Terrorism forces America to adopt Canadian values

By Daorcey Le Bray

We never quite figured Americans would grow to become more like Canadians, but here it is.

As the United States teeters on the brink of the Grey War against ghostly enemies the globe over, it is rethinking its long held concept of unlimited freedom.

Our southern neighbours are quickly reworking this characteristic that defines the American Way. In the past, they held to the value of what we’ll call "freedoms to." Americans individually defend their freedom to carry handguns, to own what they want, to say what they want, to touch what they want, to taste what they want, to do what they want–as long as it doesn’t directly affect anyone else.

This compares to the Canadian value of the "freedom from." Here we give up freedoms to our government and security institutions, so that we can have freedom from individual political involvement, from the ignorant actions of our neighbours, from the absence of social security and from the complete disappearance of Canadian culture.

Of course, the value of responsibilities over freedoms is not distinctly Canadian as it was inherited from conservative British culture, but it does set us apart from Americans.

Now a thought is sweeping the southern nation. Giving up rights and gaining responsibilities may not be that horrible. Americans are drawn, albeit through reaction, to the Canadian way of life.

People across the U.S. will seek greater reliance on government and police to deliver them from the hell that unlimited freedom has created. They will rethink the availability of weapons, the simplicity of international and domestic movement, and the political correctness that protects criminals until they act.

Congress’ decision to speak with unity on the issue of counter-terrorism will give the people a taste of party discipline and Americans will welcome the swiftness by which the government operates. Of course, there is no demand for a dictatorship, but Americans are at a point in history where giving more parliamentary power to the dominate political party is an option for growth. Likewise, tightening borders is a necessary inconvenience for the people of the United States and Canada. The limit on freedom, as police search vehicles and bags, is yet another responsibility Americans will shoulder in the face of a terrifying world.

However, Canada is not as conservative as it once was and in the past two decades, it has followed America’s lead, moving towards greater freedom and fewer community responsibilities. Yet, in the crushing wake of America’s terror, Canada itself will likely turn tail and revert to our original conservatism that ironically was honoured in order to protect us from American invasion.

We too will seriously consider the lifting of mobility and activity freedoms to protect our fragile communities and frightened egos. As we take solace in protecting ourselves with a greater sense of responsibility, the United States of America will not be far behind as they embrace the womb of safety created by unloading their perilous "freedoms to."