Hobson’s choice: does Canada have any options in its defence and security relations with the United States?

By Sally Ding on April 20, 2011

ID:	HARP-391
Title:	Hobson’s choice: does Canada have any options in its defence and security relations with the United States?
Source:	International Journal , v.55(3) Summ’00 pg 341-354
Parties:
Dispute Resolution Organ:
Year:	2000
Pages:	0
Author(s):
Keywords:	Canada, government, human rights, second world war, United States, US, civil and political rights, security, Cold War, liberty
Abstract:	THE CANADA-UNITED STATES DEFENCE RELATIONSHIP has been a real bargain for the Canadian government, allowing it to enjoy a level of security it could never have reached with its own resources. In return, Ottawa must make sure that its territory will not be used as a forward base or a port of entry for eventual enemies of the United States. The problem is that Canadians do not necessarily share either American perceptions of what constitutes a threat or their view of how a perceived threat should be countered. Consequently, the government of Canada often adopts defensive measures that it does not always consider necessary. Thus, according to Paul Letourneau and Michel Fortmann, when faced with a Pentagon `which almost unilaterally defines the nature of the threat, Canada essentially tries to limit American ambitions, whilst preserving the friendly character of their exchanges. This was certainly an apt description of the situation that prevailed during the Second World War and the cold war. It is our contention that little has changed in the dynamics of the United States-Canadian defence and security relationship since the cold war ended. The risks of diverging in any meaningful way from what the United States expects of Canada are still considered far too great for any Canadian government to contemplate seriously.
Secured:	False
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