A nation’s survival

Do multiracial, multiethnic and multireligion nations have much of a chance to survive in the long run?

If one takes the US as an example, the answer is decisively no.

On the other hand, if one takes Canada as an example, the answer is resoundingly yes.

The differences between the two “examples” are pronounced, so are the indicators from each country.

Whereas Canada is relatively free of racial, ethnic or religious violence, the incidents of violence along these lines in the US are plentiful.

So why do the two nations have conflicting indicators?

Perhaps the answer lies in the American culture that appears prone to violent behaviour and the penchant for carrying guns as a God-given right that the US constitution incorporated and blessed.

Americans also appear more discriminatory in their dealing with fellow citizens; the history of the US is full of racial undertones.

The civil war against the Confederates, between 1861 and 1865, killed thousands of Americans and nearly destroyed the fabric of the society.

The scars of that war between the north and the south remained till recent times.

Canada, on the other hand, has been free of a racial heritage of the kind the US experienced.

Canadians do not have much attachment or love for guns and do not view carrying a pistol as a sign of manhood or as a God-given right.

Then, the size of the minority groups in the two countries is different, in relative terms.

In the US, African Americans number is around 40 million, a big number by any standard.

At the same time, the number of the Hispanics is projected to rise to more than one-third of the total population in the US in the near future.

There is nothing comparable in Canada.

Besides, the temperament of the average Canadian is different from that of the average American.

Canadians are less pushy, less assertive and more peaceful by nature.

This reflects positively on the country’s domestic and foreign policies.

Multiculturalism in Canada appears to be working for the time being, but at the expense of the mainstream Canadian culture.

When the size of minority groups grows in Canada, the chances of ethnic and religious conflicts may also grow.

For the time being, Canada can relax while the US can expect more violent clashes among its main racial and ethnic groups.