Canada As Moral Superpower? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

snowy · 05-25-2005, 03:30 PM

In today's NYTimes there's an interesting article regarding Canada's position as the world's "moral" superpower and its impending fall from grace:

Quote:

Letter From the Americas: Was Canada Just Too Good to Be True?

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Published: May 25, 2005

TORONTO, May 24 - The news from Canada has been very un-Canadian of late. Or has it?

A government program sponsoring sporting and cultural events in Quebec has been tainted by allegations of millions of dollars in kickbacks and money laundering. Witnesses before a federal inquiry into the scandal have described envelopes full of cash left on restaurant tables to advance the cause of the governing Liberal Party.

Paul Martin, prime minister under a cloud, at a recent town hall meeting. A round of national introspection is evident.

But even as the "sponsorship scandal" has unfolded, one unseemly chapter after another, Prime Minister Paul Martin has held fast, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, to a cherished Liberal Party script: Canada as a singularly virtuous country that adheres more than most to values like honesty, decency, fairness and multiethnic equality, not to mention publicly financed universal health care.

"We will set the standard by which other nations judge themselves," Mr. Martin boasted to his party caucus only minutes after his government was saved on May 19 by a single vote in the House of Commons - the vote of a lawmaker who had turned her back not only on the Conservative Party, which she helped found only a year ago, but on her boyfriend, a Conservative leader, in return for a Liberal cabinet seat.

This notion of national rectitude and compassion, long promoted by the Liberals, has been captured in the slogan of a national book chain: "The world needs more Canada."

Of course, quite a few nations have an embellished sense of righteousness, not least among them, many would say, Canada's southern neighbor. But perhaps no other country puts such a high premium on its own virtue than does Canada.

"That's why the sponsorship scandal stings as much as it does," said Janice Stein, director of the Munk Center for International Studies at the University of Toronto. With a touch of irony, she added, "We're not like this; we're nice and good."

The recent spectacle of scandal and tawdry politics has some Canadians now wondering if all the self-congratulatory virtue is not mixed with some old-fashioned hypocrisy, or what Robert Fulford, a leading literary journalist and columnist characterizes as "a fable" expounded by generations of Liberal leaders.

"During recent decades our politicians have told us a sweet bedtime story about Canada being an exceptionally compassionate country, a world leader in multiculturalism and wonderfully generous to the poor countries," Mr. Fulford said. "All of this expresses something called 'Canadian values.' All lies."

Most Canadians would probably consider that assessment harsh.

Canadian cities are among the most ethnically diverse and safest in the world. Canadian tolerance took real form during the past two years with the extension of marriage rights to gays and lesbians in most of the country. Canada's reputation as an exemplary world citizen comes from its strong support of the International Criminal Court, a ban on land mines and the Kyoto climate control accord.

But there is another side to the story.

While Canada signed and ratified the Kyoto accord, making a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions 6 percent below 1990 levels from 2008 to 2012, emissions have risen to 24 percent above 1990 levels. The powerful domestic oil industry has lobbied effectively to guarantee that the development of oil sands - a noxious source of carbon dioxide - will go on expanding.

In fact, Canada, where logging, mining and oil interests are extremely powerful, has a less than sterling environmental record. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Canada produces more nuclear waste per capita than any other member country and ranks as the fourth per capita emitter of carbon dioxide, following the United States, Australia and Luxembourg. Environmental activists say that only Finland and Sweden log more forest land per capita among industrialized countries.

When European governments sought to ban the import of Canadian asbestos for its toxicity in recent years, Ottawa complained to the World Trade Organization that such an action would violate free trade.

"Canada for years has fought against international controls on asbestos because of the importance of that industry to Quebec," noted Michael Bliss, a leading historian at the University of Toronto. Mr. Bliss, for his part, dismisses as "posturing" the idea that "Canada is some kind of moral superpower."

Canadian officials constantly lecture Europe and the United States on the need to level the playing field in agriculture for third world producers. But at the same time Canada runs monopolistic dairy product marketing boards that raise tariffs of 200 percent and more to protect its own producers of milk, eggs and butter.

On social policy, Canada has been slow to make amends to indigenous Canadians for a century-long policy of forced assimilation under which parents were forced to send their children to residential schools where they were routinely punished for speaking their native languages and routinely abused sexually. Only a bit more than a thousand victims in the schools, the last of which closed in 1986, have received minimal compensation in a process that has been hobbled by delays and bureaucracy.

