Canada, globalization, imperialism: Rethinking Canada's role in a neoliberal world

This dissertation examines Canada's position in the world economy and the 'new imperialism.' There is currently a debate in the social sciences between those who view Canada as a dependency and those who view Canada as an independent imperialist power. This thesis reworks the debate by analyzing (1) Canada's position in the world economy today; and (2) the class dynamics behind the recent foreign policy shifts of the Canadian state. The most recent comparative data on production, trade, and investment suggests that Canada is a secondary power amongst the top tier of states on the imperial chain. Canadian imperialism is rooted in the internationalization of Canadian capital, and in the structured pattern of economic relations through which Canada articulates to the world economy and nation-state system. With this economic analysis in mind, the dissertation examines class formation and state restructuring in contemporary Canada. It contends that the new Canadian foreign policy reflects the economic logic to finance capital and the political logic of the capitalist state. Canadian imperialism supports the worldwide interests of Canadian multinational corporations, but does so primarily through the new institutions of global governance and the military alliance with the United States. The recent conflicts in Haiti and Afghanistan are used as case-studies of the new Canadian imperialism in action.