I never hear TYT (or anyone really in the US) talk about US Canada relations.  But in Canada that relationship is very important to us.   Even hinting at protectionism gets our Conservative government and our Liberal opposition using their most frightening rhetoric and waking up the spirit of the great depression.  For it was, as I am often reminded, trade wars that started the great depression, was it not? 

In any case, regardless of the causes of the depression, I believe strongly that this is not the right direction for Obama to be starting off his Canada relations.  I worry, is this going to start a trade war?  The whole thing has us Canadians shaking in our toques. 

There are others that are worried about a trade war.  A major coalition of industries including Boeing, Caterpillar and General Electric and the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Foreign Trade Council and the Aerospace Industries’ Association all joined together last week and wrote a letter to Speaker of the House, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, expressing their concerns:

If the United States further restricts access to our market [that is overseas consumers], these other countries will certainly follow our lead, shutting US exporters and their workers out of hundreds of billions of dollars of new business, while propping up their own national champions, to the detriment of the United States.

One issue we urge you to bear in mind as you prepare this legislation is the vitally important role that international markets play in sustaining US jobs and the role they will play in economic recovery. Without sales abroad and access to inputs, many US workers would be out of a job.

Cenk never talks about Canada.  I want to ask him “How does he feel about protectionism and this part of the bail out plan?”  “How does he feel about Canada US relations under Obama?”  How do you bloggers and TYT fans feel about it?

I like a lot of what Obama has done so far.  Many here agree with his closing Guantanamo and reaching out to the Middle East.  But we are worried about Obama’s stance on NAFTA.  Most of us here like NAFTA.  In these tough economic times your government (Obama and the rest included) should consider the implications of starting a trade war with your closest trading partner.  I am not saying you already have – I am just saying you are talking a little too loud about it.  This has the potential to seriously harm our economy and yours in already difficult times. 

For more information here is the CBC story:

http://www.cbc.ca/world/sto ry/2009/01/29/buy-american. html