[Evil Chris]

When I come to Oprano nowadays, I fully expect to be reading about 1 of 2 things guaranteed. Either football, or politics/war.

But what is with all of the claims that this or that or he or she or they are "anti-American"? It's been said over and over that not everyone has to agree 100% with America's stand on every political issue or foreign policy decision, but when someone does, they are curiously being labelled anti-American.

There are a ton of reasons why I'm proud to be Canadian. I get to live in a peaceful, wealthy nation and enjoy the fruits of having the richest nation in the world just to the south of me. Am I a fair weather friend? No, I don't think so. I don't feel this way. But I don't agree with everything my friends to the south believe or choose to believe. I don't have to. Free society says I can have my own opinions on these things.

When my American friends go off on their tangents of how their country is the best in the world, I mostly just stay quiet and think how much of the world they haven't seen. How many different cultures they know absolutely nothing or very little about. Or the assumptions made about other cultures (like the Dutch wear wooden shoes still! LOL) But I don't comment on these things. Why ruin someones opinion of themself? It makes no sense. But I do like it when someone actually gets interested in visiting and learning about the culture behind someone elses borders. When I go on vacation, I much prefer to visit another nation and learn about their history, rather than going to an all-inclusive and lay on the beach for 10 days.

Example. I know almost nothing about the Russian culture. I would love to visit one day and learn. From what I do know about it's history, I'm quite keen to learn, and eventually I will.