I can't tell if his response is quick wit or his national origins. I'm a very nicely brought up young man from Canada. I do enjoy living in Canada. It is not utopia - let's make no mistake about it. It is a country that has great tolerance for social service, as opposed to America, which has absolutely zero tolerance for that.
Canadian thought is of a piece, focused on the interface of technology and human communication.
That is the core for McLuhan, for his mentor Harold Innis, and for the deep, brooding philosophy of George Grant. And for Rush too. Rush, on the other hand, seems to embrace technology, and not only in their lyrics. If you've ever read Lee's interviews in Bass Player , he comes off as a serious gear-head. In a context of art, you have to understand the technology of the day in order to express yourself properly.