sardonic than Canadians,and it's not enough to say it's only because they can afford it. Some of their revolutionary spirit still remains:the optimism,the 18th-century belief in the fixability of almost anything,the conviction of the possibility of change.However, at cocktail parties and elsewhere one must be able to tell the difference between an individual and a foreign policy.Canadians can no longer afford to think of Americans as only a spectator sport.If Reagan blows up the world,we will unfortunately be doing more than watching it on television."no annihilation without representation"8 sounds good as a slogan,but if we run it up the flagpole,who's going to salute? 15 We are all in this together.For Canadians,the question is how to survive it.For Americans there is no question,because there does not have to be.Canada is just that vague,cold place where their uncle used to go fishing,before the lakes went dead from acid rain. 16 How do you like Americans?Individually,it's easier.You average American is no more responsible for the state of affairs than your average man is for war and rape.Any Canadian who is so narrow-minded as to dislike Americans merely on principle is missing out on one of the good things in life.The same might be said,to women,of men.As a group,as a foreign policy,it's harder.But if you like men,you can like Americans.Cautiously.Selectively.Beginning with the feet.One at a time. Cultural Notes: 1.Margaret Atwood(1939-):a Canadian poet,novelist,literary critic,essayist,and environmental activist.She is a winner of the Arthur C.Clarke Award and Prince of Asturias Award for Literature,has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times,winning once,and has been a finalist for the Governor General's Award several times,winning twice.Her representative novels include The Edible Woman (1969),Surfacing (1972),The Hadmaid's Tale (1985),Cat's Eye(1988),The Robber Bride(1993),The Blind Assassin (2000),Oryx and Crake (2003),etc. The text is from The Act of Writing:Canadian Essays for Composition,3d edition,edited by Ronald Conrad(Toronto:McGraw-Hill Ryerson,1993). 2.Lifebuoy ads:Lifebuoy,a popular brand of soap,aiming to prevent body odor,used to claim in its commercial that "even you best friends won't tell you." 3.Popsicle Pete:Trademark for an old-fashioned bubble gum with wrap papers including mini comic strips. 4.Gaul:a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era,encompassing present day France,Luxembourg,Belgium,most of Switzerland,parts of Northern Italy,as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine. 5.Draft dodgers:Here refers to the American youngsters who dodge the Vietnam War.They tended to choose Canada as harbor. 6.Syracuse:a city in the State of New York 7.Genghis Khan(1167?-1227):the founder and Great Khan (emperor)of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his demise. 8."No annihilation without representation":a quote from British historian Arnold Toynbee (1889-1975).Here Atwood implies that the act of the United States as world police is always sealed with a signature. 99 sardonic than Canadians, and it’s not enough to say it’s only because they can afford it. Some of their revolutionary spirit still remains: the optimism, the 18 th-century belief in the fixability of almost anything, the conviction of the possibility of change. However, at cocktail parties and elsewhere one must be able to tell the difference between an individual and a foreign policy. Canadians can no longer afford to think of Americans as only a spectator sport. If Reagan blows up the world, we will unfortunately be doing more than watching it on television. “no annihilation without representation” 8 sounds good as a slogan, but if we run it up the flagpole, who’s going to salute? 15 We are all in this together. For Canadians, the question is how to survive it. For Americans there is no question, because there does not have to be. Canada is just that vague, cold place where their uncle used to go fishing, before the lakes went dead from acid rain. 16 How do you like Americans? Individually, it’s easier. You average American is no more responsible for the state of affairs than your average man is for war and rape. Any Canadian who is so narrow-minded as to dislike Americans merely on principle is missing out on one of the good things in life. The same might be said, to women, of men. As a group, as a foreign policy, it’s harder. But if you like men, you can like Americans. Cautiously. Selectively. Beginning with the feet. One at a time. Cultural Notes: 1. Margaret Atwood (1939- ): a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is a winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award and Prince of Asturias Award for Literature, has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times, winning once, and has been a finalist for the Governor General’s Award several times, winning twice. Her representative novels include The Edible Woman (1969), Surfacing (1972), The Hadmaid’s Tale (1985), Cat’s Eye (1988), The Robber Bride (1993), The Blind Assassin (2000), Oryx and Crake (2003), etc. The text is from The Act of Writing: Canadian Essays for Composition, 3 rd edition, edited by Ronald Conrad (Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1993). 2. Lifebuoy ads: Lifebuoy, a popular brand of soap, aiming to prevent body odor, used to claim in its commercial that “even you best friends won’t tell you.” 3. Popsicle Pete: Trademark for an old-fashioned bubble gum with wrap papers including mini comic strips. 4. Gaul: a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine. 5. Draft dodgers: Here refers to the American youngsters who dodge the Vietnam War. They tended to choose Canada as harbor. 6. Syracuse: a city in the State of New York. 7. Genghis Khan (1167?-1227): the founder and Great Khan (emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his demise. 8. “No annihilation without representation”: a quote from British historian Arnold Toynbee (1889-1975). Here Atwood implies that the act of the United States as world police is always sealed with a signature