On the surface, much seems similar. Americans have cheaper housing prices and are often shocked to discover prices in places like Toronto or Vancouver. But Canadians get many services for free that American’s pay for. We all drive similar cars, tend to have the same furniture in our homes.
Per capita, Canadians have a higher level of education. Americans are viewed as more vibrant and exciting and they certainly can be.
While Canadians are accused of being boring but I contend we like it that way. Canadians hold more passports, this could be simply because we like to escape in the winter but I suspect there is more world tourist travel as well, while the Americans travel more on business.
There is more opportunity in the US for career advancement. The US is a major economic engine and has a much greater population.
That’s why many of our actors and comedians go stateside.
Unfortunately, this is also true for the sciences. The Canadian government under Harper unofficially declared war on science funding and as a result, many of our scientists are currently working in the States wishing they could find a high-paying job back home.
Canadian society is more egalitarian. Americans will disagree with me greatly on this. In the US there seems to be an attachment of almost god-like attributes to someone who is extremely wealthy.
In trying to understand why Trump was so popular, I was very puzzled by the “because he is rich” answer from middle-class people. One explanation I was given is the American dream.
Americans who strive their whole life to become wealthy greatly admire others who have achieved that dream. While Canadians mix their admiration with the niggling question “What did this person have to do in order to step over others?’
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