There's a reason for the "tense" U.S.A - Canada relationship.

[glarius]

I'm tired of hearing people talking about the "tense relationship" between Canada and the U.S.A...Jane Taber on CTV's Question Period just brought it up again. She said that there may be a surprise gift (re softwood lumber solution) from the Bush government to Canada at the upcoming meeting of Bush and Harper, since Bush is happy that Harper has taken over from the Liberals....Have they all forgotten the great relationship Chretien had with Clinton? Actually, Clinton had a good relationship with most if not all of the other foreign leaders when he was president. Unlike Bush, he did NOT treat other countries like they were satellites of the U.S.A... Does it not occur to any of these clowns that the sticking point in the country to country relationship just might be George Bush?
P.S...This so-called gift from Bush is not a gift but what Canada is owed according to the rules of arbitration in the trade deal. Remember there have been 7 or 8 rulings on this issue, which have all gone in favour of Canada by the arbitration board, which was made up of an equal number of American and Canadian members.

[ConcernedCanuk]

1. Ur right that if the US lives up to it's obligation to pay us owed $$$

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would not be a "gift" per se,

It would be a fecking MIRACLE!!

oh, and the US will pay for all the expenses, suffering and business loss too, right?

right

thot so

(sigh)

[achtung_circus]

2. Softwood lumber

and their issues with the Canadian Wheat Board and agricultural subsisdies and water issues have been around since before Bush, and they'ss survive Bush.

South Park had it right, and so did Trudeau.

If they can get what THEY want by shitting on Canada there's not much difference between Republican and Democrat politicians and their paymasters.

[MrPrax]

3. Good point...

Let's not forget that it WAS Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia that the Byrd Amendment was named after.

Maybe we should re-introduce and strengthen the bill that was a challenge to the Helms-Burton law (both repukes) like the Godfrey-Milliken Bill!! LOL

[pbca]

4. I still think the best way around softwood

would be to set up a special fund for the Canadian workers and mills who would lose money, then ban softwood sales to the US for a few years. It's not as if they don't need the wood, and after a few years of writing on clay tablets, wiping with leaves and building houses out of sod they may soften their stance a little - plus when it was all over the forests would be better off and the price for that wood would go up considerably.