Should Canada have swagger?
This is a question raised in the House of Commons. It is a question our prime minister has been asked a number of times lately. It is a question which lies at the very heart of "being Canadian."
Swagger - according to the Oxford English Dictionary - is to "walk or behave arrogantly or self-importantly." It is more than just being proud. It is about an "in your face" sort of attitude.
Swagger is something we usually leave to the Americans. Their chants of "U...S...A..." at sporting events, their inherent belief there is no better country in the world, their claims to be the most spectacular nation are all examples of arrogance.
Indeed, if you would like to see swagger in action, just watch U.S. President Donald Trump at any of his campaign speeches - either before or after the election. He is already campaigning for 2020, trying to fire up his base with speeches about how great is the U.S. and how much he has done.
For example, according to Trump, it is not the leaders of North and South Korea who reached out to each other in an attempt to finally end the Korean War. It was Trump who did it all - and modesty precludes him from claiming he should win the Nobel Peace Prize although others think he should.
Trump is all about swagger.
Is this what we want in Canada? Should our prime minister declare we are the best? Should he be strutting around on the world stage? Should Canada develop an attitude?
I would suggest the answer is "no, but..." and the "but..." would be a bit more vocal with our sense of national pride. Canada means more than being good at hockey.
There are many things we do which lead the world.
Twenty years ago, our government recognized the shifting nature of the world economy. They aggressively positioned Canada to be a world leader in the new "knowledge-based economy" and to some extent Canadian business responded. We are world leaders in some areas of electronics, alternative energy, and artificial intelligence. We should be justifiably proud of the Canadians working in these areas.
Yet we are still an economy bent on resource extraction and export.
Raw logs, oil, natural gas, and agricultural products still make up the lion's share of our exports to the world. We are still proud of being the breadbasket to the world.
Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with exporting wheat to other countries but there is also nothing wrong with exporting technology. This isn't an "either/or" scenario. We can do both. Indeed, we must do both if for no other reason than our children will need to find a place in the world market.
It is imperative we diversify to the maximum extent possible. As pundits often say, no one can predict the future with certainty. However, it is clear the economic model of the past is not sustainable. The expansionistic tendencies of previous empires has ground to a halt.
There are no more unexplored continents loaded with rich resources waiting to be exploited. Even the thawing Arctic and Antarctic will not open up vast tracks of land for the taking.
And as much as I would like to think space travel will eventually become "common place," it would require a major shift in the fundamental principles of physics before we see shuttlecraft flying hither and yon. It might happen but I doubt it. We are not going to be exploring and exploiting the solar system for all of its riches. At best, we might have a front row seat to exploration by distant robots.
If we are to keep evolving as a country and a civilization, we are going to need to learn to do more with less. Canada can do its part.
Our governments can certainly help by facilitating educational opportunities. We can continue to attract scientists and engineers to this great country of ours through programs such as the Canada Research Chairs.
We can retain good minds by offering incentives to stay in Canada rather than head south.
But none of this involves swagger. We don't have to be arrogant - just proud of the things Canadians accomplish. Proud of our position on the world stage. Proud of our lineage as peacekeepers.
Proud of our scientists and engineers among others.
Proud of our athletes on the international stage. Canadians have done well at the last few winter Olympics and reasonably well at the summer games. Our best hockey players still top the world.
And even if a Canadian team hasn't won the Stanley Cup in 25 years, Canadian players have.
There is a lot to be proud of as a Canadian. We should be justifiably proud of our country. But I don't think we need swagger.
