Prime Minister Mark Carney.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

It seems like movement in opposite directions. Mark Carney campaigned telling Canadians that the old relationship with the U.S. is over. Now he’s thinking about getting inside Donald Trump’s Golden Dome.

But don’t be fooled. Knee-jerk impulses to keep Americans at a distance have in the past caused Canada to trick itself into forfeiting some of its sovereignty.

That’s what happened 20 years ago, when Canada decided to stay out of U.S. ballistic missile defence.

Let’s remember: Canada’s current defence against a ballistic missile amounts to hoping the Americans will shoot it down. That’s not independence.

So Mr. Carney was quite right to assert Canada’s sovereignty by saying “maybe” to Mr. Trump’s Golden Dome.

Carney defends Golden Dome talks with U.S., says missile threats are serious

The Golden Dome will supposedly be the next-generation of U.S. defence systems against missile attacks. But what........

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