The first step in discussing the future for any county is understanding its geographic, economic, historic, political and cultural relationships with other countries within the context of the international system.

Obviously in Canada's case its geographical proximity to, and influence by, the United States is vital to a conversation about the country's future.

We will argue that the influence of the United States on Canada is far less than imagined.

Just as important to a conversation about Canada's future is the current norms in the international system.

Luckily for a small, indefensible country like Canada a fundamtenal transition in the international system has occurred over the last 200 years or so that has given many small countries much greater control over their own destinies

The international sytem has changed from the period during the 18th to late 20th century where the unequal power between countries was the defining characteristic to a 21st century international system (probably dated from 1989) where the legal equality of sovereign states is the defining characteristic.

Moreover, since 1989, increasingly the legal right of state sovereignity has been been based on the  requirement of the state to provide basic public goods -- domestic safety, rule of law, political equality, fair taxation, access to education and health technologies -- to its citizens.

It is Canada's great fortune to have the United States as the only neighbour with which it shares a land border and at a time when the norms of the international system are based on the legal equality of states because this gives Canadians tremendous room to create our own future.

As things stand today, and as far as we can see into the future, Canada's future will be excellent or otherwise by the decisions made by a community of Canadians and no one else.