Canada's military alliances have involved patriots in foreign wars and brought death to more Canadian than American fighting men in the past century. The history of Canada's military alliances is traced back to 1812, and alternatives to pacts that commit us to fight the wars of other nations are explored. Host Gwynne Dyer leaves us to ponder the value of "acting as if we were just another middle-sized European country." Part one of the series.

In host Gwynne Dyer's words, this film is "an inquiry into how we fell into our present defense policy ... and whether the choices we made were really wise." We are given an opportunity to explore such issues as the purpose of NATO, the role of the United Nations, and Canada's role as a peacemaker. Part two of the series.

This third part of the series focuses on Canada's participation in NORAD and the events leading up to Canada's becoming a "nuclear no-man's land." In the late 1980s we are confronted with important choices about our role on the international scene, and host Gwynne Dyer offers intriguing predictions and possibilities about how our decisions could have global impact.