Canadian Exceptionalism

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggests that Canada offers a "unique style of leadership" that is somehow a "third way" between American (i.e. neo-liberal, WTO and World Bank driven) policy and left-wing, "regressive," anti-American approaches in Latin America. This is pretty good example of the rhetorical trope of "Canadian Exceptionalism":

"Canada is an open, free and democratic society with the strongest economy in the G8 today, while also being a proud and independent country with our own way of life. Canada's political structures differ substantially from those in the United States. Our cultural values and social models have also been shaped by unique forces and we've made our own policy choices to meet our own needs."

As is often the case in Canadian rhetoric, the primary function is differentiation from the United States. Maybe I'm being cynical, but I'm really not sure how this "third way" is all that different from the American approach, unless Harper is assuring Chileans that they can still sell and market whatever their equivalents are to Canadian bacon, stuffed moose dressed up as Mounties, and mass produced "First Nations" artwork.