I like your thoughts. I think it's a lot easier for me to think in terms of civic pride—a city, to me, seems more tangible than a country the size of Canada—but I do think being engaged with institutions and cultures is important. But I cringe at the thought of flag-waving, on both a political and an aesthetic level. It seems crass and jingoistic. A maple leaf tattoo means me keeping my distance in a way that the guys around the block waving a gigantic Italian flag while the game is playing doesn't. It feels as silly as walking around with a shirt with your own name on it.

Canadian nationalism disturbs me because it does seem to be aping American exceptionalism, aggressively pursuing wars, and silencing dissent. I feel like there are a lot of people who wouldn't shrug much if we just replaced universal healthcare with little red-and-white flags.