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30
"Canadian-lib" movements. Their noisy
clamors
to
"buy back Canada" from the
domination of American industry are
commonly heard. Fortunately for the
U. S., their outcries are resented by
many Canadians, especially by those in
outlying provinces who often tend to
feel closer in sentiment to the States
than
to
the far-off central government
in Ottawa.
Another friction point is the newly
framed concept of "continentalism,"
gaining force within política! and
industrial circles in the United States.
This concept, which has come under
especially heavy fue in Canada, views
all the natural resources on the North
American continent as being "com–
monly owned," with little regard to
political boundaries. Popular with
Americans who see their own resources
dwindling, "continentalism" is strongly
opposed by many Canadians who want
to
determine by themselves how their
own massive stores of natural materials
are to be developed in the future. Out–
spoken critics of the idea claim Canada
could be "raped" by American industry
in its growing appetite for raw mate–
rials.
New Elephant Jokes
During his state visit to Washington
last December, Canadian Prime Min–
ister Pierre Elliot T rudeau expressed that
"Living next to you (the U. S.] is in
sorne ways like sleeping with an ele–
phant. No matter how friendly and even–
tempered is the beast, one is affected by
every twitch and grunt." Mr. Trudeau's
remarks have spawned a new rash of
politically oriented "elephant" jokes
and political cartoons across his country.
But his point was nevertheless a valid
one. There is no mistaking the over–
whelming dominance exercised by the
United States over Canada. America,
beset though it is with serious economic
and domestic problems, is still the most
powerful nation in the world - a mas–
sive, pulsating, economic colossus. And,
as America goes, so goes Canada -
whether she likes it or not. Canada's
current critica! unemployment problem,
for example - running seven percent
nationally and ten to twelve percent in
certain eastern provinces - is a reflec–
tion of an economy heavily dependent
The
PLAJN TRUTH
upon every economic "twitch" and
"grunt" that emanates from south of
the bordee.
Canada's true size is somewhat
deceiving. Though it is second only to
the Soviet Union in geographic size, it
has a population and economy roughly
equal to that of California.
Furthermore, its population is some–
what maldistributed. About 80 percent
of all Canadians are clustered within
200 miles of the American bordee.
Although Canada boasts of the world's
longest coastline, and shares with her
neighbor the distinction of "the world's
longest common unmanned bordee,"
this Latter point has become somewhat of
a
cliché.
Canada would never be in a
position to defend herself in the highly
improbable event of U. S. aggression,
even if the bordee
tuere
manned.
Search for National Identity
Canadian Externa! Affairs Minister
Mitchell Sharp once said that "the cen–
tral problem Canada faces is how to live
distinct from, but in harmony with, an
immensely powerful neighbor." And
indeed the Canadians, dwarfed by the
might of the U. S. economic, industrial
and military colossus, are a people
struggling hard to retain their autonomy
and national identity.
Fears of being economically and cul–
turally submerged into the United States
are frequently expressed by Canadians
at all levels, despite the reassurances
taken home by Mr. Trudeau from
Washington that the U. S. did not
desire to make a colony out of his
country.
American industry (see chart on page
41) not only depends greatly on Cana–
dian trade, but also at the same time di–
rectly controls an overwhelming amount
of Canadian business and industry. Here
is "multi-national" business in its most
highly developed forro. A full 75 per–
cent of all foreign-owned industry in
the Provinces is headquartered below
the bordee.
InBuence from south of the bordee
extends even into the labor unions.
In fact, foreign influence has become
so critica! that at times Canadian work–
ers have found themselves pawns in dis–
putes between multi -national busi–
nesses and multi-national labor unions,
March-April 1972
both based m the United States!
Yet another American-spawned threat
to Canadian business is the new
"DISC" concept. "DISC' ' stands for
"Domestic Jnternational Sales Corpora–
tion." Basically it is a plan to encourage
more sales by American industries at the
expense of production by their foreign
subsidiaries.
Ioundated by Unintended
Propaganda
On the social level, the Canadian
population is constantly deluged by the
outpouring of American radio and tele–
vision, as well as by American books,
magazines and newspapers. Many col–
lege-age youths choose to go south and
study in the more recognized American
universtttes -
even though many
schools in Canada have substantial rep–
utations and histories themselves. Cana–
dian tourists go south in droves,
especially in the cold winter months.
Through all these manifold contacts,
Canadians inevitably take on a certain
American image. Governmental efforts
to stem this trend have induded increas–
ing the Canadian content in radio and
television and placing a special tax
upon foreign-based magazines. Even the
number of American athletes coming
north to play professional football in
the Canadian League is strictly regulated.
United We Stand- Divided
We Fall
Much publicity has been given to
recent Canadian diplomatic efforts to
open new economic and political rela–
tionships with nations such as the
Soviet Union and Communist China.
The prospect of increased trade with
Japan has also been discussed.
But for the present time, and in the
foreseeable future, there simply is no
viable alternative to Canada's binding
relationship to the United States. No
other country or group of countries
could ever approach the present level of
cooperation between the two North
American powers. The United States
and Canadá are linked by well over 130
separate bilateral agreements. Added to
this are sorne fifteen commissions which
have been set up to oversee the record
flow of trade and investments across the
(Comhwed on in.ride back cover)