Canada and the USA

Canada is not the United States.



That's obvious but easy to overlook, especially when considering politics. For us in English speaking Canada it is almost natural to see the US political divide as mirrored here with the Conservatives as Republican and the Liberals as Democrats.



Tonight I heard a relatively sane radio host say, not as an proposition, but just as an explanatory fact, that the Liberals were Democrats in Canada.



But, of course, this is a false analysis. The Conservatives are not the Republicans and Liberals are not democrats. In fact, both of Canada's major parties would be seen as to the left and the right in US terms.



Thus, despite some side comments by backbenchers the Conservative government has been clear they will not touch abortion. That's not very Republican. And Liberal fiscal policy is far more restrained than Democrats like -- in fact it's being considered as a model by the UK Conservative Party. Both parties are communitarian in a way unknown in America.



My point is to remember we are not just political subsidiaries of US giants.



PS don't get me started on Republicans for Ignatieff...