Anti-Canadianism
I was going to blog about Andrew Cohen's book AFTER I read it, but now I think I'll just blog about a review of what I assume (I know, I know - assume makes an ass of u and me) is one of the defining chapters of the book. But first, here's what I googled about Andrew Cohen's latest bit of Canadiana:
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The Unfinished Canadian
The People We Are
Written by Andrew Cohen
In The Unfinished Canadian, Andrew Cohen delves into our past and present in search of our defining national characteristics. He questions hoary shibboleths, soothing mythologies, and old saws with irreverence, humour, and flintiness, unencumbered by our proverbial politeness (itself a great misperception) and our suffocating political correctness. We are so much, in so many shades, and it's time we took an honest look at ourselves. In this provocative, passionate, and elegant book, Cohen argues that our mythology, our jealousy, our complacency, our apathy, our amnesia, and our moderation are all part of the unbearable lightness of being Canadian.
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Okay. Fair enough. Sounds like an enlightening read. But then - I read this review of said enlightening read:
So now I'm just going to critique the book reviewer (et al - and there be lots and lots of yuz) because I'm sick and tired of Pro-American-Anti-Canadians misrepresenting the nature of Anti-Americanism coming from the likes of MOI.
I. Am. Anti-American. And by that I mean - I am anti those same Americanisms that Andrew Cohen would seem to despise in all things Big C Canadian - such as our belief that we are Multi-Cultural and not actually the Melting Pot that we are. Americans have big huge ethnic ghettos. THEY are Multi-Cultural. We are the Melting Pot of sameness with only an Offical observance of Multi-Culturalism. But... I like that about us.
Still, I hear ya, Professor Cohen. We are just as full of shit as the next country. Although Americans have big huge angry groups of people living like countries within their country while we just have the one big angry country, so, like I say - I like that about us. And I know no one as smart as you would completely misrepresent what people like me are all about with our "Anti-Americanism" by dumbing it down to those hoary old myths propagated by the Reformist Right of this country - in lock step with the Republican Right of our neighbours due south - which is that we are actually "Anti-American" and not, in fact - "Anti-Pro-American-Anti-Canadians".
Or would you...
Your fan above (one Dianne Rinehart of The Hamilton Spectator) I hope is talking about her own nonsense and not actually reviewing yours. Not that it's nonsense. Unless you're saying what Ms. Rinehart seems to think you're saying. Then it IS nonsense and you are as guilty of wallowing in your own b.s. as you say I am.
Which I'm not.
Let me explain.
For the last time, the Numbskull Right in this country - Canada - believes its own really incredibly stupid and brain-deadening banal press. That is, that the left is Anti-American. It isn't. It's Anti-The-Right, whether it's American, or Canadian. We don't like The Right. Period. It doesn't matter if you're a redneck dufus from Reformist Alberta or a redneck dufus from Texas. We don't like you. We do, however, like the Utne Reader. It's American. We like PBS. It's American, too. We like Vanity Fair (but not Christopher Hitchens), The Simpsons and Michael Moore documentaries. BUT - and it's a BIG BUT (heheh) - we like exposes by CANADIAN documentary film-makers on Michael Moore - EVEN BETTER!
We're the REAL Canadians you're looking for, Professor Cohen. We want the mainstream media to implode on its own bullshit so the REAL news of BOTH countries can be published, aired - delivered to voters in all its crapulence so that the Left will finally win the big one here, in this country, where there actually IS a Left.
And don't you think for a second that there wouldn't be millions and millions of Americans looking up at us longingly and wishing they, too, had a Left left. That's what pisses me off most about Anti-Anti-Pro-American-Anti-Canadians, Professor Cohen - they have aligned themselves with the Republican Hard Right Establishment of the United States of American and nothing more. They are NOT Pro-American. They just THINK they are. That's because they're really, really, really stupid.
Look, I'm not a REAL Professor, but - in my opinion - it can now be argued that the Republican Hard Right Establishment of the U.S. of A. is the most Anti-American group ever to be in power. It has done more to reduce individual rights and freedoms and more to enforce Christian group think than any other Administration - ever. And our current New Conservative Government of Canada is in lock-step with it. Who, if not The Left, is going to stand aside the good citizens of the U.S. in combatting this insidious and invasive takeover of their "so-called" all-American society?
Oh, and by the way, Professor - people here who support the War on Terror support the War on Terror - NOT America.
Ever since 9/11 the American people have been lied to and manipulated, the essence of their Democracy distorted to suit the partisan beliefs of their President and his Company - Bush, Inc & Cheney Unlimited. That's the absolute truth. If people here don't stand up and shout out that the "Emperor Has No Clothes!" - who the hell is going to do it? People - not on the Hard Right in the United States, who did not fall in behind their Commander-in-Chief - were censured, threatened with jail, and fired for their beliefs after 9/11. Printing the truth was UNPATRIOTIC ferchrissakes - by DECREE no less.
Is this the America we're supposed to NOT BE ANTI?!
Good Gawd in Heaven. Talk about hoary old myths - how about The Canadian Right believing its own propaganda about who's Anti-American and then RahRahing itself like a bunch of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.
Like I say, I haven't yet read the book, but it had better be smarter than the reviewer or I'm demanding my money back. A good diss of knee-jerk Canadianism is the best thing for this country. But if that reviewer was in any way on the mark with her review, Professor Cohen's book ain't it.
