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| quote: | Originally posted by Moral Hazard
Three things.... first, the passion that Europeans display when talking about their local politics may very well be why you received the impression that they are better informed. The more passion they have the more it will be talked about. That doesn't mean that they are well informed, only that they voice their opinions more readily. PLEASE NOTE, I am not saying you are incorrect, only that there may be an alternative reason.... I've seen no studies on this.
Second, you have to look differently when talking about LOCAL politics in Canada then in Europe. Local in Europe may mean national but in Canada it is more provincial. Let's not forget that due to our federal system we are really more like the EU as a whole then like any one of its member countries.
Third, the amount of interest one state's populace has in the current events of another state is mainly linked to the historical or economic interest the people of that state have tied to the other. It's interesting that you cite Dutch relatives knowing who the PM is. This does not surprise me as the Dutch have taken a very keen interest in Canada ever since the second great war. If you go there and identify yourself as a Canadian many of the oldtimers will still give you a free beer and want to shake your hand. I met a man in Rotterdam that thanked me for over 20 minutes for the role my grandfather played in liberating the village he grew up in. Likewise, Canada has a keen interest in the US as our economic well being is tied to theirs. |
Europeans for the most part are raised to be aware of what's happening in their government. Politics is a big thing in my househould between my dad, my mom, my grandma and I. My brother on the other hand simply doesn't and never did care. My Grandma who doesn't speak a word of english will watch english news programs in a desperate effort to be informed. Then she found the polish radio station, and when I'm home for the summers, I'd drive down to the polish store to grab her a polish news paper, and she'll talk my ear off for hours about political affairs. The typical Canadian family chooses not to discuss politics at the dinner table, or tune into the news when they're all watching TV. That is where the problem is. People here don't respect the impact politics has on us enough.
And we can't say that our geographical differences really are a key difference between europe and canada. Sure they feel everything more cause they're closer, how the term 'hits closer to home' was prolly coined, but with the advent of technology, Canada's gotten alot smaller, what happens here does impact what happens in BC, NFLD, etc. What happens in Canadian politics does affect everybody, we feel it in our quality of healthcare, in our taxes, in our education. Now say I'm done school, and in the working world, and I hear about a teachers strike, etc. With the typical Canadian mindset, I'd prolly not care so much. It doesn't directly affect me. And that's another problem, we lack a sense of community. If we can't care for our social well being as a nation, why would we care about what's going on in Newfoundland, BC, etc.?
BTW, I really liked that story about the man in Rotterdam. Props to the vets.
Karim
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a baby seal walks into a club....
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