Q: I'm down to my last minute. A couple of quickies on Canada -- your sense of the country. I mean, I think -- as you may know, you carry Canada on your belt. (Laughter.) That Blackberry is a Canadian invention.What? No mention of Feist? Seth Rogen? The Canadarm?
THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.
Q: You've been to Canada once. What's your sense of the country?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, yes, I've been to Canada a couple of times. Most recently it was to visit my brother-in-law's family who was from Burlington right outside of Toronto. Look, I think that Canada is one of the most impressive countries in the world, the way it has managed a diverse population, a migrant economy. You know, the natural beauty of Canada is extraordinary. Obviously there is enormous kinship between the United States and Canada, and the ties that bind our two countries together are things that are very important to us.
And, you know, one of the things that I think has been striking about Canada is that in the midst of this enormous economic crisis, I think Canada has shown itself to be a pretty good manager of the financial system in the economy in ways that we haven't always been here in the United States. And I think that's important for us to take note of, that it's possible for us to have a vibrant banking sector, for example, without taking some of the wild risks that have resulted in so much trouble on Wall Street.
Q: Appreciate this very much. You still haven't seen your first hockey game.
THE PRESIDENT: I'm looking forward to making it happen at some point.
Q: Mr. President, thank you very much.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
I like to think that, at the end of this interview, Mansbridge leaned in for a dap, and was denied.
1 comment:
"I think Canada has shown itself to be a pretty good manager of the financial system in the economy in ways that we haven't always been"
Canadian financial institutions -- at the forefront of usurious service charges. (In the Star several years ago was a story about how $100 placed in a bank's typical savings account would disappear over time. The banks protested noisily this was exaggeration; the Star was right.) A friend of mine commented the banks would charge you for walking across the room if they could. He's out of date. I received a letter in the mail recently informing me I'd be charged for *not* walking across that room....
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