One Canadian’s Opinion?
Canada is one of the world’s wealthiest nations in the democratic world. It is a country that believes in freedom, justice, liberty and the rule of law. Over it existence Canada has defended these beliefs on behalf of others that could no longer or were un- able to defend themselves. Canada has stood up to be counted on the international stage, in the Political arena, at the United Nations, Peace Keeping and yes in the sacrifice of lives in these areas as well as in past wars. There is no shame to hang on Canada by anyone in this world for inaction when call upon to act. The population of Canada compared to the other nations of the world is not close in comparison but the loss of life just as great if not more greatly felt due to it. Canada’s population is 31.5 million, (UN, 2003), roughly approximately 9% of the population of the United States of America. One could take the population of Canada and put it in many large cities in the World.
Canada is a Multi-Cultural society unlike its neighbor to the south the United States of America, which is self described as a Melting Pot society.
The concept of Canada as a Multi-Cultural society can be interpreted in different ways:
• Deceptively (as a sociological fact)
• Prescriptively (as ideology)
• From a political perspective (as policy)
• As a set of inter group dynamics (as process)
As fact, multiculturalism in Canada refers to the presence and the persistence of diverse racial and ethnic minorities who define themselves as different and who wish to remain so. Ideologically, multiculturalism consists of a relatively coherent set of ideas and ideals pertaining to the celebration of Canada’s cultural mosaic. Multiculturalism at the policy level is structured around the management of diversity through formal initiatives in the federal and provincial and municipal domains. Finally, multiculturalism is the process by which racial and ethnic minorities compete with central authorities for achievement of certain goals and aspirations. Thus, Canada has been largely free of racial tension.
Canada is found upon principals that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms equally to citizens and non citizens set out in its subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
1. Freedom of conscience and religion
2. Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the Press and other media of communication
3. Freedom of peaceful assembly
4. Freedom of association
This explains why Canadians have a different way of looking at themselves
and the world around them, especially sociologically!
US Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci was particularly critical of Canada’s reluctance to join the war effort in Iraq. He said: “There is no security threat to Canada that the United States would not be ready, willing and able to help with. There would be no debate. There would be no hesitation. We would be there for Canada – part of our family.” His implication being that Canada failed to come to the aid of the United States in its time of peril. The reality was that there wasn’t one; they were under no threat from Iraq but quit the opposite. Simply put the United States was not in peril.
The points made by President Bush about certain issues as well as some aimed at Canada are up for debate.
Canada’s participation in the Second World War was not pre-emptive as he said but a declaration of war due to defense treaties, plus the United States didn’t support Canada, even when Canada and Britain requested their help separately but made profits from selling to both sides of the conflict till Pearl Harbor occurred. The same can be said for the First World War 1914 – 1918.
We were there for the US in Korea but not Vietnam but both sides agree now, we were right on that one.
The UN operates due to the way the United States set it up to operate because at the time it was to their advantage and has done everything in its power to prevent change for the better because it was in its best interests to do so, not in anyone else’s interests. Let’s not forget the UN veto process, that the US has in the past prevented from being change, which is the real reason that the UN is irrelevant.
NORAD was set up to protect the United States from Russian missiles landing on American soil not Canada’s as stated by the US Commander of NORAD in the early 1970’s, Canada was not a consideration.
NAFTA and the NAFTA dispute board was created by the United States with three Americans sitting on it out of five, now it refuses to abide by its rulings.
Canada went down the road to peacekeeping because the United States said the next War would be nuclear war fought with ICBM’s and they would defend North America not Canada.
President Bush condemns Canada for not supporting the United States, not having a military force large enough to fight a war, not trading on a level playing field and not benign friendly.
When people feel indebted to others they tend to forget or don’t speak of slits that have been done to them previously. That still does not mean that it didn’t occur. Let’s not forget that Canada leaped to America’s aid immediately on September 11, 2001 without being asked, without caring where the threat came from, knowing that our neighbors to the south of us were in peril. Canada as well as Canadians has accommodated the United States in the past to a nationally detrimental point.
Trade between Canada and the United States has developed to the point that Canadians are hard pressed to find anything in Canada that is 100% made in Canada that Canadians can buy. Everything is either made from materials made in the US, assembled in the US, manufactured in the US or can’t be made without tools made in the US. Do you believe that this type of situation would be tolerated in the United States? NO! I strongly believe in free trade and a level playing field but at the same time I feel that a level playing field means totally something different to the US then it does to the rest of us in the free world.
The United States dictates the rules of any agreement it signs. When things go in their favor the rules are fine. When US producers start to feel as though they are losing something, whether real or not, then the agreement must be renegotiated. The real issue is that the US has too great of a hand in framing international trade rules, which it uses to ensure that its own producers are somehow insulated from the tough realities that it recommends for others. It is in the end it is a commitment to getting other countries to give American producers access to their markets and the US reciprocates when it is convenient. This is due to a lack of checks and balances that other countries in the world have to entice them to keep an even keel on their trade agreements.
Even with all this condemnation from our only true friend, the load cries of anti-Americanism, I have only found Canadians feelings toward Americans disagreeable is when individual Americans and American Companies / Corporations take a anti-Canadian attitude of retaliatory action against Canadians outside of their own governments action.
The question at the end of the day is; has Canada lost its sovereignty over its foreign affairs and domestic affairs as to international trade due to its close trading relationship with the United States? That Canada can not exercise its democratic rights and move freely without fear because it has not gotten approval from and risking offending our neighbor / friend / family to the south of us. Have Canadian producers and suppliers become so tied to the high profits and profit margins in the US that it is no longer profitable to look after our own domestic market? Without looking after our own domestic markets first before turning to a diversified foreign trade we will not be able to enforce a level playing field with outside markets and free trade agreements.
Canada’s Politicians and Business Leaders are trying to appease our neighbors to the south for financial profit and increased profit margins, which is easily made there, in the United States, then else where in the Global Market. Until Canada's Politicians lead this country of ours in the direction that expands our business and trade interests within the EU as well as the rest of the world will we be able to defend our Businesses in trade agreements with the United States. Its time to decrease our dependency on US trade or we will lose control of our own destiny and freedom.
Its time that Canada's Business leaders and Politicians start looking out
for Canada's domestic and foreign interest instead of the easy profits and profit margins that are found in the United States. In short its time to stop being lazy or except being taken advantage of!
