Canada's Apology to the USA

Unlike the Cleese bit, this actually WAS written by Rick Mercer several years ago. So I can get an email address for you if you want! :D

I see the US beer got slammed here too...haven't had a drink in years. Someone wanna update me?
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Courtesy of Rick Mercer from This Hour Has 22 Minutes
CBC Television:

On behalf of Canadians everywhere I'd like to offer an apology to the United States of America. We haven't been getting along very well recently and for that, I am truly sorry.

I'm sorry we called George Bush a moron. He is a moron but, it wasn't nice of us to point it out. If it's any consolation, the fact that he's a moron shouldn't reflect poorly on the people of America. After all it's not like you actually elected him.

I'm sorry about our softwood lumber. Just because we have more trees than you doesn't give us the right to sell you lumber that's cheaper and better than your own.

I'm sorry we beat you in Olympic hockey. In our defense I guess our excuse would be that our team was much, much, much, much better than yours.

I'm sorry we burnt down your white house during the war of 1812. I notice you've rebuilt it! It's Very Nice.

I'm sorry about your beer. I know we had nothing to do with your beer but, we Feel your Pain.

I'm sorry about our waffling on Iraq. I mean, when you're going up against a crazed dictator, you wanna have your friends by your side. I realize it took more than two years before you guys pitched in against Hitler, but that was different. Everyone knew he had weapons.

And finally on behalf of all Canadians, I'm sorry that we're constantly apologizing for things in a passive-aggressive way which is really a thinly veiled criticism. I sincerely hope that you're not upset over this. We've seen what you do to countries you get upset with.

Thank you.

LMAO!!!!

That's so funny EHH!

Hmmm wrong time to be bragging about olympic hockey since both the Canadian and U.S. team got smoked in hockey last olympics.

I am just sorry in Ontario we have to pay 14% sales tax LOL

I love Rick Mercer!

In history, we watched his special: "Talking to Americans"

I'm not calling Americans stupid - but WOW - you sure are gullible!!!!

Is it okay to laugh quietly??? :)

HEY!!! there is some wrong info there.. We didn't burn down the White House, we burned down the Pink House :D

I'm not joking, for people who don't know the history.. It was origionally PINK :D

*lol* cute! I know Rick Mercer had been doing a lot of commercials around here for the One-Ton-Challenge (to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions).

I always liked the name of the comedy group/show though - "This Hour Has 22 Minutes", poking fun at the fact that an hour long program has been getting shorter and shorter over the years, so isn't really an hour long anymore ;)

Canadians didn't burn the White House (Presidential house, as it was called at the time), it was British forces under Rear Admiral Cockburn, who was sent from the peninsular wars in Spain to invade the US.

ROFL !!! With such a serious title, I didn't want to get involved, but after reading the "he is a moron, but it wasn't nice of us to point it out" I was hooked. Really, really funny.

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Originally Posted by Lady's Human

Canadians didn't burn the White House (Presidential house, as it was called at the time), it was British forces under Rear Admiral Cockburn, who was sent from the peninsular wars in Spain to invade the US.

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Yes, but at the time Canada was still a child and still under control of the British, so when they went to war - we did too.

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Originally Posted by BC_MoM

Yes, but at the time Canada was still a child and still under control of the British, so when they went to war - we did too.

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Thats pretty much what I was going to say.. At that time Canada & British army were pretty much the same people. If I recall correctly, it was lead from Montreal. Such a long trip to burn down a pink building lol

Love it! Very funny. You guys are great!

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Originally Posted by king2005

HEY!!! there is some wrong info there.. We didn't burn down the White House, we burned down the Pink House :D

I'm not joking, for people who don't know the history.. It was origionally PINK :D

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Can you show me where you read that fact? Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Lady's Human

Canadians didn't burn the White House (Presidential house, as it was called at the time), it was British forces under Rear Admiral Cockburn, who was sent from the peninsular wars in Spain to invade the US.

