Globalization, the dominant economic force of this era, is a phenomenon that invites misrepresentation and exaggeration. One of its results has been to introduce several false premises into this country's policy debates. So says William Watson, whose new book draws on economics and history to pose interesting challenges to modes of thinking that have become habitual in late twentieth-century Canadian life.
Watson begins by pointing out that globalization is not new: Canadians have some 400 years' experience of being dependent on economic events in other countries. He goes on to show that deepening economic integration does not bind governments as tightly as much popular commentary suggests, but rather leaves room for considerable diversity in national economic and social policies. Although Canadians remain free to choose what size government they want, Watson argues that their decision to invest so much of their national identity in a larger-than-American state has been harmful to the country in ways that only now are becoming clear.
This vigorously argued book offers much new insight and corrects many current misperceptions about Canadian affairs. Readers will welcome its lively mix of historical and contemporary perspectives.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 971.064/8
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 21
- General Note
- Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn---
- ISBN
- 0802083722 9781442675384
- LCCN
- F1021.2
- LCCN Item number
- W38 1998eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaOTU
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (xii, 314 p.)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)thg00602039 (OCoLC)666904031 (CaOOCEL)418019
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaOTU
Table of Contents
- CONTENTS 8
- PREFACE 10
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 12
- Part I: Globalization 14
- 1 Defining Moment 16
- 2 The Globalization Hypothesis 27
- 3 Four Hundred Years of Globalization 34
- 4 Convergence? 40
- 5 Home Truths 51
- 6 Are We There Yet? 59
- 7 Free to Choose 70
- Part II: The Meaning of Canadian Life 84
- 8 False Premise 86
- 9 Governing Misperceptions 99
- 10 The American 'Governmental Habit' 104
- 11 'The Most Rugged Surviving Individualists' 117
- 12 The American Lead 126
- 13 Canadian Free Enterprise 134
- 14 The Unimportance of Being Different 144
- 15 Distinct Society? 156
- 16 Cement for a Nation? 171
- 17 The Rising Cost of Civilization 191
- 18 The Psychic Costs of Government 208
- 19 Virtually Canadian 227
- 20 Do Countries Still Make Sense? 250
- NOTES 270
- REFERENCES 302
- INDEX 318
- A 318
- B 318
- C 319
- D 320
- E 321
- F 321
- G 321
- H 322
- I 322
- J 323
- K 323
- L 323
- M 323
- N 324
- O 324
- P 325
- Q 325
- R 325
- S 326
- T 326
- U 327
- V 327
- W 327
- Y 327
