The author recounts their evolution from a young nationalist influenced by the positive narratives of Pierre Elliot Trudeau to a more critical perspective shaped by historical realities of violence and injustice toward Indigenous peoples, immigrants, and the social welfare state. The emergence of Donald Trump's economic threats against Canada sparked a visceral reaction, prompting feelings of anger and a sense of unity, revealing a deeper emotional connection to the nation despite acknowledging its flaws.
Watching it unfold, my first reaction wasn't one of dispassionate distance but something more visceral. I was angry and felt immediately drawn to the cause of unity—and retaliation.
I was disabused of a jejune nationalist commitment to Canada and left with something rather colder—a view of the country seen as one might see data on a spreadsheet.
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