Airborne Combat Engineer

SPP is "NAFTA on crack"

In just over a month’s time, on August 20, the most powerful president in the world will be arriving in Montebello, Quebec for a two-day conference. President George W. Bush will be meeting with Stephen Harper and their Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon.

The purpose of the upcoming conference is to ratify the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which was initiated by Bush, Martin and Fox in 2005 in Waco, Texas. Essentially, this so-called ‘partnership’ will result in what the politicians refer to as ‘continental integration’-newspeak for a North American Union - and basically a harmonization of [hundreds] of regulations, policies and laws.

KP / Dandelion Salad

It's been called "NAFTA on crack," and the participants have been derided as "the Three Amigos," but you'd better start taking the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) seriously. Aimed at keeping "our borders closed to terrorism yet open to trade," according to their website, the SPP is poised to change the face of North America.

hour.ca

ACE still doesn't know if SPP should be treated like a benign continental chamber of commerce or something more sinister, but it bears watching.

It is strange that we don't hear more about the SPP and the NAFTA Highway in the MSM.

HULIQ notes the involvement of Rudy Giuliani's law firm. We all know lawyers will work for whatever for whomever pays them, so if you like him (despite his being a lawyer like Clinton),  I wouldn't be too concerned about  that.

Putin stopped short of slamming shoe on podium

"One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way," he said, speaking through a translator.

Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman said Mr Putin's speech was "provocative", adding that its rhetoric "sounded more like the Cold War".

[BBC, 10FEB07]

"Forward strategy of freedom"

Murdoc Online mentions President Bush's use of the term "forward strategy of freedom" in his 27 MAY 2006 graduation address at West Point:

"... we learned an important lesson:  Decades of excusing and accommodating the lack of freedom in the Middle East did nothing to make us safe. (Applause.)  So long as the Middle East remains a place where freedom does not flourish, it will remain a place where terrorists foment resentment and threaten American security.

So we are pursuing a forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East.  I believe the desire for liberty is universal -- and by standing with democratic reformers across a troubled region, we will extend freedom to millions who have not known it -- and lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.  (Applause.)"

Let's look at the background behind that phrase, which summarizes the "Bush Doctrine," in the continuation -- if you're interested. Do you know who it's "borrowed" from?

Putin zings US

[LINK] AP

"Where is all this pathos about protecting human rights and democracy when it comes to the need to pursue their own interests?" said Putin, who also used a fairy-tale reference to criticize the aggressive U.S. course in global affairs.

"We are aware what is going on in the world," he said. "Comrade wolf knows whom to eat, it eats without listening and it's clearly not going to listen to anyone."

Putin said the government would work to strengthen the nation's nuclear deterrent as well as conventional military forces without repeating the mistakes of the Cold War era, when a costly arms race against the United States drained Soviet resources.

Did the US prevent an Iraqi civil war by attacking?

[LINK] Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was so convinced that the United States was unwilling to accept casualties that he never believed the country would invade Iraq, and was far more worried about an internal revolt, a new, unclassified version of a Defense Department report issued today reveals.

ObL had the same impression, based mainly on how quickly we bugged out of Somalia. Looks like we need to kick butt somewhere every now and then to let tyrants know we're not passive.

In reality, Saddam was far more concerned about an internal revolt than a coalition invasion.

A civil war? Hmmm. Did the US in fact prevent a civil war in Iraq by attacking?

Project for a New American Century

[LINK] PNAC site

Established in the spring of 1997, the Project for the New American Century is a non-profit, educational organization whose goal is to promote American global leadership. The Project is an initiative of the New Citizenship Project, chaired by William Kristol (editor of the Weekly Standard).

The PNAC promotes what it views as the essential elements of the Reagan Administration's success: a military that is strong and ready to meet both present and future challenges; a foreign policy that boldly and purposefully promotes American principles abroad; and national leadership that accepts the United States' global responsibilities.

A-C-E is not endorsing this philosophy. However, it is well presented, and something to think about, and discuss if you care to (using comments).

It seems doubtful a majority of Americans will ever agree on America's rightful role in the world. However, a strong president should have a clear, consistent policy (which he clearly articulates BEFORE being we decide whether to vote for him), and be able to convince Congress to pass laws and funding to carry it out.