Stuck in the Middle

Like many middle powers that used to be able to depend on the United States, Canada finds itself looking to establish its place in the new world order. There will be political challenges. There will also be challenges from Mother Nature. NYT (Gift Article): In Canada’s Frozen North, With Canada’s Frozen Soldiers. “Canada’s military ambitions in the Arctic hinged on a frozen door that wouldn’t open … ‘It’s frozen,’ said an air force detachment commander, ‘frozen shut.’ That left the force’s Chinook helicopter out in the cold. As Canada’s armed forces launched their biggest-ever Arctic exercise, soldiers blasted mobile heaters in an effort to open the hangar door and haul in the Chinook, which had been grounded by a mechanical problem and the extreme temperatures.” (It might be faster just to wait for climate change to open the door…)