Wow, I just wrote a long and totally brilliant (ha!) addition to this conversation and somehow it disappeared when I posted! So I'll try to reconstruct it again.

Meself said: "There is of course nothing intrinsically leftist, liberal, or progressive about folk music in and of itself; it is what it is. From time to time, it is adapted if not appropriated to further the goals of one type of political movement or another."

Whether or not there is a progressive social movements and folk music go together naturally is a separate point, I think. I was merely pointing out a difference I see between the Canadian and US folk scenes (although if we were to get into a discussion about it, I would argue that there are some natural connections and affinities between progressive social movements and the ideas and experiences reflected in a lot of folk music - not that the music is political in and of itself all the time, but that there are connections that should be recognized and celebrated. But that's just me...)

And Mick, I think you raise a good point about the way that Canadian songwriters seem to tap into the Canadian landscape and psyche. It's true we've got a small population and a huge country, so that's certainly part of it.

One thing I've realized as I've travelled around Canada is how vastly different the country is from coast to coast to coast (never been to the north coast, but I hope to go someday!). There's no way you can grow up in the prairies and NOT be affected by the big sky and the quality of the light. And there's no way you can grow up in Newfoundland and NOT be affected by the sea. And I think that has to work it's way into the art and music and writing of the people who live in those places.

And then there's the fact that even the idea of Canada as a nation is still so highly contested (ask a Newfoundlander or a Quebecer or even some Albertans about that sometime!). Canada is always working out what it means to be a nation, in a way that the US seems to have dispensed with a long time ago.

More rambling thoughts from me this evening. Thanks for getting us going, Jed, I'm enjoying the conversation!