What I found particularly amazing is that this thread, despite its potential, was quickly reduced to predictable comparisons: military and beer. (I think they're even connected, no?) Not yet have we seen a discussion spring up that talks about something related to actual cultural comparisons, which are quite profound.
If you think there are many similarities between Americans and Canadians, you need to read Michael Adams' "Fire and Ice"... there's even a survey you can participate in:
http://fireandice.environics.net/sur...asp?surveyID=1
In addition to my quick obervation, I would like to add that for a while now, I've been feeling increasingly weary of the idea of Nationalism. Despite what most people think are the causes of the world's problems, fervent Nationalism is not only a cause but also a perpetuator of many problems. "Us vs. Them" is not only problematic on many levels, it is often unethical... anyone wanting to discuss this further, I am more than willing.
The chest-beating that we see is nothing new, how long ago was it that Roman citizens were doing the same thing in the general direction of those inferior Carthaginians?