The difference between the Left and the Right in Canada is a lot more civil. Perhaps this is true because the Right in Canada is more comfortable with higher intrusion by government into daily life. While we fought for our freedom, Canada agreeable ceded authority to the Crown. It could be posited that they were beneficiaries of a "kinder, gentler" colonialism as a result of our insurrection against the Crown. It's easy, as a result, to make fun of the Canadians--or Canadiens, as the law requires. And it's easy to forget that the Canadians joined the fight against Adolph Hitler in 1939. While we played mairzey-dotes and dozey-dotes.
This developmental split--akin to a Skinnerian experiment in developing twins--has resulted in a neighbor that is like us in many ways, and unlike us in many ways. Canada has passed content laws that restrict the amount of American media that can come into that country, a recognition of the power of American media and the tendency of the Canadian to remain ensconced in naive provincialism.
Unlike the naive provincialism of the Leftie in Oregon, who chooses to drive his head firmly into the sand on any issue that might possibly change his mind, the naivete of the Canadian is oddly anachronistic. Not opposed to discussion, disagreement or confrontation. Simply put, the Canadian is more polite. Whether or not one is Red is a simple fact. People don't hate each other over being Red, or being Tory. When the Grits lost power, after what, decades? Grits simply left office and Stephan Harper was seated as Prime Minister. The nastiness? I'm sure the anger is there. I just don't see the nastiness.
It's why I don't mind Lefties in Canada. They're simply not assholes. And we can laugh about levels of support for the poor and the effects of that support on the ability of the poor to provide for themselves. They want Universal Health Care. Those who can afford it cross the border to get quality health care. There's a difference. Overall, most in Canada--to date--have expressed their desire to assure the least among them of certain levels of health care. And certain levels of the dole. And a much greater intrusiveness of labour unions into the daily affairs of Canada's citizens. There is a panoply of differences between the US and Canada. And most of them benefit us in the US...as well as those in Canada. From East to West, draw a stripe 150 miles high from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and you've got most of the population of Canada. Do they live off us? You betcha. And any time they want to escape the effects of Man-made Global Warming all they have to do is pull up stakes and head North for a couple of hours. Voila! Cold!
So the Left is more tolerant in Canada. They've been a vassal state for most of their history. Their duty is to Queen and Country. And the French? Like French anywhere, they are French. What more needs be said?
The product of this agreeable anachronicity is
Terry Glavin. A prominent writer living in British Columbia, he's a great example of this cultural difference of us versus them. At times he writes with such humor, sense and wit you'd think he was a Republican. And then, every now and then, something slips through where you're just scratching your head wondering how he could support this or that cause or idea. Then you remember. In Canada its okay to simply be a Socialist. They say words like socialist because that's what you call someone who feels that society should pay for the needs of other people.
There is a great deal of socialism accepted by Canadians. And Canadiens. Steven Harper. Of course it helps that a great deal of the wealth of the Canadians is from mining and forestry. In this is also included oil revenue. And they're a tenth our size. There are more people living in California than there are in Canada. Or, throw in another Texas and Georgia. That's Canada. And their national product is less than ten percent of ours. Don't forget, though, that the Athabasca Tar Sands give Canada the world's second largest reserve of oil. Saudi sheiks, indeed.
So it's a cute country. A quaint one. Leave the Chateau Lake Louise for a day in Banff. It's like Montana in the Sixties. Only with red coated Redcoats. Er, Mounties.
That's probably the reason I take a trip every couple of days to Mr. Glavin's web site. It's almost like watching "Pollyana". Men are men, the good and virtuous are rewarded, or should be, and whether we're Socialist or Tory, all men are hale and Scotmen are twice as hale.
It's a good read, passionate and caring, and quintessentially Canadian/Canadien. And I was proud to see him give an Oregon writer
the kind of attention that I think he deserves. I've written about Michael Totten before. I'm glad to see the connection has been discovered. I've always viewed Michael as a man who is sometimes surprised to see himself so closely identified as "Republican-like". Michael is more comfortable in environs where Prius owner manuals are discussed, than how difficult it is to find people willing to work eight hours a day, let alone on a state minimum wage that is the highest in the country.
So take a look at Mr. Glavin's work, then take a look at the Totten article that Mr. Glavin brings to your attention. And thank them for letting you look into their lives.
I do.