As diverse as Canada is, corporate boards and senior political bodies on the federal and provincial levels remain overwhelmingly dominated by people of European stock. Incomes of immigrants have been dropping in recent years relative to the population at large, as 25 percent of the immigrants with college educations are forced to settle for unskilled jobs.

"We are putting on blinders," said Ratna Omidvar, executive director of the Maytree Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to reducing inequality. "We don't talk about racism, but of course it exists."

Canada is rarely criticized at home or abroad, making a recent international boycott of Canadian products by animal rights activists protesting the return of the large-scale commercial baby seal hunt off Newfoundland and Labrador particularly rankling here.

The discussion over what exactly is Canada's identity - and whether its favored definition is perhaps a piece of Liberal propaganda - is beginning to emerge in the political debate between the struggling Liberals and the challenging Conservatives.

At a recent Liberal party convention, Mr. Martin pledged that "our most important commitment to the Canadian people was our pledge to protect and defend the values that define us: Liberal values, Canadian values." To which Stephen Harper, the Conservative leader, shot back at a rally of his own: "Corruption is not a Canadian value."

from: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/25/in...wanted=1&8hpib

What do you Canadians think of this article? Do you think it makes valid points regarding the existing government of Canada and the attitude Canada has about itself globally? It seems to me that the idea of Canada as a shining example of governing morality is little more than spin given the evidence against that, but I'm sure you Canadians, who are vastly more familiar with the politics, have more developed opinions with better evidence. I'd like to hear what you think.

Ace_O_Spades · 05-25-2005, 08:26 PM

It's a tough pill to swallow, that's for sure.

I personally don't feel morally superior to anyone in the world. Every country has its positive things they do, and every country has its negative things they do.

However, the one Canadian value I think is the most important is that of peace. And in that regard I think Canada shines through in its uncompromising pursuit of world peace and cooperation, despite the best efforts of a few countries that will remain nameless.

BigBen · 05-26-2005, 07:11 AM

The whole Kyoto agreement is going to jump up and bite us in the ass in about three years. I don't think we should have signed it.

Yes, our politicians fucked up. We were trying to save our country. Does the article mention that the Quebecois are politically led by a seperatist agenda?

What would the US do if California wanted to go on its own?

I think it must have been a very slow newsday at the ol' NY Times. Isn't the US doing something overseas right now? I can't quite remember, but I think it had something to do with "a rock"... nono, thats not it. Hmmmmmm

I guess I'll have to wait for the Times to report the news again.

feelgood · 05-26-2005, 08:03 AM

The Kyoto agreement isn't even supported by most of the Western Provinces. How the hell does the federal government expect to successfully carry its obligation to the treaty if the most powerful province (Alberta) which also has the heaviest oil industries in all of Canada, refuses to follow it?

Moral Superpower? I think that's kinda a stretch. Most of us Canadian still see we got big problems (Health Care, Sponsership Scandel, Education, Infrastructure, etc) and yet, at the same time, most countries, including United States see us as one of those perfectly tuned culture/society? Naw, from a Canadian perspective, we not superior in our moral values compared to other nations.

I don't think Canada has ever been more divided before. Threats of separatism in Quebec still exist, although, it's always been there but not as strong as it once was a decade ago. The voices of western separatism is starting to get louder but not that loud for anybody to care. Western Alienation (sp) still exist today in Canada. Altantic Canada is still crying for help as several key industries continues to fail. Most Canadian are still biased when it comes to trying to deal with cultural problems such as fixing issues in the past with native people.

In fact, I tend to think that some of the European countries (Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, etc) has superior moral value compared to us. I think the author of the article just view us enviously (is that even a word?) Perhaps he failed to look at other countries that has better culture, government and society compared to Canada.

OFKU0 · 05-26-2005, 09:56 AM

The only thing I'll say about Kyoto is that it is stupid. If I were a tree, David Suzuki wouldn't be hugging me now.

And it's hypocritical. Why? Just look into how clean credits can be bought and sold for those who exceed the allowable quota.

Canada a moral superpower? I don't think so. No more or less than any other country. I think Canadians like to feel superior to other countries, namely the U.S. It is so typically Canadian how we critcize the U.S about their politics yet if not turning a blind eye to numerous scandals here, we are living on the fringes of ridiculous rhetoric and hyperbole, something we so disdainly chastise the U.S for. Kinda like not see the forest for the trees(huggers)

I think this stems from our collective lack of an identity. We don't know who we are. We like to pretend we do. We pay allegiance to a Queen from another country, us subjects do, but more importantly we are so multiculturalized to the point where each ethnicity is commended for retaining their cultural values. I'm not saying that is wrong, but how does a country form an identity without a template for all to follow, other than the obligatory, "I'm a proud (insert ethnic culture here) Canadian?"

