By Jon deVries

Staff Writer

Many Calvin students can look back to times in their classes and dorms where they found themselves facing a typical phenomenon: ultra-patriotic Canadians. They usually found some way to turn conversations and class discussions towards whatever topic allowed them to gloat about the fact that most students couldn't name half the provinces and that their country had national healthcare. They always had at least one flag up in their dorm rooms and their stereos usually contained Tragically Hip albums.

I used to be fairly proud about being a Canadian, but my four years at Calvin have dulled that aura of perfection and glory with which so many of my fellow citizens view our country. My Canadian flag, which once hung so prominently in my RVD dorm room, now lies (reverently folded, of course) in a box shoved into a corner. Don't get me wrong; I still care about Canada, and I'm even planning to move back there next year. As graduation approaches, though, and as I see so many of my Canadian friends quietly tearing up their Canadian citizenships and seeking their futures in the United States, I keep asking myself, Where did all that patriotism go?

The simple answer is that Canada is nowhere near what it's cracked up to be. Canada is a nation suffering from a large number of problems, all of which can be traced to the problem of Canadian identity. I am not referring to the popular notion that Canada has no identity; Canada does in fact have a very strong and ``official'' identity. The problem is that this identity is only one of many, and the divisiveness it creates is destroying our country.

This official identity is one of a Canada that is fully bilingual, socialist and fundamentally non-American; it usually finds its embodiment in the person of Pierre Trudeau. Trudeau's political party, the Liberal party, has taken it upon itself to be the upholder, interpreter, and enforcer of Trudeau's legacy. Coupled with the fact that the Liberals have dominated federal politics in Canada, the Trudeau-Liberal vision of Canada has achieved the status of orthodoxy.

The problem with the Trudeau-Liberal vision is that it was a complete failure. Trudeau was truly a skilled leader, and catapulted Canada onto the world stage. However, his domestic economic policies, such as the infamous National Energy Program, and his hard-line approach to the Quebec separatist situation left a house thrice divided against itself. His attempts to free Canada from American economic influence failed, and the status he gained for Canada on the international stage has been completely squandered by the foolish behavior of his successors. The other aspects of the Trudeau-Liberal vision - those of a more socialist society - have also failed, although no one will admit it. Canada's social programs are on the verge of collapse, and its economy and currency are being driven into the ground by the highest taxes in the developed world.

The Trudeau-Liberal vision, despite its failure, is still extremely powerful. Anyone following the recent elections in Canada could easily see how any group with platforms contrary to the Trudeau-Liberal view were instantaneously dubbed ``un-Canadian,'' ``pro-American'' and ``representative of the dark side of human nature.'' They could also be referred to as ``racists,'' ``homophobes'' or ``Holocaust deniers'' without any justification or repercussions. Many Canadians recoil at even the suggestion of things like the adoption of the American dollar or the privatization of healthcare. Such ideas are not rejected on the grounds that they may not be beneficial to the nation; that aspect isn't even considered. They are rejected because such ideas are fundamentally ``un-Canadian.''

The enshrinement of the Trudeau-Liberal vision has also done the nation another massive disservice by turning Canada into a one-party state. One-party states are not necessarily a recipe for doom, as evidenced by nations like Japan where the Liberal Democratic Party has ruled since the 1940s. However, in most one-party states the ruling party tends to enjoy a significant majority of popular support; this is not the situation in Canada. In recent elections, the Liberal party has received no more than 41 percent of the popular vote, and 80 to 90 percent of its representatives in Parliament are elected in central Canada. This tradition of rule from the center has led to widespread regional alienation, particularly in western Canada. Along with the continued threat of Quebec's succession, western alienation is undermining the unity and economic strength of Canada. While the idea of full separation has yet to gain any voice in the west, there is more than enough support for the dismantling of ties between the provinces and the federal government. After all, who wants to live in a country where you never get any say in the government, and where you pay taxes that in turn fund Liberal campaign commercials showing how backward and ``un-Canadian'' you are?

Four years at Calvin gave me the opportunity to look at my country from the outside, to truly see the bleak state it is in and the even darker future it has in store. Too many Canadians are clutching onto a dream that is either going to tear the country up, propel it into second world status, or both. Many other Canadians have come to this realization, and have headed south of the border where they can have better pay, fewer taxes and the ability to be something other than a social democrat and not be automatically despised. I really don't blame them, just as I don't blame Canadians at Calvin who graduate and stay in America. After all, you can always hang that flag in your room and have the Hip playing on your stereo, but who wants to martyr themselves for a country?