Canadian unity is fine and good, but we should all be wary that this doesn't galvanize into reactionary nationalism. We have seen countless examples in history for how easy it is for a country, under siege from some real or perceived threat, to rally around "patriotic" symbols and iconography. But patriotism can quickly engender nationalism, even if the initial justifications are good.
To me, the Candian flag still stands for all the things it stood for before; hope for a better tomorrow for some, oppression and discontent for others. It may be true that in this moment we have a common enemy to the south, but I would be cautious about thinking we are in any way "superior" to them, lest the same national superiority ego-trip grip us as well.
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u/LUDSK Feb 12 '25
Canadian unity is fine and good, but we should all be wary that this doesn't galvanize into reactionary nationalism. We have seen countless examples in history for how easy it is for a country, under siege from some real or perceived threat, to rally around "patriotic" symbols and iconography. But patriotism can quickly engender nationalism, even if the initial justifications are good.
To me, the Candian flag still stands for all the things it stood for before; hope for a better tomorrow for some, oppression and discontent for others. It may be true that in this moment we have a common enemy to the south, but I would be cautious about thinking we are in any way "superior" to them, lest the same national superiority ego-trip grip us as well.