Peace, Order, and Good Government

Canada’s national creed, what undergirds it, and how current leaders are failing it

Canada, the true north strong and free. Words in the national anthem that can be ascribed meaning to any citizen or person that reads them. Many Canadian citizens likely know the words from the national anthem more than the actual creed of Canada, which is the name of this article (peace, order, and good government). It’s a bit of a shame really, since many have likened our national motto to be a contrast to those of the USA (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) and France (liberté, égalité, fraternité), and there has been some debate as to how Canadians ascribe meaning to it.

Whatever the case may be, the famous triparte mottos of many Western style democracies, can often yield information about what the nation and citizens consider to be important aspects of their identity. The American motto has been a beacon call to free minded individuals since it’s inception, and France followed suit not more than a decade later, though without the same acclaim as the US thanks to the Reign of Terror. Canada’s, like the country itself, has often been more subdued and in the background, with citizens preferring to go about their business, and stay out of others way.

The good thing about this creed is it allows people to ascribe whatever meaning they want to it, thus making them feel part of the fabric of Canadian society. This is also it’s greatest weakness. When people are able to ascribe whatever value they want to something, it may bind them together, but unless there is limited ambiguity in the sentiments, different value structures can begin to arise. When you have multiple sets of people believing in the same thing, but ascribing different values to it, the ground becomes ripe for chaos and conflict. If one examines the causes of civil war throughout history, one would be hard pressed to not find places where diversity of values wasn’t the culprit.

In modern times, the potential for conflict has begun to show it’s ugly head in the form of increased outrage and polarization. People are more likely to look at people across the political aisle as enemies rather than respected opponents. Recent survey’s from the US indicate high numbers of people consider violence to be somewhat acceptable as a means to solve…