Review: Independence in an Age of Empire
| DOI | 10.1177/002070200506000421 |
| Author | Grant Dawson |
| Published date | 01 December 2005 |
| Date | 01 December 2005 |
| Subject Matter | Review |
| Reviews |
| 1164 | International Journal | Autumn 2005 |
head during times of national and international tension. Read in the light of
the post-9/11 world, this argument holds a chilling veracity.The post-Second
World War “resurgence of conservative family ideology,” discussed by histo-
rian Franca Iovetta (78), resonates in Bush’s recent attempts to constitution-
ally define marriage, and in the current zealousness of the FCC’s attempts to
protect “moral standards” in the American media. The book’s weakness lies
in demonstr ating effectively or convincingly that the Canadian Cold War
experience was all that different from the American.
Aldona Sendzikas/University of Western Ontario
INDEPENDENCE IN AN AGE OF EMPIRE
Assessing Unilateralism and Multilateralism
Edited by Graham F. Walker
Halifax: Centre for Foreign Policy Studies-Dalhousie University, 2004. xxv,
397pp, $25.00 paper (ISBN 1-896440-42-8)
Michael Ignatieff’s “Canada in the age of terror: Multilateralism meets a
moment of truth” frames this volume’s discussion on the maintenance of
Canadian foreign policy independence in the post-9/11 world. It is followed
by 36 commentaries by well-established scholars.
Accordingto the editor,Ignatieff’s paper,whichwas firstpublishedby
Policy
Options
in2003, was selectedas the lightningrod for thisdebatebecauseit clear-
ly articulates how Canada could respond to the new international environment.
Theeditorargues thatIgnatieff seesthe worldas shapedby terrorismand empire
on onehand, and unilateralism andmultilateralism on theother.The 36 papers
are groupedby sectionaccordingto how they respondto Ignatieff.
Ignatieff argues that multilateralism could help protect Canadian inde-
pendence in a world where a provoked United States prefers “imperial” uni-
lateral behaviour. But this cannot happen unless Canada stops coasting on
its reputation as a peacekeeper and reinvests in defence, diplomacy, and
development. This will give it credibility with allies as well as a measure of
moral and military influence. In addition, Canada must do more to support
global governance. This would require the provision of police officers, and
legal and constitutional expertise.
The commentaries are divided into five sections. In the first, on inde-
pendence, Mira Sucharov and Joel Sokolsky are representative. Sucharov
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