Not that often do news or scholarly articles overlap current events top-of-mind for Canada and Australia, so this one caught my eye, on The Conversation:
Here is the overview:
When Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Canberra last week, he issued a stark warning. Canada and Australia are so tightly integrated with great powers such as the United States that it makes them extremely vulnerable if those ties are weaponised. “Middle powers have a choice: compete for favour or combine for strength,” he said.
But can Australia actually make itself less integrated with the US, militarily?
As part of our special series, After the Rupture, security expert John Blaxland says the US and Australia are so tightly bound on defence matters, this would be extremely difficult – if not impossible.
But, he adds, there are ways to mitigate the risks of overdependence. And Canada could play a role here, given the depth of possible engagement Carney touted during his visit last week.
Working closely with Canada could help Australia be a more confident, self-reliant regional leader when it comes to security. It could make us slightly less vulnerable to the whims of leaders like Donald Trump, as well.
By the way, The Conversation is neither just reportage nor scholarly, but rather a hybrid of where those two disciplines can intersect. Recommended reading for thoughtful and well-researched analysis on current events and popular topics, usually by academics specializing in the area.