Canadian Public Opinion and Peacekeeping in a Turbulent World

If the military have a generally positive image in Canadian society today, they owe it at least as much to their participation in United Nations peacekeeping forces as to the historical memory of their role in this century's two world wars. At a time of rapid change in the nature of the role of the United Nations in controlling or preventing seemingly intractable conflicts around the world, many wonder whether the Canadian public will abandon its traditional support for peacekeeping. In view of the fiscal constraints that face the Canadian government and the almost hopeless complexity of the situations where United Nations troops are called upon to intervene today, who could blame them? Thus, some experts predict that Canadian defence policy makers may be forced, because of a sudden about-face in public