Too studiously polite, eh?
Free speech, says Scaramouche, has a better chance of survival in the States than in Canada:
[U]nlike Canadians, Americans aren’t afraid to be risky and rude and inappropriate. And that’s a function both of culture and history. American can draw upon a history that includes a Boston Tea Party and a Revolution and a First Amendment. What do we Canadians have? “Peace, order and good government,” Wile E. Trudeau’s legacy of multiculturalism, and our “ABCs” — agencies, boards and commissions (including all those delightful “human rights” commissions). Given that, how likely is it that “grassroots” Canadian will ever be able to summon up the gumption, the liberating “rudeness,” of Americans?
It may be, though, that the situation will never come up: right now in the States we’re being barraged by calls for “civility” and other vaguely un-American concepts. Had our government its druthers, the only difference between us and Canada would be that we’d have a goofy Spanish-speaking enclave instead of a goofy French-speaking enclave.
(Via Kathy Shaidle.)
canadienne »
10 December 2009 · 1:22 am
What’s wrong with civility? Much of what is vaunted as free speech is mostly name-calling and invective, which while it is admittedly fun, doesn’t really get anything done.
Maybe I am just too Canadian. I just can’t see that as a bad thing.
CGHill »
10 December 2009 · 6:56 am
Not getting anything done is the hallmark of proper US politics; the original idea, after all, was to keep the government from getting too powerful. To the extent that name-calling and invective impede the seemingly-inevitable trend toward concentration of political power, it’s performing a valuable public service.
canadienne »
12 December 2009 · 6:36 pm
OK, I am going to (politely) disagree. I think one of the things which is preventing any useful political discussion is the nastiness and name calling – which keeps the left and right sniping at each other and ineffectual. (I consider myself politically middle of the road, which would no doubt be a raving socialist in your country. Except I hardly ever rave.)
And don’t go dissing Quebec until you have visited Montreal – goofy French speaking enclave, I don’t think so. Or mes amis Quebecois will come down there and clog your arteries with poutine.
CGHill »
12 December 2009 · 7:01 pm
Having already developed major plaque from Tex-Mex, I’m not too scared. Yet.
The argument is made that all this sniping keeps the government from actually accomplishing anything. Persuaded as I am of the wisdom of that old bit about “that government is best which governs least,” attributed to Tom Paine, or maybe Thomas Jefferson, I figure that keeping them yelling helps keep them out of my back yard and my pocketbook.