playing such a prominent role in this past election
campaign, it is no wonder that the United States was viewed in such a negative
light.

Arthur Weinreb, a lawyer and author, is Associate Editor of Toronto Free Press
and Canadafreepress.com. He can be reached at: