Topic: Immigration and trade
Superhighways Threaten Sovereignty There are people who insist the idea of a North American Union (NAU) is simply a conspiracy theory.by Gary Wood
(conservative libertarian)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
There are people who insist the idea of a North American Union (NAU) is simply a conspiracy theory. There are those who insist the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is simply a think tank of concerned leaders attempting to make the economic lives more vital for all. Then there are the facts.
The CFR consists of internationalists focused on creating the NAU, patterned after the blueprint used to create the European Union. The CFR recently released a report, Building a North American Community. The report uses the term community as a replacement for Union as, I believe, the term gives a better feel to the plan, it sounds better to the ear. For those thinking this is just some conspiracy theory the report calls for "the creation by 2010 of a North American community.... Its boundaries will be defined by common external tariff and an outer security perimeter within which the movement of people, products, and capital will be legal, orderly, and safe."
Doesn't that sound so rosy and wonderful? It is a plan supported by Bush. In February of 2001 the White House announced the United States, with Canada and Mexico, "will strive to consolidate a North American economic community." The main tool being used to lay the foundation is the NAFTA agreement signed by President Clinton in 1993. At the signing were many dignitaries including former President's Ford and Carter.
There are regular meetings held by the North American Forum on Integration where a lot of plans, studies and symposiums are held. The CFR also has many meetings where the internationalists discuss this new community approach to life on the North American continent. Plans are well underway for the construction of corridors of commerce, superhighways, running from Canada to Mexico. See the below map to get a feel for what those plans are shaping up to look like.
Is it possible this approach to the new community may allow importing of goods from countries like China, through cheaper Mexican ports, delivered by lower paid Mexican truck drivers? Is it possible this may have some impact on the U.S. trucking industry, not to mention the major U.S. based ports where goods currently are shipped in and out of our country? Is it possible this may pose any type of threat to the future sovereignty of the United States or Canada? Is it possible the only real winners will be corporations and the international bankers backing these plans?
Who are the members of the CFR? There are over a thousand of them and some are running for President of the United States in 2008. Watch this YouTube video on those members.
Does anyone else find this alarming? Should we be concerned about this or is this a good thing?
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2008 by Gary Wood - Permission to copy with attribution granted.
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Our roads and rail transportation need improvement. The I-35 bridge collapse is due to a lack of funding in our nation's infrastructure.
Before I start looking for bogeymen in the CFR, I'm laying the blame squarely on the shoulders of our elected officials, who are more interested in building roads in Iraq and Afghanistan than in this country.
The proposed I-69 extension between Port Huron, MI and the Rio Grande (www.i69info.com) can benefit many cities between Houston and Detroit. Michigan can use that highway to ship more cars out and to bring in fruit farm workers at lower costs. Perhaps there should be rail lines laid between the auto lanes? That could lower the costs of construction and lessen the impact of eminent domain.
The scary 8-lane roads might be necessary in high congestion areas. But I imagine that most of the traffic can be accomodated with 4 or 6 lanes. This country doesn't have the resources to build unused capacity. The environmental watch groups are looking over each of these proposals for each square foot, as they should.
Without good "post" roads, we're going back to being a bunch of little islands instead of one big country. We're going to need roads as the population increases, and they will have to go somewhere, and somebody will have to pay for them. I'd be happy with private toll roads, if that's what's needed.
If Mexico or Canada wants to be part of the United States, they can always petition Congress (Article 4, sect. 3). It doesn't go the other way.
Stay vigilant, but let's not stop progress for paranoia.
I would really like to see infrastructure investment in this country. There's too many positive reasons not to do it. Safety, jobs, reduced congestion, and more. What has me concerned is the extension of the infrastructure through Mexico and Canada. The publication linked in the article, Building a North American Community, plans for changing the borders to the furthest southern part of Mexico and other countries to be included and north above Canada while eliminating U.S. borders between the two countries and allowing free movement of people and products. This was probably the most eye-opening aspect of this report for me.
