Tight, Friendly Borders
That celebrated border between Canada and the United States that bisects the top two-thirds of North America and which was once so casual and relatively porous, with some towns demarcated by a street across which was the United States, Canada on the other side, no longer serves its purpose. Casual no longer the order of the day, having succumbed to vigilance. The terror attack of 9-11 altered the relations of complacency.
And while incidents of potential terror suspects treading lightly across from Canada into the U.S. have been fairly non-existent, the fear of that particular urban legend becoming reality has convinced American legislators that it is true.
It is as though they have to be seen to be doing something. To protect their borders from dangerous invasion resulting from a perceived Canada's less-than-diligent vigilance to detect the presence of villainous predators seeking to do harm to the world's super-power.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who, during her campaign for president echoed that oft-repeated slur of leaky Canadian borders threatening American security still treads those same highways of suspicion. The by now ingrained belief that most of the 9-11 attackers entered the U.S. through Canada simply refuses its own funeral proceedings.
"I represented New York for eight wonderful years, and our border was pretty porous, just to be blunt. We had both land and water points of entry that had been traditionally used without any questions being asked." And that's true to a most certain degree, of two people living in contiguous association, casually crossing that border to work, or to shop, or to vacation, or to visit friends, neighbours and family members.
Those who were long accustomed to casually cross the border with a friendly wave-through by Customs agents now sit in prolonged waits as Immigration and Customs personnel scrutinize passport identification and ask questions. The NAFTA was, needless to say, supposed to free up those borders even more, to encourage the free trade and passage of goods and people between the two signatories.
Over to the U.S. Homeland Security, with its Secretary, Janet Napolitano as well informed about the Canada-U.S. border issues as the Secretary of State, contemplating another trip toe extend goodwill and trust between the two countries in the form of further tightening.
And while incidents of potential terror suspects treading lightly across from Canada into the U.S. have been fairly non-existent, the fear of that particular urban legend becoming reality has convinced American legislators that it is true.
It is as though they have to be seen to be doing something. To protect their borders from dangerous invasion resulting from a perceived Canada's less-than-diligent vigilance to detect the presence of villainous predators seeking to do harm to the world's super-power.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who, during her campaign for president echoed that oft-repeated slur of leaky Canadian borders threatening American security still treads those same highways of suspicion. The by now ingrained belief that most of the 9-11 attackers entered the U.S. through Canada simply refuses its own funeral proceedings.
"I represented New York for eight wonderful years, and our border was pretty porous, just to be blunt. We had both land and water points of entry that had been traditionally used without any questions being asked." And that's true to a most certain degree, of two people living in contiguous association, casually crossing that border to work, or to shop, or to vacation, or to visit friends, neighbours and family members.
Those who were long accustomed to casually cross the border with a friendly wave-through by Customs agents now sit in prolonged waits as Immigration and Customs personnel scrutinize passport identification and ask questions. The NAFTA was, needless to say, supposed to free up those borders even more, to encourage the free trade and passage of goods and people between the two signatories.
Over to the U.S. Homeland Security, with its Secretary, Janet Napolitano as well informed about the Canada-U.S. border issues as the Secretary of State, contemplating another trip toe extend goodwill and trust between the two countries in the form of further tightening.
Labels: Canada/US Relations
posted by Pieface | 7:02 PM
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