Manifest No

All too often we compare ourselves with the economic behemoth to the south — a default position Pierre Trudeau memorably described as “sleeping with an elephant.” In Conrad Black’s densely packed new book, the former Canadian citizen and recently pardoned businessman gamely tries to shift the paradigm away from the United States by exploring a series of public policy areas, reframing Wilfrid Laurier’s famous declaration — that the twentieth century belongs to Canada — for a new century. By “advancing the art of government,” Black declares, Canada is poised to “help lead the advanced world to the next stage of its development.”

Remember that Black, born and raised in Canada, renounced his citizenship in 2001. While it might be said that Jean Chrétien forced his hand, it cannot be overlooked that Black went beyond the personal feud, branding Canada itself “an oppressive little world.” Fast-forward to 2019: the political system he chose over his...