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Maybe they write the history books differently in Canada.... ;) ;)

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At the time, Washington was a minor port with only about 8,000 inhabitants — about 1,300 of whom were slaves. What it lacked in strategic value, however, it made up in symbolic value. The British and Canadians sought revenge on the United States for the destruction they had caused on the capital of Upper Canada (now Ontario) at York (now Toronto) after the Battle of York in 1813. Naval commander George Cockburn wrote that he hoped the destruction of the new republic's capital might demoralize the enemy as well.

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Originally Posted by lizbud

Can you show me where you read that fact? Thanks.

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Which fact? The fact that the White House's origional colour was Pink? or that The Canadian & British army was pretty much the same thing back then?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House

It was never pink, it was always white, first called the "White House" in 1811 (per wiki and the white house web site)

It's funny how history gets twisted sometimes, and British historians are notorious for it. As an example, in one history of WW2, written by a British historian who has actually done excellent work when not commenting directly on British military history, was the following comment summarizing the strategic bombing campaign in Europe:

"Bomber command was assisted by the 8th US Air force in the bombing of strategic targets in Europe."

Assisted by?

Also, while we did not officially declare war on Herr Schickelgruber's Germany until 1941, US Naval forces in the Atlantic were engaging German U-boats well before that, with the first officially recognized naval battle between US and German forces occurring in 1940. There were contacts well before that. We weren't sitting on the sidelines, we just hadn't actively declared war.

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Originally Posted by king2005

Which fact? The fact that the White House's origional colour was Pink? or that The Canadian & British army was pretty much the same thing back then?

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Since I made no mention of Canadian Army or British army in my quote,
I thought you could conclude I meant the color of the White House?

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Originally Posted by Lady's Human

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House

It was never pink, it was always white, first called the "White House" in 1811 (per wiki and the white house web site)

It's funny how history gets twisted sometimes, and British historians are notorious for it. As an example, in one history of WW2, written by a British historian who has actually done excellent work when not commenting directly on British military history, was the following comment summarizing the strategic bombing campaign in Europe:

"Bomber command was assisted by the 8th US Air force in the bombing of strategic targets in Europe."

Assisted by?

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Don't ya just love that British humor? :D

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Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary

Maybe they write the history books differently in Canada.... ;) ;)

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All I can say is at least we study other countries and the world! lol :p

Touché BCMom...touché!

I once toured a WWII museum in Normandy. It was a British/French museum. There was a movie....talked about the "surprisingly audacious Yanks" who helped out in WWII. :rolleyes:

The moral of the story is..."whoever builds the museum gets to decide who won the war...." :D ;) :D

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Originally Posted by BC_MoM

All I can say is at least we study other countries and the world! lol :p

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Yep we completely keep all that out of our book learnen.... :rolleyes:

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Eight other architects also submitted designs, but Hoban won. The "White House" proposed by Hoban was a refined Georgian mansion in the Palladian style. Built of pale gray sandstone, it would have three floors and more than 100 rooms.

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I just HAD to check out the idea of a pink White House. This is one description I found of the original house.

When it was rebuilt after the war of 1812, the sandstone was painted white, largely to hid the burn marks.

Can't find any reference to PINK.

I don't know why, but I didn't find the article thing funny at all. I just sounded like a bunch of bragging to me, and making the US look like idiots - which isn't right in my opinion. Seems that's all Mercer ever does. It gets old real fast. I also watched that "Talking to Americans" show a while back and I didn't enjoy it at all, as again, it just made the US look stupid. I think that particular show was all set up, or mostly set up anyway. Obviously both the article and the show I'm referring to were meant to be humorous (to Canadians), and not taken the wrong way but I just don't see the humour in it anymore. Canada and the US are constantly (indirectly) making fun of one another and bragging about how one country is better than the other, when really, we're all people and probably have a lot of similarities. As far as the white house being pink at one point in time, I've heard that was a myth. And honestly, so what if the US doesn't learn as much about other countries as Canada does? How does Canada even know how much the US learns about other countries? We don't. Well, I don't anyway. I don't think that makes us any better than they (I don't think that's what Jess was insinuating anyway, but some Canadians do feel that that fact makes us better than the US.). This is all jsut my opinion and not intended to offend anyone. Perhaps I'm looking into the article too deeply, but these sorts of things have been bothering me lately for some reason.

