I am writing to you in response to the article “Opinion: Nationalism serves the powerful, unity serves the people,” published in The Varsity on September 28. As a strong believer in liberal democracy, an advocate for civil society, and someone who has grown to take great pride in what Canada represents, I am severely troubled by the question posed by the author, “what is there to be proud of?” 

At a time when the free world at large is under increasing assault from illiberal regimes and their sympathizers, I fundamentally disagree with the claim that there is little to be proud of in Canada and that notions of gratitude for one’s community and pride in one’s country are disconnected. I view this sentiment as a mistaken appeal for us to reject our national institutions and international commitments. 

While I, like the author of this article, agree that flag-waving, American-bashing performative nationalism is unproductive and chauvinistic in a deeply un-Canadian way, the word “nationalism” itself should not be conflated with patriotic feeling. It is apparent to me that nationalism simply refers to the belief in the existence of the nation as a political community and that it should continue to exist. 

Even the political scientist Benedict Anderson, the seminal thinker on nationalism who coined the definition of it as an “imagined community,” affirms that nationalism “inspire[s] love, and often profoundly self-sacrificing love.” As we approach Remembrance Day, I am reminded of this fundamentally beautiful sentiment.

I believe that local unity and nationalism go hand in hand and that their relationship is anything but paradoxical. Indeed, our nationalism is founded on our strong civic traditions, which have guided our traditional place in the world as a multilateral, peacemaking power. Though that status has lamentably degraded in recent decades due to a chronic underfunding of Canada’s foreign policy apparatus, Canada is still deserving of true patriot love. 

While there are certainly flaws in our country, our liberal democracy; free society; and historical role in shaping global institutions, including the United Nations (UN) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), set us apart in an increasingly tumultuous and repressive world. We enjoy freedoms and qualities of life that most nations in the world can only aspire to. Our open, democratic society draws in hundreds of thousands from across the world annually, including, in the past, my own family, who wished to further contribute to Canada and reap its rewards. 

On the world stage, we invented UN peacekeeping and have striven for the promotion of human rights, the protection of the climate, and the defence of our allies against would-be aggression, just to name a few. Though we have not always succeeded in doing so, we have consistently held lofty, noble principles ahead of us. These are facts which unite us on a local and national level, and these are facts deserving of pride and recognition. These are institutions we should defend rhetorically as part of civil society. 

In a democracy, it is the role of the citizen to influence who has power and the shape of that power through active participation in civil society. To suggest that “the powerful” are a monolith that has nothing to do with “the people” is an implicit rejection of this responsibility and what I believe to be a tacit endorsement of reductive, populist narratives.

Aside from taking an active part in our institutions, a healthy Canadian nationalism in 2025 is about strengthening ties to our democratic allies, as I argued in a March Opinion article. We must be realistic about Canada’s place in the world as a country of middling global power, reliant on international alliances, and neighbouring the premier superpower. 

In an increasingly dangerous world where norms against military aggression are being undermined and political extremists across the West express open contempt for democracy and the rule of law, rhetoric which encourages us to take no pride in our national identity founded on civic excellence and democratic values puts Canada in a weaker, not stronger, position. 

As we prepare to commemorate those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defence of Canada and its ideals this November 11, I remain confident that most of us who call this country home are still proud of Canada and wish to see the country preserved and defended. We are in a transitional and transformational moment in world politics. We, as students, will play a role in shaping the society of tomorrow in our future professional lives. Under these circumstances, it is more relevant than ever to recall John F. Kennedy’s famous appeal to ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

Rudy Yuan is a fourth-year student at Trinity College studying international relations, German studies, and political science. He is a Junior Research Fellow at the NATO Association of Canada.