Transcript 8. Historical Perspectives.Canada-US relations.pptx

What have we discussed about
perspective? What is it?
• How do our personal experiences shape
our view on events?
A) while we live them?
B) when we look back at them?
Magic word is ….
PRESENTISM
Historical Perspective
• How can we better understand the people
of the past?
– Difference in values, beliefs, motivations
– Avoid presentism
– Consider historical context
– Take on their (historical actors) perspective
– Understand the diverse perspectives of the
time (eg. Both sides)
Some perspective on…
Canada - U.S. Relations
Friends by choice or necessity?
Is it like this?
Or more
like this?
Custom labels on the beer
Harper won in his 2014 Olympic
hockey bets with Obama
 “Far more of the 9/11 terrorists came across from
Canada than from Mexico.” (former U.S. Speaker Newt
Gingrich, April 2005 – later retracted and apologized).
 “We’ve got to remember that the people who first hit us
on 9/11 entered this country through Canada.” (then U.S.
Senator Conrad Burns, December 2005 – later said he
‘misspoke’).
 “For most Americans, Canada is sort of like a case of
latent arthritis. We really don’t think about it unless it acts
up.” (1992) Pat Buchanan (former US Presidential
candidate)
FRANÇOISE DUCROS (former communications director to
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien)
 “What a moron.” (about President Bush, 2002)
 PM Chrétien: The President “is a friend of mine. He’s not
a moron at all.” Ducros resigned shortly after.
CAROLYN PARRISH (Liberal MP 1993-2006)
 “Damn Americans. I hate the bastards.” (overheard after
invasion of Iraq, 2003)
 “We are not going to join a
coalition of the idiots.” (2004)
Weird Al's Canadian Idiot
Discuss:
Do we have the same values ?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Same sex marriage
Guns
Capital punishment
Public provision of health care
Decriminalization of marijuana
Levels of military spending
And yet… best friends?
• “The United States is our best friend and
largest trading partner” – 2006 Throne
Speech of Canada’s new Conservative
government
Why?
What makes the
USA our “BFF”?
Shared Geography
• 9,000 km long border – and shared commitment to
cross-border law enforcement and intelligence
cooperation
• Shared environment
– Airsheds (and air pollution)
– Watersheds (Great Lakes, rivers, ocean)
– Migratory species
Shared values and history
• WW1, WW2, Korea, Cold War &
Afghanistan
• Mutual security interests
• Allies in UN, NATO, WTO…
• Shared values: democracy, free
markets, rule of law (all equally subject),
civil liberties
Shared Institutions
• 300+ treaties at all levels of government and
private sector
– International Joint Commission
– NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense
Command) and other long-standing defense ties
• Mega-projects
– i.e. St Lawrence Seaway and Pipelines
Economic interdependence $$$
• The United States takes 73% of our exports
• 63% of our imports come from the USA
• In 2009, exports accounted for approximately
30% of Canada's GDP.
Statistics Canada, 2009
BUT …
Lets look at the history of Canada - US trade
•Read ‘The Business of Free Trade’ pg. 373 – 378
•Free Trade Agreement: Divisive issue in 1988
election
•Mulroney & Conservatives- FOR (43% of vote)
•Liberals & NDP- AGAINST (57% of vote)
•FTA came into force Jan 1st, 1989
•January 1st 1994, Mexico joins, NAFTA created
•US vs. CAN Dollar
NAFTA… some challenges
1. Softwood lumber (2001-2006)
– Largest trade dispute in the world
– Huge issue in Canada but barely noticed in U.S.
– Canadian resentment at U.S. not abiding by NAFTA
dispute resolution panels
RMR clip: Everything you wanted to know about softwood
NAFTA… some challenges
2. Restrictions on Canadian cattle exports after
discovery of BSE
3. and others…
NAFTA… successes
• One in five Canadian jobs is linked to
international trade
• Trade with the United States is up 80
percent, and the amount of trade with
Mexico has doubled.
• Has had a positive impact on trade in
automotive, agriculture and
communications industries
Perspective again…
• How do you think these different people
feel about NAFTA?
– Canadian wheat farmer
– American industrial CEO
– Mexican plant worker
– Canadian factory worker
– Canadian consumer
Beyond economics… always allies? Foreign Policy
Disagreements…
Persian Gulf War, Episode 1
• August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991, commonly
referred to as the Gulf War
• UN authorized coalition, AKA ‘Operation Desert
Storm’
Canada is in!!
• US $60 billion war, $36 paid by Saudi Arabia
• Started with an Air Attack on January 17th, 1991.
• Ground attack followed on 23rd February
• Canada condemns Iraq’s invasion, Mulroney sends
several ships, aircraft, and a mobile field hospital
Persian Gulf War, Episode 2
• “After all, this is a guy that tried to kill my dad at
one time.” (Sept 26, 2002)
• “We found the weapons of mass destruction.
We found biological laboratories. And we'll find
more weapons as time goes on. But for those
who say we haven't found the banned
manufacturing devices or banned weapons,
they're wrong, we found them”. (May 29, 2003)
• “I wasn't happy when we found out there wasn't
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq”. (Oct 8,
2004)
The Controversy
• After 1991 Gulf war Saddam promised to destroy all WMD
• 2003 Bush and Blair declare that Iraq has WMD
• UN says ‘wait, we’ll inspect’. No WMD found February,
2003
Canada is out!!
• March 19th, 2003 US attacks
• Canada openly opposes the invasion
So think again…
Which statement seems most accurate to you? Think
about perspective as you justify your point of view.
• “Mr. King, my old friend. Your course and mine have run so
closely and affectionately during these many long years that
[…] I have always felt at home in Canada and you, I think,
have always felt at home in the United States.” FD
Roosevelt, 1943
• “Geography has made us neighbours. History has made us
friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity
has made us allies.” Kennedy, 1962
• “Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly or temperate the beast, one is
affected by every twitch and grunt.” Trudeau, 1969
Historical Perspective – poetry ;)
• In groups you are going to write a Bio-poem
about being either Canadian or American.
Try to reflect historical perspective.
• Half our groups will write using the American
perspective and half will write the Canadian
perspective.
• Put your poem on chart paper.
• Look at our different poems - What common
ideas are present? What differences do you
see?