We tread very carefully and often inaccurately when we talk about a nation’s values as its markers of identity. I was given pause recently by the death of a curmudgeonly Newfoundlander, commentator and journalist Rex Murphy, who died at the age of 77.
His comments in the video below from the CBC in 2016 are certainly not complete, and his entry into the subject might not be appealing, but it’s a bit of an introduction into some of the things which Canadians value. Canadians sometimes vie with others for a self-described exceptionalism, that belongs to no country. It is still a worthy enterprise to reflect on a common understanding of values and purpose, incomplete as that pursuit might be. And it’s important to mention that other countries do have a clearer rollout of what they deem as important.
You might find his commentary interesting, or not to your taste, but it is a snapshot in a world awash with Hollywood and Bollywood and everything in between.
Warmly,
Jeremy Bell
Via the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation): https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.3764922