Intent for a Nation: What Is Canada For? A Relentlessly Optimistic Manifesto for Canada's Role in the World

by Michael Byers

A compelling call to arms to reinvigorate our vision of Canada's place in the world, from one of the best of our new generation of public intellectuals.
Why do Canadians think so small? "We're a serious country. But our clout-we don't use it," says Michael Byers , who argues it is time for a clear-eyed appreciation of our strengths and weaknesses, of all we have and all we could be. Instead of emulating our increasingly isolated neighbour, Byers says we should be advancing the Canadian model, an idealistic, fiscally prudent, socially progressive vision of foreign policy that has never looked so good.
Playing against George Grant's seminal Lament for a Nation , Intent for a Nation is his informed and opinionated overview of where Canada stands in the world and what aggressive and progressive social, environmental, and governmental policies are needed to carry the country forward in an ever more competitive and volatile world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2007

About the author

Michael Byers is a Canadian legal scholar and non-fiction author.

Reviews

[TheTyee.ca]

[Editor's Note: Michael Byers holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia and is a regular contributor to the Tyee, among other publications. The following is excerpted from his new book, which is available now.]

In 2004, the Canadian actor Paul Gross starred in a made-for-TV drama entitled H2O. Gross plays Tom McLaughlin, the charismatic son of a murdered Canadian prime minister, who takes over Canada at the behest of a group of international financiers eager to sell our fresh water to an increasingly thirsty United States. The film is a must-see for Canadians concerned about the independence...
Read more...
http://thetyee.ca/Books/2007/06/21/Ou...

[Grumpylibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly I'm a left-leaning liberal (thoughts, not the political party), but I feel like this is the perfect book to spark interest and hope in Canadian policics.

Neo-conservatives might have issues with the liberal social policy advocated, but most Canadians aren't socially conservative. Non-issue, right? Maybe wrong. Canadian's aren't voting, we're not asserting our global relevance, and we're not watchdogging our government in a productive way.

Read this book and vote to avoid a trainwreck psuedo-American/psuedo-democracy regarding nuclear, environmental, and poverty politics in our country.

Moral of the story: be a global citizen for a global nation while asserting our soverenity.

[Teghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that analyses Canada's role in world politics. I found it very insync with my own political views (which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much). The author writes from an interesting perspective: a Canadian who moved to the United States to work and then returned more than 10 years later, willingly giving back his Green card. Its an optimistic book that says that Canada, being a middle power has a great amount of power in our hands that we havent even begun to tap into. He urges Canadians and government officials to take the lead of current world issues (Darfur, the environment, Iraq) and to become a world leader.

My only critique is that it gets bogged down in details and academic rhetoric in a few spots and I found my mind wondering.

[Scott Neigh]

A progressive academic writing for a lay audience about Canadian foreign policy. Some useful recent history, a few good ideas and good positions, but all of that mixed in with the most grating kind of left nationalism and liberal/social democratic imperialism. There was a token mention of neoliberalism at one point, but regarding colonization and the second colonial wave that is neoliberalism as fundamental organizing principles for understanding our place in the world is completely beyond the scope of what this book's framework can accommodate. This is precisely the kind of position I want to be able to effectively counter in things that I write, in ways that will not just be dismissed by readers who don't already agree with me.

[Julian Haigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timely, but as the front cover says: this is one optimistic book, but that's the point of it - our confidence leads us to greater leadership. What we are as Canadians is a microcosm for how different cultures can work together toward a positive future. We CAN, and this book embues us with some well needed motivation. The book certainly doesn't talk about the importance of integration with America, but does do wonderfully on talking about what we shouldn't be as cooperative on.

[Itisme · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book revealed to me some failings of federal governments of every stripe on the world stage and at home. It is only truly a good and compelling book in the final chapter.

This was a library loan.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. All Canadians should read it!! Liked this so much I bought a copy for Luke for Christmas.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Byers is a thoughtful, engaged and passionate analyst of Canadian Foreign Policy and National Identity. This is a worthwhile meditation on what Canada means or rather what it might mean.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

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