Tommy Douglas vs. Homer Simpson
It's conventional wisdom that there is very little difference between Canadians and Americans, but a recent survey of the "Greatest Canadian of All Time" conducted by the CBC tells a very different story. Here is the CBC's Top Ten:
1. Tommy Douglas
2. Terry Fox
3. Pierre Eliot Trudeau
4. Sir Frederick Banting
5. David Suzuki
6. Lester B. Pearson
7. Don Cherry
8. Sir John A. McDonald
9. Alexander Graham Bell
10. Wayne Gretzky
The "Greatest Canadian of All Time" survey was part of a television series on the CBC of the same name, and in typical Canadian fashion, the merits of each nominee were debated in public forums across the nation prior to the final vote. Many Canadians were dismayed at the inclusion of Don Cherry, the bombastic host of "Hockey Night Canada" on the list. Many viewers also lamented the fact that a professional athlete, Wayne Gretzky, also made the list.
What conclusion can an American living in Canada draw about his host country from this list? It would be resonable to conclude that Canadians value public service, scientific discovery, triumph over adversity, the environment, and hockey. Don Cherry's nomination also highlights another characteristic of the Canadian mentality: a sense of humour. The top 100 features a large number of Canadian comedians such as Mike Myers, Dan Akroyd, and Jim Carrey.
I tried to find a comparable list of "The Greatest Americans of All Time" via a google search, and could only find three rather unscientific surveys.
The first was a survey of ninety conservative American bloggers that championed Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Reagan. The second survey was conducted by the BBC, and Homer Simpson claimed top honours, beating out runner-up Abraham Lincoln by over 30 points. The final survey, featured in the Harper's Index, declared Jesus the 13th Greatest American, a position Christ shared with President Bill Clinton.
Perhaps the lack of a definitive survey of American heroes is a reflection of values in and of itself. In 2001, Time Magazine published a list of the most influential figures of the 20th Century, and most of them were Americans. Does this reflect a mentality that says "America is the center of the World", or is America simply too large and influential a country to conduct a comparable survey?
The Top Canadian of All Time according to the survey...Tommy Douglas. The ideas and values esposed by Mr. Douglas would definitely not reflect the "Values Voters" that elected President George W. Bush, and I'm convinced that a comparable American historical figure wouldn't have a chance of cracking the top 1,000 in a survey south of the border. Here's what the survey has to say about him:
Tommy Douglas's legacy as a social policy innovator lives on. Social welfare, universal Medicare, old age pensions and mothers' allowances -- Douglas helped keep these ideas, and many more, watching as more established political parties eventually came to accept these once-radical ideas as their own.
Read The Results of the Survey:
1. Tommy Douglas
2. Terry Fox
3. Pierre Eliot Trudeau
4. Sir Frederick Banting
5. David Suzuki
6. Lester B. Pearson
7. Don Cherry
8. Sir John A. McDonald
9. Alexander Graham Bell
10. Wayne Gretzky
The "Greatest Canadian of All Time" survey was part of a television series on the CBC of the same name, and in typical Canadian fashion, the merits of each nominee were debated in public forums across the nation prior to the final vote. Many Canadians were dismayed at the inclusion of Don Cherry, the bombastic host of "Hockey Night Canada" on the list. Many viewers also lamented the fact that a professional athlete, Wayne Gretzky, also made the list.
What conclusion can an American living in Canada draw about his host country from this list? It would be resonable to conclude that Canadians value public service, scientific discovery, triumph over adversity, the environment, and hockey. Don Cherry's nomination also highlights another characteristic of the Canadian mentality: a sense of humour. The top 100 features a large number of Canadian comedians such as Mike Myers, Dan Akroyd, and Jim Carrey.
I tried to find a comparable list of "The Greatest Americans of All Time" via a google search, and could only find three rather unscientific surveys.
The first was a survey of ninety conservative American bloggers that championed Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Reagan. The second survey was conducted by the BBC, and Homer Simpson claimed top honours, beating out runner-up Abraham Lincoln by over 30 points. The final survey, featured in the Harper's Index, declared Jesus the 13th Greatest American, a position Christ shared with President Bill Clinton.
Perhaps the lack of a definitive survey of American heroes is a reflection of values in and of itself. In 2001, Time Magazine published a list of the most influential figures of the 20th Century, and most of them were Americans. Does this reflect a mentality that says "America is the center of the World", or is America simply too large and influential a country to conduct a comparable survey?
The Top Canadian of All Time according to the survey...Tommy Douglas. The ideas and values esposed by Mr. Douglas would definitely not reflect the "Values Voters" that elected President George W. Bush, and I'm convinced that a comparable American historical figure wouldn't have a chance of cracking the top 1,000 in a survey south of the border. Here's what the survey has to say about him:
Tommy Douglas's legacy as a social policy innovator lives on. Social welfare, universal Medicare, old age pensions and mothers' allowances -- Douglas helped keep these ideas, and many more, watching as more established political parties eventually came to accept these once-radical ideas as their own.
Read The Results of the Survey:
