--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dig deep into its communitarian ethos and…" description: "\"Dig deep into its communitarian ethos and it reads more like an America that might have been, an America fervently devoted to the quaint goals of worki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/sarah-vowell-2016_america_dig-deep-into-its-communitarian-ethos-an_2003222.png" --- # Dig deep into its communitarian ethos and it reads more… ![“Dig deep into its communitarian ethos and it reads more like an America that might have been, an America fervently devoted to the quaint goals of working together and getting along. Of course, this America does exist. It's called Canada.” quote by Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/sarah-vowell-2016_america_dig-deep-into-its-communitarian-ethos-an_2003222.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/sarah-vowell-2016_america_dig-deep-into-its-communitarian-ethos-an_2003222.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/sarah-vowell-2016_america_dig-deep-into-its-communitarian-ethos-an_2003222.png) > “Dig deep into its communitarian ethos and it reads more like an America that might have been, an America fervently devoted to the quaint goals of working together and getting along. Of course, this America does exist. It's called Canada.” [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts an idealized, cooperative America with the reality of Canada, suggesting that true communal values are already embodied elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Canada shows what a cooperative nation looks like. Key Takeaway Learn from Canada’s community spirit. Themes community cooperation national identity Mood reflective optimistic Type comparative observational When to use this quote - policy design - education curricula - community projects - international relations Key Concepts communitarianism social contract comparative politics Questions to Reflect On - How can we adopt Canada’s cooperative practices? - What challenges arise when scaling community values nationally? A Different Perspective Idealizing another country can overlook its own flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canada/) [Ethos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethos/) [Getting along](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-along/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Working together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-together/) ## Related quotes > [“Because of the "city upon a hill" sound bite, " A Model of Christian Charity " is one of the formative documents outlining the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/because-of-the-city-upon-a-hill-sound-bite-a-model-of-christian/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [He squeezed Steve's shoulder possessively. "Oh, Zero. He is not you, I must admit. 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That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/one-night-he-left-stephen-and-me-in-the-arcade-and-rushed-off-to-a/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“Maybe that's what living in America does to you: it spreads you into far distances until you're just little bits rolling apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-budhos/maybe-that-s-what-living-in-america-does-to-you-it-spreads-you-into/) Marina Budhos > [I think it is essential that America does not stumble into a stupid war with Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/i-think-it-is-essential-that-america-does-not-stumble-into-a-stupid/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [History tells us that America does best when the private sector is energetic and entrepreneurial and the government is attentive and engaged. 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I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/very-little-of-what-america-does-is-actually-bad-and-i-don-t-think-it/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [America does not stand with dictators, and we never will and we shall never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/america-does-not-stand-with-dictators-and-we-never-will-and-we-shall/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [In fact, American presidents never apologize for what America does in war, because in the American mind, all its wars are defensive, always fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macdonald/in-fact-american-presidents-never-apologize-for-what-america-does-in/) [Neil Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macdonald/) > [The United States of America does not have friends; it has interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-foster-dulles/the-united-states-of-america-does-not-have-friends-it-has-interests/) [John Foster Dulles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-foster-dulles/) ## More by Sarah Vowell > [“She is either male property (Mrs.), wannabe male property (Miss), or man-hating harpy (Ms.).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/she-is-either-male-property-mrs-wannabe-male-property-miss-or-man/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“We were breathing sooty air. 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No one ever asks that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/what-are-you-hiding-no-one-ever-asks-that/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“I don't have a driver's license (phobia).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-don-t-have-a-driver-s-license-phobia/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) [Explore all 190 Sarah Vowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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