Suchergebnisse

In 2012, the Harper government launched a national celebration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812, even though few Canadians were aware of the anniversary or of the war itself. While commemorating a largely unknown war might at first seem counterintuitive, this article argues that the focus on the War of 1812 represented an opportunity to engage in the construction of a different Canadian identity. In effect, the narrative surrounding the War of 1812 celebrations permitted the Conservative government to begin to establish a new "warrior identity" in contrast to the "peacekeeping identity" that has been associated with liberal internationalism and the Liberal Party. While liberal internationalism in both the study and practice of Canadian foreign policy contributed to a national identity framed around shared internationalist values, the narratives presented during the War of 1812 celebrations suggest an alternative understanding of the "true" nature of Canadian identity.

Explores John W. Holmes's claim that Canadians hold immoderate views, especially by exaggerating the degree of Canada's influence on the course of world events. He also disliked the tendency of his fellow citizens to be gleeful whenever the US erred, as with the intervention in Vietnam. Holmes consistently promoted critical self-reflection along with moderation when assessing Canada's place on the world stage. The anxieties of Canadians over both the asymmetry of the Canada-US relationship & the national unity question are addressed. Peacekeeping is considered an expression of Canadian national character as demonstrated by the erection of the peacekeeping monument, Reconciliation, in Ottawa in 1992 & the reproduction of its image on the 1995 commemorative one dollar coin. Other matters discussed include tensions within Canada over national unity; discourses of moral superiority; & continuation of what Holmes referred to as the "peacekeeping myth" in spite of Canada's declining participation in peacekeeping missions. However, Holmes's fear that the immoderate view of Canadians would lead to charges of hypocrisy proved to be a secondary concern at best. J. Lindroth