Defining Canadians

Conrad Black’s impression that Canada is losing its historical identity based on material improvements is fair criticism of its current “post-national Canada” governed by “costumed navel-gazers” pursuing an idealized abstract equality.

However, lest readers be overwhelmed by Black’s forceful one-sided economic version of our Canadian identity, it is important that they examine the often overlooked aspects of how Canadians have defined themselves in the past.

Perhaps it’s meaningful that the chimerical unicorn is found on our coat of arms. The unicorn symbolizes the imagined as playing a real part in the Canadian life that is. The Confederation of distinctive English and French features of identity into a real functioning bilingual nation surely reflects a fantastically ambitious idea. Thus from its start Canada imagined itself as a nation built on idealism and materialism.

Consequently, contemporary Canadian leaders choosing deliberately the values of social justice they want to reflect is not proof of a failed state coming apart because of its “self-reflective waffling.” Some Canadians’ current idealized version of equal rights for all, and Black’s political desire that Canada’s material needs be achieved sooner, are not mutually exclusive ideas to endorse.

The benefits of our democracy is that the voters can elect representatives regularly to bestow different political combinations of idealism and materialism on the Canadian identity. All it takes is confidence in the national courage of the lion, the other creature in our coat of arms, that this realistic union will prevail.

While Canada suffers from a prolonged period of innumeracy amongst its electorate, political classes, and media, Conrad Black reminds us there are consequences — namely, a drop in standard of living relative to other countries.

Canadians appear to believe the Canadian government can achieve anything. Americans appear to believe Americans can achieve anything. Evidently the latter belief results in a much higher standard of living.

Maybe this is the real difference in our identities.