In Canada we call it "deep intergration", the belief that the best thing for Canada is to get as close as possible to the US. Deep integrationists have, among other things, called for North American borders along the European line (ie. once you're in Canada or the US you're in both countries), for Canada to give up its dollar and use the American one (a proposal you hear a lot less in the last few years since the US dollar has taken its slide) and making Canadian regulations match up with US regulations. It's thanks to deep integrationists that we got the Free Trade deal and NAFTA, along with its provisions that, among other things, gutted the ability of all three governments to stop companies from poisoning their citizens, set up tribunals that meet in secret, and took jurisdiction away from the Supreme courts of all three countries.

I'm a proud Canadian, and opposed the Free Trade deal and NAFTA, for reasons that I think have been well born out. We were already well integrated with the US economy thanks to the auto pact, and NAFTA just made it so close that an entire generation of Canadian politicians wet themselves ever time a US president or Senator looked cross eyed at Canada (which is why we have our own version of the Patriot Act - two bills (C-34 and C-36) that are actually worse than the Patriot Act in many respects. Canadian politicians were paralytic with fear that if they didn't turn into nice little fascists like the hysterical Bush administration and its' Congressional enablers wanted, the border would slam shut.)

Deep integration is heavily driven by large corporate interests. They operate across borders and see such borders as simple impediments to the ease of doing business. There is no popular interest in deep integration with the US in Canada as the majorities against both NAFTA and the Free Trade agreement demonstrated (nor with Canada in the US) yet it trundles along, act after act, administrative ruling after administrative ruling.

Governments are always made up of people who come out of a specific world. When you want to figure out who runs the government, the question to ask is "where do they come from?" In Canada, they come disproportionately from the large corporate world, and return to the corporate world after their time in government. Large corporations are able to afford to support such people, and understand the benefits of keeping someone on the payroll who knows who everyone is and where the bodies are buried. Now this doesn't always have to be the case - Roosevelt, for example, drew heavily on people from the academy and from union movements (buying the latter off). Governments in many countries are made up primarily of ex military types. Others are made up mainly of union people. Some are made up mainly of relgious types.

But in Canada, and to a large extent in the US, corporate types are the people who actually run the government, moving back and forth between the public and private sector.

And they keep meeting, and planning the integration that will make their lives better. The latest meeting took place in Banff up here in Canada, and the list of attendees and the agenda makes fascinating reading. I have pasted it below. I recognized many of the names from Canada, and a few from the US. What about you?

NORTH AMERICAN FORUM
CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
(Internal Document, Not for Public Release)

Report dated August 31, 2006

Forum Co-Chairs:
Dr. Pedro Aspe
Hon. Peter Lougheed
Hon. George Shultz

Canadian Participants

Col. Peter Atkinson Special Advisor to Chief of Defence Staff
Hon. Perrin Beatty Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
Mr. Peter M. Boehm Assistant Deputy Minister, North America
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Mr. Thomas d’Aquino Canadian Council of Chief Executives
Hon. Stockwell Day Minister of Public Safety, Government of Canada
Dr. Wendy Dobson The Institute for International Business
Mr. N. Murray Edwards Edco Financial Holdings Ltd.
Mr. Ward Elcock Deputy Minister of National Defence
Mr. Bill Elliott Associate Deputy Minister, Public Safety
Dr. John English The Cdn Centre for International Governance Innovation
Mr. Brian Felesky Felesky Flynn LLP
Mr. Richard L. George Suncor Energy Inc.
Dr. Roger Gibbins Canada West Foundation
Rear Adm Roger Girouard Commander Joint Task Force Pacific, Cdn Forces
Major Gen Daniel Gosselin Director General, International Security Policy
Mr. James K. Gray Canada West Foundation
Mr. Fred Green Canadian Pacific Railway
Mr. V. Peter Harder Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Paul J. Hill Harvard Developments Inc.
General Rick Hillier Chief of the Defence Staff
Mr. Pierre Marc Johnston Heenan Blaikie
Mr. James Kinnear Pengrowth Corporation
Mr. Harold N. Kvisle TransCanada Corporation
Hon. John P. Manley McCarthy Tetrault LLP
Mr. Ron Mannix Coril Holdings Ltd.
Mr. Ron Mathison Matco Investments
Hon. Anne McLellan Senior Counsel, Bennett Jones
Hon. Greg Melchin Minister of Energy, Government of Alberta
Ms.Sharon Murphy Chevron Canada
Ms. Sheila O’Brien President, Corporate Director, Belvedere Investments
Hon. Gordon O’Connor Minister of Defense, Government of Canada
Mr. Berel Rodal International Center on Nonviolent Conflict
Mr. Gordon Smith Chairman, The International Development Research Centre

