The Polite Revolution

Zusatztext "Cheeky! opinionated! well-informed." Globe and Mail "A coherent overview of the political and cultural condition of contemporary Canada." Winnipeg Free Press "John Ibbitson's new work of political analysis may shock its readers." Hour magazine Informationen zum Autor JOHN IBBITSON is Writer at Large for the Globe and Mail, having also served as chief political writer, political affairs columnist and bureau chief in Washington and Ottawa. His previous political books include the national number-one bestselling The Big Shift (with Darrell Bricker), The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream and Open and Shut: Why America Has Barack Obama and Canada Has Stephen Harper . A winner of the Governor General's Award, Ibbitson has been shortlisted for the Donner Prize, the National Newspaper Award, the Trillium Award, and the City of Toronto Book Award. He lives in Ottawa. Klappentext From one of this country's best and most controversial political writers! a searing blueprint for the Next Canada. Five years into the twenty-first century! Canada is viewed as one of the most desirable nations in the world in which to live. Despite the worries of many Canadians our country's regional and linguistic divisions! our frequent identity crises Canada! it seems! has a lot of good things going for it. The federal election of 2004! however! revealed new cracks in an already flawed political system. John Ibbitson argues that we have entered a new political era! that Canada has become a nation of solitudes the West! the English Centre! the French Centre! the East each of which has its own cultural and economic concerns! none of which are being sufficiently recognized by the major political parties. If we cling stubbornly to old methods of governance! he says! we risk losing all that the Confederation has achieved in its first 138 years. In this compelling! and ultimately hopeful book! John Ibbitson dismantles the old ways of thinking about Canada's immigration! free trade! social! and defence policies. His ideas for the future of this country are daring a devolution of power and dollars from the federal to the provincial level! a revamping of medicare! a refashioning of the electoral system. They amount to no less than a revolutionary plan for the creation and defence of a new national dream. Leseprobe Sometime, not too long ago, while no one was watching, Canada became the world's most successful country. It might have happened in the late 1990s, when this nation perfected the unique and virtuous circle of low interest rates, low inflation, balanced budgets, and paid-­up pension funds. Or perhaps it emerged in 2001, when the latest census revealed we had become possibly the world's most urban country (80 per cent of us live in cities);1 that nearly one Canadian in five arrived here from somewhere else; that Toronto, with 44 per cent of its population foreign-­born, was more diverse than Miami, Los Angeles, or Sydney; and that by 2017, when Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, one Canadian in five will be a member of a visible minority. It might have been celebrated in any of those years over the past decade when the United Nations Human Development Index ranked Canada as one of the world's most desirable countries in which to live. For the culturati, 2002 was a particularly good year: three of six finalists for the Booker Prize for best new novel were Canadian our Yann Martel won for Life of Pi and Margaret Macmillan's Paris 1919 was praised on both sides of the Atlantic as the best non-­fiction book in years, while jocks rejoiced over Canada's gold medal in hockey at the Winter Olympics. Pop-­music buffs may insist Canada reached its zenith in 2005, when Spin magazine, the New York Times , and TIME Canada all declared th...

"Cheeky, opinionated, well-informed." Globe and Mail

"A coherent overview of the political and cultural condition of contemporary Canada." *Winnipeg Free Press

*"John Ibbitson's new work of political analysis may shock its readers." *Hour *magazine

Autorentext

JOHN IBBITSON is Writer at Large for the Globe and Mail, having also served as chief political writer, political affairs columnist and bureau chief in Washington and Ottawa. His previous political books include the national number-one bestselling The Big Shift (with Darrell Bricker), The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream and Open and Shut: Why America Has Barack Obama and Canada Has Stephen Harper. A winner of the Governor General's Award, Ibbitson has been shortlisted for the Donner Prize, the National Newspaper Award, the Trillium Award, and the City of Toronto Book Award. He lives in Ottawa.

Klappentext

From one of this country's best and most controversial political writers, a searing blueprint for the Next Canada.

Five years into the twenty-first century, Canada is viewed as one of the most desirable nations in the world in which to live. Despite the worries of many Canadians — our country's regional and linguistic divisions, our frequent identity crises — Canada, it seems, has a lot of good things going for it.

The federal election of 2004, however, revealed new cracks in an already flawed political system. John Ibbitson argues that we have entered a new political era, that Canada has become a nation of solitudes — the West, the English Centre, the French Centre, the East — each of which has its own cultural and economic concerns, none of which are being sufficiently recognized by the major political parties. If we cling stubbornly to old methods of governance, he says, we risk losing all that the Confederation has achieved in its first 138 years.

In this compelling, and ultimately hopeful book, John Ibbitson dismantles the old ways of thinking about Canada's immigration, free trade, social, and defence policies. His ideas for the future of this country are daring — a devolution of power and dollars from the federal to the provincial level, a revamping of medicare, a refashioning of the electoral system. They amount to no less than a revolutionary plan for the creation and defence of a new national dream.

Zusammenfassung
From one of this country’s best and most controversial political writers, a searing blueprint for the Next Canada.

Five years into the twenty-first century, Canada is viewed as one of the most desirable nations in the world in which to live. Despite the worries of many Canadians — our country’s regional and linguistic divisions, our frequent identity crises — Canada, it seems, has a lot of good things going for it.

The federal election of 2004, however, revealed new cracks in an already flawed political system. John Ibbitson argues that we have entered a new political era, that Canada has become a nation of solitudes — the West, the English Centre, the French Centre, the East — each of which has its own cultural and economic concerns, none of which are being sufficiently recognized by the major political parties. If we cling stubbornly to old methods of governance, he says, we risk losing all that the Confederation has achieved in its first 138 years.

In this compelling, and ultimately hopeful book, John Ibbitson dismantles the old ways of thinking about Canada’s immigration, free trade, social, and defence policies. His ideas for the future of this country are daring — a devolution of power and dollars from the federal to the provincial level, a revamping of medicare, a refashioning of the electoral system. They amount to no less than a revolutionary plan for the creation and defence of a new national dream.

Leseprobe
Sometime, not too long ago, while no one was watching, Canada became the world’s most successful country.

It might have happened in the late 1990s, when this nation perfected the uniq…