Honestly, you're touching on one of the things that frustrates me most about my countrymen. Canada is, in historical terms, a piñata of a country - a borderline defenseless, low population, and resource rich country. Canadians, in countless ways, reap the benefits of the geographic bounty we inherited through the struggles of generations that lived tougher lives, and we take what we hae for granted. The reason we get to keep what we have and not (easily) fall prey to nations with powerful militaries that might try and take what we have is that America has created a stable world where borders rarely change through force, and all but never when it is their allies. Whatever the excesses and evils of the American "empire," as a Canadian my cushy life is held up by boots and grit of American soldiers and American influence around the world - far moreso than anything we do as a nation. We are some of the greatest beneficiaries of American foreign policy, and the people who live here almost habitually spit on the forces that keep our way of life secure.
I don't like being so dependent on a foreign nation for my way of life, but it's a reality. When I visit the States - and I do quite frequently - I thank the soldiers there for their service as earnestly, and perhaps even moreso, than I thank our own national troops. Those guys have done more to keep Canada safe and secure than 95% of the population of our country would ever admit. Hats off America - though you're not perfect by any stretch and I do believe you should be earnestly critiqued for many things, there are some Canadians who realize just how much we rely on you, and say thanks for our way of life, rather than spitting south of the border. Fuck do we have it good, and all because someone else keeps the wolves at bay.
