Just as few predicted the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the breakup of Canada also seems far-fetched. Nevertheless, American policymakers should consider the possibility. In 1999 President Clinton said the United States "valued our relationship with a strong and united Canada. We look to you; we learn from you. The partnership you have built between people of diverse backgrounds and governments at all levels is . . . what democracy must be about, as people all over the world move around more, mix with each other more, live in close proximity more."

But what if the "partnership" Canada has built no longer supports America's global roles and responsibilities? What if the essential condition for Canadian unity is an anti-American value system built into the national political process? In that case, it is unclear that Canada is a long-term ally of the United States out of anything more than economic necessity. In that case, is it still in America's interest to support Canadian unity?

Dan Dunsky is the producer of Diplomatic Immunity, a Canadian foreign affairs television program.