on my flight back to canada for a family funeral, i have at last come across something to give me a sense of pride in my nation. a happy change from the regular despair at the consumer morass and wretched architecture of modern day north america in its canadian iteration which makes up every trip back across the atlantic.
the international herald tribune, as imperialist a rag as pravda, saw fit to take notice of canada in its lead story. canadians had almost become americans before 9/11, they note. but american jingoism, intolerance, christian bigotry and aggressive military action has cost them enormous canadian goodwill and reawakened canadian national pride:
a chasm has opened up on social issues that go to the heart of fundamental values. A more distinctive Canadian identity – one far more in line with European sensibilities – is emerging and generating new frictions with the United States.
the ill-conceived war on terrorism and unprovoked military occupation of iraq have cost the US more than just more terrorist attacks. together with george bush’s bible thumping moral absolutism, the US has managed alienate the majority of canadian.
the geopolitical loss here is much greater than the GOP imperialists realise. they have forgeited the impending and absolute colonisation of their immediate neighbour to the north. another ten years of amicable clintonian statesmanship and we might have been lost absolutely.
of course, the americans could always come at us with guns and tanks again. but belligerence towards the canadian population would be unlikely to bear any fruit that americans would like to harvest.
as a diplomatic stance, it hasn’t done much for the quality of life in israel.
and if the americans are unlucky, we might burn the white house again.
if the fbi and cia have so much trouble keeping tabs on bearded muslims who love to fly, imagine the fun they will have with canadian rebel groups. there are about fifteen million canadians who could pass for americans if they wanted to. indistinguishable.
so thank you, george bush et al, for giving my country life again. i might even have to wish you a second term, if that’s the medicine it will take to make canada independent and whole again.
on second thought, i care too much for the rest of the world to dwell long on that thought.
Hear, Hear!