The National Post is having a contest - Canada in six words or less.
There's a lot to like about our country, but thus far, the vast majority of entries have surprisingly been negative and, often, rather political. Judging by their suggestions, Jeff Spooner and Al Blow think that we're a mediocre country, and proud of it: The former offered us "Canada: Birthplace of mediocrity" and the latter's "Canada: Mediocre and reasonably proud of it" was a slightly more ironic variation on the same theme. Ori Rubin, who worked on the motto problem while raking leaves in the backyard with his dad, offered a similarly wry message: "Because the world needs more vanilla."
My Motto - just emailed.
"Canada - We are just warming up"
Posted by: Joe Molnar at November 25, 2007 10:15 AMThere's nothing to fear but fear itself...Except in Canada, land of liberal Status Quo.
Posted by: Grind a Grit at November 25, 2007 10:30 AMCanada. Where the parts eat the whole.
Posted by: Western Canadian at November 25, 2007 10:34 AM"Canada in six words or less."
faith, courage, abundance, selfishness, entitlement, dependency.
OR
Discovered, explored, settled, built, wasted, impoverished.
Posted by: WL Mackenzie Redux at November 25, 2007 10:35 AMCanada: Once promising, then socialized, promising again.
Posted by: Eeyore at November 25, 2007 10:42 AMBecause mentioning Christmas may be offensive.
142 reasons to love America
Serving no health care before its time
Asymmetrical Equality
A few of 6 worders spring to mind.
"Canada: Hyphenated citizens R Us", or "Canada: blame us, it's our fault" or "Canada: Christian-Judeo now, Sharia later".
Posted by: Martin B. at November 25, 2007 11:11 AMAbandon hope all ye who enter here (oops, too long -- drop the "ye"). Or has some domain already claimed this one?
I was somewhat disappointed that The Times poll selected "No motto, please, we're British", but I guess Dieu et Mon Droit is offensive. Can't go mentioning God, after all.
Posted by: Charles MacDonald at November 25, 2007 11:17 AMCanada. Designed by fools. Run by idiots.
Posted by: Botox at November 25, 2007 11:34 AMCentrally ruled. Western funded. Wholly unbalanced.
Posted by: LynnH at November 25, 2007 11:41 AMCanada: We're Not America.
Posted by: shaken at November 25, 2007 11:46 AMSmug, hypocritical, mediocre and not American
Posted by: Gord Tulk at November 25, 2007 11:46 AMCanada: Quebec Quebec Quebec Quebec Quebec Quebec.
Posted by: Sean McCormick at November 25, 2007 11:53 AM"Take off, eh? You're such a hoser."
Okay, seven words.
Posted by: Mystery Meat at November 25, 2007 12:03 PMOnce a Nation, now a Hyphenation
Posted by: ward at November 25, 2007 12:04 PM"Centrally ruled. Western funded. Wholly unbalanced."
Now Lynn...this one I like ;-)
Posted by: WL Mackenzie Redux at November 25, 2007 12:40 PME pluribus nusquam
Posted by: Doug at November 25, 2007 12:44 PMEven Liberals couldn't destroy our country.
Posted by: Shamrock at November 25, 2007 12:47 PME Pluribus Pluribus
Posted by: Lee Bowman at November 25, 2007 12:53 PMCanada: Still no clue who we are
I do like a lot of what's been posted (incl Botox, LynnH, Gord Tulk and Ward's lines)
Posted by: Dave at November 25, 2007 12:58 PM"Hate it, too gutless to leave."
"Aboriginals! Feminists! Journalists! Suzuki! Liberals! Socialists!"
"Everyone else is brainwashed, not I."
"I've only negative things to say."
"Small Dead Animals speaks for me."
"Bitch online, no further action necessary."
Posted by: Hannah at November 25, 2007 1:07 PM"Proving Socialism Doesn't Work"
and
"Achieving Less with More"
Home Sweet Home
Posted by: Joanne at November 25, 2007 1:42 PM"Canada - We are just warming up"
Posted by: Joe Molnar
Perhaps it would be more fitting to state this time of year -
Canada - We are just cooling down.
Posted by: Joanne at November 25, 2007 1:44 PMA Blessed Dominion - Liberally pissed away.
Posted by: anon at November 25, 2007 1:47 PMTom-toms, Tundra, Toques, Tommy, Tims, Taranna
Posted by: Richard Ball at November 25, 2007 2:11 PMUse Latin, only four words necessary:
Olim liber; catenatus trudopia
Posted by: felis corpulentis at November 25, 2007 2:17 PM"Generous with what isn't ours."
Posted by: Woodporter at November 25, 2007 2:19 PMWard and Lynn right on
Posted by: Westerm Canadian at November 25, 2007 2:20 PMCanada :
Our politicians still prefer cash ...... alledgedly .
Canada has become San Francisco as a nation.
Posted by: Alain at November 25, 2007 4:19 PM"Canada; land of ten million bitchers."
Posted by: dmorris at November 25, 2007 4:33 PMCanada: United we will never be
Posted by: Gord Tulk at November 25, 2007 4:47 PMNice to see the pride in Canada displayed at Canada's Number One Blog! Reading the words here make me very proud to Canadian.
Posted by: Zorpheous at November 25, 2007 5:47 PMCanada, true north yada yada yada
What's not to like? The weather.
Posted by: sm at November 25, 2007 5:56 PMDecade of trade and fiscal surplus.
