>When I was up in Vancouver, BC, last week, I spoke to the Trade Union
>Research Bureau. Once again I was struck by how different a place Canada is
>from the U.S., despite similar appearances. It's hard to imagine a
>comparable group of unionists in the U.S. who'd be as sharp politically and
>intellectually as this Vancouver group was. We even discussed Brenner's NLR
>article for a bit. In the U.S., the discussion probably would have been
>about who's on the verge of indictment.
I love Canada, and Canadians. When I tell this to my friends they say it's just because of their health care system. True, but that's not all. I spent some time in Montreal this summer and I was amazed at the place. It was almost shocking to read the newspapers and talk to the people (and I am talking about mainstream papers and normal schmoes off the street) because the range of acceptable ideas and acceptable debate in that country is so much wider than in ours. For instance, the normal person in Canada actually *expects* their government to provide them health care and other basic services; here we don't even dare ask.
When I was there, a judge had ruled that an immigrant family could not be sent back to the US. This family had left El Salvador for the US, but because of their immigration status here the INS broke up the family, sending the two children to foster homes. The family then decide to flee to Canada, where at least they could be together. Some local officials tried to deport them back to the States, but the federal judge said this would put them in "irrepairable harm."
Part of me loves that just because of the implied US bashing aspect. But I think it shows something deeper as well: Candians look at the situation, at that particular family, and decide what is best for them in that situation. (Maybe an overgeneralization, but true at least in this case.) In the US we would ask where they come from; if they answer "Haiti" we throw 'em back on the boat, if they answer "Cuba" we give them a hug and a green card.
eric beck