Tom Brokaw Explains Canada To Americans
Wow, how cool is this? It must have been broadcast before Christmas of 2009 because after that, Parliament was prorogued until March.
NAFTA Uncovered
First of all, let me just say that when the first free trade aggrement was reached between Canada and the US during Reagan’s time, I hated it as did many others. It did terrible things to us. American companies who had manufacturing plants in Canada, picked up their things, closed the plants and moved to the US.
After a few years, it turned out it was good for both countries. So good, they figured they extend it to Mexico and so NAFTA was born. That was hard on our workers again. Mexico had cheep labour and our manufacturers were only too glad to go where the cheap labour was. I don’t recall that our prices were lowered as a result.
But when I hear US politicians talk about blaming NAFTA for their country’s woes, and at the same time talking about cheap imports and environmental concerns and cheap labour etc., they’re talking about China and India. They’re sure not talking about Canada. They’re not even talking about Mexico. Do they really think the American people are so stupid, they don’t know the difference?
Well, maybe they are. Who am I to say? I guess that Trillion dollar war had nothing to do with the state of their nation, eh?
Favourite Adage
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. (Albert Einstein)