It was a moment of global clarity. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech to the world’s political and economic elite gathered in Davos this week described global realities, past and present, with a candour and nuance rarely heard from a serving politician.
The message was twofold.
First, Carney made clear that the world has changed, and the old comfortable ways of global politics are not coming back. Those who wait for sanity to return are waiting in vain. We are in a world increasingly shaped by the threat and the use of hard power. All states must accept that reality.
Despite this, Carney’s second and more hopeful message was that while the globally powerful may act unilaterally, others — notably “middle powers” like Canada — are not helpless.
By finding ways to co-operate on areas of shared interest, states like Canada can pool their limited resources to build what amounts to a flexible network of co-operative ties. Taken together they can provide an alternative to simply rolling over and taking whatever great powers like the United States dole out.
How every single person from your country is so nice! I don’t understand. I’ve never met a single Lebanese person that was anything but funny and sweet and kind.
You haven’t met enough i suppose. There’s a lot of shit people from Lebanon just as from anywhere else in the world, no matter the race or religion. I’ve met wonderful Canadians and some bad ones, same with US folks. I appreciate your nice words though, it’s positive, if this was reddit i would have been attacked by now. Thanks :) stay good!