Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Does the U.S. really want to renegotiate NAFTA?

JOHN MANLEY

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 2:37 PM EST 15/05/08

Bring it on, writes former Liberal foreign minister John Manley ...Read the full article

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

  1. National Action Committee on the Status of Elvis in Canada from Canada writes: We should be highly surprised if the US attempts to re-negotiate the NAFTA next year. First of all, John McCain, who has a 50-50 chance of winning in November, is a firm supporter of the NAFTA. Secondly, we should all know by now that the Obama campaign's promise to re-negotiate the NAFTA is just a nudge-nudge wink-wink attempt to win votes in the northern industrial states, where the NAFTA is a scapegoat for the US trade deficit. And as we know, the factors that contribute to that deficit chiefly lie elsewhere, as Obama's economic advisors will explain on his first day in the White House.

    As for Canada, why would we re-negotiate an agreement when our trade surplus last year was $85 billion, notwithstanding the Canada-US dollar being close/at/around parity.

    Maybe Mexico's interested in re-negotiating NAFTA...
  2. Ted B from Toronto, Canada writes: We should drop out of Nafta and build a pipeline to eastern Canada.
    The east gets their oil from the Saudis, Iraq and Venezuela.
  3. George Bishop from Fergus, Ontario, Canada writes: The whole NAFTA was a real Snow Job for most Canadians in that it benefits mostly the USA, if Mexico was on the same Social and Economic plane as is Canada and the USA there might have been some hope that it would benefit all of us, whereas Mexico is a Third World Country in every sense, one can not compare NAFTA to the EU in any way, most of the Countries that started the EU had the same Economic and Social structures in place, so its a success and NAFTA is not!
    The USA gained our natural resources and our Oil and what did we get, not a heck of a lot in return, one has to look at all the empty factories here in SW Ontario to see what NAFTA did here, again the people who sold us down the river where the Pro business lobby, they did not represent the ordinary people of Canada, soon we will be part and parcel of the USA, including our currency! I am glad that I am of an age that it wont matter a lot, but young people should be worried for there future!
  4. west slope from Canada writes:

    Oh Manley is so gung ho. About many things, including killing and stealing in the Middle East........ International law? Not if the real-politiks are above it.

    He's also a lawyer and a politician, not an economist or a political sociologist.

    I love his rhetorical flourish at the end suggesting that trade with China and Asia is a zero-sum game for the USA. I guess he skipped on that economics class.

    Sure, NAFTA may keep benefits "in the family" but we are still inviting American workers to give up their jobs to Canada and Mexico.

    Is it worth it in the long run? Yes! Just don't listen to the John Manley homespun spin.

  5. Marvist Clank from Canada writes: Wet Slope, although I sympathize with your lack of enthusiam for John's perspective on rural Pakistan anthough I share (with experience) his view of the DHS and its 'ham handed' stupidity...
    I'm sure John Manley understands 'comparative advantage' and that China and Walmart have saved North America from its monetary printing presses for the last 20 years.

    However, what was sold in Ohio by Obama and Clinton was a load of manure. Rationalizing North America helped them compete against the rest of the world and if you closed that door Ohio would be materially worse off, even if you use union-schooled 'zero sum gain' accounting and forget economic concepts.

    So I congratulate John Manley on this summation of the 'political' facts. If the Americans want to open this Pandora's Box, they had better realize they are going to gain nothing and they will have opened up themselves to a renewed and expanded universe of grievances outside their special interests (unions) and industry specific (steel, lumber) business lobbies (whom Hillary and Barack are simply pandering to).
  6. MJ M from transplanted Ontarian in Alberta, Canada writes: Can someone please explain to why John Manley isn't the leader of the Liberal Partu of Canada. I have been a Manley fan since I lived in Ottawa in the 90's. He held every major cabinet post in Ottawa, all ran well and efficiently without ever a hint of a scandal. When He's wrong he admits it and moves on, when he's right he doesn't grind everyone about it.

    When he was the Finance Minister he came to speak to our local chamber of Commerce here in Alberta, very unfriendly territory. He made a very non-partisan speach and answered every question easy and hard. When he didn't know the answer he said so, when the policy was unpopular he defended it anyway. I have never seen Manley take the easy way out on any issue, when the Conservative gov't asked him to do the Afganistan report, he did it in a very non-partisan way. He criticized both the curreny gov't and the previous one he was part of.

    My position on NAFTA FWIW is almost exactly the same as his.
  7. John Miller from montreal, Canada writes: This is a bunch of nonsense. This is not the real agenda. This is the smoke in your mirrors. Our gov'ts don't care of NAFTA. People get informed, look outside the box. Please view these short videos to find out more. Afterwards you might want to dig deeper to see where we are really going. Happy viewing and spread the word, we can do it together!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br31mdP8-Ug
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T74VA3xU0EA
  8. Dave c from Calgary, Canada writes: I wish that John Manley was still our foreign affairs minister. He seems to have a solid understanding of the US and it's concerns. He's right, why are the Americans making crossing the border such a problem , it's hindering trade and making US/Canadian products more expensive. We're shooting ourselves in the foot with this one. I know crossing the border used to be a joke. In Chicken, Alaska, there was a sign on the border saying to report into the government offices in Dawson City. No one was there to question you at the border. I think things have gone overboard since then. Harper's sucking up to Bush has not helped us out at all. We've lost credibility and influence in world affairs ie: UN Security Council seat mentioned earlier this week in the G&M and we have nothing to show for it. Let's get rid of the Tory bullies and get Dion in as PM. At least he has a plan for Canada rather than a hidden agenda.

Join the Conversation, Leave a Comment

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

You must be logged-in to submit a comment — login now!

Not registered with globeandmail.com? Register now. It is quick and free.

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top