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Hillary and Obama are trading in bunk when it comes to NAFTA

LAWRENCE MARTIN

lmartin@globeandmail.com

Latest comment posted at 8:05 AM EDT 29/02/08

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  1. Walt A from Windsor, Canada writes: I have no issue with NAFTA being reopened. If it means keeping our resources in Canada and hopefully someone will make us self sufficient, I'd support it. Other oil exporting countries do not pay world prices for gasoline so why should we. Keep our resouces at home and sell our surpluses. They are Canadian Resources, not the world's resources.

    Living here in an automotive driven society, you can't tell me that we can't design and produce our own cars and other manufactured goods like China and India can? If you truly build it here, I'd buy one. The problem is the greed of profit that everyone wants to make. Complain about the prices of material but never say a peep about the profits you reap in your stock market gains. Give those up and the prices might drop.
  2. Imperial K from Toronto, Canada writes: You'll do as your told by the bigger power, as we always do, and always will. Canada has no stomach or power to do anything else. You want your precious money, so obey.
  3. John Doucette from Manotick, Canada writes: The Not A Free Trade Agreement must be re-opened if Canada is to survive as an independent nation. That being said, our political leaders, whether Liberal, or Tory, are unable or unwilling to see what has actually occurred.
    Our business leaders, either in the employ of foreign entities, or acting as agents of foreign entities, will all support more of the same.
    Our political leaders will follow the money.
    Canadian citizens will, as has occurred since the 80's, see declining wealth and opportunity for the majority, the equalization of social programs with the US and Mexico, and increasingly meaningless democratic institutions.
    Cancelling NAFTA would cause short-term pain but the real question is whether Canada should be an independent nation or remain a colony.
  4. g chan from Canada writes: Seems to me NAFTA was alive and well in symbionic relationship until ... Halliburton agenda sidetracked US economy down path of debt, obstructive border security policies, barriers keeping out bright intellectual alien minds, favorable trading clime for China, unpatriotic flight of inve$tment, manufacturing, and R&D to countries such as China. I would think these issues should be addressed first as they are probably the root cause of American job losses. Mention of NAFTA is distraction from reality... and more damaging ... uninformed misinformed American minds often become fossilized to simplistic flag waving rhetorics.
    If a priori presidential leadership issue is NAFTA ... "God Save America"!
  5. K S from Toronto, Canada writes: Clinton said she wants to “renegotiate the core labour and environmental standards”. I’m not sure exactly what that means but if it means American companies will no longer be able to ride roughshod over Canadian environmental regulations, as in the case of MMT, maybe it’s a good thing.
  6. Hmmmer ? from Recovery, Canada writes: This is ridiculous, Emmerson started yesterday, before this.

    Of course this is nothing more than Steve's boy Emmerson supporting the US conservatives, by trying to make the Democrats look dumb.

    Emmerson should just mind his own business, he is embarassing and not trusted much outside his circle.

    Remember Emmerson is the one who was elected a Liberal and two days later(likely agreed upon earlier) crossed the floor to be appointed as the courier to the softwood dispute who would give the Yanks a way out of their legal obligations and a billion dollars that should have come to Canadian companies.

    He has no chance of re-election. He is hated in his riding!

    Some say Harper is a brilliant tactician but you have to wonder at this slavish pandering to the US.

    Why does Harper model his and his governments style after the ignoble Bush and his disastrous administration?

    Because of Bush the Repubs are likely to be obliterated by Obama.
    Then the shift will come north and the tide will turn against Conservatives.

    I think that's why Harper wants an election so bad. Faint hope.
    He's like a groupie. It makes no sense, Canadians don't want to be Yanks.
    How can Harper not see that? Not looking?

    Hmmmer. Things that make ya go, hmmm?
  7. Hmmmer ? from Recovery, Canada writes: Walt A from Windsor, Canada writes: I have no issue with NAFTA being reopened. If it means keeping our resources in Canada and hopefully someone will make us self sufficient, I'd support it. Other oil exporting countries do not pay world prices for gasoline so why should we. Keep our resouces at home and sell our surpluses. They are Canadian Resources, not the world's resources.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Good post Walt! I agree, why are we paying so much for fuel?

    We certainly need cars and trucks to get anything done anywhere in this huge country. Why not emission free?

    We could build those.

    A carbon tax could be used to stimulate development here for cool "Green" cars, trucks, buses etc. We could then sell to the world/US.

    A green car designed and built in Canada.

    If it was viable I'd buy one. Why Not?

    Hmmmer. Things that make ya go, hmmm?
  8. Political Junkie from Canada writes: People just can't see past the reflexive anti-American thing.

    If you look at the numbers, you have to be extremely grateful that the U.S. has been willing to put with our huge trade surplus. We should just keep praying that the Democratic nominees don't really mean it when they talk about redressing the balance.
  9. Walt A from Windsor, Canada writes: Why can't we adopt this policy? The US would invade us.... that's why. In a few Latin America and Middle-East nations, such as Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, oil is produced by a government-owned company and local gasoline prices are kept low as a benefit to the nation's citizens, he said. All prices updated March, 2005. Nation City Price in USD Regular/Gallon Netherlands Amsterdam $6.48 Norway Oslo $6.27 Italy Milan $5.96 Denmark Copenhagen $5.93 Belgium Brussels $5.91 Sweden Stockholm $5.80 United Kingdom London $5.79 Germany Frankfurt $5.57 France Paris $5.54 Portugal Lisbon $5.35 Hungary Budapest $4.94 Luxembourg $4.82 Croatia Zagreb $4.81 Ireland Dublin $4.78 Switzerland Geneva $4.74 Spain Madrid $4.55 Japan Tokyo $4.24 Czech Republic Prague $4.19 Romania Bucharest $4.09 Andorra $4.08 Estonia Tallinn $3.62 Bulgaria Sofia $3.52 Brazil Brasilia $3.12 Cuba Havana $3.03 Taiwan Taipei $2.84 Lebanon Beirut $2.63 South Africa Johannesburg $2.62 Nicaragua Managua $2.61 Panama Panama City $2.19 Russia Moscow $2.10 Puerto Rico San Juan $1.74 Saudi Arabia Riyadh $0.91 Kuwait Kuwait City $0.78 Egypt Cairo $0.65 Nigeria Lagos $0.38 Venezuela Caracas $0.12

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