Unmaking of Canada
The Hidden Theme in Canadian History since 1945

Chodos, Robert, Murphy, Rae, Hamovitch, Eric

Resource Type:  Book
Cx Number:  CX4524



Abstract:  The present crisis in Canada, consisting of demands for sovereignty for Quebec, pressures to integrate with the U.S., native peoples' demands for self-government, economic recession and regional tensions, is, according to the authors, rooted in the whole history of the postwar period. These events, they argue, reflect deep changes taking place in Canada and in the rest of the world. Tensions in the Soviet Union and the economic integration of the European community underline the book's historical and international dimensions.
The postwar era in Canada saw increasing integration with the U.S., especially in the 1980s with the election of the Mulroney government, the development of a new business elite in Quebec and the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. According to the authors the problem is not the deficit or debt. It is the need to develop more democratic procedures of government and a constitutional framework that more accurately reflect what Canada is. On a concrete level, we must rethink what the country's priorities for government spending and intervention in the economy are.
Chodos, Murphy and Hamovitch favour a democratic, binational Canada with government structures capable of acting in the collective interests of its citizens to reduce the effects of the business cycle, maintain key sectors of the economy, meet vital social needs and strengthen the links that make this one country. They argue for a democratic binational Canada, which would be a restatement of our original constitutional agreement.
The book would have been strengthened by more application of the historical analysis to present-day issues. Overall the book does provide an excellent historical perspective of current Canadian problems.

Subject Headings

• Canadian Nationalism
• Canadian Politics
• Foreign Investment
• Free Trade
• History/Canadian
• U.S. Imperialism