The Globe and Mail editorial board writes that, “On credit cards, greenhouse-gas emissions and automobile-industry insolvencies, not to mention infrastructural stimulus, Canadian policy-makers are increasingly echoing the policies of the United States. But since the Obama administration took power, such conformities have not aroused much nationalistic indignation.”
They expand on those issues then conclude that, “While the Council of Canadians, for example, continues to oppose what it calls ‘deep integration’ with the United States, it has not launched a campaign to criticize this latest wave of harmonization. Apparently, it makes a difference to many Canadian nationalists when the trend in the allegedly hegemonic power is toward social-democratic dirigisme”.
Rather than conceding that the Council of Canadians has always been correct in its analysis that the loss of our economic autonomy – through NAFTA and a structured dependence on the US economy – would ultimately undermine our political independence, the Globe and Mail has chosen to attack us for not criticizing the Harper government for belatedly and grudgingly adopting elements of progressive legislation from south of the border.
The regretable reality is that the Harper government has worked very hard to stop any renegotiation of NAFTA and has used trade threats to stop US legislation on climate change that would hinder the massively destructive tar sands in any way.
The Council of Canadians calls for a national water policy, a Canadian energy strategy, and trade policies that would promote a healthy and productive Canadian economy that benefits Canadians, not just transnational corporations.
We invite the Globe and Mail to publish our op-eds on a regular basis. Perhaps that way they could be better informed in their critiques of us.
For now, we will be responding to their editorial through a letter to the editor.
You can post a comment on their editorial at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/the-nationalists-are-silent/article1150504/
