On 16-Feb-2005, Scott Weiser wrote:

Nah, we'll just drill more wells here. Canada will suffer far more than the
US from a border closing.

If you could increase domestic oil production in the US by 10% of your
total consumption, it would already have been done. That would be in
excess of 25% of current US production. That is an enormous amount
of oil and the value to the domestic oil industry would be tremendous.

There is also no way you could replace the electricity you import
without a lot of time and enormous expenditures.

Nothing we can't do without.

Raw materials and manufactured parts for US industry? For a
start, closing the border would shut down GM, Ford and D/C's
car plants. When the border was backed up after 9/11, Michigan
Congressmen were the first to complain.

I know you'd like to think Canada is essential to the success of the US, but
it's not.

The problem is that you are completely ignorant of the interconnectedness
of the US with the rest of the world in general and Canada in particular.
If the US could survive on its own, it would. It can't - it has become
much too dependent on imports. The US has been spearheading free trade
pacts for decades. Get your head out of your ass and look at the real
world.

Mike

A Usenet persona calling itself Michael Daly wrote:

On 16-Feb-2005, Scott Weiser wrote:

Nah, we'll just drill more wells here. Canada will suffer far more than the
US from a border closing.

If you could increase domestic oil production in the US by 10% of your
total consumption, it would already have been done. That would be in
excess of 25% of current US production. That is an enormous amount
of oil and the value to the domestic oil industry would be tremendous.

Yup, but you fail to recognize that the regulatory climate in the US
constrains domestic production. Just look at ANWR. We've been wrangling over
that for years...all because drillers want to impact about 2000 acres of the
several MILLION acres in the ANWR.


There is also no way you could replace the electricity you import
without a lot of time and enormous expenditures.

Given the stimulus to provide our own electricity, we can do so. The
question is not what it costs us, but what it costs Canadians.


Nothing we can't do without.

Raw materials and manufactured parts for US industry? For a
start, closing the border would shut down GM, Ford and D/C's
car plants. When the border was backed up after 9/11, Michigan
Congressmen were the first to complain.

Temporary impediments only.


I know you'd like to think Canada is essential to the success of the US, but
it's not.

The problem is that you are completely ignorant of the interconnectedness
of the US with the rest of the world in general and Canada in particular.

Not at all. In fact, my arguments depend on it. But I posit that other
countries need us far more than we need them.

If the US could survive on its own, it would. It can't - it has become
much too dependent on imports.

You'd be amazed what we can do without at need.

The US has been spearheading free trade
pacts for decades.

Sadly true, because we've begun to see how some of those pacts are not
helpful to our economy, but are harmful to it. So, it's time to amend the
pacts so that our economy suffers no harm.

Get your head out of your ass and look at the real
world.

Hey, you need us more than we need you, so the rest of the world can kiss my
ass, you and Canada included.

--
Regards,
Scott Weiser

"I love the Internet, I no longer have to depend on
friends, family and co-workers, I can annoy people WORLDWIDE!" TM

© 2005 Scott Weiser

On 18-Feb-2005, Scott Weiser wrote:

Yup, but you fail to recognize that the regulatory climate in the US

Regulations have nothing to do with it. The US cannot increase its
capacity by 25% overnight. You don't have the reserves. I used to
work in the oil industry and specifically did research on US Arctic
exploration for companies like Chevron, Exxon, etc.

You fail to understand the degree to which America consumes compared
to its ability to produce. But ignorance seems to be your specialty.

Given the stimulus to provide our own electricity, we can do so.

With what? More multi-billion nukes that don't work? How about
gas turbines? - quick to install - no wait, they require natural
gas, which imports from Canada you'd lose. How about dams on
rivers - uhh, no more rivers to dam. I guess you'll have to stick
to hamsters in wheels.

Temporary impediments only.

If US industry can so quickly recover from a loss in capacity,
then that means your previous claims about the importance
of corporate welfare are bogus. If corporations can build
efficient capacity quickly, then there is no reason to support
any company - just let it die and it will be replaced.

it's time to amend the
pacts so that our economy suffers no harm.

Your economy is suffering because you are spending money you
don't have, are importing more than you export and are wasting
more than the vast majority of the world's population. Corporate
America has been using whatever means it has to shift to cheap
imports to boost shareholder value at the expense of long term
US value. Nothing to do with trade agreements.

Mike