American Participants

Ms. Deborah Bolton Political Advisor to Commander, US Northcom
Mr. Ron T. Covais, President, The Americas, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Sec. Kenneth W. Dam Max Pam Professor Emeritus of American & Foreign Law and Senior Lecturer, University of Chicago Law School
Mr. Dan Fisk Senior Director, Western Hemisphere, National Security Council
Sec. Ryan Henry Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Ms. Carla A. Hills Chairman & CEO, Hills & Co.
Ms. Caryn Hollis DASD (Acting) Western Hemisphere Affairs
Mr. Bill Irwin Manager - International Government Affairs; Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Corporation
Mr. Robert G. James President, Enterprise Asset Management Inc.
Admiral Tim Keating Commander, US Northern Command
Mr. Floyd Kvamme Chair, President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology; Director, Centre for Global Security Res.
Dr. Ronald F. Lehman II Director, Center for Global Security Research, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Mr. William W. McIlhenny Policy Planning Council for Western Hemisphere Affairs
Dr. Peter McPherson President, National Association of State Universities & Land-Grant Colleges
Ms. Doris Meissner Senior Fellow, Migration Policy Institute
Dr. George Miller Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Mr. George Nethercutt Chairman, US Section of the Permanent Joint Board on
Defense, US – Canada (Security)
Mary Anastasia O’Grady Journalist for Wall Street Journal (Area Specialist)
Dr. Robert A. Pastor Director, Center for North American Studies, American
University, Washington, DC
Dr. William Perry Co-Director, Preventive Defense Project
Lt. Gen. Gene Renuart USAF Senior Military Assist. to Sec. Rumsfeld
Mr. Eric Ruff Department of Defense Press Secretary
Sec. Donald R. Rumsfeld Secretary of Defense, US Department of Defense
Dr. James Schlesinger Former Sec. Of Energy & Defense
Mr. William Schneider President, International Planning Services
Sec. Clay Sell Deputy Secretary of Energy, US Dept. of Energy
Dr. Thomas A. Shannon Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere A
Dr. David G. Victor Director, Program on Energy & Sustainable Development, Center for Environmental Science & Policy
Maj. Gen. Mark A Volcheff Director, Plans, Policy & Strategy, NORAD-NORTHCOM
Ms. Jane Wales President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Northern California
Mr. R. James Woolsey Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton

Mexican Participants:

Emb Andrés Rozental (Mexican Coordinator) – Mexican Council on Foreign Relations
Silvia Hernández Former Senator and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on North America
Mario Molina 1995 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
Fernando Chico Pardo CEO, Promecap
Juan Gallardo CEO, Grupo GEUSA
Gerónimo Gutiérrez Deputy Foreign Minister for North America
Luis de la Calle Consultant. Former Deputy Minister of Economy
Agustín Barrios Gómez Solutions Abroad
Vinicio Suro PEMEX
Eduardo Medina Mora Secretary of Public Security
Carlos Heredia State Government of Michoacán
Jaime Zabludowsky Consultant. Former trade negotiator
Manuel Arango CEO, Grupo Concord
Jorge Santibañez President, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte
Luis Rubio CIDAC
Mónica Serrano El Colegio de México, Señor Fellow Oxford University
Arturo Sarukhan Coordinator of Int’l Affairs, Campaign of Felipe Calderon
Juan Camilo Mouriño General Coordinator of President Elect’s transition team
Ernesto Cordero Coordinator for Public Policy Issues

Ambassadors/Consul General:

Mr. Carlos de Icaza, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States
Mr. Gaëtan Lavertu Ambassador of Canada to Mexico
Ms. Maria Teresa Garcia Segovia de Madero, Ambassador of Mexico to Canada
Mr. Thomas Huffaker U.S. Consul General in Calgary (on DOD’s list)
Mr. John Dickson Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy in Ottawa
(representing Ambassador of US to Canada)
Mr. Colin Robertson Minister & Head, Washington Advocacy Secretariat,
(representing Ambassador of Canada to US)

------------------------------------------------

Draft Detailed September 1, 2006 Agenda
Internal Document

North American Forum

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
Banff, Alberta
September 12-14, 2006

Under the Joint Chairmanship of:

The Hon. George Shultz, Former U.S. Secretary of State
The Hon. Pedro Aspe, Former Finance Minister of Mexico
The Hon. Peter Lougheed, Former Premier of Alberta

Continental Prosperity in the New Security Environment

Session I: Opening comments by Messrs. Aspe, Lougheed and Shultz

Session II: A Vision for North America: Issues and Options

Session III: Toward a North American Energy Strategy

Session IV: Opportunities for Security Cooperation in North America (Parts I and II)

Session V: Demographic and Social Dimensions of North American Integration

Session VI: Border Infrastructure and Continental Prosperity

Session VII: Roundtable Conversation with the Co-Chairs

Draft September 1, 2006 Agenda

North American Forum

The Fairmont Banff Springs
Banff, Alberta, Canada
September 12-14, 2006

Under the Joint Chairmanship of:

