what is one way mirror how does the author portray each country canada and the USA in relation to the one way mirror

The one way mirror is a mirror for one and a window for the other side.

Explanation:

In Through the looking glass by the Washington Post, the author uses the one way mirror to describe the peculiar relation between the US and Canada.

For most Americans, i. e. United States citizens, Canada is an empty screen, for we either don't know much of it or we are not interested. Or a mixture of both. Therefore the Americans are on the mirror side. We look at ourselves and can only imagine what is behind the mirror.

For the Canadians the mirror is a window that clearly shows how much the other side has influenced (economically, culturally) them. Of course the worldpower factor is decisive in the one way mirror comparison: The US, as the worldpower, cannot be bothered by taking neighbouring countries all too serious; Canada, on the other side, is submitted to play the small little brother that follows suit with everything big brother does.