ADULT: National (dis)unity debate 
C A N A D A We stand on...
national fairy tales?
years without Civil War...
Much has been said on well-known Canadian problems. But on other less well known and more troublesome ones, speaking out is limited by the cautious warning: "You mustn't say that!" I present for open discussion some things we cannot afford not to say, especially about the fairy tales of Canadian politics and the need to get rid of them.
The world asks, and we wonder, why we may allow Canada to die, despite our repeated assurances that "we stand on guard for thee." The answer has to be blunt. We permit the fantasy of fairy tales created by too much censorship of the facts and acceptance of the lies.
The fairy tales are obvious, indeed startling, and they should be denied and disposed of as quickly as possible. Canada had no "mother" countries in the early years. (France and Britain were just a pair of quarrelling great aunts.) There were no "founding" races or cultures. Being "here first" was not founding; economic exploitation was the fashion and political failure was common -- the real pioneers came much later.
Some citizens were deprived by other citizens of their basic civil and religious rights. (French and Quebec colonial authorities used the famous revocation of the Edict of Nantes to force French-Canadian Protestants, called Huguenots, to leave Quebec, and refused to let others immigrate. The result was sectarian privilege disguised as language rights, a drastic change in the "distinctiveness" of the society, the loss to Quebec and Canada of
a whole valuable segment of French culture, as well as much other damage caused to this day by what was Canada's biggest political and sectarian mistake.
¤ The treatment of aboriginals by one another and by newcomers was wrong. (The troubles of missionary action, tribal warfare and treaty-making returned to haunt the Indians from coast to coast.)
¤ There was no "conquest." (France rejected Canada and insisted on giving it away to Britain after the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. (The Plains of Abraham was only one engagement, just one move on a chessboard, in a world conflict that
had nothing to do with Canada, which neither France nor Britain wanted.)
¤ There was no "expulsion" of the Acadians. (There was just an exodus encouraged by ecclesiastical authorities such as Abbe Jean-Louis LeLoutre for political purposes.)
These fairy tales and others like them were allowed to hang on after the colonies were formed, and then mix with modern challenges. They permitted alleged slights to be featured in history books and the press, and favored the unjustified "victim" of something seeking undeserved sympathy. There is actually no serious constitutional crisis in Canada. The "system" is excellent and workable. But we are not running it properly because we allow old bugaboos to take the place of great traditions. And too many suggested changes are now designed to cater unwisely to the bugaboos rather than to achieve the desired reforms.
There is no reason whatever for hiding this subject or refusing to discuss it. The hush-hush attitude has lasted so long it is the main reason for the mishandling of the political crisis.
Credits: Frank MacKinnon,
Emeritus professor of political science,
University of Calgary
The Speaker of the House of Commons confers with one of his most trusted advisors (above)
C A N A D A We stand on...
national fairy tales?
years without Civil War...
national fairy tales?
years without Civil War...
Much has been said on well-known Canadian problems. But on other less well known and more troublesome ones, speaking out is limited by the cautious warning: "You mustn't say that!" I present for open discussion some things we cannot afford not to say, especially about the fairy tales of Canadian politics and the need to get rid of them.
The world asks, and we wonder, why we may allow Canada to die, despite our repeated assurances that "we stand on guard for thee." The answer has to be blunt. We permit the fantasy of fairy tales created by too much censorship of the facts and acceptance of the lies.
The fairy tales are obvious, indeed startling, and they should be denied and disposed of as quickly as possible. Canada had no "mother" countries in the early years. (France and Britain were just a pair of quarrelling great aunts.) There were no "founding" races or cultures. Being "here first" was not founding; economic exploitation was the fashion and political failure was common -- the real pioneers came much later.
Some citizens were deprived by other citizens of their basic civil and religious rights. (French and Quebec colonial authorities used the famous revocation of the Edict of Nantes to force French-Canadian Protestants, called Huguenots, to leave Quebec, and refused to let others immigrate. The result was sectarian privilege disguised as language rights, a drastic change in the "distinctiveness" of the society, the loss to Quebec and Canada of a whole valuable segment of French culture, as well as much other damage caused to this day by what was Canada's biggest political and sectarian mistake.
¤ The treatment of aboriginals by one another and by newcomers was wrong. (The troubles of missionary action, tribal warfare and treaty-making returned to haunt the Indians from coast to coast.)
¤ There was no "conquest." (France rejected Canada and insisted on giving it away to Britain after the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. (The Plains of Abraham was only one engagement, just one move on a chessboard, in a world conflict that
had nothing to do with Canada, which neither France nor Britain wanted.)
¤ There was no "expulsion" of the Acadians. (There was just an exodus encouraged by ecclesiastical authorities such as Abbe Jean-Louis LeLoutre for political purposes.)
These fairy tales and others like them were allowed to hang on after the colonies were formed, and then mix with modern challenges. They permitted alleged slights to be featured in history books and the press, and favored the unjustified "victim" of something seeking undeserved sympathy. There is actually no serious constitutional crisis in Canada. The "system" is excellent and workable. But we are not running it properly because we allow old bugaboos to take the place of great traditions. And too many suggested changes are now designed to cater unwisely to the bugaboos rather than to achieve the desired reforms.
There is no reason whatever for hiding this subject or refusing to discuss it. The hush-hush attitude has lasted so long it is the main reason for the mishandling of the political crisis.
Credits: Frank MacKinnon,
Emeritus professor of political science,
University of Calgary
The Speaker of the House of Commons confers with one of his most trusted advisors (above)
Emeritus professor of political science,
University of Calgary
The Speaker of the House of Commons confers with one of his most trusted advisors (above)