Is the Canadian dream of multiculturalism realistic? Not only does it seem to be working in Canada, it is the only way things can ever work. The idea of multiculturalism was first hinted at by Jesus 2000 years ago. Love your neighbour, love your enemy. Christianity fumbled the ball, and today Canadian multiculturalism is about the closest thing we have to the teachings of Jesus. The religious fundamentalists who call themselves Christians, but believe in war, faith healing, torture, and witchcraft are not even close.Living in Canada, I don't see the Canadian dream so idealistically. I know we have gun nuts and racists and warmongers. One man died after being tasered by the Mounties. But for most of the world, Canada has become a symbol, which is what America used to be. Like most dreams, the American dream was always more illusion than reality, and now it has proven itself unsuitable for the modern world, even as a dream. You only have to watch the hateful (but very popular in the US) American Fox News to know the American dream is gone, replaced by ignorant bullying.
Forty years ago, when I was in Sierra Leone, Canada was almost invisible internationally. America was what everyone talked about and dreamed about. Even with the Vietnam war, America was still the country that sent a man to the moon, the streets of America were paved with gold. Canada was at best unknown, or maybe a part of the USA according to some opinions.
In 1990, America was handed world leadership on a platter, and instead of rising to the challenge, within no more than a dozen years, rejected international cooperation and made a play for world domination. And don't blame 9/11, because the "Project for the New American Century" strategists were already on record as looking for "something like Pearl Harbour" to kick off the military domination of the world. If it wasn't 9/11 it would have been something else.
Today the American Dream has faded in the wake of an unjust war and terrorism. On the other hand, Canada is now well known all over the world as a functioning multicultural country. America is the tired old superpower that tried for world domination through torture and unjust war, and was easy prey to religious extremism (both Christian and Muslim). Although their weapons are still potent, the American dream has shrivelled like the heart of a Fox news announcer.
Canada is a new dream, not based on wealth and military power. Not even based on forcing people to live somewhere. Canadian style multiculturalism eventually could exist anywhere on earth. In the American dream, the starving masses gave up their home country, their traditions, and language. They left everything behind to start at the bottom in America, and hopefully within a few generations work their way to the top and fit in.
Canadians don't care about world domination. We don't need to put our flag on everything, or be the boss of everyone. Apparently, to be Canadian, you don't need to give up your old country, and you certainly don't need to stay in Canada and freeze your ass off. Even we aren't stupid enough to do that.
Whether our new celebrity status in the world is deserved or not, there are people from Canada who reject it. Mark Steyn decided he had to move to the USA because he couldn't stand Canadians any more. Conrad Black renounced his Canadian citizenship so that he could become an English Lord. Both are just helping define what is uncanadian. Hatemongers like Mark, and class snobs like Conrad Black, are not "real" Canadians any more, if they ever were. It is especially interesting that both Mark Steyn and Conrad Black were famously involved in trying to redefine Canadianism in their own narrow minded image, but so far have failed. Mark is still bitter about run-ins with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Conrad is in jail in the USA, and probably wishes he was still a Canadian citizen at this point.
I understand that many old fashioned Canadians still want nothing more than for Canada to be another state of the USA. They want our soldiers to be fighting and dying for American foreign policy even though we don't have a vote in their elections. This includes our current Bush-like Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. But it seems the tide of multiculturalism is unstoppable in Canada. One thing you can say about having a lot of immigrants, it makes the country as a whole, a lot smarter.
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