The Captains and the Mounties Depart

There seems to be a lot of wringing our hands in Canada these days on the notion that we have lost profile in the world over the last few years. Canada's image and presence on the world stage has declined.

But this is not surprising. Canada had importance during the Cold War as a kind of a bridge between the US and Europe: someone both the Europeans and the Americans could understand and would listen to. When we stayed out of Iraq, we ceded that role to the British, and became irrelevant. The more so since, with the end of the Cold War, maintaining relations between the US and Europe becomes less important.

Even more striking than the decline of Canada is the rise of Australia on the world stage. I think this may have to do with Australia taking up something like Canada's traditional role now, as a bridge between the US and Southeast Asia.