It's a conspiracy theory all right, but not "simply" one. Like any good lie, it's wrapped around a kernel of truth.
Yes, some people (like the CFR) want a common security border, with internal borders transparent to commerce. Yes, the CFR report "Building a North American Community" - released shortly after 9/11 - calls for exactly that.
Where it wanders into the realm of tinfoil hat conspiracy theories is when people claim that the CFR has the power to implement this plan.
What happened since the report was released is pretty much the exact opposite of what the report calls for. Canada refused the common security border. Far from being more transparent, the Canada-US border has become far LESS transparent. We have passport requirements for the first time ever. We have more security than ever, including electronic sensors in remote locations and patrols by remotely piloted aircraft. Security screening of people crossing the border has increased - now with criminal background checks becoming the norm rather than the rare exception. And so on.
Where it learns to enjoy being a tinfoil hat conspiracy theory and never looks back, is with the hyper-retarded claim of plans for 10-lane mega-highways spanning the continent. (I don't use the term "hyper-retarded lightly" - look at the map included in this article. Try to imagine what they'd use such a highway for running to Winnipeg - when we already have free trade and the existing highway south from Winnipeg - part of it only two lanes - isn't overloaded. For extra silliness, try to imagine what the highway would be used for *north* of Winnipeg to Churchill, or to the northern tip of Newfoundland.)
The truth:
- The Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) mega highway proposal is real - at least as a proposal - but only in Texas.
- There's are very real plans for a trade corridors from Mexico to Winnipeg on EXISTING roads, in support of the EXISTING NAFTA agreement. The idea is to harmonize the wildly different regulation that each state and province has regarding truck lengths, loads and brake systems - so that a truck can easily cross the continent under one set of standards.
- It's the combination of the two - a TTC-like mega highway running up to Winnipeg and beyond - that is pure fantasy. This map may be real, but it's not a map of 10-lane mega highways like the dishonestly added inset picture shows. This fantasy *should* be dismissed as a simple conspiracy theory, and that's being polite.
Lastly, articles like this like to throw in some (dishonest) political spin, like blaming NAFTA on the democrats: "The main tool being used to lay the foundation is the NAFTA agreement signed by President Clinton in 1993."
In truth, the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement was signed by Reagan. NAFTA was an expansion of this agreement that added Mexico - it was signed by Bush I in 1992. Since the agreement had been signed by Bush I under his fast-track prerogative, Clinton did not alter the original agreement. The U.S. House passed it with considerably more Republican than Democrat support.
Roger, thank you for bringing your comments from DIGG to here as well! I've copied over my reply to you from DIGG;
Never wanting to place dishonesty in an article I will stand corrected. Clinton merely signed parallel agreements in Sept. 1993. The time line does cover many presidencies. [link edited for length] This is not an attempt to spin against Dems in favor of Reps, both are equally pressing forward, both equally involved. It seems there is some bi-partisanship still working. The CFR does not have the authority as a think tank, they only have significant influence. There is a desire to create open borders between all three countries for the free movement of people and products with a new southern and northern border being established for the security of the community as a whole. Although this may not directly, or immediately, threaten U.S. sovereignty it does help further blur the lines between three nations. Your comments are appreciated. I don't want to spread a conspiracy but I do want to encourage critical thinking and honest discussion on both the short-term and long-term potential so we can perhaps embrace the positive aspects of such a joint community while maintaining this nations sovereignty. Thanks for your deep insights.
I really like the public announcement presented by the Texas Department of Transportation in which they state they 'are listening' to the citizens of Texas. . . even fielding questions and comments
regarding the Trans Texas-Corridor. But just because they (Tx DOT) listen does not mean they have any intention to respond officially or in a responsible manner to the underlying concept in regards to the Trans Texas-Corridor nor what it will really means for Texas citizens. Not only will we all learn as we go, the disenfranchised citizens of the State of Texas will be relegated to second tier status. Why not raze the Alamo and raise the flag for the NAU (North American Union)?
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