In this book, Kim Richard Nossal questions the usefulness, for middle powers such as Canada and Australia, of the theory that underpins international sanctions. He contends that because Canada and Australia lack the economic capabilities that give the sanctions of major powers their bite, the sanctions of these middle powers amount to no more than a rain they accomplish little but make the public feel that something is being done about a serious problem.
Kim Richard Nossal is professor emeritus in the Centre for International and Defence Policy and the Department of Political Studies, Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a former president of the Canadian Political Science Association. He is also a former editor of International Journal, the quarterly journal of the Canadian International Council. He has published a number of books and scholarly articles on Canadian foreign and defence policy.