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SPP, what do you guys think


mattm

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I'm looking for info on this. I read lots about the protests that will be going on but I really don't know anything about this. From what I see, it's the politicians making north america into a union like that in europe but I don't know for sure. To me it looks like the states just taking us over. Either way, it's not in the news that I can see and the only info I can find is from the americans (not to be trusted) or people hard against it which will be biased. I'm wondering if any of you guys know what it is and what you guys think about it? Think we'll ever get to vote on it? The way it's going now, with 25km security perimeters on the conferences and such, it doesn't look too public...

Myth: The SPP is a movement to merge the United States, Mexico, and Canada into a North American Union and establish a common currency.

Fact: The cooperative efforts under the SPP, which can be found in detail at www.spp.gov, seek to make the United States, Canada and Mexico open to legitimate trade and closed to terrorism and crime. It does not change our courts or legislative processes and respects the sovereignty of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The SPP in no way, shape or form considers the creation of a European Union-like structure or a common currency. The SPP does not attempt to modify our sovereignty or currency or change the American system of government designed by our Founding Fathers.

The SPP is meant to:

* Coordinate our security efforts to better protect U.S. citizens from terrorist threats and transnational crime and promote the safe and efficient movement of legitimate people and goods;

* Expand economic opportunity for all our people by making our businesses more competitive in the global marketplace, cutting red tape, and providing consumers with safe, less expensive, and innovative products; and

* Enhance our common efforts to combat infectious diseases, develop responses to man-made or natural disasters to enhance our citizens’ quality of life, protect our people and our environment, and improve consumer safety.

Is it as scary as I think it might be?

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The SPP is meant to:

* Coordinate our security efforts to better protect U.S. citizens from terrorist threats and transnational crime and promote the safe and efficient movement of legitimate people and goods;

* Expand economic opportunity for all our people by making our businesses more competitive in the global marketplace' date=' cutting red tape, and providing consumers with safe, less expensive, and innovative products; and

* Enhance our common efforts to combat infectious diseases, develop responses to man-made or natural disasters to enhance our citizens’ quality of life, protect our people and our environment, and improve consumer safety.[/quote']

Is it as scary as I think it might be?

from that description it doesn't sound scary at all to me. although it's a press release or something and it's supposed to be all warm and fuzzy. anyways, i'm all for cooperation. i hope something good comes of it.

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Addition: Canada's Site

Things like this I wonder about:

Canada – U.S.

* Update the 2004 Drug Threat Assessment and subsequently develop a joint action plan.

...

* Deploy law enforcement officers in foreign jurisdictions to advance investigations and prosecutions (the international liaison officer network).

Does this mean our drug policies will be as strict as the US? Jail time for a joint, etc? What about foreign law enforcement walking around? I like that canadians don't have guns at the border though that will probably change anyway.

This could probably be a great benefit if done properly but I think about things like is my new baby going to go to jail for life for a joint? Is he going to get even more hassle when crossing the border? Will there be anything left of our health care system in a few years?

Not sure. The websites don't actually specify anything and I'm a tad worried...

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how would this one-day international summit affect our health care system?

canadian border guards want to be armed for their own safety. i personally don't have a problem with that.

Drug policies like the US - I don't see how a one day summit will affect this. (haven't read the links though)

Foreign law enforcement - depends on the situation.

I haven't read the links, just responding to what's written here.

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the leaders are meeting over two days at montebello. sorry, it's two calendar days but they'll be there for 24 hours or less.

i realise it's the third summit of a larger program, but mattm's original post talked of the montebello event only.

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what do you think about this stuff?

Canadians who are following the issue are aware that the Canadian Government has made it illegal to protest the upcoming summit; and that the 25 KM security barrier will be manned by a joint RCMP and US ARMY force. Such activity concerns me. Having US Army conducting operations on Canadian soil in order to protect corporate interests. Is that so wrong?

RCMP, U.S. Army block public forum on the Security and Prosperity Partnership

The Council of Canadians has been told it will not be allowed to rent a municipal community centre for a public forum it had planned to coincide with the next Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) summit in Montebello, Quebec on August 20 and 21.

