A Fair Country: Telling Truths About Canada, by John Ralston Saul (Penguin Group), 340 pp.

Saul was quick to note that the Canadian road is inherently different than the American path. "In many ways, as I declare in the book, the United States is the last truly European remaining country and it carries with it the great strengths of that European model and, of course, the great weaknesses as well. A man like Obama, who is clearly brilliant, has a kind of FDR capacity to look beyond the immediate problem and see the larger shape of things."

Saul explained how the November election was a step towards answering some lingering racial questions that exist south of the border. "I think it's really important to remember that slavery is essentially an outcome of a European approach. Slavery being a utilitarian method for building an economy... I think what we're witnessing in the United States is very important as it deals with one of the last great wounds of a European nation state - slavery. But the Canadian situation is very different."

The extreme environment in Canada didn't lend itself to a European model, Saul explained. "In the United States, the situation was more temperate, it was easier for the newcomers to arrive and immediately begin applying a European methodology, which included killing as many [natives] as you can. The experience in Canada was completely different; there was no capacity to apply the European method, unless you wanted to get massacred... So when I say [in A Fair Country] Canada is an aboriginal inspiration and a Métis civilization, what I'm describing is something completely different from the road the United States went down."

Anyone curious about Canadian identity will find A Fair Country a fascinating text. Saul goes to the heart of the matter and demonstrates how aboriginal inspiration has defined us a unique people whose roots are both European and native.

John Ralston Saul delivers the 2009 McGill Law Journal Annual Lecture
open to the public
Feb. 3, 5 p.m., at McGill's Chancellor Day Hall (3644 Peel)

 
 

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No way!     Canada is not in any way a "Métis civilization"! Do some search on Duncan Campbell Scott, Rupert river, oh man, the list goes on... The whole Indian Affair Act to "kill the Indian, but to save the human", and boarding schools, where thousands of Aboriginal kids died. John, you have no clue what you are writing about! Do your research properly.
Olha Oliynyk		February 5th, 2009
MEDIA'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH OBAMA     OBAMA is the invention of Capitalist Media as a new face of American Imperialism. After supporting Bush's War on Terror, his lies about what really happened in 911 and his lies about Weapons of Mass destruction, suddenly shifted gears and invented Obama. This slobbering love affair, contrary to Goldberg's view, was necessary as Buh's policy alienated the world and bankrupted the US economy. Media,and intellectuals all shut up and became Bush's propaganda machine to suppress freedom at home and abroad. Media sudden shift in supporting Obama, is neither sudden nor a shift. Corporate media is the megaphone for the Military-Financial complex that whole heatedly supported the illegal preemptive war and invasion of Afghanistan. They wanted to put someone with no experience in the White house to protect their interest. Hillary could not be trusted;therefore Obama became American Idol,as he only would put Israeli and corporate interest first but could fool the world by his name,his history and his color. Therefore, contrary to Goldberg's misguided view Obama became the candidate of Wall Street and Israeli interest way before becoming darling of media. It was his devotion to Israeli interest and belief in suppressing resistance in Afghanistan which sealed the Deal. As everyone knows he did not speak about the atrocities in Gaza before inauguration or and he did not speak out against the continued strangulation of Palestinians by Israeli Blockade of Gaza. His first step was getting the first TARP of 750 billion and 850 billions now for Bankers in the Wall Street. Therefore he is a friend with a benefit for the Wal Street Bankers and now he is advocating Socialism for the rich. Only 12 per cent of more than 2 trillion dollars of "Bail-out" money would actually go to building infrastructure , the rest is fraud against the next generation who must live with the 13 billion National Debt.Love affair of Obama with Big business is the primary cause of Media's love for Obama!
Farhat Maquami		January 30th, 2009

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