A post-national state will inevitably devolve into a tribalistic mess where those in power use the state to benefit their own group at the expense of all others.
The Liberal government has been so corrupt and so dishonest for so long that many Canadians have become desensitized to scandals.
When there’s one scandal after another, it can be difficult to identify what is serious, and what is just a ‘normal’ example of political cynicism.
Still, a recent report on the actions of former Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is among the most appalling scandals we’ve seen in recent Canadian history:
“Then-defence minister @HarjitSajjan instructed Canadian special forces to rescue about 225 Afghan Sikhs after the Taliban takeover in August, 2021, in an operation that three military sources say took resources away from getting Canadian citizens and Afghans linked to Canada on final evacuation flights out of Kabul.”
“Then-defence minister @HarjitSajjan instructed Canadian special forces to rescue about 225 Afghan Sikhs after the Taliban takeover in August, 2021, in an operation that three military sources say took resources away from getting Canadian citizens and Afghans linked to Canada on…
— Kevin Vuong (@KevinVuongMP) June 27, 2024
“Retired major-general David Fraser:
“In a humanitarian crisis, we have a responsibility to get Canadians out first and we get Afghans out who helped us out next. Once you get all those people out, you can start to look at the rest.””
Retired major-general David Fraser:
“In a humanitarian crisis, we have a responsibility to get Canadians out first and we get Afghans out who helped us out next. Once you get all those people out, you can start to look at the rest.”https://t.co/rPaRPJi8F3
— Kevin Vuong (@KevinVuongMP) June 27, 2024
“Retired major-general David Fraser:
“JTF-2 are the most elite of Canadian soldiers and the Afghan Sikh mission was extremely dangerous “because as soon as you got outside the airport, you were not in friendly territory and I don’t mean just the Taliban. There were panicked people trying to get out of the country.””
Retired major-general David Fraser:
“JTF-2 are the most elite of Canadian soldiers and the Afghan Sikh mission was extremely dangerous “because as soon as you got outside the airport, you were not in friendly territory and I don’t mean just the Taliban. There were panicked…
— Kevin Vuong (@KevinVuongMP) June 27, 2024
As noted by former Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, Sajjan’s orders came at a time when Canada was trying to get people who had helped our nation – Afghan interpreters – out of the country.
“To think that this was happening at the same time Canadian veterans were scrambling to try and get the Afghan interpreters they served with out of the country.”
To think that this was happening at the same time Canadian veterans were scrambling to try and get the Afghan interpreters they served with out of the country. https://t.co/T77C7JhH7r
— Erin O'Toole (@erinotoole) June 27, 2024
Let’s be clear.
What Sajjan did is unacceptable.
He should not only resign, but he should also be forced out of Parliament.
With that said, Canadians must understand that this is Canada’s future unless we completely reject the idea of being a ‘post-national’ state.
The only way a diverse country can truly work is if we establish and maintain a strong set of core values, and build a strong national identity.
Diversity – in the sense of disparate origins – should fade into the background, and a sense of unity around the values of Western Civilization – values like individual freedom, democracy, free expression, and a commitment to defending those values with military force if necessary – must take prominence.
That is what a true nation would be built around, and that is the only way a diverse country can truly cohere into a nation, rather than being a bunch of separate tribes who just so happen to live in the same place.
When we say “our people,” who are we talking about?
The real divide is what we mean when we say “our people.”
In a true nation, when someone like Harjit Sajjan thinks about “our people,” he would be thinking of all Canadians. Canadians who are White, Canadians who are Black, Canadians who are Brown, and Canadians who are Indigenous. And he would be thinking of Canadians of all faiths, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist, and Canadians who are Agnostics and Atheists.
His job was to serve all Canadians, not just some.
And yet, it seems that at a crucial moment, when lives were on the line, Sajjan defaulted to thinking specifically and only about Sikhs as “his people,” rather than thinking more broadly as a Canadian in a role that carried immense responsibility.
Sajjan’s appalling actions demonstrated the danger of a ‘post-national’ state.
Seeing this danger and seeing where it leads, we must be more vigilant than ever in our rejection of ‘post-nationalism’ and we must reassert the primacy of the Western Values that are essential to ensuring Canada can be a real country and a real nation.
Otherwise, we’ll end up being nothing more than a convenient hotel for people just passing through.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – YouTube
