The Argument: No! We are not anti-American; we have always been nationalists with contradictions everywhere. We carry contradictions within us; we can be nationalists and North Americans at the same time. Canadians are skeptical of the United States, but at the same time we admire them, we depend on them and we want to compete with them. When the United States flexes its muscles, claws at our existence, or when we are skeptical of its policies, we become nationalists seeking to protect our national interest. A Canadian nationalist is someone like Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney, who advances, protects and promotes our national interest by opposing the Americans. Our relationship is made up of cooperation and conflict, imitation and competition and constantly needs readjustment. Our desire to compete and our need to cooperate are a Canadian contradiction. Canada between the years 1868-1993 was characterized by a historical contradiction; Canadians during this period were nationalists and contizialists at the same time. Political leaders of the time ruled in two distinct periods: skepticism and doom. Pierre Trudeau, who governed in a period of skepticism (Liberal prime minister, 1968-1979; 1981-1984), implemented a series of measures to differentiate us from the United States and is best known for opposing the Americans. In the Trudeau era, nationalism was everywhere in the media and politics, however, in 1983-1984 Canadians began to say we are too nationalistic. From 1983 to 1984, cooperation between Canada and the United States flourished. In 1984 Trudeau retired and after an election Brian Mulroney (Conservative, 1984-1993) became prime minister. Canada associated Mulroney and his m...... middle of paper ......d accommodation with rapprochement with the Americans, took a nationalist position, and promoted Canada's interests first and foremost. Mulroney, like Trudeau, proved to be a nationalist and constituencyist rather than anti-American. The Canadian public has demonstrated through examples that they are not anti-American. Canadians like Americans, but are sometimes skeptical of them. When times get tough, Canadians need Americans, but too close is suffocating. Bottom line: When we become too nationalistic, we move from skepticism to the need to cooperate and repair our relationships; when we get too close to the Americans we blame our prime ministers for relaxing when their policies and measures appear pro-American. That said, even if we collaborate with the United States, nationalism never completely disappears. Canadians are full of contradictions, we are nationalists and factionalists.