Edited for excessive morbidity

OR

Edited for impressive immortality

This will tug at your heart strings ... go watch the slideshow!

PLAN B

Task force urges joint security perimeter

Document calls for integrated continental strategy on immigration, trade, energy

Canada, Mexico and the United States should collectively gird against terrorism with a common security perimeter, protecting an increasingly integrated continent where residents freely cross internal borders and the three countries share a common energy strategy.

That's the sweeping and undoubtedly controversial vision for North America that is to be unveiled in Washington today by a blue-ribbon tri-national task force chaired by former Canadian deputy prime minister John Manley, former Mexican finance minister Pedro Aspe and former Massachusetts governor William Weld.

Undoubtedly. Shame on you John Manley. Is this the best job you could find after leaving parliament, selling out your country? Certainly there were better options out there, but the pay must have been good.

The document calls for a "North American economic and security community" by the end of the decade. The arrangement is envisioned to include:

Unified visa and refugee regulations, joint inspection of container traffic at ports and integrated terror "watch" lists;

Common biometric border passes that would allow seamless passage through customs, immigration and airports throughout North America;

Shared external tariffs "at the lowest rate consistent with multilateral obligations";

Joint energy and natural resource security strategies; and,

A development strategy to stimulate growth in Mexico.

Anyone else freaked out yet? Fortunately, the Globe responds with reason:

... While that notion will be warmly received among U.S. intelligence and security agencies, the Canadian and Mexican governments could face popular and widespread opposition if they are perceived to be dealing in personal details about their citizens.

"The American price for doing things in the economic sphere often involved tradeoffs in the security sphere," acknowledged a member of one of the sponsoring groups that was familiar with the drafting process. ...

While the task force is boldly specific about some issues -- a single inspection process for all freight containers arriving at all North American ports, for instance -- it is deliberately vague about others, such as the notion of an investment fund to help dirt-poor southern Mexico.

If they can't get in one way, they will try the other door. I wonder how long we will have to listen to the pleas for continent unity until the populace starts to ask for it. How many cloaks will it wear? Thank goodness we have Paul Martin in power, because we know Mr. Harper would have given in months ago.

wowowowowoowowow!

B-Boy Buana