| Well we actually managed to see 15,000 protesters (rough estimate from the Globe and Mail) go out to greet Bush, who was reduced to thanking all the Canadians who showed up to wave hello with "five fingers". (There weren't that many).
I've watched a bit of American television, but I don't subscribe to cable services so I don't get it on a regular basis. Last night the local channels all had exerpts from the American media on the Canadian reaction to Bush's visit. There were only three stations (according to CBC) who presented a balanced perspective on the reaction, showing both the large protest and the measures taken by the Canadian government to re-establish more friendly relations with the Bush administration. The other channels reactions just blew me away, I have never actually watched American pundintry - there was even one guy on CNN basically threatening Canada, saying that if we continued to react this way he illuded that the US would somehow punish us.
Now I don't think that, all American's think that way. In fact I've seen many Americans protesting their own administration. However the kind of paternalistic pundintry that was broadcast certainly gave me a shock, and in fact made me wish I had boarded a bus to Ottawa. |