nationalism

Ahmed Sahi: A dangerous form of nationalism is taking root on the right. It’s time to refocus on nation-building and a movement that loudly rejects Islamophobia and fear.

In Koblenz, Germany, the leaders of Europe’s nationalist movement unite for an awkward political spectacle

Tuition hike protest is about more than just money

Andrew Potter on Harper’s loyalty to Canada

After Paul Martin’s campaign mocked Mr. Harper’s response to a question about love of country, Jason Kenney demanded an apology for the attack of Mr. Harper’s patriotism. He then cast aspersions on Mr. Martin’s.

Judging from the Conservative party’s campaign slogan (“Here for Canada”) and the placard that adorned the Prime Minister’s lectern yesterday (“Canada”) and the giant flag behind him (Canadian), not to mention the actual content of Sunday’s speech—some of which was presaged by a speech to supporters last fall—Mr. Harper’s preferred ballot question would seem to be this: Who loves Canada most? Or, put as less of a question: I love Canada more than Michael Ignatieff.

In December 2008, just after Jean Charest’s third consecutive election victory, I wrote this: “Like Bourassa, Charest has positioned himself as both a critic of the federal government and a supporter of the federation.” At the time, I thought it was Charest who’d turned a corner, who’d come to understand that nationalism is an essential characteristic of Quebec politics, and that it could be embraced and molded to fit even a federalist’s political agenda. I wrote it half-expecting Charest to spend 2009 burnishing his Captain Quebec credentials by picking meaningless fights with the federal government. But, barring a few minor exceptions, those battles never materialized.

Whatever the merits of subsidizing Nortel’s past research, blocking the Ericsson sale won’t get the money back

Andrew Coyne on the weakest part of RIM’s case

Isn’t it fun that both the current opposition and government leaders were doing interviews on referendum night in 1995?

Stephen Harper was in suburban Montreal yesterday for St-Jean-Baptiste celebrations and used the occasion to lay the groundwork for what will surely be an unadulterated play for soft nationalist votes in the province in the next election. In stark contrast to previous Liberal governments, Harper wasn’t afraid to play up the Conservatives’ indulgence of Quebec nationalism, and even borrowed a few bits and pieces from Mario Dumont’s autonomist discourse: