Canada as a selective power. Canadas Role and International Position after 1989

The academic study of Canada has traditionally been the realm of Canadian scholars. For this reason it is easy for outsiders to view Canada as a semi-Nordic continental utopia existing peacefully under a benign government that seeks only peace and harmony in the world. The reality is a more complicated story. That is the strength of this outstanding new book written by two young Polish scholars specializing in Canadian affairs. They have put together an impressively researched monograph that combines a detailed analysis outlining a rather basic premise: The world has changed dramatically since 1989 - and Canada has changed with it. In this well argued narrative they argue that in recent years Canadas foreign policy has becomeone primarily based on interests rather than the promotion of untainted altruism or stereotypical Canadian values. They argue that since 1989 Canadian foreign policy has moved from the more modest aims of a middle-power to a more self-assertive role of a selective power pursuing more narrowly chosen priorities - and often based on simple profit and loss calculations that have clashed with Canadas traditional favorable image in the world - even if few outside of Canada seemed to notice.