Canadians have (and have had and will have) enemies
No matter how we've tried to 'move past' that fact
Canadians have always had enemies
Even back before it was called Canada, you could say it had enemies opposing its very name. We have enemies within, right now, with popular voices fueled by real frustrations and conspiracy-fueled delusions advocating for the literal fall of our nation. As though it were nothing special at all, as though it didn’t have to be fought for.
The destruction of our sovereignty. Which our outside, not-Canadian, also-very-real enemies would be delighted with. Nations like Russia, China, and much of the Islamic world would laugh and openly celebrate (not exaggerating). So, it seems, would many in the US, and certainly the dangerous fool currently occupying the White House (why? why is he back there??).
This is not to say that those nations that literally desire our downfall are evil. Or that we are. In fact, we seem still to be struggling with reconciling our Christian history and thusly-inherited worldview. I’ll also give much credit to humanism and all those who swear by it.
However, the truth is we weren’t “placed” here, no one invented or created us, and there is no end of the road that we are trying to reach. We are creatures of this planet, far more similar to the other species we share Earth with than we are different.
Born here, and bound here, and part of it. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but things can get hostile around these parts. “Hope” and “unity” and “inspiration” and other vague meaningless bullshit are not going to overcome culture and beliefs. They are powerful. They matter, and history shows what we tend to be like.
So, those other nations aren’t “evil,” and we are not “good.” There’s no need to frame things in terms or morality or simplistic, binary analogies of darkness and light. But what we are for a fact is culturally incompatible. Our enemies, nations like Russia and Iran, believe this, too. They’re as ideologically convinced of the need to dominate and coerce us as many here in Canada are convinced that if everyone just calmed down for a second, we’d see we should all be friends.
We can’t.
I’m not saying that a Canadian immigrating to Iran couldn’t, over time, adapt and go native, just like an Iranian can do the same. Nor are they homogenous throughout in terms of personalities. A country is just a concept made up of people.
What I’m saying is that as things stand, with the people in power being what they are, and assuring transitions to others who believe as they do, we cannot be friends with Iran or Russia, or others I’m unqualified to speak to. China will do business, but they are not our buddies. They won’t leave our elections alone, they are committed to intimidating their own diaspora for the sake of propaganda, et cetera, et cetera.
Donald Trump is our enemy. He wants our downfall and submission. He believes the world is divided between those who support him, and assholes. No in-betweensies.
We’ve gone too far, and now the bullies are eying us up. I think many was the rose-coloured-glasses-clad, sincerely intentioned idealist who hoped that with the end of the Cold War would come lasting peace. That is not our nature as human beings. We are apex predators in a world shaped by evolution.
Society is a privilege, not a right, and it can go away. Our natural state is small tribes, as often warring as trading, as often committing atrocities upon each other as lending aid, art, medicine, music, and good food.
The idea that if people were just left alone, they would behave, is moronic. Left alone, we wouldn’t know how to read, write, or reason. All instinct, all impulse. All of us. It takes careful, compassionate, thorough education to take your baseline human being and make them a polite taxpayer who abhors interpersonal violence.
We need to recognize friend and enemy as a nation. You pick up the big stick FIRST. Then, you speak softly.