Time for Canada to retire our Boy Scout uniform

[CHIMO]

We must play hardball with U.S., seek other trade links, says Glen Murray

When it comes to our American neighbours, Canada has been behaving like a servile kid at Boy Scout camp wondering why, when he gets up in the morning, he's duct-taped to the bed. It is time to grow up.

David Wilkins is a former politician and recently appointed United States Ambassador to Canada. His public commentary on Canada has provided insight into his government's approach to issues of our sovereignty and the Bush administration's respect for the rule of law.

His government unilaterally ignores a clear ruling from the adjudicator of last resort in NAFTA trade disputes and Wilkins condescends to call us emotional. He suggests starting a third decade of trade negotiations is "the better path to go down." Twenty years of unresolved talks won't prompt most thinking people to get back on the trade negotiation treadmill.

An American belief that its narrow national issue trumps even signed agreements has to be a wake-up call for Canada. We should leave our Boy Scout uniform behind. We outgrew it a long time ago.

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[applegrove]

1. Not to mention that all inter continental flights from Asia, Europe will

be flying over the north pole when jet fuel is expensive enough.

That will destroy the north as fast as anything.

Yes - we need to diversify. NAFTA was an old fashioned deal - based on old fashioned trading relationships.

[getmeouttahere]

2. I read somewhere that Canada....

had in recent months increased its trade surplus with other regions of the world, besides the U.S. So you're already on your way, just need to step it up big time. Canada's trade surplus with those other regions, plus your overall budget surplus will make it a lot easier to ride out the eventual recession/depression in the U.S.

[Bassic]

3. Yeah, my thoughts exactly

I just hope the governement is smart enough to see whats coming and to start opening up trade with other nations on a larger scale.

[CatBoreal]

4. Time to start making nice to...

China, India and Russia in my mind.

That would be a pretty powerful trading block. Powerful enough to challenge the US? I don't know, but we can't keep this up any longer. It's ridiculous the way the US treats us.

[oblivious]

5. We can sell many natural resources elsewhere, but not manufactured goods.

It's hard, since we're set up for North American styles and tastes. I remember Trudeau really tried to encourage Canadian manufacturers to look at other markets, but the American market was always so easy compared to other markets. I give the government credit for trying hard, but companies just do what's easiest. Linking ourselves to a dying star seems to have been a very bad long-term strategy, however.