America can not be trusted. After the war, America must be de-industrialized to ensure that it never again has the capacity to build weapons of mass destruction and threaten the peace and stability of the entire civilized world. Buffer zones will be required between Canada and Mexico. America must be deprived of the financial resources of California, and in our view, America should not be allowed to retain any territory beyond the original 13 states.
Putin – Address to the UN Security Council, 2009.
Posted by: DM | Feb 18 2005 22:31 utc | 5
Canadian resources was the reason for creating U.S. Northern Command
On April 17, 2002 Defense officials announced the establishment of U.S. Northern Command as part of the changes in the Unified Command Plan. At a Pentagon press briefing, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the plan the most sweeping set of changes since the unified command system was set up in 1946.
…
The command’s mission is the preparation for, prevention of, deterrence of, preemption of, defense against, and response to threats and aggression directed towards U.S. territory, sovereignty, domestic population, and infrastructure; as well as crisis management, consequence management, and other domestic civil support
Northern command mission
The command’s mission is homeland defense and civil support, specifically:
* Conduct operations to deter, prevent, and defeat threats and aggression aimed at the United States, its territories, and interests within the assigned area of responsibility;
..
U.S. Northern Command’s area of operations (AOR) is America’s homefront.
The AOR includes air, land and sea approaches and encompasses the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and the surrounding water out to approximately 500 nautical miles.
Some time ago someone in some thread said I were nuts to say the “US would “incorporate” Canada”.
I say – give it 10 years and it will be done.
Sorta funny too how them farmers talk the happy stuff about the ‘ownership society’ while the federal government subsidizes the farmer’s ownership.
Posted by: slothrop | Feb 18 2005 22:46 utc | 7
“in our view, America should not be allowed to retain any territory beyond the original 13 states.”
That would be quite normal. After all, the US is a friendly peace-loving nation. The US is not an empire, it’s a country that wants to be in good terms with all other nations. So, it can’t really expand through annexation or downright conquest.
B: I can’t wait to see this move. Some Canadians will be very pissed off, and Quebec will probably choose to leave and go the indepandant way. Of course, the US can’t tolerate this, so they’ll find some stupid excuse to invade, which will basically upset the rest of the planet, to begin with the French and EU as a whole.
If things seem to move in this direction, EU should really consider an alliance with Russia in short term – if not directly admitting Russia in the Union. Putin may play Mussolini-lite and Russia may be a corrupt country with an abysmal human rights record, but they still have a few thousands nukes that would come handy if the US becomes really testy.
The real question, imho, is if the US will last long enough as a superpower to manage to assimilate Canada.
Posted by: Clueless Joe | Feb 18 2005 22:49 utc | 8
b
Yep. You’re high. Bet you a 100$ (about 9€ in 2013).
Posted by: slothrop | Feb 18 2005 22:55 utc | 9
@Clueless – Eu-Russia – this will be an alliance to “save” Russian commodities from being sized by Chinese and/or U.S. interest in Siberia. Russia has not a chance by itself (only 120 million people) without EU backing to defend that HUGE piece of valuable landscape.
But I wonder if the US understands this. Right now its building a conflict with China which is kind of absurd when you see the real price.
if the farmers wife has a 401k i wonder if it’s because she has a job in town?
Posted by: annie | Feb 18 2005 23:37 utc | 12
@annie almost certainly. very few farming families can keep their land these days without one or more family members working in town.
Posted by: DeAnander | Feb 18 2005 23:56 utc | 13
I am hoping if we do incorporate Canada that at the same time we give Texas back to Mexico after Bushie go’s back and Delay would have to leave too. Bye, bye. We can cut off his pension, tie up his assets and then he can work in a factory across the border.
I would much rather be attached to Canada than Texas.
I don’t know a single small farmer that doesn’t have a wife working or some other job to supplement income. Maybe a couple of dairy farmers. Many drive school bus or hold Township, county or some other political job. Some own sawmills, you get the jest.
Posted by: jdp | Feb 19 2005 0:05 utc | 14
We’ve always known that, for their own security, America would have no choice but to defend Canada if we were attacked. It’s the longest undefended border in the world. Putting it into an agreement such as this just opens up the possibility that the US will trespass needlessly (chasing some ‘terrorist’) and maybe even attack Canada pre-emptively, perhaps to ‘liberate’ us from gay weddings or something (sounds nutty, but given the times we live in, I’m not ruling anything out). The idea that Canadian troops will cross over to ‘help’ the greatest military superpower in the world is laughable. They might call the CDN army to come and clear the snow the next time Nebraska’s snowed in, but that’s about it.
