OVER THE EDGE December 5, 2007-January 9, 2008 1ne Rumbling Cody Willett - Editor inChief start of my last Rumbling Echo column, I have a clarification. During production the following quote was accidentally cut from the column: “The [Security and Prosperity Partnership] has... compre- hensively rolled up most of our existing homeland security-re- lated policy initiatives with Canada and Mexico, and ongoing action and reporting in the various U.S.-Canada and US.- Mexico working groups led by DHS [Department of Home- land Security] should now be driven by a single agenda: the SPP.” I then went on to do a tongue-in-cheek trivia spot on who said it, where they said it, etc. Sorry for the mishap. If you didn’t read the last column, the quote’s owner is none other than US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Michael Chertoff. It’s from a DHS-wide memo. Now, on to this column’s topic. Really it is an extension on a theme. I talked about the SPP and who’s behind it in last column. This time around my focus is on where this secretive process might be headed and why I think so. I contend that the SPP is a backdoor mechanism by which the econ- omies, militaries and ultimately the adminis- tration of North American countries will be integrated to the point of inseparability: we have witnessed the first unmistakable steps towards a North American Union (NAU), replete with its own currency, the ‘Amero’. Now, I know what you’re probably saying: “Oh yeah, here we go again with one of Cody’s typical ‘anti-American’ dia- tribes. What does he know anyways? The people of Canada are too wary of American attempts at making us the 51st state, the US regards its constitution as so sacred that it could never be modified to accommodate Canucks and Mexicans, and Mexicans don’t want anything to-do with Gringos and snow.” Maybe you’re not saying, but I’Il indulge you who are so in- clined. First, I won’t be passing judgement on Americans here today. Like always, I'll call out their government, and until it’s unpatriotic or illegal (wait for it...wait for it... nah, too easy) I'll continue to do so here, there and everywhere because be- ing anti-government policy does not mean ‘anti-peoples-of- that-country’. Second, I know lots, thank you. However, it’s what I don’t know (and can’t find out ‘cuz no one will say) that scares me. Thirdly, with the constant shuffle of our re- sources into American hands and the un-halting US corpor- ate takeover of Canadian companies along NAFTA rules, I’d say Canadians aren’t too wary of anything these days. Amer- icans may see their constitution as unalterable, but who’s to say they don’t think their constitutional framework wouldn’t be superimposed on other NAU countries (I mean, Canadians are already talking about an elected Senate, right...?). As for Mexican views on Gringos and snow, well, I guess we can take their refugees showing up on our borders and flooding the content Coronas and pricey tortilla shells these days. Anyway, we’re talking about this NAU and ‘Amero’ thing, t? Well, in discussing the SPP and the advisory teams pushing the process, I mentioned a paper called “Building a North American Community” that was put out by the Amer- ican Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Canadian Coun- cil of Chief Executives and the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales. President Bush and VP Cheney have rou- tinely been keynote speakers at CFR congregations. Hand in the pocket? Let’s sportingly say ‘no’. Do their goals line up? Yup! Creating a continent-wide economic free trade zone with a common tariff barrier for all North America: check. Har- monizing product standards so that goods produced in North America beat China’s wares in terms of quality on the world market: check. Opening up the US-Canada and US-Mexico borders to pre-cleared secure internal trade while tighten- ing external border openings to hinder terrorists who might their refugees showing up on our borders and flooding the US as a sign they might not be satisfied with their low alcohol pricey tortilla shells these days.” ‘smuggle a dirty-bomb’ in through a port (as Defence Minister Peter MacKay has recently claimed they will): check. Open- ing up immigration laws to allow labour mobility (which due to low Mexican wages and currency value would dramatic- ally depress wages in all three countries to the benefit of the corporate bottom line): check. Disaster response coordination for natural disasters and pandemics (I hear FEMA could use a hand): check. A faster, more efficient transportation network to secure the timely flow of goods and resources like oil and water: check. Greater military coordination to keep our coun- tries safe from the mutual threat of terrorist attack: check. Going down in history as the President who finally harnessed and conquered the will of North America without a shot fired: priceless. So where am I getting these wild and crazy ideas from, you ask? Well, I did a little browsing on the net, came across that “Building a North American Community” paper,-and BAM!!! It’s all there to take in and weep. Don’t believe it? Do some research and draw your own conclusions. I mean, some of the commentary I added in there, but these CFR dudes and their Canadian/Mexican counterparts know what they want and who to talk to about getting it, Now, much of what they’re say- ing is prefaced with flowery language regarding “the creation by 2010 of a North American community to enhance security, prosperity, and opportunity. ‘We propose a community based on the principle affirmed in the March 2005 Joint Statement of the three leaders that ‘our security and prosperity are mutually by a common external tariff and an outer Escente perimeter within which the movement of people, products, and capital will be legal, orderly, and safe. Its goal will be to guarantee a free, secure, just, and prosperous North America.” Sweet! The Middle East might be a basket case because of economy- boosting military adventurism and the rest of the world has a big hate-on for the West, but at least we acted swiftly to lock the ‘barbarians’ out at the gates. I mean let’s face it: We’ve neglected Africa pitifully, meddled way too much in the Middle East, lost touch with an increasingly insular Europe, poked Russia in the eye at every opportunity since the Cold War, and amped up our economic showdown with the Asian tigers. Who the heck wants to play with us anymore? I think the Bush administration knows the jig is up and they better score a good deal with energy/resource rich Canada and hard- working Mexico while the getting is good. To make matters worse for the US, their global clout is falling away so rapidly that their desperation ‘As for Mexican views on Gringos and snow, well, I guess we can take to maintain what standing they have left looks more and more naked as the days go by. The fall in the value of the US dollar, long the backbone content Coronas and Surency of the global economy, is serving as a shakedown notice to the once-mighty US pol- itico-economic elite. The oil economy will one day soon pass on account of global warming. The US dollar’s fall in value makes it less attractive to oil pro- ducing countries to rake in profits today with a lower-valued currency (oil can only be bought in US dollars). Also, nine trillion dollars in public debt is quite the liability to a flagging economy. I can see the strategy meetings now: ..Interestingly, China is really doing well with its low-value currency... If there was only a way to fight fire with fire... The US dollar is devaluing anyways... Wait, I got it! Here’s the plan: as the NAU starts to take shape under the auspices of the SPP, we somehow trigger a nasty stock market collapse and make the case for restructuring North American currencies to fit the new global economic order. We’!l be leaner, meaner and cleaner! Plus the ‘dollar’ has gotten boring. We can call the new money the Amero! Ooooh we’re tricky... Course, you’d never hear this outright in the mainstream media. Too many vested interests. Plus, who wants to stick their neck out and get fired? Facts with a little conjecture never got anyone anywhere if it exposes an ugly truth. People don’t wanna hear that kinda stuff. I mean come on, here in Canada we’d probably just piss and moan that there’s no Canadian presence in the ‘Amero’ name. There’s ‘Amer-’ for the US and ‘-o’ for Mexico... “Camero’ wouldn’t fly. Damn Americans, al- ways hurting our feelings when they get what they want from us, leave a couple bucks on the bedside table before leaving at 3am, and don’t call for days. Damn those sexy Latinas and their dark silky hair... GET IN THE KNOW. GET KUDOS. The word is spreading about Kudos - the financial package specifically designed for people 18 to 24. wiTH KUDOS >. R E TREATED AN “x INTEGRIS CREDIT UNION @ Whether you're in school or starting a career, Kudos gives you the respect you deserve with fow-fee accounts, student loans, rewards credit cards, and more. It’s a great reason to get in the know about credit unions. Learn more at integriscu.ca