Uneasy Neighbo(u)rs: Canada, The USA and the Dynamics of State, Industry and Culture - Hardcover

Kilgour, David; Jones, David T.

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9780470153062: Uneasy Neighbo(u)rs: Canada, The USA and the Dynamics of State, Industry and Culture

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470153067 ISBN 13: 9780470153062

Publisher: Wiley, 2007

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ONE OF THE TRUISMS OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY IS THAT

"to govern is to choose." Regardless of how rich our nations have become, we can't have everything-either as individuals or as societies. But we still do not know what we cannot have. Desires are infinite; resources are finite. Is it impossible, for example, to have the best, most technologically advanced health care rapidly available to all citizens without bankrupting the average taxpayer? Is it possible to have both a premier national defense and a world-class health system for the entire population? Will a multicultural society become something more than the sum of its parts-or nothing more than a cacophonous jumble, a 21st-century tower of Babel?

Throughout our discussion, we will push a bit into the less traveled areas of public politics and look at some basic questions of national unity, political governance, and foreign affairs. Through topics such as optics on health care, crime and justice, and substance abuse, we hope too prompt thought while (perhaps) also roiling some intellectual waters.

In doing so, we hope to move beyond the hothouse of "Canada studies" both in the U.S. ( a much larger domain than Canadians might think) and Canada. Although advancing beyond the proverbial cure for insomnia (reading about a "worthy Canadian initiative") is a challenge, we seek with this effort to generate a little heat, with the intent that some light might also result. It would be even more pleasant if this ere a "green light" that led to greater mutual appreciation and understanding.
—David T. Jones and David Kilgour, from the Preface to Uneasy Neigbo(u)rs

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From the Inside Flap:

IT IS OFTEN SIAD THAT THE CBANADIAN IDENTITY is defined by the degree of separation from the influence of the United States. Americans see themselves as-well-Americans. There seems to be little anxiety over who they are in relation to their neighbor to the north.

A singular overwhelming fact of identity is the sharing of the North American continent. The United States and Canada are separated by an undefended border that is some 5,000 miles long, but their peoples are linked by blood, culture, and business. How did we become the nations that we are with deep-rooted respect for democracy, human rights, and rule of law but yet have such contrary vies on foreign policy, social welfare, and the military? In this vastly rich and entertaining book, two veteran statesman from each side of the border, David T. Jones and David Kilgour, take a hard look at the dynamics that led to the creation of our ideologies and institutions, the very making of our respective countries.

The United States and Canada evolved in very different ways, but there are significant ties that bind us-not the least of which is $2 billion in cross-border trade every day. Our mutual well-being depends on mutual accommodation, but how well do we really know each other? Are the myths that allow us to poke fun at one another defining, or indeed "mythical"?

From medicare to education, foreign policy legalizing drugs, the military to the environment, in Uneasy Neighbor(u)rs, Jones and Kilgour shed a blazing light on how Americans and Canadians view their defining moments, values, and institutions. More than a few surprises are in store for the inquisitive reader who wants to take a peek over the border-in either direction-to get a better look at his neighbor.

About the Author:

David W. Kilgour (Ottawa, Ontario) has had a distinguished career in Canadian federal politics as an MP in both the Conservative and Liberal parties. During over 26 years in parliament, he also served as Secretary of State for Latin America & Africa, Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific and Deputy Speaker of the House.

David T. Jones (Arlington, Virginia) is a retired U.S. senior foreign-service officer, whose diplomatic career of almost 30 years focused on NATO and armscontrol issues. He also served as a political minister counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa from 1992 to 1996.

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