Nationalism Without Walls: The Unbearable Lightness of Being Canadian

Despite what the subtitle book says, this book is more than the inevitable lightness of being Canadian. It is about the lightness of being any one of the modern states, Canada, The United States, or Australia. Gwyn's argument is that these countries were founded upon principles that were radically different than previous one's (freedom, equality, diversity, egalitarianism, the appropriations and others). These countries were not built upon any explicit ethnic or racial creed, or language, or even a common history. Together these values made them great and an attraction to people all over the world. Now these societies they are slowly being eroded by other modern principles like the emphasis on rights and less to responsibility, hyper-individualism, excessive cultural differentiation, loss of a sense of history, globalism, multiculturalism and many others. Gwyn believes that are undermining the very values that made theses societies great.Within the context of Canada Gwyn sees the emphasis on rights as a problem. He argues that too many people are focusing on their rights and less on the responsibilities of citizenship. The other is the increasing disposition for immigrants entering theses societies to emphasize their cultural or ethnic differences while choosing not to abide by any values of the society that they are entering. What Gwyn sees is a tendency for such a society to become increasingly a collection of individuals and less of a community striving toward a common good. He rightly points out that the loss of civility, tolerance, and marked indifference are the first signs of such a shift. He argues that Canada has more at stake than any of the other two countries should this progression continue. Unfortunately Gwyn does not make a cogent argument. At some points, the book seems to go off in many directions at once. Although I agreed with his basic premises, I wanted him to not only state and show instances of the problem, but also to give some concrete solutions to it, even if they are exploratory. After reading you get an idea of what Gwyn feels the solutions are, but you can only do this indirectly. (I am still trying to figure out the point to his chapter entitled "Postmodern Dominion".)Despite this drawback, I still believe that this book should be read, if not for an interest in Canada, at least for an interest in how a society can evolve as a result of the unintended consequences of otherwise well-meaning ideas as well as the possible effects that the same changes he sees in Canada will have here in the States. Gwyn's sobering argument is not racist or eurocentric as books of this type sometimes are. This book will undoubtedly give you a new cultural perspective. Maybe the reader will find the solutions that Gwyn could not.