On the other hand, if the Iraqis can fight the US to a stalemate, surely Canadians — boiling over with pent-up rage from lack of NHL games — can beat back some Yankee ass, just like in 1812.
Posted by: kat | Feb 19 2005 0:52 utc | 15
The Good News is that “Billmon” picked up on the backroom deals bet. xUS Kleptos & Canada; the Bad News is that he can’t see that it’s a consequence of the economic arrangements which he endorses & otherwise remains totally mute about.
After reading everyone’s posts, it occurs to me that we’re missing something. There was squiblet in WSJ several yrs. ago, about Kleptos building a common currency thruout Hemisphere. I suspect Canada is merely the start of this.
Give ’em a few yrs to complete the destruction of xAm. as a First World Nation & then they’ll make it official that xUS is a Third World Nation by “integrating” Mexico. Kleptos just getting started & already xUS has worst distribution of income among (loosely defined) industrialized nations – ~#28, above Only Mexico & Russia.
Here is list of already Announced Plans for the further Wreckage of xAm., of the sort Billmon (“i’m basically a free trader.”) loves: (Heard from Bernie Sanders on Thom Hartman radio show on line – he’s on every Fri. for 30mins.): Goodyear – all manufacturing of tires being moved to China by decades end; Motorola has invested $3.4B in China; IBM will be training 100+k people in several cities in China over 3 yrs; Nike has 110k people manufacturing garbage in China – 0 in xAm; Andy Grove(Intel) said in next 10 yrs. all IT will move to India & China; John ? (head of Cisco) said he was remaking Cisco as a “Chinese Co.”.
So, in 10 yrs. it’ll be official…we’ll be Third World Nation….
Dear Canadians Everywhere, Please Rise Up…..We’re all in this together…..But watch out for those “damn Aussies”…assuming the Mossad doesn’t find another nation’s passports to steal…..they may soon be coming to a city near you….when in doubt, terrorize them into submission….it worked in xAm.
Posted by: jj | Feb 19 2005 2:07 utc | 17
Crap, I’m Mad!
Re: the Withering.
Looks like it’s already started on the Big Pharma/Cross-border/keep-not-rich-Americans- from-going-bankrupt prescription thing.
We’ve capitulated with no fight whatsoever.
Where the hell is Trudeau when you need him (or maybe even that SOB Cretien….at least he had guts, unlike the Ditherer we like to call ‘Small Paul’)?
Sorry.
(details at my place).
Yeah, Ross. I rather miss Trudeau…
That said, the Barkeep’s use of the Steinbeck quote is brilliant! Makes me both smile and sigh.
Posted by: Kate_Storm | Feb 19 2005 2:41 utc | 19
Slothrop, correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the bulk of the gov’t subsidies for so-called “farmers” go to big, big agri-business — you know ADM, Archer Daniels Midland and the like. I’m not sure Joe Farmer with a few hundred milkers gets much if any at all. This is I think the double-zinger in using the dairy farmer as a prop in a photo/audio-video op. It’s pure Orwellian management of “message” and image.
Posted by: Kate_Storm | Feb 19 2005 2:45 utc | 20
the bit about the social democrats (SD) coming up with the idea of anschluss first was unknown to me, but is not a cause for wondering. the SD, later socialists, and now SD again, would have changed little if this is true. i have personally had a very high up SD state to me that there are “about 50 to 60 other countries the US should invade” and at the same ocassion joke with another person at the table that austrians “need a strong man, even if they are not prepared to admit that”. to anybody not privy to this kind of talk over expensive dinners it is plain to see that todays SD are but shills in the grand scheme of converting this country into “little america”, including jobjacking, dismantling the social security network and all those other things which give warmth to a capitalists heart.
my take on the plan of integrating all of continental north america into a single administration is that one of the first steps to prepare for this – if it is more than wishful loud-thinking – is the instatement of negroponte as head of the american kgb. somebody as ruthless would be needed to ‘soften up’ internal dissent by any means in all three countries. so not only bananas are imported from middle america, now the “salvador option” would be coming to north america too.
