By IANS
Toronto : More than half of all Canadians view the US as the most negative force in the world, but still 15 percent of them would give up their Canadian rights to vote in the US election.
This is the surprise outcome of a latest survey of Canadians, carried out by Environics – a national survey organisation.
Called Canada’s World, the survey asked over 2,000 Canadians aged above 15 to voice their opinions on issues ranging from relations with the US and Canada’s role in the world, to the most pressing problems facing their nation.
With electioneering heating up in the US, 46 percent Canadians said it mattered to them “a lot” who the next US president would be. For 35 percent, it mattered “somewhat”, while eight percent said they were not bothered “at all” about the next White House occupant.
This can be partly be explained by the unpopularity of President George W. Bush among Canadians because of his decision to invade Iraq. Liberal-minded Canadians also deride him for his stand on issues such as the environment and same-sex marriages – which are legal in Canada.
Canadians had refused to join his invasion of Iraq in 2003 and given sanctuary to US army deserters who fled across the border.
A Democrat president was the choice of 34 percent Canadians, while five percent opted for a Republican. Fifty-six percent were neutral and four percent had no choice.
This outcome is also in keeping with Canadian liberalism, which reviles US conservatism.
As many as 52 percent Canadians said the US was the biggest negative force in the world. About 22 percent voted for Iran, 19 percent for Iraq and 13 percent for China.
The high negative rating for the US, many believe, is directed more at the Bush administration than the American people.
Negative perceptions about the US have been increasing since the time Bush lost his way in his war on terror, and invaded Iraq on false grounds.
“It’s not necessarily a sign of anti-Americanism, but a concern about the direction the country is going,” Keith Neuman of Environics told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
“I think the fact that Canadians pay so much attention to the US election is a sign that they really care about the United States, a sign that they want it to get back to where it was before,” he said.
If the US was the devil for 52 percent Canadians, their own country was the world’s saviour for as many Canadians, according to the survey.
Twenty-six percent said their nation’s biggest contribution to the world was peacekeeping.
The environment and war were other two big issues for about 30 percent Canadians.
Unlike the Americans, Canadians don’t see terrorism as an issue, with only three percent mentioning it as their main worry.