Poll highlights a difference between the U.S. and Canada

A global public opinion poll reveals how troubled American society has become. But for us, news stories often bury the lead: the poll shows we Canadians are doing well. This poll is a great opportunity to reflect on the difference between the two countries, to be grateful for what we have in Canada, and to resolve to keep our society healthy.

Let’s look at this poll, which was conducted recently by the Pew Research Center. People in 25 countries were asked to rate the morality and ethics of their fellow citizens. The countries were in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The United States has the worst results. It is the only country in the world where a majority of people consider their fellow citizens to be morally bad. The specific numbers: in the U.S., 53 per cent view their fellow citizens as morally bad. This compares to other countries that are close, for example, Turkey (49 per cent), Brazil (48 per cent) and France (44 per cent). But other countries are much better, like the Netherlands (19 per cent), Mexico (17 per cent) and Indonesia (8 per cent).

These findings are fascinating and raise all sorts of questions. Hopefully, Pew will delve into this more and ask this question again in the future. This is the first time this query was posed by Pew.

Acrimony in the American population is related to political polarization and trends such as social media. If people see each other as morally bad people, political discourse is degraded. People are more likely to disrespect others and engage in trolling or worse behaviour.

And a society awash in vitriol is more likely to elect a figure like Donald Trump. Trump exemplifies and channels this rancour. So Trump is both a symptom of this toxic environment and becomes a cause in amplifying it.

In media reports that I noticed about the poll, the focus has been on the U.S. This makes sense. The Pew Research Center is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Many folks likely heard of the poll through a source from the U.S., like in my case through an American internet newsletter. When the Winnipeg Free Press reported on the poll, it did so by reprinting an article from the Washington Post, which of course, has an American slant.

What about Canada? In the poll, Canada was found to be the best in the world. In Canada, only seven per cent of the population view our fellow citizens as morally bad. That’s right: the U.S. and Canada are at polar opposites. And this is despite the two countries being close in proximity, in culture and in factors like social media.

What this means in practice is that we Canadians can debate concerns in the public square without impugning the motives and morality of other Canadians. We can trash ideas, but respect people. We may disagree with other folks, but we think they are morally good people. This leads us to care about the well-being of other Canadians.

Why the great difference between the U.S. and Canada? Interesting to consider. Again, I hope that Pew continues to explore this issue. In the meantime, I draw three conclusions.

First, U.S. society has become something quite disturbing and destructive. Political polarization has exploded into contempt for fellow citizens. Conspiracy theories abound. Civil society deteriorates. Trump emerges.

Conservative New York Times columnist David French had this conclusion for what the Pew poll showed about his fellow Americans and the danger it presented. “We despise each other,” French wrote, “and demagogues rise when hatred increases.”

Second, because the media emphasize the U.S., we Canadians are absorbing a distorted view of our own society. It is easy to slide into assuming that general societal descriptions apply both to the U.S. and Canada. We read about bitter polarization, a toxic society, an enraged populace. But we must remind ourselves: this describes the U.S. It does not describe Canada.

Third, we can be grateful that Canada is the best in the world for the high regard with which we hold one another. In previous columns, I have pointed out that right now a Trump is not possible in Canada. But the future is not guaranteed. It is up to all of us to keep our society healthy and our democracy flourishing.