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Anti Canadian sentiment

I've opened Lemmy today to lots of anti Canadian sentiment on any recent comments about how messed up 'murica is and it's constant attacks on Canadian sovereignty.

Don't get sucked in. Let them yell into a void. The online campaign has begun in earnest on Lemmy and it's time to point it out and recognise it for what it is.

These are not real people. They are actors trying to affect our decisions as always happens when American exceptionalism is challenged. Our government had the balls to stand up and say no. We have the balls to do the same. They do not like it and will attack you for it.

Don't fall for the bait.

66 comments
  • This is even more rampant and unchecked on Reddit - the Buy Canadian subreddit is infested with either outright "MURRICA FUKKKIN A BRO" types or the more subtle "concern trolls" --- "Won't you miss this product? What will you do when you can't afford things anymore? Don't you realize these companies employ Canadians - why do you want to hurt your neighbours?" Yeah - not here for that noise.

  • Luckily, Lemmy has a fairly effective way to deal with those. Don't block them, instead use the down arrow ⬇️ so the next buddy either doesn't see it, or sees the negative score as a warning. Unlike corporate for-profit social networks, Lemmy won't push those comments to the people that would get triggered most. Instead they'll fade into oblivion as quickly as the downvotes roll in.

  • Some of them might be real people.

    Scapegoating is an extremely successful technique. Instead of dealing with the complexities of the modern world, the supposed strong man can just give people easy and reassuring answers.

    Americans problems are not because of unchecked capitalism and the wilful dismantling of the scientific, legal, economic, and political systems designed to help them. It’s because Canada, led by its Mexican Drug Cartels, are taking advantage of them.

    Never mind that it’s patently stupid. Never mind that the system of getting access to our raw materials for cheap so they could process them in their countries and their industries was overwhelming as good for them as it was bad for us.

    Never mind reality — what matters is that an easy answer was given. It’s not them, they don’t have to confront any harsh truths, or take any painful looks in the mirror, or have to step out of their comfort zone. The Americans were given the answer to their problems by their King, and that answer is Canada.

    So the “strong man” strikes at Canada to show how tough they are. And to no one’s surprise, Canada doesn’t take it lying down. We stand up for ourselves and hit back — saying that surely when they see pain they will stop and reflect.

    But no, they don’t. Because our hitting back justifies our already-established status as villain. How dare Canada threaten to levy energy exports, says the King. The Canadians have no decency.

    And so, feeling the pain we caused, the Americans listen to their King, and they blame us because that is the easy answer. They don’t have to think, they don’t have to pause the sportsball game or the reality tv marathon. It was Canada all along.

    So yes — there may be bots and such, but make no mistake that the vocal opposition to Canada will only grow inside America as the trade war escalates.

66 comments