Hi folks, Luke here. You know the drill. This is another AMA episode. A few days ago I posted on the Patreon. Patreon. Patreon.com slash Michael and Us. Don't know why I'm telling you that because if you didn't know it, you wouldn't be here. In any case, I posted a call for questions. We've done these a few times before and you know the drill.

You've got questions. We've got answers. In this case, I have answers.

I was a little surprised by the number of questions we got.

So I think at some point I will probably pause in these questions maybe have to break this up into two parts

At this time at this point at time of recording I think there are over 50 questions and that's a lot for me to handle in one sitting

So may break this up into two parts and kind of try to find a natural stopping place some way through.

But in any case, it'll see how many we can get to this time.

First question is from Mott's who asks, what are some ways you believe Canada is superior to the United States?

I don't generally like to think in terms of, you know,

cultural superiority, you know, goes without saying there are many aspects of U.S. history and

American culture I admire. I will say that even though both countries were obviously established

as colonial societies, I think the particular circumstances of America's creation,

kind of Puritan settlement, frontier mythology, these sorts of things. I think those have helped

give rise, or I should say they helped give rise to a kind of civic ideology, a kind of radically small liberal civic ideology that has often been

quite anti-soliduristic, anti-communitarian, kind of averse to the kinds of civic values that

have traditionally been precursors to social democracy, to the kind of welfare

state that prevailed in many European societies in the 20th century, and which we have, you know,

at least partly constructed in Canada as well. You know, that Steinbeck quote about how, you know,

like Americans regard themselves as

temporarily embarrassed millionaires you know it's a cliche but it's a cliche for a

reason you know it's it's not it's not universally true right American socialism

has been a real historical force continues to be and we shouldn't discount it but

...