The Municipality of Papineauville, which is about six kilometres from Montebello, has informed the Council of Canadians that the RCMP, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and the U.S. Army will not allow the municipality to rent the Centre Communautaire de Papineauville for a public forum on Sunday August 19, on the eve of the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership Leaders Summit.

“It is deplorable that we are being prevented from bringing together a panel of writers, academics and parliamentarians to share their concerns about the Security and Prosperity Partnership with Canadians,†said Brent Patterson, director of organizing with the Council of Canadians. “Meanwhile, six kilometres away, corporate leaders from the United States, Mexico and Canada will have unimpeded access to our political leaders.â€

As well as being shut out of Papineauville, the Council of Canadians has been told that the RCMP and the SQ will be enforcing a 25-kilometre security perimeter around the Chateau Montebello, where Stephen Harper will meet with George W. Bush and Felipe Calderón on August 20 and 21. According to officials in Montebello, there will be checkpoints at Thurso and Hawkesbury, and vehicles carrying more than five people will be turned back.

For more information, contact:

Stuart Trew, media contact: Tel.: (613) 233-4487, ext. 228; Cell: (613) 292-2218; strew@canadians.org.

For more information about the Security and Prosperity Partnership, visit IntegrateThis.ca.

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um on something this big and important?

I would have thought this would be everywhere and be a big issue.

sorry I don't spend my days looking up political issues.

it is everywhere, depending on where you look. kinda overshadowed this week by the cabinet shuffle. it's a big issue to some, and not to others. it's not a big issue to me, it sounds like regular political stuff. it is interesting though, nice to see canada hosting the leaders.

you don't have to apologise for not looking up political stuff. although i don't think the "why didn't anyone tell me?" line is particularly effective.

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I'm just wondering about it. I find it scary because I find the US to be the most terrifying country on the planet and so I'm curious to see what other, more informed folk, think of this. I'm a computer nerd, I don't do politics (or politics forums for that matter, sorry if this is supposed to be there).

I worry about the future of my country. We used to win best country in the world (7 or some years in a row late 90's, early 2000's) but we don't anymore and I think it's because of our trend toward doing things US like.

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hey I have a great idea, lets combine forces with the worst president in US history!

as Trudeau always said: Canada's Canada, the U.S. is the U.S.... they're run differently and as a result the people are different

fully worthy of worry... we already have "Free Trade" which is more than enough of a connection (still waiting on that $2 billion softwood lumber settlement, oh yeah, Harper told them not to worry about it... free trade indeed)... Canada has different security concerns than the US... and a lot less of them, meaning Canada will be shouldering an unfair amount of burden

bring the european nations on board and maybe it would make a little bit of sense but would be plain stupid to jump onto the sinking ship of the US with mexico at this point in time

we don't want to turn into more of a justice system / military fueled economy such as our unfortunate neighbours to the south... under such a system you go broke if you run out of crime and/or war, a sick policy... why is the U.S. dead set against reforming drug laws? because there's no way they could afford to reform their drug laws, their economy would crash

Bush is not to be trusted on his way out, especially on matters of "security" with which his policies seems to be largely centered around trying to take away his citizen's basic freedoms in the name of spreading freedom... "no fly list"? "Canadians need passports to enter the U.S."? god knows any terrorist worth his salt wouldn't remember to blow $200 on a decent fake I.D. before entering the country... who gets hassled? you do

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hey I have a great idea, lets combine forces with the worst president in US history!

Well put. I don't trust any incentives brought about by the actually cunning bastards who put him in place.

Makes me think of the line from Bill Maher (over there in the Politics Forum!): we don't need "people of faith" in the White House, as people like Mitt Romney insist - we need people of doubt. We need more scrutiny and skepticism as these years move ahead, not a whit less (and not just about religion).

The people who run shows like this one in Montebello find democratic processes an impedance. That's why information about it isn't obvious to anyone who's not spending time and energy digging it up.

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