Lessons Learned from Business Conflicts in the USA and Canada

In 2017, Canadians commemorate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Reflecting on how Canadians in the 1860s dealt with their time's national security concerns can teach us some lessons that can help improve policy now. In the 1860s, the inhabitants of British North America confronted an existential security threat: the possibility of an impending invasion by the US. Older people from that era might recall the devastation inflicted by the War of 1812. The American Civil War (1861-1865) intensified pre-existing tensions between the British Empire and the United States, raising fears of a replay of the earlier struggle, but this time with a deadlier generation of weapons. As the Fathers of Confederation assembled in Charlottetown and Quebec, the Civil War was coming to an end, and British North Americans were concerned that if the South was destroyed, Lincoln would send the Union Army north to invade Canada.

Throughout the 1860s, the Fathers of Confederation and other British North Americans

Fiercely discussed the best method to deal with this menace. One viewpoint, shared by Conservatives such as John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier, emphasized deterrence and "peace through strength." These individuals believed that the best way to keep Canada safe was to establish a powerful, well-funded military capable of repelling any assault. It was clear to them that increased defense spending provided security. Liberals like George Brown, on the other hand, believed that demilitarizing the border and demonstrating to the US that Canada was not a threat would be the best way to ensure security. Cross-border trade was an important aspect of their peacekeeping policy; some Liberals advocated for the construction of cross-border infrastructure to enhance trade volumes, with the premise that more trade would reduce the likelihood of war. As my co-author and I showed in a recent essay, a group of peace-loving businesspeople campaigned throughout the 1860s to oppose proposals to militarize Canadian society and the country's border with the United States. In 1868, Liberal MPs like Ebenezer Bodwell argued persuasively that cross-border trade, not greater castles and garrisons, was the best guarantor of peace. These anti-war entrepreneurs also affected British policy, specifically the decision to evacuate most British troops from Canada. and management experts has supported the Liberal Fathers of Confederation's "trade equals peace" philosophy. Canadian diplomats may exploit the growing evidence of trade's peace-making effects to persuade an increasingly skeptical world about the benefits of lowering trade barriers. This article is part of the "Public Policy toward 2067" special feature.

Which was strongly opposed by Macdonald's Conservatives. One of them worked behind the scenes

To secure a diplomatic agreement between the UK and the United States.After 1871, Canada and the United States shared the world's longest undefended border. Eliminating border defenses increased rather than decreased Canada's safety. During the four decades following Confederation, pressure from business leaders and other taxpayers prevented the federal government from building a substantial military. Canada diverged from this liberal approach until in the early twentieth century, when it became entangled in what Laurier referred to as "the vortex of European militarism." By that time, the Canadian and American economies had become so intertwined that war between the two countries seemed unlikely. What lessons can today's policymakers learn from the Confederation era? The Liberals' opinion in the 1860s that boosting cross-border trade fosters peace and is usually the best way to ensure national security serves as a prism through which we may comprehend the very different security issues we confront now. Since the early twentieth century, war between Canada and the United States has been unimaginable, owing to the sheer degree of our economic interconnectedness. In recent decades, European economic integration has contributed to making war between Germany and France as unlikely as war between the United States and Canada. In the twenty-first century, we face the difficulty of establishing a lasting peace that encompasses countries with vastly varied civilizations, political systems, and religious traditions. Tensions with Russia remain high, and many observers were concerned about the status of Sino-American relations well before the 2016 presidential election.

How can Canadian policymakers use commerce to protect Canadians' security while

Also making the globe more peaceful First, trade agreements with possible opponent countries should be prioritized. The newly agreed trade agreement between Canada and the EU will provide some economic benefits, but it is largely unnecessary from a human security standpoint, as war between Canada and the EU is already highly unlikely. Investing Canada's limited diplomatic resources in establishing agreements with Asian countries, notably China, could help to foster peace by encouraging business and social exchanges. Joining the 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership would also signify that Canada does not share the new US administration's zero-sum worldview. A high-profile trade agreement with a Muslim country would separate Canada from the new US president's anti-Muslim rhetoric, as well as the notion that the West is destined for a "clash of civilizations" with the Muslim world.Furthermore, Canadian diplomats might encourage bilateral trade deals between emerging countries with a history of violence. Canada's image as an honest mediator, combined with its competence in economic diplomacy, makes it ideal for assisting in the negotiation of agreements with countries such as Pakistan and India. The world will be a safer place as a result of such agreements that foster economic interdependence among these nations.Finally, Canada's representatives can use the World Trade Organization and other multilateral venues to make a moral case for free trade, in addition to traditional economic reasons. Economists have long contended that freer trade boosts global prosperity. Other social scientists have now produced convincing evidence that international trade also contributes to global peace. In the last decade, peer-reviewed research by political scientists.