Quebec has long served as a laboratory state within Canada—a controlled space where ideological, social, and cultural experiments are conducted before being extended to the rest of the country. One of the most significant transformations in this context was the Quiet Revolution, which marked the shift from classical nationalism to neo-nationalism.
Classical nationalism in Quebec was rooted in language, Catholic tradition, and cultural preservation. It was defensive, anchored in the survival of a French-Canadian identity under English rule. But during the Quiet Revolution, that nationalism was replaced with a more technocratic, secular, and state-driven version—neo-nationalism. Identity was no longer based on religious or historical continuity, but on the state’s capacity to redefine the collective through institutions, bureaucracy, and policy. Nationalism became about managing identity, not preserving it.
Justin Trudeau’s claim that Canada is the world’s first post-national State is not only misleading—it is fundamentally wrong. Canada hasn’t transcended nationalism; it has simply adopted its next stage. What Trudeau calls “post-nationalism” is just a federalized version of Quebec’s neo-nationalist model. Ottawa didn’t pioneer it—it observed Quebec’s experimentation and replicated it nationwide.
But I should clarify that he is right when he says: there is no core identity, no mainstream in Canada.
The Rest of Canada (ROC), meanwhile, is far more culturally aligned with the United States than it is distinct. Aside from some surface-level differences—healthcare, politeness stereotypes—the ROC has embraced the same values of liberal individualism, consumer capitalism, and political pragmatism that define mainstream American society. In practice, there is little real difference between Canadians outside Quebec and Americans.
Moreover, the distinction between colonialism and nationalism is often overstated. In reality, colonialism and neo-colonialism function as forms of nationalism and neo-nationalism. All rely on the assertion of identity and power through systems of control—whether over foreign populations or domestic citizens. Colonial empires imposed their values abroad; modern neo-nationalist states do so at home under the guise of diversity, equity, and unity. The language changes, but the logic of domination remains.
Multiculturalism is what neocolonial states use to colonize other countries and their own populations.
Quebec is not just a laboratory for identity politics—it has also been a testing ground for the welfare state. From subsidized daycare to pharmacare debates, Quebec has often pioneered expansive social programs that were initially met with skepticism in the rest of Canada and even the United States. But once the results are in—once the costs are calculated and the political risk diminished—these ideas begin to spread. The ROC, and increasingly certain U.S. states, follow suit, selectively adopting Quebec’s welfare innovations while often stripping them of their original context.
In this context, Quebec’s transformation wasn’t just internal—it was instrumental to the Canadian state-building project. The province became a testing ground, a proving arena for a rebranded Canadian identity. A Canada that doesn’t ask who its people are—but tells them.
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