| Each morning Americans who closely follow news | | | | embargo: beef ranch foreclosures, mountains of |
| events switch on a variety of televised sources and | | | | rotten potatoes and idle lumber mills. |
| flip through daily newspapers before carrying on with | | | | However, Canada has its own spasm that, if ever |
| their day. They catch up on the latest updates from | | | | unleashed, would cause untold grief to its southern |
| Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Chechnya, as well | | | | "elephant." This is Quebec nationalism. In 1980, the |
| as sports, weather and the markets. Their interests | | | | provincial leader of Quebec, René |
| lie in domestic affairs, world flash points and any | | | | Lévesque, held a referendum in the province |
| place where Americans are directly involved. | | | | on forming a new country. It failed, but fifteen years |
| Up north in Canada, a similar modus operandi takes | | | | later Lucien Bouchard came within 2% of a 51% |
| place amongst news junkies. Familiar American call | | | | majority. Armchair political analysts still argue over the |
| signs such as CNN, MSNBC and CBS are interspersed | | | | results and dozens of doctorates in political science |
| with Canadian news agencies such as CBC and CTV. | | | | have been awarded on the volatile subject. |
| The point is that Canadians hunger for the latest | | | | If the referendum had succeeded the northern |
| stories about our giant neighbor to the south as | | | | hinterland would definitely gain the attention of |
| much or more than they seek information on what's | | | | Americans. With the big hole left by Quebec's |
| happening in their own country. However, unless | | | | departure Canada might suffer the woeful existence |
| there is a missile crossing the Canadian territory | | | | of Pakistan and East Pakistan after the break up of |
| toward the U.S., or a terrorist alert, there is definitely | | | | colonial India. |
| not a reciprocal pattern in American households. | | | | It is also a fact that a new country called Quebec |
| This fact leads some Canadians to complain that | | | | would have the blessing of France - not a great |
| Americans should know more about the huge | | | | American friend - plus a multitude of countries and |
| country sitting above the forty-ninth parallel. Other | | | | interest groups with a less-than-benign view of the |
| Canadians couldn't care less about the attention but | | | | U.S. The Department of Homeland Security might be |
| feel that at least some knowledge of Canada would | | | | treated to a situation tantamount to another Cuba, |
| bring about a greater cooperation over a wide | | | | but a really big one, encompassing hundreds of miles |
| spectrum of issues including fair trade. | | | | of direct border. |
| The reality boils down to a fact of human nature: | | | | Now, ten years after the Quebec Referendum, the |
| Nobody really cares about someone unless he or she | | | | mouse is still in relatively good stead with the |
| does something earth-shattering, like land a Cessna in | | | | powerful pachyderm. Despite the successful forays |
| Moscow's Red Square or spend a night at Neverland | | | | by lobbyists of American industry to gain advantages |
| Ranch. The vast majority of the people on the planet | | | | over their weaker NAFTA counterpart the two |
| just pass by unnoticed. And, in the category of | | | | countries remain quite friendly. Canada did not |
| countries, so does Canada. | | | | support the venture into Iraq, but did provide troops |
| There is an overused line from former Canadian | | | | for Afghanistan, and its citizens gave comfort to |
| Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau who stated that living | | | | thousands of American airline passengers during |
| next to the U.S. is like "a mouse sleeping next to an | | | | those horrible days of September 2001. That's what |
| elephant." The animals get a long fine but the mouse | | | | friends do. |
| feels every twitch and spasm made by the huge | | | | So there are two things for advocates of American |
| animal and must be vigilant in case it rolls over. In fact | | | | protectionism to consider: Number one is this: if a |
| the elephant doesn't even know the mouse is there. | | | | future Quebec leader succeeds in splitting the large |
| As our largest trading partner, the U.S. twitches often | | | | mouse in half will the "twitches and spasms" be |
| and sometimes with long spasms when it comes to | | | | reversed in almost earth-shattering proportions? |
| trade realations. And it also rolls over. Just let one | | | | The second is: When American farmers, ranchers, |
| "mad cow," a box of moldy potatoes or an extra | | | | loggers, and other purveyors of raw materials, reach |
| load of pine lumber push the right set of buttons in | | | | the breaking point in their attempts to supply |
| Congress and the longest undefended border in the | | | | economical food and building supplies to its citizens will |
| world suddenly becomes a one-sided wall. As a result, | | | | the previously-spurned Canadian production already |
| many of those Canadians who wished that the U.S. | | | | be tied to other markets such as China and the |
| would pay more attention to their country find | | | | European community? |
| themselves suffering the effects of a painful trade | | | | |