By Frank Koeksal

Recently, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with President Obama in Washington DC to discuss ways an agreement could be forged between the two countries to expedite trade and tourism across one of the largest boarders in the word. On the surface, this ides appears reasonable until one realizes that the lead to this meeting was kept out of the public eye. The reason for this may come from what we have heard from the meeting itself, mainly that information about Canadians will be shared and kept by various US security administrations. During the joint press conference with Mr. Harper and Mr. Obama the question of sovereignty came up, and although Mr. Harper seemed uncomfortable with the question, Mr, Obama was more forthright. Mr. Obama was clear that any deal with Canada would happen only when US security interest were addressed and implemented to the satisfaction of the US. This does not sound like a two way dialogue, more like a drill down.

For Canadians this process should be of great concern. Being that we are nation of 30 million people next to the largest power on Earth, do we really believe that our sovereign rights as citizens will be taken into account? We have seen this play out before in the form of the Free Trade Agreement, North American Free Trade, the North American Highway proposals. Back in 2006 we saw the conversation around the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership talks between Canada, the US and Mexico. All of this in the name of economics and jobs. Couple the above with rumors of a North American Union and common currency, who do we as Canadians think will call the shots. I can tell you it will not be Mexico or Canada, it will not even be the US. The shots will be called by the same interests that caused the 2008 financial collapse, the same peoples that gave Americans the Patriot Act, endless wars in the Middle East. The same people that live rather well with that fact that 47 million American are on food stamps.

The question is, are we as Canadians as North Americans content with the idea that the three countries in North America appear to be being merged to serve the interest of an status quo establishment or do we as Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans voice our concerns and opposition ? Do not get me wrong, if the people in North America feel that it is in their interest to merge are countries and that Nation Identity and Sovereignty is of no concern, then let us collectively have a discussion. However, I believe that sovereignty does matter. Are we to be irrelevant nuisances that make no difference as to what happens to our Nations or are we players on the stage that will effect us.

These back room meetings and deals only serve to deprive us of information that we need to determine our self determination, and falls directly into the plans of the status quo. Citizens need to pay attention to these integration arguments made by our leaders in the name of the good for our economy. We have seen the neo liberal economic arguments that have lead to de-industrialization in Canada coupled with off shoring of jobs in various sectors. Yet these same actors and proponents of integration are telling us that we do not need to know the finer details of our sovereignty erosion and just to trust them as they fill their own pockets. I say take charge, voice your concern and write your elected officials, the editor of your major newspapers, call into talk radio show and voice your concern. Remember evil prevails when good people do nothing, and taking our collective sovereignty by stealth is evil.

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Frank Koeksal lives in Calgary Canada. With degrees in Political Science and Psychology as well as Psychology, his interests include finance and economics.