American political news gets more chaotic by the day. I alternate between watching it obsessively and avoiding it completely, but the gravity of events south of the 49th is making me think seriously about our Canadian values. As much as Canada and America have in common, linguistically, culturally and economically, there are some profound differences. I will highlight seven of these, in no particular order.
Multiculturalism. Quietly, and without great fanfare, Canada has evolved into one of the world’s most multicultural nations. Different ethnicities and cultural traditions can be found from St. John’s to Sidney, and from Aklavik to Estevan. Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is happening very slowly, but it is happening.
Multi-party Democracy. We typically have three or four parties competing in our federal and provincial elections. In contrast, no American third party has captured more than one or two percent of the federal vote. A multi-party system encourages diverse opinions, and compromise; we need to stop our current slide toward a two-party system.
Constituency Boundaries. Political gerrymandering is on the rise in America, where politicians realign constituency boundaries to favor their party. This is a profound threat to democracy. Canada does adjust constituency boundaries periodically, based on population growth. But our process is almost completely free of partisan political influence.
Gender Rights. This is a deeply complex issue, but again, we Canadians are on the forefront of accepting gender and transgender equality. Our neighbors the Americans, on the other hand, are rapidly polarizing into different camps on this issue.
Gun Ownership. According to a 2017 survey, US gun ownership is 120 guns per 100 people; in contrast, Canadians have 35 guns per 100. It is a truism that gun ownership feeds on itself; the more guns there are, the more gun violence there is, and the more people feel the need to arm themselves. We certainly have our share of gun violence in this country, but it pales in comparison to what is happening in the US.
Secularism. Although various religions have deep roots in Canada, we have fortunately avoided the whites-only, male-dominated strain so prevalent in parts of the US. The Province of Quebec has opened up a healthy discussion about religious symbols in government operations.
Voter Turnout. This is one instance where America beats us: in their last federal election 70 percent of eligible American voters cast ballots, whereas Canada was at a pathetic 60 percent. That number is truly appalling: four out of every ten eligible Canadians simply didn’t bother to vote in the last federal election. This is a profound national embarrassment.
As an ex-American, one who came to Canada as a Vietnam War resister, I am an immensely proud citizen of this country. I welcome our recent surge in Canadian “elbows up” patriotism.
It is easy to assume what is happening in the US is a temporary, chaotic situation; it definitely is not. In fact the political events are following a very predictable pathway, one that goes from democracy to autocracy. A pathway that has been followed many times, in many countries, over many centuries. I don’t think Canada is at risk, but we must watch what is going on next door, learn from history, sharpen these seven points on our elbows, and never set foot on the autocracy pathway.