The End of America

By John W. Whitehead

www.rutherford.org

“The president of the United States is an internationalist. He’s going to do what he can to create a place where the idea of America is just that—it’s an idea. It’s not an actual place defined by borders.”—Rep. Tom Tancredo

As technology makes it possible for us to travel long distances faster, communicate more easily and cheaply across space and time and stay informed about events happening in even the most far-flung parts of the globe, the world seems to be getting smaller by the minute.

Such globalization, in effect, does away with national borders, leaving no one untouched. Just think of the car sitting in your driveway with parts manufactured in eight different countries, the food on your table, grown in far-off places and shipped to your local grocer, and the customer service representative for your local phone company, who just happens to be answering your call from India or Canada.

While globalization has certainly proven to be a boon for corporations and a source of convenience for the consumer, the geo-political aspects of globalization are more unnerving and can clearly be seen in the merging of European nations into a single legal and economic entity known as the European Union.

Suddenly, the idea of a North American Union—a merging of the American, Canadian and Mexican physical, economic and legal borders, which was once ruminated on only by conspiracy theorists, no longer seems quite so far-fetched. In fact, according to some commentators, academics and political analysts, the groundwork has already been laid.

In October 2004, the Council on Foreign Relations brought together leaders from the United States, Mexico and Canada to study how the three countries could better facilitate economic activity across their physical and legal borders. Building on the groundwork already established by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), this task force published two documents, Trinational Call for a North American Economic and Security Community by 2010 and Building a North American Community, which chart a drastically different course for the United States. And a Spring 2005 summit in Waco, Texas, attended by President Bush, President Vicente Fox of Mexico and Canada’s Prime Minister set us firmly on this path. During the summit, the three leaders agreed to establish the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), which is essentially a framework for a North American Union.

So what does a North American Union mean for the United States? According to some, this could mean a completely unified North America—meaning no American currency, no American borders and, most critically, no sovereign American law. In fact, proposals have already been floated for a North American Court of Justice (with the authority to overrule a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court), a Trade Tribunal and a Charter of Fundamental Human Rights.

As a result of such a merger, conservative activist Jerome R. Corsi foresees an immediate challenge to our First Amendment free speech laws, as well as our Second Amendment right to bear arms under such a unified court structure. As he explains in Human Events, “citizens of both Canada and Mexico cannot freely own firearms. Nor can Canadians or Mexicans speak out freely without worrying about ‘hate crimes’ legislation or other political restrictions on what they may choose to say.”

Particularly worrisome is the fact that most of these proposals are being advanced in secret, behind closed doors. “President Bush signed a formal agreement that will end the United States as we know it,” CNN correspondent Lou Dobbs proclaimed, “and he took the step without the approval from either the U.S. Congress or the people of the United States.” Evidently, as Corsi has noted, the plan is “to knit together the North American Union completely under the radar through a process of regulations and directives issued by various U.S. government agencies.”

Clearly, the integration of the North American countries would facilitate commerce by making it easier for corporations and immigrants to cross borders. However, this could drastically alter America’s constitutional and legal framework and end America as we know it—not to mention creating a monstrous bureaucracy that would make the Office of Homeland Security look like a well-organized machine.

So what can we do about it?

First, we must demand that Congress closely analyze this proposed transnational merger. Second, Americans need to demand that President Bush be more forthright about his intentions. Third, “we the people” need to voice our concerns to our elected representatives and insist that they protect our rights. Certain members of Congress have already formed a Coalition to block the North American Union, while some states are working on resolutions that would oppose the implementation of a North American Union as well as any plans that would lead to the integration of the United States into a larger international governmental structure.

However, as with all things, it all comes down to the bottom line. For mega-corporations, a North American Union may be the gateway to more money. But for Americans, the bottom line must be something more than economic concerns—it is maintaining our sovereignty as a nation. That’s what the American Revolution was all about. And along with sovereignty come the Bill of Rights and our Constitution. They are, after all, what have made America unique and a beacon of democracy to the rest of the world.

John W. Whitehead’s weekly commentaries are available for publication to newspapers and web publications at no charge. Please contact marketing@rutherford.org to obtain reprint permission.

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Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. He can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org. Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at www.rutherford.org.

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