Does the U.S. president’s attack on Canada’s goods and government boost the patriotic quotient July 1?

That’s the date counter-tariffs come into effect, and the country’s 151st birthday, thankfully bereft of the wasteful and largely woeful Canada 150 hype.

Trade wars and inanities aside, the fact we’re not subject to the administration Americans are saddled with may be enough to give this weekend an added boost. Certainly we’ve got no plans for a Stalinist-era military parade – or space force, for that matter – that seems to be the speed of the U.S. executive branch leading up to July 4 or some future version of it.

Just three days apart, the countrywide birthday parties in Canada and the U.S. will have a decidedly different flavour. While our American neighbours make much of their Independence Day festivities – they are not shy about flying their colours – we Canadians are usually more reserved.

In years past, the anniversary of our country’s founding has, often as not, been seen as just another statutory holiday – ideally leading to a long weekend, as is the case this year.

Yet there are signs that is changing. Although nothing akin to the red-white-and-blue flag wavers, anecdotal evidence suggests we are displaying the maple leaf more often than we used to – more homes, business and even cars appear decorated with the flag, and not just leading up to July 1.

That movement has certainly been boosted by recent political wranglings that served to differentiate us from our cousins to the south. Despite maintaining overall support for the U.S., many of us have shown a little pride in Canada’s decision to strike its way – to maintain its own identity – in the wake of security clampdowns following the events of Sept. 11, the split over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, border issues and the like.

There is a danger, of course, in putting too much weight on “not being Americans” – that is no way to form a strong national identity. Still, there appears to be a welcome window of opportunity for our (usually self-serving) leaders to encourage this pride, to promote some of the “can-do” mentality that makes up the attractive part of American patriotism. And without some of the over-the-top jingoism that clouds the issue – a development likely held in check here by our inherent politeness and pragmatism.

Both Canadians and Americans have fewer reasons to celebrate these days given the financial and political mess in both countries – much worse to the south, of course. Still, perhaps that’s a reason for citizens to enjoy the holiday, put the politics on hold for a day or two, and reflect on what’s really important before coming back to reality with a fresh perspective on what politicians and their paymasters have done to our quality of life.

In Canada, we’re in better shape than the U.S., and have the luxury of watching the meltdown there at a distance. Americans are angry. So are we, though not to the same extent. And our outlets for anger are fewer and much less shrill. What’s playing out next door could be a version of our future. Go beyond the “entertainment” value of the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Fox News and we see just what politics has become in the U.S., and what it’s threatening to become here. Dumb. Partisan. Bereft of policies. And the opposite of an engaged citizenry, despite the populist trappings.

The problems in the U.S., and to a lesser extent in Canada, are complex. Partisan sniping and sloganeering won’t help. Apparently, that’s the best we can do. That’s why we have pundits yelling on TV. Ersatz politicians using homey platitudes. And issues reduce to the lowest common denominator.

The U.S. is particularly bifurcated at this point, not just along Republican/Democrat lines – the parties are essentially just slightly different extensions of corporate control, the current occupant of the White House notwithstanding – but also culturally. There are plenty of sociological reasons for the rift – from economics to education – but there’s definitely an increasing divide where facts and logic are no longer relevant. No more is that  evident than in the blind support for military imperialism that has taken on pro-fascist undertones, going well beyond the jingoism many in this country find both alarming and incomprehensible.

The situation in the U.S. has become so bad that waves of patriotic propaganda have overwhelmed the voices of the fair and just, notes journalist and author Chris Hedges in a piece this week about Spenser Rapone, who received an “other than honorable” discharge from the U.S. military for speaking out against the culture of violence.

Rapone, who served on the ground in Afghanistan as a young recruit before attending West Point to become an officer, saw firsthand how the military created an environment of violence and hate, often becoming the biggest problem in the countries occupied by U.S. forces.

Patriotism brings in recruits and shields the U.S. military from criticism that is very much warranted, says Rapone.

“The United States is almost religious about its patriotism,” he tells Hedges. “Military personnel are seen as infallible. You have someone like [Secretary of Defense] James Mattis, who is a bona fide war criminal. He dropped bombs on a wedding ceremony in Iraq. He’s responsible for overseeing many different massacres in Iraq. Or [general and former national security adviser] H.R. McMaster. These people can’t do any wrong because they’ve served. This reverence for the military is priming the population to accept military rule and a form of fascism or protofascism. That’s why I felt even more compelled to get out.

“The public doesn’t understand how regressive and toxic military culture is,” he notes. “The military’s inherent function is the abuse and degradation of other people. It is designed to be a vehicle of destruction. It’s fundamental to the system. Without that, it would collapse. You can’t convert the military into a humanitarian force even when you use the military in humanitarian ways, such as in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The military trains soldiers to see other human beings, particularly brown and black human beings, as an imminent threat.”

It’s a toxic environment that will decidedly not be on the agenda for Independence Day celebrations next week. And it’s a culture that we shy away from here, where, as with many countries, there really isn’t the equivalent of an “anti-American” fervour for citizens who question the decisions of the state. We’ve also thus far avoided the demagoguery to the south, which mirrors the despots so admired by the current president.

It’s something for us to reflect on here as we head into our own national celebration. Barring that kind of introspection, perhaps we should simply be thankful for the benefits we take pleasure in as Canadians – including the chance to make much-needed improvements without (as much) partisan vitriol – and to enjoy ourselves this Canada Day weekend.