"Definitely not Americans"
Many Canadians will react irritated if you show that you see little difference between them and the Americans. That's a real pain because Canada is a sovereign country and thinks it can do things much better than they do in the US.
And yet Canada is very dependent on its big neighbor. In fact, Canada usually does what it is told.
There are small differences between the two countries that are widely reported.
And yes, indeed, Canada has "free healthcare" and not everyone is allowed to walk around with a gun. Moreover, Canada has a part of the country where French is mainly spoken. Surely the Americans can learn something from that?
Secretly, Canadians actually do things just like the Americans
There are so many similarities between Canadians and Americans that it is actually difficult for an outsider to make a distinction.
Just take the dialect alone. If you hear a Canadian speak (English), many would swear that he or she is just an American, right?
Canadians prefer the American system of feet, pounds and ounces to the international metric system, although it was introduced in Canada 50 years ago, but not in the US.
Canadians watch American TV, sports, politics and especially Wall Street as if it were the center of the world.
Canada also cannot stand on its own two feet politically. The country is following suit with the US.
Tax rules in Canada are being tailored to the needs in the US. Legal forms are adapted to the American ones. The American government largely dictates what Canadian policy will decide.
Canada's national defense is virtually in the hands of the US. And perhaps that's a good thing because Canada is reluctant to invest heavily in defense.
If war equipment is purchased, the order will of course go to American companies.
All in all, Canada's sovereignty is a bit of a joke.
Still a little jealous?
Canadians believe that taxes in the US are lower than in Canada. You can also easily earn more there than in Canada, according to the more or less general opinion. Freedom, happiness, people think.
This could explain why Canadians easily identify themselves as Americans. They are more or less already part of it. Some would certainly cross the road to really belong.