Comments from Steve




Steve (Edmonton, Alberta)
I am very interested in your website and your cause because I am a dual citizen... my mother is american and my father is canadian... and I have lived in both countries.

However, I still have questions.

I understand your stance on state run health care, I do agree that the state does play a major role in health care just as provinces do, but I really feel that universal heath care in north america would die as a result of a united continent. The private interest and investment in the heath care industry in the US is to strong to allow an alternative universal option in the north... the market will quickly absorb the provinces as a healthy expansion and government funding will decrease. I just cant see the universal system surviving, unless it gains popularity in the US (which is highly unlikely due to the money involved). How would you respond to this?

As well, you say the issue is beyond the politics of today, but the politics of today is the major driving force in support or opposition. The union will never happen as long as republicans are aware of the threat of adding 30 million democrats to the republic. As well, the american view of canada is very different then that of canadians. Americans see Canada as a foreign country just like the UK or Germany and are generally uninformed about its importance. Canadians unfortunatly have a wide negitive view of the US because of US foreign policy and the culture drain. Personally, I feel that as long as the US is seen as a menase on the world stage, Canada's opinion of the US will remain negative neutral. The political system in Canada is simply to left wing for the american union... we remain loyal to a degree to the queen, something the US constitution will not allow for, and our political system is drastically different then the US, and would require the parliment to pass several amendments to the canadian constitution to change. How would you get around these obsticles?

Johnathon, I like the idea... however in todays world I cant see it happening. The political influences are simply to strong to allow such a blind union, it would go against both principal and ideology in both countries and would never get the support of the congress or parliment.

As long as the US is seen as an occupier in the world, and the american political influence remains free market "right wing" democracy, such a union can never be acheived. Its one thing to talk about California joining the union as an infant democracy, but its another to talk about uniting two very seperate, very independent countries into one. Its a daunting task.

Thanks again for the reply.

Cheers,

Steve

Jonathan Wheelwright (United North America)


Steve,

First off, congratulations on the dual citizenship. I myself only have Canadian. Essentially, you have what I wish everyone in North America had.

In a tightly divided US Congress, there is simply no way that Canadian Congressman could be ignored on an issue (health care) that nearly all of them would agree on. The tenth amendment also gives the protections in regards to how states manage their affairs. Finally, there is very little chance that Canadian provinces would join the United States without assurance that they could maintain single payer health care.

Single payer health care not only enjoys a super majority support in Canada, but many polls show it has a majority support in the US. Here's one: http://www.pnhp.org/news/2007/december/where_are_we_on_refo.php. Obama has already publicly supported a type of universal health care, and with the addition of Canadian states, I do believe he would have the political capital to implement single payer across the nation. But, at the very least, it would not be taken away from places that already enjoy it.

As for US attitudes, from my experience, they are largely positive towards Canada and Canadians. And polls do confirm this as well. See: http://www.gallup.com/poll/104734/americans-most-least-favored-nations.aspx. Now, I don't normally do this, but it just so happens I received yet another email from a conservative in the US this afternoon. Here are his exact words.

"Name: James
Location: Kensington, MD

Message: I'd like to respond to the comment from Illinois. As a Republican and conservative I'm in favor of the uniting of the US and Canada. I do not believe this would have major political implications on either country. Currently the PM of Canada is Stephen Harper, a member of the conservative party and the Canadian house is very much divided the way the US house is. They have a slight Liberal / NDP majority just as the US does. Frankly I don't see why history drew the 49th parallel. What makes this line so special that it must divide land. What makes Saskatchewan so different from North Dakota or New York unlike Ontario. It all seems pretty much the same to me. The only contrast that I can see is Quebec, only due to the language they speak. Let's go from the 50 United States of America and the 10 Provinces of Canada to just plain ol' North America. Why not?"

I need not add anymore to that.

As for the political differences, I do not think they are as radically different as you describe. Here's another interesting article to consider: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080629/poll_us_canada_080629/20080629?hub=Politics

You'll notice that while 51% of Canadians consider themselves liberal, and 41% consider themselves conservative, when USAmericans were asked the very same thing, they responded with 37% of them being liberal and 57% conservative. Now, no polling has been done to compare the northern US with the southern US, but I would guarantee you that the northern US aligns much closer with Canadian results, and Western Canada aligns more closely with Western US results.

As for the negative views of the US, and the legislative battles in Parliament that would need to take place. I agree, these are huge hurdles to overcome. Yet, let us look at Europe; only 50 years ago they were at war, and today they are in the midst of creating a Federal Europe, that is becoming to resemble a United States. It was difficult to achieve, and they had to get dozens of national legislatures to agree, but it is moving forward. It gained that success because Europe could see the power of the United States, and could see the strength of unity. Canada would not be what it is today if Upper and Lower Canada and the Maritimes did not make something greater than themselves, and we need to do so again.

We have a lot of work to do to achieve this goal, but through education and information we can make this dream a reality. In fact, I believe it is necessary in order to maintain our preeminence on this planet against the rising powers to the east.

Thanks again,
Jonathan Wheelwright