Friday, May 06, 2011

WikiLeaks : A New North American Union Initiative

I guess everyone has their favorite US Ambassador to Canada.
Mine has always been Paul Cellucci, who once suggested building huge aqueducts to carry Canadian water to the US and worried in 2008 that the election of Obama would "imperil the future economic integration of the continent".

Last month WikiLeaks released one of Cellucci's 2005 cables from the US Embassy in Ottawa.  In it he suggests that "Canadian policy makers" support a "security perimeter" via an "incremental and pragmatic package of tasks" emphasizing "security" and "prosperity" to pave the way for a future North American "single market and/or single currency".

He also advises that "our governments may always want to keep some kind of land border in place" as it's useful for "data gathering". Excerpted :

A NEW NORTH AMERICAN INITIATIVE 
An incremental and pragmatic package of tasks for a new North American Initiative (NAI) will likely gain the most support among Canadian policymakers. Our research leads us to conclude that such a package should tackle both "security" and "prosperity" goals. This fits the recommendations of Canadian economists who have assessed the options for continental integration. While in principle many of them support more ambitious integration goals, like a customs union/single market and/or single currency, most believe the incremental approach is most appropriate at this time and all agree that it helps pave the way to these goals if and when North Americans choose to pursue them."

"We believe that, given growing Canadian concern about "border risk" and its effects on investment, a focus on the "security" side could also produce the most substantial economic/trade benefits."

"At this time, an "incremental" approach to integration is probably better than a "big deal" approach."
How's that incremental approach going, by the way?


.
Unlike Steve who is tasked with selling us on this deal, Cellucci was less sanguine on that whole "jobs, jobs, jobs" angle :
"Some international economic initiatives (such as FTAs) produce across-the-board measures that generate broad benefits for a country's industries and consumers on a known time-line. This was true of NAFTA but it is less likely to be true of the economic aspects of the NAI."
and
"There is little basis on which to estimate the size of the "upside" gains from an integration initiative concentrating on non-tariff barriers of the kind contained in NAI. For this reason, we cannot make claims about how large the benefits might be on a national or continental scale. When advocating NAI, it would be better to highlight specific gains to individual firms, industries or travelers, and especially consumers."
Steve - Here For Canada.
.

8 comments:

West End Bob said...

Yeah.

Here for Canada: The 51st state . . . .

croghan27 said...

Not even a state, WE BOB - remember the border is too valuable for 'data gathering'.

Maybe a full fledged colony.

pogge said...

Definitely not a state. If they made us a state, they'd have to give us the vote.

West End Bob said...

The way the most recent vote went, we'd probably fit right in with the "american way," unfortunately.

The state of Canada may very well accommodate their plans. The dirty tar sands oil along with clean BC water would be easy pickings for the "national good." Don't underestimate what the religious "wrong" in conjunction with corporate interests can do to decimate a nation. They've been quite successful just to the south of us while the populace poo-pooed the threat . . . .

Anonymous said...

Just try and tell Canadians, of Harper's evil agenda.

Harper has also spoken of, Global Governance for Canada, as well. It sounds as though, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico will be the NAU, and have the Amero currency. Canada has vast resources, and Harper is giving Canada away.

The water war crimes are dreadful. Canada already gives our water to some of the states and Mexico. However, at the rate Canada is contaminating our water supply, water will be more valuable than oil. Because, we can't drink oil.

Toxic mine waste dumped into our lakes, leaches into the eco system, and is also poisoning our clean drinking water.

Politicians have always been greedy idiots. They don't have the sense to look into the future, while they are loading their wallets.

It sounds as though, the globe will be in four sections, with the Global Government ruling all.

Anonymous said...

The worst of it is that so few people seem to care this is happening. What has happened to us?
Only a few years ago this would have got people marching in the streets.
Neither corporate mentioned it during the election because both endorse it. Then the media doesn't mention it because there's no incentive to highlight any issue that doesn't produce a usable wedge soundbite.
This is bad.

Dana said...

Its not good and its not bad it just is.

There's not very much citizens can do to get in the way of the march of history because the march doesn't have very much to with citizens. History sometimes takes note of citizens but history is always hindsight.

Are you willing to arm yourselves and take to the streets in an insurrection?

Because I'm telling you now that after many years of heartbreaking failure that's what it will require in the long run. And most people won't support you. They'll call you criminals. They'll call for your capture, incarceration or death. Because that's what the governments and media will tell them and they'll believe that.

Even a concerted, organized campaign to try and prevent this will be subverted. How? By convincing the people that you're trying to prevent them being able to buy eggs and cheese more cheaply. Know anyone who lives close to the border? You know whereof I speak.

I think all our lives will be much more peaceful and serene if we simply surrender to the fact that the vast majority of Canadians don't give a shit about the big issues. They don't care if Canada survives or not, don't care about much other than their reality shows, cheaper booze and getting a Target store in their neighbourhood.

It's like the conspiracy rebuttal - it's about incompetence more than sinister motives.

The vast majority of our fellow citizens are incompetent bonobos.

Alison said...

Dana : or Eloi. Armed insurrection in the streets depends on massive public support. Eloi not good at that, as G20 showed.

Anons : We've had a few citizen victories over the last few years - like mostly staying out of Iraq and the ICBM nonsense, and staring the SPP down - but people get defeated/bored by big issues they can't do anything about. That incrementalism the integration fans favour works both ways though.
Best defence against globalization is what you do on the ground where you live.

Bob : Was guilty of underestimating the religious wrong for years, probably still do. I used to ask friends who debated them why they bothered with fringey nutters. Didn't get it. Most deeply religious people I've known up here have also been strong social activists in a good way.

Croghie : That border as data-gathering strategy was interesting, wasn't it. Beats having a nation wide roll call I guess.

Wasn't it weird watching the people in the vid clapping and waving their "Here For Canada" signs while Steve did his 'incrementals'?

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