Yes, that was me who was read on the Fisheries Broadcast with John furlong on 30 November 2010. I was responding to a post on another blog and must have said something that made some sense...
Decide for yourself. The reference points are Rex Murphy, Newfoundland as he remembers it and thinks it still is.
Rex, like all ex-pat Newfoundlanders OR Labradorians, tends to fictionalize, romanticize, embellish the place where NL was when he left (that point in time in the course of its development).
In his mind, like all others, the NL he remembers is frozen in time and does reflect the true dynamically changing culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.
We see the same from the cartooned representation of Irish culture in the USA, Canada and Newfoundland. Imagine my shock when I first spent a fortnight vacation in the actual Republic of Ireland and found that what most they held in common with us (of Irish descent or otherwise) was a determination to get on with it: To grow and develop, to maintain their culture but not to let it stagnate or be frozen in a moment in time. The same is true for any strongly identifiable nationality in the world with a disproportionate diaspora to the resident population.
But I will not take from Rex his passion for prose nor his intellect. Nor his loyalty to this land, albeit one that doesn't exist as he remembers it.
Opinions will vary, this is just mine. BTW, when I reference "Newfoundland" and not "Newfoundland and Labrador" I am actually making a distinction.
God bless you all, only 23 days 'til Christmas!
Ward