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Joel Kotkin: Canadians must stop romanticizing a failing Europe

Europe’s sluggish economy, energy self-harm and creeping authoritarianism make it a terrible alternative to U.S dynamism

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Canadians have long looked away from their often gruesome southern neighbor, tempted instead to embrace a chicer European identity. They could point to a more civil public culture, greater bilingualism and a more generous welfare state, compared to the dog-eat-dog reality of the United States. Prime Minister Mark Carney has called Canada “the most European of non-European countries,” and some policy wonks now advocate joining the EU.

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Author Phil Resnick, in his recently published book, The European Roots of Canadian Identity, embraces an idea popular among some Canadians that Europeans form the base of the country’s identity, and its most crucial way to distance itself from its noisy neighbor. I guess he didn’t check in with the multicultural lobby.

Joel Kotkin: Canadians must stop romanticizing a failing Europe Back to video

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Europhilia has been reinforced by Donald Trump’s moronic “51st state” rhetoric, as well as his more understandable concern with Canada’s protectionist policies. Trump managed to implant himself in Canada’s brain, leading some to look across the Atlantic for succor.

Many Canadians, particularly on the left, worship Europe and see it as a role model, but perhaps it’s time to assess the reality.........

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