More identity games from Steyn

Mark Steyn drops the news, in passing and without any explanation, that he’s an “immigrant” to the U.S. Is this new information, or old? The last we had definite information (which took quite a while to nail down, given his numerous contractory statements about himself), he was a Canadian native and citizen who had spent his formative years and a good part of his adulthood in Britain, then moved to New Hampshire where he lived a good deal of the time—perhaps virtually all the time, while also maintaining a home in Quebec. But if he lived in New Hampshire, presumably he had legal permanent U.S. residency, meaning that he’s been an “immigrant” all this time.

Or when he calls himself an immigrant does he mean that he’s gone beyond residency and become a U.S. citizen? We have no way of knowing, because Steyn keeps playing games, on everything from his identity to what he thinks we ought to do about Islam.

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Kidist Paulos Asrat writes:

Here is more on Mark Steyn and his commitment to Canada.

Based on his prediction that British Columbia tribunal will rule that “Islamophobic” articles are no longer permissible in Maclean’s, here’s what Steyn says will happen to him:

“My career in Canada will be formally ended next month.”

Everyone else at Maclean’s will of course battle on, either accept the charges and continue there, or find other news outlets to let them write as they see fit (very difficult to do). But Steyn can just end his career in Canada, and move to some other place. No fighting for principles, here.

The sad part is that all of the Maclean’s and other Canadian journalists, including bloggers who are also fighting similar lawsuits, have nothing but admiration and support for Steyn.

Also, his saying that he’s an “immigrant” to the U.S. might have something to do with his predictions on his “career termination” in Canada.

LA replies:

Right. Any notion that the speech laws of Canada (Steyn’s native country) are terrible and must be repealed if Canada is to save itself doesn’t even occur to him. The global tourist just moves on.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 11, 2008 01:19 PM | Send