The country that defines traditionalism as Trudeauism

After Australian traditionalist blogger Mark Richardson quoted my recent article on modernity and liberalism, a commenter from Canada took issue with my idea that a traditional society in designing its immigration policy would place the preservation of its historic nationhood ahead of the liberal idea of non-discrimination. Canadian traditionalism, he said, is based on non-discrimination, and therefore allowing immigration from every culture on earth is in keeping with Canadian tradition. I pointed out that this supposed Canadian tradition of non-discrimination only started under the hyper-liberal Prime Minister Trudeau in the 1960s, and that Trudeaus’s policy was an egalitarian attack on Canada’s traditional majority culture. Furthermore, the fact that Canada at that time adopted a new bi-cultural identity in which the Francophone culture would be included equally with the Anglophone, did not logically require Canada to start including equally every culture on earth.

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Dale F. writes:

I think your characterization of the commenter’s historical memory as starting with Trudeau is spot on. I find this statement ludicrous: “Our cities are peaceful, and the public accepts high levels of immigration.” I know Canadians who are very worried indeed, for instance, about Muslim enclaves in Montreal. And about other ethnic minorities who see Canada only as an economic safe haven rather than as a genuine new homeland.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at February 25, 2008 10:27 PM | Send