Is there really this much tension between Canada and U.S.?
Depends who you ask.
Set the wayback machine for 1970. I had an American counselor at summer camp, a fan of Richard Nixon, and his missile based Anti Ballistic Missile system. He was very annoying in his bragging as to how this system would prevent any Soviet missiles from blowing up in US territory.
Finally, I pointed out to him, that his terrific system would prevent Soviet missiles from blowing up over US territory by blowing them up over Canada first. I saw him grit his teeth, and look away. I think I knew what he was thinking.
"Tough luck canuck-kid. We can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. Nice knowing you." Right wing Americans hate Canada -- One Big Blue State. Bill O'Rielly calls it
"Soviet Canuckistan".When the US closed down radar bases known as the "Distant Early Warning" system, that were intended to find Soviet bombers, Canada found the USAF staff had acted like pigs and had routinely poured toxic waste right onto the very sensitive permafrost. When Canadian officials approached their American opposite numbers about cleaning up this mess they were told:
"The ten billion cost of cleaning up those bases? Just think of it as part of your cost for being protected from those dirty Reds." The US never paid one red cent towards the clean up.
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