Hi, teevee -
"You just never know when those Canadians might unilaterally put on an export tax on gas, create a foreign pipeline tax, or threaten to cut off the flow of gas as a counter measure to American economic warfare currently being waged on the lumber front."
That phrase, "as a counter measure to American economic warfare currently being waged" really bugs me.
You are implying that the recent success of a group of American lobbyists represents American policy towards Canada. I say that is not the case: not yet. The continuation of these practices would substantiate your implication, but it is just as likely that, in the long view, the US will decide that this is, on balance, the wrong way to do things.
Part of the justification for NAFTA lay in the international development of trade blocs: part (though not all) of the intent was to make North America an efficient competitor.
Will the Bush administration begin to dismantle NAFTA, piecemeal? Is this, as I asked earlier, "the thin edge of the wedge"?
Because if it is, and the Softwood Lumber Dispute is representative of the future course of events, then this headache is nothing, compared to what will follow.
In the meantime, despite the real pain that is being caused in Canada, I am hoping that both sides will refrain from inflammatory descriptions of the event such as "economic warfare".
It is far from that. If "economic warfare" does come, and we see a return to protectionism, Canada will be badly hurt.
So will the United States.
Regards,
Jim |
