Our Lives will greatly interest general readers as well as the
academic community. The latter will appreciate footnoted references
to many recent works of social and economic history. Students will benefit
from the well-written presentation, thorough index and footnotes, extensive
photographs (about four in each of the fifteen chapters) and the occasional
statistical chart. Chapters are well organized and supported by introductory
and concluding summaries. There is, however, no bibliography. The book
is divided into three chronological sections. The first, covering the
years from 1945 to 1963, is titled "In the Shadow of the Giant"
and introduces the theme of American influence on Canada which dominates
the book. The second section discusses the search for identities from
1963 to 1980, and the final section brings the reader to 1996, focusing
on "neo-conservative times." Throughout, the author details
the evolution of the Canadian economy and its impact on society, paying
particular attention to labor, women, Native Canadians and immigrant
groups. Political events, the provinces and foreign affairs are also
addressed in each section.
Finkel questions "the image of Canada that emerges in the standard
post-war text book, Canada Since 1945: Power, Politics and Provincialism
... where almost uniform prosperity is brought into being by a dynamic
capitalism and a wise federal bureaucracy presided over by a progressive
Liberal party with intelligent leaders" (p. 5). Finkel convincingly
demonstrates that prosperity and opportunities to prosper were unequally
shared. The tax system consistently favored the 'well-off citizens'
(p. 143) and corporate welfare bums; the social reforms of the immediate
post-war period were limited, and more due to NDP pressure (provided
by provincial premiers, public support as indicated in polling results
or conditional support to Liberal minority governments) than to the
Liberal party (which has consistently shed its progressive campaign
rhetoric when elected with comfortable majorities). The author is also
convincing when discussing the strong influence of the United States
on the Canadian economy (an increasingly negative influence as the consequences
of the Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA are felt).
Finkel's arguments that Canada has not played an important role in
the world since 1945, however, are not as well supported. He dismisses
Canadian military and foreign policy as an "echo of the Americans,"
failing to provide the reader with an adequate sense of the objectives
Ottawa has pursued on the international stage. Canada's role in United
Nations peacekeeping missions is written off as an attempt to provide
only the "image... of [an] independent and peace-minded nation"
(p. 121). Canadian participation in the Korean War (covered in two pages
while the Vietnam conflict receives nine pages) is presented not as
support for the United Nations but rather for the interests of the United
States. The same interpretation is repeated concerning the Gulf War.
Finkel ignores international cooperation, including collective security
and development assistance (which is referred to briefly in a few sentences
condemning tied aid) which has been an important objective of Canadians
since 1945.
Despite the weak foreign policy sections, Finkel provides a very good
summary of political events. His balanced account of the complex evolution
of francophone Quebec nationalism, often mistreated by anglophone historians,
is particularly well done. Alvin Finkel's excellent work should certainly
be considered by all teachers of post-war Canada as a class text - although
some classes will appreciate it more than others.