Well, I think that things will get worse, much, much worse, where Canada-US relations are concerned, especially in trade issues. I live in the "riding" of the Trade and Industry Minister who signed off on this deal and he is NOT popular here.
While most Canadians are, generally speaking, not anti-American, the attitudes of some posters here, i.e., ...54-40 or fight...are familiar to us and tend to antagonize more and more people here. This, in turn, gives an impetus to the leftist people in Canadian politics/media who ARE and will remain anti-American; it also motivates nationalists to demand an end to the NAFTA farce.
In the long view, this situation is/will be good for Canada as it will tend to substantially lower our current levels of trade/involvment with the USA and will increase our trade in both resources and commodities with other nations, such as China and India. Certainly, there will be a difficult period of adjustment, however, that is already in progress and is working out fairly well.
My first reaction to this "deal" is to begin to lobby for the elimination of American hunting and fishing in Canada, especially B.C. as it really is of no economic benefit to us. My second is to lobby for the imposition of a very substantial export tax on ANY amount of oil, gas and electricity sold to the US.
Then, we declare the Columbia River Treaty null and void as well as institute a border tax on American goods shipped into Canada. We demand that Canadians wishing to travel, for any reason, in the USA have current passports to re-enter Canada and we also put a toll for Americans on the Alcan Highway and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway.
The export of raw timber, in any form, is halted and never re-instated while any agricultural exports to the US are taxed and US agricultural imports are banned. Yup, times would be tough, but, we could, would and should do these things and survive....it's business.
While we are at it, I favour a withdrawal from Norad, bringing home ALL Canadian military personnel except those that may be stationed/working in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. There is little point in Canadians being active in the fight against those Islamists who threaten the USA, 'cause the Yanks are so tough and big and all that bullschitt that they can do it all themselves.....like they did in Vietnam.
Yup, there's a lot we can do and I kinda think much of this will happen, as the government that sold us out to the USA will NOT be in power long.
