The New Patriotism. Where Do You Sit?

U.S. President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs and threats of annexation have unleashed an unprecedented wave of pride and indignation among Canadians. It’s a curious thing for a mild-mannered country.

Chest beating does not come easily to Canadians. The claim “Canada is the best country in the world” feels inauthentic no matter who says it. It’s as if we’re trying to be like the United States (which, ironically, suggests a sense of inferiority). A certain modesty is surely a more desirable trait. Canadians never embraced the toxic mythology of exceptionalism and providential leadership that spellbinds our southern neighbours. Our slogan should be “Canada is the best country in the world for Canadians,” which implicitly concedes that, say, Sweden might be the best country for Swedes and Bolivia the best country for Bolivians.

“The love of one’s country is a splendid thing,” said Pablo Casals. “But why should love stop at the border?” Canadians take pride in neighbourliness, and offer hugs and handshakes across the border.

But our hospitality has been tested. The souring mood led to booing the U.S. anthem at hockey games. Then Mike Myers mouthed “Elbows up” on Saturday Night Live. A “We Are Canadian” video went viral. Thousands signed a solemn Pledge for Canada. Charlie Angus started with his amusing rants. And over a million Canadians from all walks of life have turned to the Made in Canada Facebook page to avoid purchasing U.S. goods.

Some of the patriotism has transcended partisanship, like the op-ed signed by all living former prime ministers.

But polls confirm the Liberal party has benefited most. Jean Chrétien captured the mood as he warmed up the Liberal party convention, helping Mark Carney, as newly elected leader, to personify Canada’s new patriotism.

As we embrace the flag, however, many Canadians wonder whether our pride will erase or reinforce our collective capacity to see our flaws and face up to them inwardly.

A national ethos in progress

Many of us have been deeply affected by the process of reconciliation, and we have become more aware of the harms of colonialism. We know structural racism persists and that much more needs to be done to build a truly inclusive society. It is not in spite of this, however, but because of it that many of us love our country.

Among all the evils that annexation would bring, it would also roll back decades of progress for Quebec, for First Nations, for multiculturalism and bilingualism. (Parenthetically, I would not expect love of country to be shared by Indigenous Peoples or Québécois nationalists — that’s love we still need to earn.)

Our foundational myth includes two nations, English and French. Our emerging decolonial constitution includes First Nations. We are one of the most multicultural countries on Earth (more diverse than the United States, and without the jingoistic backlash; more diverse than most countries in Europe, and without violent clashes over race and exclusion).

We’ve been successful in part because we don’t demand that new Canadians assimilate into a melting pot. New Canadians, in turn, often model what love of country means for the rest of us.

Ramping up love of country

As for the rest of us, perhaps we need to express our love of country a little more. I write for those who, like me, are patriotism hesitant. Patriotism has been called “the last refuge of a scoundrel.” The refrain “My country, right or wrong” need not, however, be equivalent to “My mother, drunk or sober,” as G.K. Chesterton put it.

The full quote should be “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” Patriotism may be a civic virtue that, properly directed, can help make us better.

“The person who takes pride in their country is not a person who never feels shame,” writes professor Susan Dieleman. “Rather, they’re ashamed when something their country has done is worthy of shame — and not ashamed when there’s no reason to be. As a result, patriotism sometimes calls one to criticize their country. At other times, patriotism calls us to celebrate our country. The person who exhibits patriotism virtuously will know when criticism and celebration are appropriate.”

Perhaps we have not found the best balance between shame and pride in recent years. When we are excessively critical of our country’s flaws, we alienate those who rightly take pride in this country. Consider a couple of examples.

Several years ago, on July 1, a Canadian friend of mine, who lives in the United States, texted her son, who lives in Canada. “Happy Canada Day,” she wrote. He replied, “Stolen Land.”

There is something moving about the way young people have embraced our collective shame. But “Canada is bad” may be an unfortunate message for our youth.

A colleague who taught a university course on Canadian society for years decided to shift the focus of their teaching because so much of the discussion of Canada focused on negative stories. Today, my colleague acknowledges, it would be more interesting to teach such a course.

What do you think?

Still, if we embrace patriotism, it has to tap into the right kind of love of country. Not the variation that evokes an anti-social view of freedom, hangs the Canadian flag upside down and calls the country “broken.” This is a local variant of the virus of polarization coming from the south. Its leading advocates struggle to articulate why the threat of tariffs and annexation is so repugnant to the vast majority of Canadians. It wants to talk about the threat to national unity from regional grievances when an external threat looms large.

I am not making an argument against conservatism — just look at the exemplary leadership of Doug Ford. But Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative party has aligned itself with patriotism of the wrong kind. His vision of Canada will weaken and divide us further. His inability to pivot to the real ballot question reveals the limitations of his brand of patriotism.

Against polarizing patriotism, we need a unifying vision for Canada, one that channels pride without ignoring what is shameful, love without illusions, national belonging without exclusions, and community without coercion.

The current moment offers an opportunity to reflect on the qualities and characteristics that make us who we are as a political community. That is not a conversation we often have, and yet it is essential to preserving our democracy and our way of life. It must be honest, open and sustained, for it is by facing up to our flaws that we gain a clearer picture of ourselves.

As Leonard Cohen so memorably sang, “there is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

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