The Vanishing Country: Is It Too Late to Save Canada?

by Mel Hurtig

Book Overview

Is it all over for Canada? There are a number of thoughtful people who think so. Mel Hurtig, however, believes there is still a chance to reassert Canadian independence. But first, Canadians need to understand how much has been lost. Our politicians are not telling us. Our business leaders certainly are not telling us. And our media definitely are not telling us. The border dividing Canada and the United States has never been more fragile. Canada...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0771042175
• ISBN13: 9780771042171
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
• Length: 456 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Thought it couldn't get better.

I read Mel's Betrayal of Canada(and the mind boggling stats within) and my heart swelled with pride. His latest book is another masterpiece. Without repeating his older books he points to new and profoundly disturbing trends happening in Canada. The amount of foreign ownership in Canada would not be tolerated in any other country. The right always tries to site other countries relationships like france and germany....this is wrong they have simular values and relatively close populations unlike can-us. This is a great read if you care about Canada and where it is headed. Mel always uses facts and stats(that you can find on the interntet if you doubt it) to back up any claims! No BS just the facts to help identify what is happening to our country.

makes me more mad every time I read it

Mel starts by telling the reader how good we have it in Canada, with all the space we have compared with Europe or Asia, and how lucky he felt to grow up here after immigrating from Eastern Europe. He then goes on to tell us how, since the Mulroney government abolished the Foreign Investment Review Agency in 1985, approximately 13000 Canadian businesses have been taken over, mostly by Americans. He also says why this is bad due to transfer pricing & other things. Then he goes on to say why it would be a bad thing to continue the "Americanisation" of Canada and gives us some differences between Canada & the United States, including why Canada is better in many ways than the United States. Near the end, he lists many alternatives to the current situation, including 4 things which MUST happen for Canada to survive in any meaningful way. Is it too late to save Canada? I think it's a question of political will. Canada isn't Haiti; it has more to do with will than opportunity.

A must read for those who love Canada

I have had the opportunity to hear Mel speak several times and I recommend that anyone with an interest in the future of Canada listen to what he has to say. His books are a harsh reality check, and eye opener to the past, present and future of Canada. "Vanishing Country" addresses the Americanization of Canada and pulls no punches in naming those who have contributed to dissolving Canadian sovereignty and selling out Canada (at bargain prices) to the super power south of the border. "Vanishing Country" is a MUST read for everyone that gives a damn about the future of Canada. Read this book, and tell everyone else to read it too!!

This book changed me.

Its hard to believe that a single political book can have such an effect on a person. This incredibly potent book has transformed me into a "patriotic" Canadian, with its examination into the anti-Canadian sentiment eminating from the rightwing corporatists attempting to turn us into an American colony. I've become a huge fan of Mel's since reading this book, and am now reading some of his older works. Mel Hurtig is a hero, a true Canadian, a real patriot, and "The Vanishing Country" is a trip into his world--no, our world. The real Canada. You won't be pleased by what is uncovered here.

An American who loved The Vanishing Country

I just had the pleasure of finishing Mel Hurtig's book The Vanishing Country: Is it too late to save Canada? As an American, I feel that everyone in this country should be required to read this book. Not only will our people see what our country does to our closest neighbor country, but also what a wide discrepancy we have between the two countries. Also, you will learn in deed how simmilar our two countries are. In Canada, most college students can graduate without taking a Canadian history class. Sadly, where I graduated from, you are also not required to take an American history class. Every American should read this book. It will open your eyes to how our country really deals with the international world, and how we rate amongst other countries.