That's really helpful, Stuart, You see that "It's okay to hate (or like)" construction in the U.S. but typically on narrower topics.

In this case a major newspaper was giving the entire country permission to hate an author. I took it as a sign of either the fabled politeness of Canadians or their cultural insecurity: They needed permission to dislike one of Canada's leading cultural exports. I hadn't realized that smugness might be in play, too.