He he, Catty! That is funny. About as funny as waiting 8 months for an appointment to see a lung specialist. ;)

No need for sarcasm. If you don't like the thread, don't post! :p
I'm sure if it was the other way around, you'd all be laughing.

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Originally Posted by BC_MoM

No need for sarcasm. If you don't like the thread, don't post! :p
I'm sure if it was the other way around, you'd all be laughing.

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bcmom...I really don't like to insult any country and no I probably wouldn't. I have spent a lot of time in other countries, my husband is from another country...its just not good to assume.

But on the other hand its good to have a sense of humor :D

Now, As far as the beer goes.......

He's got a point there. I can think of many adjectives for Budweiser, Miller, and most of the mainstream beers in the US, good isn't one of them. For the most part potable isn't one of them. :p

I'll take Molsen anyday over most of what passes as beer in the US, and a trip to Oktoberfest (somehow the Army always managed to have my unit in the field for that) is on my "one of these days" lists. I MISS German beer.

Anyone who has ever traveled in Europe and has only tasted American
beer will be amazed at the difference in German beers. They are heavy
beers & very potent.I think they are an acquired taste. :)

That's interesting about the White House. We were also taught that it used to be pink.

The original post gave me a chuckle, it's not something to be taken seriously though!

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Originally Posted by lizbud

They are heavy beers & very potent.

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I actully live in Italy and quite close to the Alto Adige which is pretty much german so there are tonnes of german beer here. But they are not just heavy and potent. I am not a beer drinking but the german's have some wonderful pale ales that are wonderfully light and refreshing.

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Originally Posted by BC_MoM

No need for sarcasm. If you don't like the thread, don't post! :p
I'm sure if it was the other way around, you'd all be laughing.

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No need for SARCASM? Helloooooo, McFly....the original post WAS sarcasm. LOL....thinking of the pot calling the kettle black here.

I think I realized the original post was sarcasm. :rolleyes:

Don't call me McFly. My name is Jessica.

I don't know. I went to school in four different high schools and learned a variety of things about other countries. Being from Oregon, they taught about the Oregon Trail (which I have walked on! :D) but we learned a vast amount of things in social studies, American/U.S. History, and world history (along with world economics!). :D

ok first off the Canadians write history books differently comment could easily be taken in offence, though it seems no one is jumping on anyone but Jessica, who only responded to that comment.

second Canadian army and the British army were the same, as other said we were a child under the Brits, when they went to war we went with them, saying the British army burnt it down does not at all change the fact that Canadians are the ones that burnt it down.

as for the Americans not studying all the rest of the world? near as I can tell this has changed, if you remember "talking to americans" when Rick Mercer asked the kids mom if she thought it was terrible that Canadians cant find their home STATE on an unmarked map, the mom was like "oh that's awful" and the kid paused for a moment before saying "Canada has provinces", seems to me that this has changed, the kids are actually starting to learn about other places now lol back when it first came out though an american student told me that world history was optional, only American History was required. however in my school anyway every history or social class was about the entire world, with only one Canadian history class which was optional in grade 12(it was a choice of that or social studies or both if you wanted)


now as for the original post? I love it lol I also love Talking to Americans, I remeber in grade 8 it came out, and everyone recorded it and it was shown in like every school classroom lol

The Canadian Army during the War of 1812 did not participate in the Burning of Washington. The entire British Order of Battle for both the Battle of Blandeburg and the Burning of Washington was made up of British regular units (redcoats) who were sent from the Peninsular Campaign in Spain to America.

After the British experience in the lower colonies, the British did not trust colonial units for anything other than defence. The Fencibles (Canadian army and militia) did not see action much beyond the border between the US and Canada. They fought the Lakes campaign, but did not go further into US Territory.