Did you know that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of George Grant’s immensely influential book, Lament for a Nation? I certainly didn’t! Imagine my delight, therefore, when The Hub asked me to contribute a piece to their series marking this milestone in Canadian political thought.
In preparation I reread Lament, 50 years after my first read of it. And like the scientists in the theme song for the old TV show Mr. Terrific, what I found made me squeamish. Here is the opening to my piece. To read the rest, click here.
“George Grant and his most memorable book, Lament for a Nation, cast a long shadow. Getting through a degree in Canadian history or political science is well-nigh impossible without reading or at least seeing copious references to Lament. Certainly, many faculty hold it up as proof that the Canadian political tradition is nationalist and anti-American.
“Too bad that Lament is, not to put too fine a point on it, nine cubic yards of codswallop.
“In defence of my verdict, consider three of the book’s overarching themes:
“1. Modernity, exemplified by America’s individual liberty and technological prowess is the enemy of true conservatism in Canada and elsewhere;
“2. Far from being the final defeat of conservatism in Canada, John Diefenbaker’s loss in the 1963 election was merely another chapter in the long-running saga of Canada’s ambivalence about America since our founding;
“3. Diefenbaker’s refusal to permit American nuclear missiles in Canada and his 1963 defeat on the issue proved that Canadian sovereignty is merely a mirage.
“Each one of these propositions is not just wrong, but egregiously so.”
