Collection

Reckoning: The Political Economy of Canada

3 titles · in release order

Since 1982, when the issue of free trade with the United States was resurrected, dusted off and presented anew to Canadians, we have been buffetted by dissenting viewpoints on this contentious and crucial question. Can Canada stand alone and hold its own in the economically turbulent late 20th century? Should it even try? A major gap in the debate so far has been a comprehensive context in which the average Canadian could place the matter at hand. This series attempts to fill that gap. It clarifies not only Canada's economic position in relation to its closest neighbor, but also the United States' economic standing in the world. In the process, Reckoning clearly shows Canada's current position in the global economicy and where, perhaps, it should be heading.

Riding the Tornado · 1986

Riding the Tornado

★ 9.01986

MovieDocumentary

This documentary focuses on boom-and-bust economic cycles, most notably that of Alberta oil during the '70s and early '80s. When the bust hit after a drop in world oil prices, those business people who knew how to "ride a tornado" cut their losses and moved on, while others were left devastated. When Newfoundland was faced with a possible oil boom of its own in the mid-'80s, it took the lessons of Alberta to heart. Part 3 of the series, Reckoning: The Political Economy of Canada.

This documentary looks at the microchip, an American invention exploited by the Japanese that caused a second industrial revolution. The devastating effect on millions of human lives is related through interviews with some of the newly jobless in Hamilton, Ontario. Using the example of Japan for contrast, host James Laxer demonstrates that the cost of technological advances need not be so high if their effects are foreseen and planned for. Part 2 of the series Reckoning: The Political Economy of Canada.

In Bed with an Elephant · 1987

In Bed with an Elephant

★ 7.01987

MovieDocumentary

This feature documentary provides a gripping retrospective of United States-Canada relationships through a study of successive presidents and prime ministers. Using archival film footage, it demonstrates that Canadian prime ministers, from John A. Macdonald down, all began their tenures by making overtures to their American counterparts. Attitudes and outcomes have varied widely. The almost comic antipathy between Kennedy and Diefenbaker, for instance, is as palpable here as is the folksy camaraderie of Reagan and Mulroney. Part four of Reckoning: The Political Economy of Canada series.