Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1563 - Canada After Davos: Power, Sovereignty, and the End of the Middle-Power Myth

On The Brian Crombie Radio Hour, a wide-ranging and provocative conversation about Canada’s place in a rapidly fragmenting world — and what may have changed after Mark Carney’s speech at Davos. Brian is joined by Murray Simser to explore what Simser calls a post-Carney moment in Canadian thinking: a shift away from cautious middle-power assumptions toward a clearer recognition of Canada as a $3-trillion economy with real leverage — if it chooses to use it. The discussion examines:🌍 What Carney’s Davos remarks signal about Canada’s willingness to selectively decouple from U.S. dominance🇨🇦 Why the “middle power” label may be a comforting myth that limits Canadian ambition💰 Whether Canada could withstand serious trade disruption with the United States — and what economic independence would actually require⚡ Alberta’s energy frustration, separatist sentiment, and why pipelines are ultimately a federal sovereignty question🧭 Canada’s historical near-misses — moments when independence and unity were far from guaranteed📱 Why social media platforms now rival governments in real power — and the implications for democratic legitimacy🌱 Why the global system itself may need to be re-architected to address climate, trade, and institutional trustThis is not a conversation about nationalism or nostalgia. It’s about agency — whether Canada is prepared to say no, assert its economic independence, and act with confidence in a world where old alliances and assumptions no longer hold.