Latent power of the Angry Canadian

On The Atlantic’s Washington Week show yesterday, Jeffrey Goldberg said, with respect to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech to the World Economic Forum last week, that the World is witnessing the “latent power of the Angry Canadian. Something rarely seen in nature… “ 

It’s an incredible turn of phrase that has a basis in history. It made me think, what is an Angry Canadian and what impact have Canadians had on world history when we get angry?

I’m sure many people will have different examples, but the first one for me is the entire Canadian military’s response to Dieppe in WWII. Dieppe was a tragedy in more ways than one. More than anything, there was a deep sense of moral outrage at what transpired. 

And so, come 1944 when Canadian troops began to fight more independently, the gnawing anger and wish to seek revenge against the NAZIs drove us to shatter the Hitler Line in Italy and conquer Juno beach in just 37-minutes on D-Day.  From the Falaise Gap to the Scheldt estuary in Holland, our boys fought with a fervour and determination that was unmatched in Allied ranks. 

And, then there's this: Eisenhower Exploded When MPs Beat Black GIs — Canadians Pulverized 500 US Racists Instantly

The big one in my lifetime, besides Mark Carney redefining the world order in Davos Tuesday, is Team Canada’s shocking comeback win in the ‘72 Summit Series.

Did it rock the world? Maybe not, but Phil Esposito's heartfelt response to fans booing during games played in Canada rallied the team in Russia to achieve the unimaginable. The dramatic victory rocked Canada and has helped define Canada as a nation that never gives up or backs down from a challenge. A nation that will stand up to bullies against all odds. To win in Russia the way Team Canada did, with everyone watching back home. My grade 1 class was watching in school. It was earth shattering for Canadians. 

And so, when Mark Carney dressed down Donald Trump at WEF without ever mentioning his name, it was another example in a long line, of what happens when you mess with an Angry Canadian.