Regardless of American election results, Canada urgently needs to create a vision for itself in the 21st century or else have its affairs increasingly run by the USA.  Globally, the last 25-30 years have been dominated by the Reagan-Thatcher Free Market ideology, but the spell may be finally wearing off and the ugliness and destructiveness of the “greed is good” doctrine becoming apparent. This may be a rare opportunity for many countries, including Canada, to change directions.

The last two Conservative governments have pulled Canada to the Right and towards the USA way beyond their electoral mandate.  Our Tory leaders have fawned over their American counterparts and aped their policies.  Mulroney started giving away Canadian independence to Reagan with NAFTA and Harper has been governing from George W. Bush’s failed play book and is also engaged in his own giveaways, albeit in relative secrecy (through SPP etc discussed below).  My most cringing moment as a Canadian was to see Peter MacKay, Harper’s Foreign Affairs minister, acting like a giddy teenager over Condoleezza Rice, describing himself as a long time “fan”.  To his credit, he probably for once was just being honest.

I came to Canada 27 years ago (having lived in England and Guyana) because it seemed spacious, not only physically but in terms of expression and opportunity. I love the country more and more, but am concerned by our low national self-esteem and identity.  Polls show quite a large number of Canadians – sometimes about 40% - wouldn’t mind being part of the USA. Quebec, the Maritimes, the Western provinces have all showed separatist tendencies.  I have long thought that If Canada stays together, it is one of the few countries in the world that can be relatively safe (apart from the threat of American annexation) because of its borders and self-sufficient because of its abundant resources, including oil and water, and relatively small but highly educated population.

Indeed a 2003 Pentagon commissioned study - by Peter Schwartz and Doug Randall called “An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and its Implications for United States National Security - found Australia, Canada and the United States the countries best positioned to handle the challenges of abrupt climate changes.  These changes are expected within the next 10 years and are part of the short term consequences of global warming. The study predicted the USA having disagreements with Canada and Mexico over water with the US forming an “integrated security alliance” with Canada and Mexico by 2018.
Water (Blue Gold) will be even more precious and fought over than Oil (Black Gold) has been, since we can survive without driving but not without water.  Apart from drinking water, we need water for agriculture and in many manufacturing processes.  Imagine, for example, two neighbouring countries (perhaps with nuclear weapons) sharing a river and then one country, because of drought etc,  blocks it off for its own exclusive use…

• For those who scoff at the possibility of America taking control of Canada, here are a few facts to ponder:“Joint Army and Navy Basic War Plan – Red”, formulated in 1930 by the US War Dept is a detailed plan for invading and taking control of Canada.  It was declassified in 1974.
• NORTHCOM  (United States Northern Command) was created on October 1, 2002 in the aftermath of  9/11 attacks.  Its mission is to protect the US homeland and its area of responsibility (AOR) includes air, land and sea approaches and encompasses the continental USA, Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the surrounding water out to approximately 500 nautical miles (930 km). Rumsfeld boasted that “NORTHCOM is “part of the greatest transformation of the United Command Plan (UPC) since its inception in 1947.  Jean Chretien refused to join NORTHCOM but apparently the Harper government signed some sort of agreement in 2008.  From the www.canadians.org website: “US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) has posted portions of a Civil Assistance Plan, signed with Canada Command on February 14,  to its website, although it appears to be missing as many as 23 annexes – there is reference to an Annex W –  that are still classified. Integrate This broke the original story about the Civil Assistance Plan when we noticed it reported in a tiny Colorado newspaper this February but not reported anywhere on the Canadian Forces webpage. While Canada Command has also quietly posted the plan to its website, there was no announcement or press release”.

• The Harper government is pushing ahead with the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of North America without any public input.  From greenpages.wordpress.com “If you ask the average person if they’ve ever heard of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of North America, they are likely to look at you blankly and say “No.” Sometimes identified as “NAFTA Plus,” leaders of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico announced the SPP in March 2005. Unlike NAFTA, however, it is not a treaty or agreement, nor is it legislation which would demand review by parliament and congress. Rather the SPP is an initiative only between the executive powers in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., and is carried out with oversight in relative secrecy from an advisory board of CEOs from 30 of the most powerful companies in North America. Little wonder the SPP has evoked outcries from activists across the continent, decrying the lack of transparency and accountability of a process where decisions are made behind closed doors. Sometimes referred to as “NAFTA on steroids,” the SPP is the latest and most aggressive move in a process of North American integration formally begun with the signing of the Canadian U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) in 1988 and enlarged upon in the North American Free trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. NAFTA brought the lowest level of economic integration on a scale which moves from (a) free trade area through (b) customs’ union, to (c) common market to (d) economic community to (e) full fledged political union. NAFTA was viewed as a platform for further integration as noted in its objectives and since that time corporate and politically elite lobbyists have never rested as they waited for the right moment to further their cause”.
• The issue of Water has completely disappeared from the Canadian federal agenda.  Bulk water sales are being negotiated at local or state/ provincial levels.

What can be done?  Many people would say nothing since the US, despite its “freedom and democracy” talk, has shown it will take what it really wants if it has the power to do so.  I suspect our leaders are being put under a lot of pressure by the USA, but I would appeal to our leaders to put these issues on the table before the public, while there is some possibility to go in a different direction.  Personally, I hate the thought of Canadian water being used for Las Vegas fountains and lawns because it’s the “Free Market”.
The World, not only America, will want Canada’s resources and we will probably have to share.. but at least it would be nice to have some say.  We can be more conscious stewards of these resources and perhaps lead the world in a more cooperative and sustainable direction.  We can begin to believe in ourselves as Canadians!

Here is a comment from Author: Rick Weiss (IP: 198.103.167.20, humpty.tpsgc.gc.ca)
Email: richard.weiss@gmail.com
Url: http://rickweiss.ca
Comment: http://www.andyjames.ca/Blog/blogs/index.php/2008/11/01/canada-the-sleeping-giant#c17
Andy,
A lot of interesting, and disappointing things going on.

One of the challenges for Canada to decide on vision for the future of the country is our small, widely dispersed population. And, that our minority government was elected by just over 30% of the population. Do you have any thoughts on how we could develop such a vision, collectively?

I agree that we should all take more pride in being Canadian, and spend less time thinking of ourselves as non-Americans.

Reply from AJ: Thanks for your question, Richard. Apart from Canadians generally coming to greater self-esteem and vision, one of the rare, specific, positive developments in Canadian politics is Charest and McGuinty coming together to propose the strengthening of "Central Canada" - cooperation between the Canadian powerhouses of Quebec and Ontario. I was really invigorated by this development but (surprisingly), it got very little traction in the Media. The initiative proposed increased cooperation and transportation lnks between the 2 provinces and outreach to the European Union (EU), presumably to reduce the dependence on the fickle and demeaning (in terms of international "importance") policies of the USA. So far, I don't see any Canadian politicians with "vision", although Ignatieff has some potential if he just lets it rip.
AJ