For the U.S., Mexico and Canada, a secure and prosperous future hinges on an increased level of integration that would create a type of "North American Economic Community," Mexican presidential hopeful Jorge Castaneda told reporters during a speech in San Antonio on Saturday.I can imagine how Castaneda's lunchtime conversation went:
"I think the best possible alternative (to the status quo in North American relations) is an intensifying of NAFTA in the direction of a European Economic Community..."
Castaneda's vision is that the three nations can strike a "grand bargain" by tackling each country's most vexing problems simultaneously...
Another approach would be to take the biggest current issues - such as homeland security and immigration - and try to solve them from a North American perspective, rather than one country's, he said.
So if the U.S. wants Mexico's cooperation to secure its borders from terrorists, and Mexico wants the U.S.' help to ease the flow of migrants north and south of the border, there is an incentive to work together, Castaneda argued...
"If you give me half your steak, and I don't take the salt away, well, then it's a win-win!"I kid, but this is quite a serious issue.
NAU · Mon, 06/06/2005 - 05:18 · Importance: 1