I reread this thread, and this post by Peter T seemed so strange that I want to discuss it.

"Canada is a very strange country. It is full of what I would call tolerant bigots -- people who are deeply prejudiced against other people, but shrug their shoulders about interfering in other people's lives. It is the positive side of the introverted nature of the place. But the tolerance is very shallow -- I am afraid I put it down to things like respect for the laws, civil society, lack of guns, conformity, not a real embracing of other cultures or mores."

If we shrug our shoulders about interfering, how do you know we are "deeply prejudiced" How do you know our tolerance is "very shallow"?

And if you don't like things like "respect for the laws, civil society, lack of guns" etc in a society, what DO you like?

One thing you must understand about Canada: we value the rights of the individual very highly, but never MORE than the rights of society. That's how we manage to live together without the violence that permeates other countries.

Finally -- "not a real embracing of other cultures or mores." I assume you are American, which has the "melting pot" culture which expects all immigrants to melt into the pot. In Canada, we have a "cultural mosaic," in which new cultures live side by side with the traditional Canadian culture, at least for the first generation. As each subsequent generation is born here, it brings with it some of the cultural aspects of the immigrant culture from in which they originated.

It's lovely -- it means our culture constantly adds nuances. On Canada Day this year I went to our annual Folk Fest, which is held in most cities, and which celebrates our diversity.

Got it?