bin Laden’s legacy continues to terrorize the Canada-U.S. border

VANCOUVER, BC, May 26, 2011/ Troy Media/ – The world breathed a sigh of relief after U.S. President Barack Obama announced the demise of Osama bin Laden in a stunning Special Forces operation. But for Canadian businesses relying on trade with their American counterparts, the nightmare represented by bin Laden continues.

Despite bin Laden’s death, there is little chance that the increased security measures and thickening of the Canada-U.S. border that was enacted following the 9/11 attacks is going to end. If anything, the hardships for Canadian business resulting from the border thickening have worsened since 9/11. While the precise cost to Canada in terms of commerce, tourism, and government spending is difficult to estimate, the costs have been, and continue to be, very significant.

U.S.-bound exports, which previously accounted for more than 80 per cent of all Canadian exports, have fallen below 70 per cent. Part of this shortfall is attributable to economic circumstances such as Canada’s strong loonie relative to the greenback and depressed demand for Canadian exports due to the recession’s impact on the American economy. However, a significant part of the decline in Canada’s U.S.-bound exports is a result of logistical challenges characteristic of the post-9/11 border.

The negative impact of post- 9/11 security arrangements has also taken a serious toll on the flow of tourists crossing our 5,500-km shared border. According to a 2009 Canadian Tourism Commission report, the number of Americans taking leisure visits to Canada has fallen steadily, from about 40 million trips in 2001 to just over 22 million in 2008. Fewer American tourists visiting Canada means fewer dollars finding their way into the tills of tourism-dependent Canadian businesses.

http://www.troymedia.com/2011/05/26/bin-laden%E2%80%99s-legacy-continues-to-terrorize-the-canada-u-s-border/

So what happens now?
Well what happens?

We suck up the reform line and nobody refutes it.

We, or our country lived through, the family compacts. We lived through being at the end of a spoke on the wheel, until we got fed up sacrificing our young.

So we have battled commonwealth/reciprocity to arrive here. Now. We have two parties that are stuck with the commonwealth/reciprocity and an opposition that doesn't have an opinion that it will stand up to!

So with our abilities to compromise and appear compliant, what should happen. Should we now make spanish labels on our food products a requirement?

All US americans should be careful in accepting Canadians as full fledged US citizens.