"Absolutely not Americans"
Many Canadians will react with irritation if you indicate you see little difference between them and the Americans. This is a sore point, because Canada is a sovereign country and thinks it does things much better than they are done in the US.
And yet, Canada is very dependent on its larger neighbor. In fact, Canada usually does what it's 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 carry a gun. Moreover, Canada has a region where the majority of speakers are French. Surely those Americans could learn something from that?
Secretly, Canadians actually do things just like Americans
There are so many similarities between Canadians and Americans that it is actually difficult for an outsider to distinguish between them.
Just take the dialect. If you heard a Canadian speaking English, wouldn't many swear it was just an American?
Canadians prefer the American system of feet, pounds, and ounces to the international metric system, although the latter was adopted in Canada 50 years ago, but not in the US.
Canadians watch American TV, sports, politics, and especially Wall Street as if that were the center of the world.
Politically, Canada is also not exactly independent. The country is toeing the line with the US.
Tax rules in Canada are being tailored to US needs. Legal structures are being adapted to US standards. The US government largely dictates Canadian policy decisions.
Canada's defense is practically in the hands of the US. And perhaps that's a good thing, as Canada is hesitant to invest heavily in defense.
If war material 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 taxes in the US are lower than in Canada. It's also generally accepted that you can easily earn more there than in Canada. Freedom, happiness, they think.
This might explain why Canadians readily identify as American. They're more or less already part of it. Some would certainly cross over just to truly belong.