sure, it's an encylopedia entry.

but, sadly, that's maybe where so many people need to start on the topic. canadians seem strangely ignorant of our own history.

canada was an extremely important player in the cold war. it wasn't by repeating everything that america said, and following it's every command, but rather by proposing an alternative path towards dispute resolution. we played an integral part in the disarmament treaties. this carried forward into a number of other conflicts, including the hostage situation in iran.

when i hear "canada is back", that means, to me, that it is back to the historical role that it played as a mediator. but, it isn't back. it is, in truth, further from it's historic place than it's ever been.

the reason canada will not get a security council seat is that most of the world does not see it as having an independent foreign policy. it is not much different than giving poland a seat in 1960. this is a travesty, for a country that has historically been such an important foil to the dominant narrative of east v west, and that has one of the largest economies in the world.

the person to blame is stephen harper. i don't recognize my liberal party. but, of all of the ways that this government has carried on with the previous one's policies, it's in the realm of foreign policy that it's most disappointing.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/middle-power/#h3_jump_0