|
National Survey
Reveals Strong Opposition To North American Union
While President Bush and his counterparts in Mexico and Canada continue
to deny that the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) is the
beginning of a North American Union, Americans around the nation are
expressing their growing opposition to the scheme.
The American Policy Center, (APC) a grassroots activist organization
located in suburban Washington, DC has just concluded a survey of one
million American households. The survey, titled “Do Americans
Support a North American Union” asked a series of questions
concerning the SPP and the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC). The survey
package also included a four-page report prepared by APC entitled “NAU
Fact Sheet", providing details about the SPP, the TTC and how
these programs are being implemented quietly, behind closed door
meetings like the one just completed in New Orleans.
It is important to note that APC did not select households that might
represent specific ideological positions. The chosen households
represented neither conservative nor liberal positions. Instead the
recipients were a wide verity of Americans who live in the direct path
of the proposed Trans Texas/NAFTA Corridor, from Texas to Minnesota.
The questions on the survey were:
1. Have you heard of the Security and Prosperity Partnership?
58% of those responding said they had NOT
heard of the SPP.
2. Do you think private corporations should have the power to
enforce trade policy that may adversely affect our national sovereignty
and independence? This question relates directly to the
establishment of Public/Private Partnerships between private
corporations and government which grant no-compete clauses and
Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDA) which provide guarantees by
government to the corporations on investment returns. As such, projects
like the TTC are not free enterprise but rather government-sanctioned
monopolies. As APC explained this process in the survey, fully 95%
of the recipients OPPOSED such policy.
3. Chapter 11 of the NAFTA Agreement states that, disputes over
NAFTA-related issues will be heard in NAFTA courts superseding U.S.
local, state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court. Question
three asked, Do you think this would be a threat to U.S.
Sovereignty? 91% responded YES.
4. The SPP calls for expanding the U.S. security perimeter to include
the borders of Canada and Mexico. Question 4 asked, Do you
think it would strengthen U.S. Security to expand our borders to the
outer borders of Canada and Mexico? 87%
of responders answered NO.
5. Do you think it will strengthen U.S. Border security to
allow trucks from Mexico and Canada to travel, free of inspection, up a
corridor which has been built and controlled by foreign corporations
into the heartland of the United States? Texas Department of
Transportation has already signed a 50 year agreement with a Spanish
company named Cintra to build the TTC. In September of 2007 the Bush
Administration started a pilot project to allow Mexican trucks to cross
the U.S. border without inspections and are free to travel inside the
United States. Meanwhile, the Senate passed the 2008 omnibus spending
bill that “was clearly written and designed to put the breaks
on the current pilot program,” according to sponsor Senator
Bryon Dorgan. Yet, the Bush Administration, under the leadership of
Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, continues the program, now in
violation of federal law. 95% of responders to the
APC survey OPPOSED the Mexican truck project.
6. Would you support efforts to replace the U.S. dollar with
a common North American currency some call the "Amero?"
Though denied by the Bush Administration, there has been much
discussion in economic and academic circles about the creation of a
North American currency much like the Euro. In October, 2007, during an
appearance on the Larry King Show on CNN, former Mexican President
Vicente Fox answered in the affirmative when King asked him about the
creation of a united currency. In the May/June issue of the Council on
Foreign Relations magazine Foreign Affairs, in an
article entitled “The End of National Currency”
economist Benn Steil said the dollar is “a temporary
currency.” 92% of survey responders said
NO, they would not support such a common North American currency.
7. Do you believe there should be public hearings and debate
on this policy before it is allowed to move forward? To date,
there has been no congressional legislation, no congressional hearings
and no congressional oversight concerning the establishment or
operation of the SPP. No federal money has been officially allocated by
Congress. No official authority has been provided for the creation of
the SPP. Obviously, Americans feel it is wrong to make such significant
changes in our national policy without open debate as 95%
of survey respondents said YES, there should be
debate and discussion.
8. Should the Bush Administration be allowed to move forward
with its plans to crate a “North American
Community” without Congressional approval? Again,
the American people have shown they understand that it is Congress
which decides such policy as they responded with a resounding 97%
NO to this question.
9. Do you believe the United States should be
“harmonized” or merged into a union with Mexico and
Canada? The words most often used by the Administration
concerning the SPP are “harmonize,” and
“integrate.” The United States is a representative
Republic; Mexico is a socialist government; and Canada is part of the
British Crown. There are no grounds for
“harmonization” unless drastic changes are made to
the US judicial and financial system. 88% of survey
responders said NO to harmonization with Mexico and Canada.
10. Finally, responders were asked to provide their own comments and
thoughts on the SPP. The word most often used was “Treason.”
Another said, “I want no part of the social health
care of Canada and I do not want to incorporate Mexico’s
turmoil and poverty into our United States.” Many
others said, “I want secure borders, not easy
traffic between the US, Canada and Mexico. Said another, “Bush’s
actions formulate a horrifying destruction of our proud
nation.” Stronger language was used by many more
responders. Clearly Americans, once they learn about the SPP are
strongly opposed.
However, once again this week (April 21-22) in yet another closed door
SPP meeting in New Orleans, President Bush and his fellow heads of
state from Mexico and Canada continue to deny the SPP is anything more
than a “dialog” among the three nations.
“Yet,” said Tom DeWeese, president of the American
Policy Center, “as the Texas Department of Transportation
signs an agreement with the Spanish company Cintra, containing
no-compete clauses and guaranteed returns; as the Kansas City council
loans $2.5 million to build the inland truck port called KC Smart Port;
as the twenty SPP working groups continue to write policy; as the
Mexican trucks roll over our borders; as high level meetings go on
– the Bush Administration dares to deny that ANYTHING is
happening. Why? The responses to APC’s survey show why. When
Americans understand the truth, they say NO in resounding
numbers.” Concluded DeWeese, clearly the American people are
overwhelmingly opposed to the harmonization of North America. We just
want our country -- strong, independent and secure.”
Click here to visit the American Policy
Center website
|