[EyeBrock]

The F-35 is looking less attractive all the time.

[ShepherdsDog]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

Lemmy Lemmy:

Good ideas, just don't wait too long..."Buy when the snow flies".

RY at 42.9 will do nicely!

I bought my first batch of RY back in the late 80s. They were going for about four and a quarter back then. Invested 10 grand....not much but I was fresh out of the military and I was paying for university.

[EyeBrock]

You still have it Shep? RY I mean.

[Zipperfish]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

Thanos Thanos:

New York City could have been nuked on Sept 11 and the NDP still wouldn't have taken part in Afghanistan. That's how much their antipathy to the United States in general and their hatred of George W. Bush in particular coloured (and still does today) their approach to foreign policy.

There was quite a good article in the now-quite-lefty Globe in the investment section. This guy was receiving hate-mail because he recommended various US stocks. His suggestion was to check in your emotions about the US (Globespeak for hatred) and invest on the numbers and he got quite the anti-US backlash.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-in ... le2250463/


What is wrong with some Canadians? They seem to have this irrational hatred towards the US. I don’t get it. Then I don’t get the ‘cop bad harper bad ‘crowd either.

Personally my Sunoco and Walgreen stocks are weathering the storm well and give great dividends. Now if only Royal Bank would slip another 75 cents.....

I think it's the antipathy of impotence. By looking down our noses at our oiverachieving neighbour, it makes us feel more powerful, perhaps. Or perhaps it's the left's predilection for backing losers.

I used to be quite anti-US, before these boards. Thanos may remember. And Lily, if the mods ever decide to let her come back again. It was kind of a hard habit to break. It's reflexive, easy, comfortable--better the devil you know and all that. I don;t know if I just reasoned my way out of it, or naturally became more conservative as I grew older. I'd like to think the former.

[saturn_656]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

The F-35 is looking less attractive all the time.

The F-35 is an ugly Betty in competition with the decidedly less attractive Bertha, Helga, and Esther.

Sure Betty ain't pretty, but the compared to the other three she's a god damn supermodel.

[bootlegga]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

What is wrong with some Canadians? They seem to have this irrational hatred towards the US. I don’t get it. Then I don’t get the ‘cop bad harper bad ‘crowd either.

I'd say most anti-Americanism in Canada is directed at US foreign policy, not at American citizens per se.

I know many Americans whom I'm good friends with - that was one of the great things about going and living overseas - I met a lot of Americans who, for the most part, were very much like myself and my friends.

It's American policies like charging Canucks $5.50 to visit their country or stealing a few billion in illegal tariffs on softwood that get Canadians riled up about the US.

[EyeBrock]

I'm not sure if you are right Boots. I can't really see softwood and the $5.50 thing gaining traction as a prime motivator for Canadian anti-US feeling.

My view, I think for a long time anti-Americanism was a defining element of some people's Canadian nationalism.

I really don't see trade issues as something that me anti-Yank and we get hosed way more by 'fuel surcharges' and excessive taxes at Canadian airports than a $5.50 charge by the Yanks.

I think these are just excuses for showing contempt towards the Yanks.

Not buying stocks just because they are American doesn't make any logical sense and the inherent anti-Americanism present in a sizeable minority of Canadians makes no sense either.

[bootlegga]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

I'm not sure if you are right Boots. I can't really see softwood and the $5.50 thing gaining traction as a prime motivator for Canadian anti-US feeling.

My view, I think for a long time anti-Americanism was a defining element of some people's Canadian nationalism.

I really don't see trade issues as something that me anti-Yank and we get hosed way more by 'fuel surcharges' and excessive taxes at Canadian airports than a $5.50 charge by the Yanks.

I think these are just excuses for showing contempt towards the Yanks.

Not buying stocks just because they are American doesn't make any logical sense and the inherent anti-Americanism present in a sizeable minority of Canadians makes no sense either.

Those are just the latest in a long series of trade issues. Between US trade policy (which often screws Canada over) and aggressive foreign policy, the US provides a lot of ammunition to those who would criticize it.

I think Zip is also partially correct too - but I'll stand by my assertion.

I never hated America (except maybe when they beat us at hockey ), but growing up, I sure as hell didn't love them either. I grew up in the 80s and issues like acid rain, free trade and the Us invading countries willy nilly had a big impact on my feelings to the US. These days, softwood lumber, Buy American, Iraq (and potentially Iran) offer similar impact on people's feelings towards the US.

The best way IMHO to counteract anti-Americanism is for people to actively go and meet Americans - at least that's what changed my opinion about Americans in general.

The US is a benevolent superpower to be sure (with the caveat that there is room for improvement), but every time they do something that negatively effects Canada, they are just tossing gasoline on the fire.

And you know what, if someone doesn't want to invest in US stocks, that's their issue, not yours and I'm fairly certain not too many CEOs of American companies are losing sleep over it.