Posted by: sm at November 25, 2007 5:59 PMCanada: We coulda been a contender Charlie
Posted by: Largs at November 25, 2007 6:05 PMCanada: Double double and some Timbits, please.
Posted by: Sean at November 25, 2007 6:11 PMCanada -- why do Conservatives hate it?
Posted by: gorian at November 25, 2007 6:17 PMCanada: Live free, or don't.
Posted by: minuteman at November 25, 2007 6:32 PMHow about, "Canada - where neoconazi traitors are hated."
Posted by: larry gambone at November 25, 2007 6:45 PM"Canada - nice, quiet backdrop for Ontario!"
Arf! Sorry, couldnt resist. I respect you western folk, but sometimes all the bashing gets on me wick.
Posted by: dean spencer - fox at November 25, 2007 7:57 PMCanada: Leftists whine "We are not Americans"
Posted by: Dave at November 25, 2007 8:01 PMCanadians: Taxed in Life and Death.
Posted by: Joanne at November 25, 2007 8:18 PMcivil and nice and demanding all
Posted by: bombers rule at November 25, 2007 8:35 PMBrown bags cash only, in Canada!
Posted by: rockyt at November 25, 2007 8:58 PMI submitted "Eloi in a world of Morlocks" to the National Post and they had the nerve to say that I was probably talking about the Americans as the Morlocks. They have proved my point that Canadians don't know who their enemies are.
By Morlocks I meant Islamic fascists, jihadists and their ilk, not to mention some choice leaders such as Vladimir Putin.
And where did they get the idea that the Eloi flower children were cliff-dwellers - the latest movie version of The Time Machine?
Posted by: Nicola Timmerman at November 25, 2007 9:58 PMPerhaps one of these will do:
* Ex Vi Termini
* Plusque Minusque
* Virtus In Medio Stat
* Habetis Bona Deum
* Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Ubique
* Et Tuque, Brute?
* Huc Accedit Zambonis
* Abutebaris Modo Subjunctivo Denuo
Or, in English:
- By Definition
- More or Less
- Virtue is in the Moderate
- Have a Nice Day
- Always Wear Underwear Everywhere
- And Touque, Brutus?
- Here Comes the Zamboni
- You've Been Misusing the Subjunctive Again
I think we should keep our motto since we have already changed too many of our traditions such as Dominion of Canada. As David Frum (in his review of Peter C. Newman's autobiography) said of Newman's constant claims to love Canada: He loved everything about it except its flag, its national anthem, its excessively White Anglo-Saxon Protestant governing elite, its post office boxes, its Westminster system of government, its north-south patterns of trade, and so on and on and on. All would have to be transformed and brought up to date in one expense-be-damned spasm of reform."
Posted by: Canada Goose at November 25, 2007 10:24 PMJust to be clear, Goose, I do agree. I'm quite happy with Canada's current A Mari Usque Ad Mare, I fly the Red Ensign, and, indeed, I think that the state spending millions of taxpayers' dollars to invent ever more insipid slogans should be a crime. Nevertheless, this is just a gag thing from the NP for its readers, and a little fun is I think ok (though the negativity of some suggestions is, I think, a bit unreasonable for such a great country).
And you must admit, Et tuque, Brute? should win some sort of award for cleverness, even though I personally prefer Ex Vi Termini for its metaphysical profundity ;-)
Posted by: Vitruvius at November 25, 2007 10:38 PMCanada; half the population is a liberal apointee.
Posted by: Friend of USA at November 25, 2007 10:50 PMCold not cool, socialist not free.
Posted by: KRF at November 25, 2007 11:52 PMHow about "Canada: land of really hot ladies"
I'm sure there are ugly girls up there but I've never seen one.
Posted by: Stew at November 26, 2007 12:11 AMCanada: Looked good on paper, didn't work out.
Posted by: Coop at November 26, 2007 12:33 AMland of the WHITE slaves
Posted by: GYM at November 26, 2007 12:54 AMNeither Strong Nor Free
Hotel Canada: Convenient passport for all
Posted by: Grind a Grit at November 26, 2007 9:16 AM"Freedom and opportunity right next door"
Has anyone here read Peter Brimelow, The Patriot Game (MegaSty: Key Porter Books, 1986)? He would argue that, a century or so ago, the most likely choice would have been "One Flag, One Fleet, One Nation", obviously referring to the British Empire. It was even inscribed in Canadian schoolbooks.
Posted by: Charles MacDonald at November 26, 2007 9:28 AMCanada. The country that brought you multiculturalism.
Canada. Proof once again the French and English don't mix.
Posted by: irwin daisy at November 26, 2007 9:32 AMCanada- Behind the Ice Curtain
Posted by: M1 Garand at November 26, 2007 10:33 AMCharles:
I too have read Brimelow's book and would highly recommend it. Peter Gzowski said it was the book he most marked up with highlighter he had ever read. Scanning through it recently it seems that very little has changed in the 20 years since it was written.
Posted by: Gord Tulk at November 26, 2007 11:53 AMGord:
Indeed. Anyone who can locate a copy should read it.
Posted by: Charles MacDonald at November 26, 2007 5:42 PM'Open arms to embrace closed minds'
Posted by: wallyj at November 26, 2007 10:56 PMSumptibus publicis -- "at public expense"
or
mea virtute me involvo -- "I wrap myself up in my virtue"
Posted by: EBD at November 27, 2007 7:41 AM