Posted by: name | Feb 19 2005 2:51 utc | 21
kate
I could use an education about subsidies. Northern farmers have suffered massive dislocation by industrialized agriculture. Subsidies have funded this dislocation, to be sure, beginning with the subsidized rail transport and storage of grains. But, subsidies that insulate entire national markets benefit firstworld farmers while destroying subsistence farming in the south. The pauperization of American farmers that happened from the late 19th century to the postwar period is replayed now on a global scale. As I understand the process, protectionism benefits the American farmer and preserves vestiges of heartland gemeinschaft at the terrible expense of dislocating billions of peasant farmers.
But, I’d like to know more.
Posted by: slothrop | Feb 19 2005 3:36 utc | 23
Poked about a bit to see what I could find in response to concerns raised by Slothrop & RossK. Found something that hopefully can get each of you started.
On issues & impacts of agribusiness upon people who farm, I think the best journal is Agribusiness Examiner by Al Krebs. I recently hrd. interview w/him, so I’m 99% certain it still comes out. I found a site for back issues & you can email him for info. on current issues. It’s quite comprehensive & wide-ranging in issues it covers.
For more info. on what US is trying to do to Canada, I found two things of interest:
1)Culprits:the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (the CCCE, formerly the Business Council on National Issues) is lobbying the federal government to move beyond NAFTA toward deeper integration with the U.S. Sho’nuf – it’s the Kleptos hard at work behind closed doors – including Piratizing yr. med. system (“Opening it up to Pirate Investment”); North Am. ID Card – Yippee, you too….Anyway, I found a group that seems to be opposing it, along w/other initiatives of the Pirates that you could get involved w/. Called Council of Canadians – their website is fairly informative: Couldn’t get the link to set up correctly in typepad, so go to Canadians.org – sect. on US-Canada relations. Maude Barlow is Chairperson & She is OUTSTANDING. They’re conducting a 10 city tour to inform Canadians of the dangers. Link to that page She is also spearheading oppositon to Pirates in toto. Wish we had someone this good.
Also, did anyone know that there is a meeting of GATS that began FEB 7 & is ongoing? Shucks, maybe I just haven’t been reading Atrios/Kos/Billmon closely enough. Anywhooo, guess what friends, it’s not very interesting anyway. They’re merely discussing REMOVING ALL RESTRICTIONS ON CAPITAL FLOWS, ON WATER, ON MEDICAL CARE & God knows what the fuck else…….But no reason that it should be front page news, or even mentioned on our oh-so-cool “leftie” blogs……Here’s a starter site from NZ . Good links here – esp. focusweb.org (Focus on Trade), which has other links.
Posted by: jj | Feb 19 2005 5:12 utc | 24
We don’t need the whole Canada (with all those liberals and Frenchies). Alberta is enough: just the oil and water, please.
Posted by: idook | Feb 19 2005 6:17 utc | 26
Ross, I kinda figured The President for Lennie, with the Farmer as George.
Posted by: Kate_Storm | Feb 19 2005 9:38 utc | 27
b. I was going to write about NORTHCOM, so thanks.
Canada? Different health system, odd national dishes, kinda cold, still some french-speakers there, oh! very liberal, gay marriage is allowed, don’t ya know.
Kind of like a Swiss canton, where exactly those types of differences pertain.
National defense, federal tax, Post Office, telecoms., TV (programs, in some measure), air waves, transport, immigration, energy resources or use, safety regulations, banking laws, tax, commercial / economic stuff, very important; education (wild local differences tolerated), territory laws (energy, building, transforming, including control of planes and air space, already partly done as far as I can see?), national projects (e.g. pipelines, see Water, crucial), basic drug laws, border control, etc., are all centrally decided.
Up to a point. Exceptions can be made under the ‘minorities must have sway’ policies. Gay marriage, french text books, medical marijuana, anyone?
The Canadians won’t see it coming. Aren’t. Anschluss 2005 – 2010.
C.Joe wrote:
The real question, imho, is if the US will last long enough as a superpower to manage to assimilate Canada.
That is it.
Posted by: Blackie | Feb 19 2005 18:03 utc | 28
Blackie–
But where are we gonna go when the Anschluss comes.
Because if we are Switzerland which mountain range should the new von Trapp families cross?
Then again, perhaps I’m thinking about this the wrong way…perhaps it will be the flatlands we will have to cross.
After all, who’s gonna really want Manitoba.
The Capitulation of Canuckistan appears to have already begun in earnest.
With Our Small Paul (Martin) starring in the role of the tinteapot Mr. Dithers?