The Hon. George Shultz, Former U.S. Secretary of State
The Hon. Pedro Aspe, Former Finance Minister of Mexico
The Hon. Peter Lougheed, Former Premier of Alberta

Continental Prosperity in the New Security Environment

Tuesday, September 12th

3:00 to Advance Registration
4:30 pm Location: Heritage Hall

5:00 pm Registration
Location: Oval Room

5:45 pm Opening and Welcoming Reception
Location: Conservatory in the Cascade Ballroom

6:45 pm Dinner & Keynote Address
Location: Cascade Ballroom

8:00 pm Keynote Address – “Energy and Environment: a vision for North America”
Dr. Mario Molina, 1995 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

Wednesday, September 13th

7:30 am Continental Breakfast & Registration
Location: Alhambra Room

8:15 am Keynote Address - Hon. Greg Melchin, Minister of Energy, Government of
Alberta
Q & A 8:45 – 9:00 a.m.

9:00 am SESSION I: OPENING COMMENTS BY MESSRS. SHULTZ, ASPE AND LOUGHEED
Location: Alhambra Room

SESSION II: A VISION FOR NORTH AMERICA: ISSUES & OPTIONS
Location: Alhambra Room
9:30 am PANEL:
Moderator: Dr. Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
Panelists:
Robert Pastor, Director, Center for North American Studies, American University
Roger Gibbins, President & CEO, Canada West Foundation
Andrés Rozental, Mexican Council on Foreign Relations
10:05 am ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

10:45 am Break

SESSION III: TOWARD A NORTH AMERICAN ENERGY STRATEGY
Location: Alhambra Room

11:05 am REMARKS:
Secretary Clay Sell, Deputy Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
11:25 am PANEL:
Moderator: N. Murray Edwards, Vice Chairman, Canadian Natural Resources Limited
Panelists:
Richard George, President & CEO, Suncor Energy Inc.
David Victor, Director, Program on Energy & Sustainable Development,
Center for Environmental Science & Policy
Vinicio Suro, Planning & Evaluation Subdirector, PEMEX
12 noon ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

12:45 pm Break

1:00 pm Lunch
Location: Cascade Ballroom

1:30 pm Keynote Address: Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, US Department of Defense

SESSION IV: OPPORTUNITIES FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN NORTH AMERICA - Military-to-military cooperation
Location: Alhambra Room

2:30 pm PANEL:
Moderator: William J. Perry, former US Secretary of Defense
Panelists:
Admiral Tim Keating, Commander NORAD/USNORTHCOM
Major General Daniel Gosselin, Director General, International Security Policy
Gerónimo Gutiérrez, Undersecretary for North America, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

3:05 pm ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

4:00 pm Break

SESSION IV: OPPORTUNITIES FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN NORTH AMERICA CONTINUED
Location: Alhambra Room

4:15 pm PANEL:
Moderator: William Schneider, President, International Planning Services
Panelists:
Ward Elcock, Deputy Minister of National Defence
Eduardo Medina-Mora, Secretary of Public Safety
Ryan Henry, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
4:50 pm ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

5:45 pm Wrap-up of daytime sessions

6:30 pm Reception
Location: Conservatory in the Cascade Ballroom

7:00 pm Dinner & Keynote Address
Location: Cascade Ballroom
8:10 pm Keynote Address - The Hon. Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, Government of Canada

Thursday, September 14th

7:00 am Breakfast
Location: Alhambra Room

7:15 am Keynote Address - Floyd Kvamme, Chairman, President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology
Q & A – 7:40 to 8:00 a.m.

SESSION V: DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN
INTEGRATION
Location: Alhambra Room

8:00 am PANEL:
Moderator: Andrés Rozental, Mexican Council on Foreign Relations
Panelists :
Dr. Wendy Dobson, the Institute for International Business
Carlos Heredia, Chief International Affairs Advisor to the Governor of the State of Michoacán in Mexico
Doris Meissner, Senior Fellow, Migration Policy Institute

8:35 am ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

9:30 am Break

SESSION VI: BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONTINENTAL PROSPERITY
Location: Alhambra Room

9:45 am PANEL:
Moderator: Hon. John P. Manley, McCarthy Tetrault LLP
Panelists:
Thomas d’Aquino, Canadian Council of Chief Executives
Carla Hills, Chairman & CEO, Hills & Co.
Luis de la Calle, Consultor

10:20 am ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

11:00 am SESSION VII: ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATION WITH THE CO-CHAIRS
Location: Alhambra Room
Moderator: Jane Wales, President and CEO, World Affairs Council of
Northern California
Presenters: George Shultz, Co-Chair, North American Forum
Peter Lougheed, Co-Chair, North American Forum
Pedro Aspe, Co-Chair, North American Forum

12:00 pm Adjourn

12:30 pm Informal lunch
Location: Alhambra Room