Margaret Atwood

Well, these stories are in flux, as you probably have noticed. There used to be a kind of shared mythology in the United States, and Canadians used to lament that they didn't have such a thing. And it would, in fact, be quite difficult to have a totally shared mythology in Canada because it was already made up of some diverse groups of people.

Well, these stories are in flux, as you probably have noticed. There used to be a kind of shared mythology in the United States, and Canadians used to lament that they didn't have such a thing. And it would, in fact, be quite difficult to have a totally shared mythology in Canada because it was already made up of some diverse groups of people.

But Americans had a kind of unifying story and unifying ceremonies that involved a lot of marching around on the 4th of July. The French also have been quite conflicted about their stories, but they managed to make it stick for a while. So it was Bastille Day, good or bad. I think they're still thinking it's good. But there was a lot of adjustment before that became the accepted stories.

But Americans had a kind of unifying story and unifying ceremonies that involved a lot of marching around on the 4th of July. The French also have been quite conflicted about their stories, but they managed to make it stick for a while. So it was Bastille Day, good or bad. I think they're still thinking it's good. But there was a lot of adjustment before that became the accepted stories.

They had the revolution, then they had Napoleon, then they had the restoration of the monarchy, and then they had another republic, and then they had another monarchy, and then they had another republic. In order to hold any sort of nation state together, there has to be a story that most of the people agree on. And every once in a while, those stories fall apart.

They had the revolution, then they had Napoleon, then they had the restoration of the monarchy, and then they had another republic, and then they had another monarchy, and then they had another republic. In order to hold any sort of nation state together, there has to be a story that most of the people agree on. And every once in a while, those stories fall apart.

And if they're not replaced with another one, fragmentation is the result. So one of the things that stories do is they give members of a group a kind of unifying imaginary thing that they can believe in. When I say imaginary, I'm not saying it's necessarily false. I'm saying it is a thing of the imagination, like money. It's also a thing of the imagination.

And if they're not replaced with another one, fragmentation is the result. So one of the things that stories do is they give members of a group a kind of unifying imaginary thing that they can believe in. When I say imaginary, I'm not saying it's necessarily false. I'm saying it is a thing of the imagination, like money. It's also a thing of the imagination.

It's a human thing that we make up because it works and it's convenient for us. But if we suddenly stop believing in a currency, that's it. You have to revert to the black market and bartering. So yeah, so the American story used to be liberty, democracy, freedom, equality, land of light. And it was that way all during the Cold War.

It's a human thing that we make up because it works and it's convenient for us. But if we suddenly stop believing in a currency, that's it. You have to revert to the black market and bartering. So yeah, so the American story used to be liberty, democracy, freedom, equality, land of light. And it was that way all during the Cold War.

Okay, because the Cold War was the Iron Curtain, Land of Darkness. Don't know whether you remember that pop song, They Don't Have a God Behind the Iron Curtain.

Okay, because the Cold War was the Iron Curtain, Land of Darkness. Don't know whether you remember that pop song, They Don't Have a God Behind the Iron Curtain.

No?

No?

Oh, they don't have God behind the iron curtain. To Satan they have given something crown.

Oh, they don't have God behind the iron curtain. To Satan they have given something crown.

It's catchy. Catchy, yeah. So the story about America was that's where you wanted to be. That's where you didn't have all the things that were going on behind the Iron Curtain. The Iron Curtain then comes down in 1989. That story loses some of its grip. So if you're going to be Land of Virtuous Light, who is the foil to that? You know, who gets to play the Penguin to your Batman?

It's catchy. Catchy, yeah. So the story about America was that's where you wanted to be. That's where you didn't have all the things that were going on behind the Iron Curtain. The Iron Curtain then comes down in 1989. That story loses some of its grip. So if you're going to be Land of Virtuous Light, who is the foil to that? You know, who gets to play the Penguin to your Batman?

Or even worse, the Joker to your Batman. And that was a problem. I remember the 90s, which is probably when you were born.

Or even worse, the Joker to your Batman. And that was a problem. I remember the 90s, which is probably when you were born.