Oddly enough, the one province that is trying to protect it's culture and values (Canadian values?) is Quebec, and they want to seperate in order to retain that distinction.

05-25-2005, 08:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ace_O_Spades The Death Card Location: EH!?!?	It's a tough pill to swallow, that's for sure. I personally don't feel morally superior to anyone in the world. Every country has its positive things they do, and every country has its negative things they do. However, the one Canadian value I think is the most important is that of peace. And in that regard I think Canada shines through in its uncompromising pursuit of world peace and cooperation, despite the best efforts of a few countries that will remain nameless. __________________ Feh.

05-26-2005, 07:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
BigBen Comedian Location: Use the search button	The whole Kyoto agreement is going to jump up and bite us in the ass in about three years. I don't think we should have signed it. Yes, our politicians fucked up. We were trying to save our country. Does the article mention that the Quebecois are politically led by a seperatist agenda? What would the US do if California wanted to go on its own? I think it must have been a very slow newsday at the ol' NY Times. Isn't the US doing something overseas right now? I can't quite remember, but I think it had something to do with "a rock"... nono, thats not it. Hmmmmmm I guess I'll have to wait for the Times to report the news again. __________________ 3.141592654 Hey, if you are impressed with my memorizing pi to 10 digits, you should see the size of my penis.

05-26-2005, 08:03 AM	#4 (permalink)
feelgood Free Mars! Location: I dunno, there's white people around me saying "eh" all the time	The Kyoto agreement isn't even supported by most of the Western Provinces. How the hell does the federal government expect to successfully carry its obligation to the treaty if the most powerful province (Alberta) which also has the heaviest oil industries in all of Canada, refuses to follow it? Moral Superpower? I think that's kinda a stretch. Most of us Canadian still see we got big problems (Health Care, Sponsership Scandel, Education, Infrastructure, etc) and yet, at the same time, most countries, including United States see us as one of those perfectly tuned culture/society? Naw, from a Canadian perspective, we not superior in our moral values compared to other nations. I don't think Canada has ever been more divided before. Threats of separatism in Quebec still exist, although, it's always been there but not as strong as it once was a decade ago. The voices of western separatism is starting to get louder but not that loud for anybody to care. Western Alienation (sp) still exist today in Canada. Altantic Canada is still crying for help as several key industries continues to fail. Most Canadian are still biased when it comes to trying to deal with cultural problems such as fixing issues in the past with native people. In fact, I tend to think that some of the European countries (Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, etc) has superior moral value compared to us. I think the author of the article just view us enviously (is that even a word?) Perhaps he failed to look at other countries that has better culture, government and society compared to Canada. __________________ Looking out the window, that's an act of war. Staring at my shoes, that's an act of war. Committing an act of war? Oh you better believe that's an act of war

05-26-2005, 09:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
OFKU0 Junk	The only thing I'll say about Kyoto is that it is stupid. If I were a tree, David Suzuki wouldn't be hugging me now. And it's hypocritical. Why? Just look into how clean credits can be bought and sold for those who exceed the allowable quota. Canada a moral superpower? I don't think so. No more or less than any other country. I think Canadians like to feel superior to other countries, namely the U.S. It is so typically Canadian how we critcize the U.S about their politics yet if not turning a blind eye to numerous scandals here, we are living on the fringes of ridiculous rhetoric and hyperbole, something we so disdainly chastise the U.S for. Kinda like not see the forest for the trees(huggers) I think this stems from our collective lack of an identity. We don't know who we are. We like to pretend we do. We pay allegiance to a Queen from another country, us subjects do, but more importantly we are so multiculturalized to the point where each ethnicity is commended for retaining their cultural values. I'm not saying that is wrong, but how does a country form an identity without a template for all to follow, other than the obligatory, "I'm a proud (insert ethnic culture here) Canadian?" Oddly enough, the one province that is trying to protect it's culture and values (Canadian values?) is Quebec, and they want to seperate in order to retain that distinction. __________________ " In Canada, you can tell the most blatant lie in a calm voice, and people will believe you over someone who's a little passionate about the truth." David Warren, Western Standard.