Mark Carney was right to describe Canada as choosing a different path

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Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the Citadel of Quebec and the controversy it provoked gives us an opportunity to reflect on what is specific and even exceptional in our country’s history. I will argue here that, in judging Canada’s past, which Quebec nationalist circles reproach for conquest and assimilation, one must consider the tragic nature of universal history.  

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Let’s start with conquest. If we had to consider all countries born from past conquests as illegitimate and undo them, we would turn the planet upside down! It is only recently, during the 20th century, that conquest war was outlawed in international law.  

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In our case, it is fortunate for the French-Canadian population that the conquest transferred them from the French regime to the British regime rather than from the French regime to the domination of the New England settlers. The latter had lived for a century and a half under the visceral fear of attacks from New France and would surely have been vengeful and fierce toward a........

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