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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.
He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.
In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.
Global Real Estate Project
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Canada Day five years laterToday's Canada is a rather specific type of nation. Not quite unique in the world, but specific, yes. A nation that still hasn't done its founding sin. A nation that isn't united in common hatred or fear. A nation that considers unproblematic to have its citizens being partly Canadian and partly something else. Without natural enemies of its proper size, largely spared from most world conflicts since its inception, Canada is still a virgin-like community, a nation without strong immune system; maybe that's why it has so many admirers and so few natural enemies. French and English nations were forged during the 100 Years' War. The other European nations, like in the domino effect, were created in opposition to already existing ones throughout the centuries. The American nation started when English colonists rebelled against their faraway king and his incompetent government. War and confrontation on a massive scale, plus the means of communication to spread the word, produced these early versions of modern-day nationalism. Canada missed this period of its nation building. Groups of traders, French and British, groups of French old maids, and later groups of those who lost the American war of independence, plus millions of recent immigrants from around the world, your humble included. We are the people that made up the Canadian nation, as all know it today. Who's our enemy, what's the foreign group that makes our nation coalesce? Many Canadians don't find such nation building tools necessary. They believe they form a nation of ideas and ideals; they don't need material enemies. Peace, solidarity, progress, these are the ideals that animate the feeling of being Canadian. With the former cementing force, the British monarchy, quickly eroding, and material enemies nowhere near, it isn't surprising that many Canadians find comfort in this idealistic projection of their own desires. They contrast these ideals with what they believe represents the social reality on the other side of the US/Canadian border. They may be far from the true picture, but here it isn't necessary to contrast their perceptions with the reality. What is important to note here, is that Canada doesn't represent a nation in the classic European meaning. In Europe being a 100 percent French or German or Italian or Dutch is a norm, and being partly French and partly German is rather an exception. In Canada, and this affects in much greater level the recent immigrants, being partly Canadian and partly someone else becomes a norm; being 100 percent someone is rather an exception. Being 100 percent Canadian often hides being only partly so. By not cutting completely the links that connect it with other large groups of people, the Canadians are at the same time less nationalists and more humans. By the same token, allowing its citizens to be partly something else, Canada produces its best weapon against ethnic nationalisms on its territory. Despite all efforts to present people as choosing between Quebec and Canada, in fact too many francophones in Quebec prefer to sit in between. Canada is a nation-continuum instead of a nation-cage. In fact, it represents many continuums, one for each of its different communities. Everybody chooses for himself or herself how much Canadian they want to be. Those who prefer to be less so are still Canadians without adjectives. Is it surprising that Canadians don't use the word 'traitor' even to those who want to divide the country? Instead they send them a message "We love you!"
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See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Canada.
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