Canadian Values and the Rest of the World

I used to take some pride in Canada's stance on such things as bribery. It seemed to me that it was important to stand up and say, as a country, that we thought such practices were wrong and perhaps even anti-democratic; that we believed in a level playing field where everyone had an equal chance to succeed. It seem, therefore, quite appropriate that we would lay criminal charges against Canadian companies that used such practices to further their commercial dealings in other countries. I thought that until yesterday morning when I read Neil Macdonald's(*) opinion piece on the CBC's website.

Macdonald was commenting on the corruption and fraud charges facing SNC-Lavalin and two of its subsidiaries as a result of their activities in Libya. He started his piece by confessing that, in his capacity as a news reporter, he had bribed numerous officials in a variety of countries to ensure safe passage through borders or to retrieve equipment from a country's custom operations. He was quite clear - it was the only way that he could have done his job; that bribery/baksheesh was not just common, it was all-pervasive.

As I thought about his story that discusses the economic impact of such policies on the Canadian economy - I started to wonder if we, as Canadians are setting a standard that was not just unrealistic for our companies but that in fact it was inappropriate for us to do so. I am not suggesting that we start to create a culture in Canada where everything cost just a little bit more because we have to bribe the receptionist at the doctor's office to get an appointment or some government clerk so that we can get our licence or health cards renewed, but rather to suggest that the imposing of our values upon another country is as paternalistic or as colonialist as any activity perpetuated by the British or Canadian governments in the 1800s.

In fact, it sounds extraordinarily pompous to suggest that we know the right way - in fact the only way to be ethical in our dealings. It is arrogant of us to tell other cultures that part of their culture is wrong and even worse, that it is criminal. I can think of nothing that gives me the right to judge other people so harshly for an activity that, while it may feel as if it is harmful to that country's population, does nothing to harm me. Bribery may be a harmful practice - it may make the playing field so uneven that the majority of people in that country cannot succeed, but is it my place to pontificate upon the failings of that region's culture?

There are some cultural practices such as genital mutilation or forced marriages of young girls that feel so wrong to me that I am quite content to have my country refuse to deal with regions that allow or perhaps even encourage such activities. But if I am going to sound like some pompous, arrogant 19th century European, at the very least, I should understand that am trying to enforce my values on someone else because I think my values are better than theirs.

I perhaps should not be surprised when they are offended.


(*) https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/libya-snc-1.5014939