Of course, relations within North America ultimately proved far more positive than such slogans might indicate. was eloquently expressed in Mexican President Porfirio Díaz’s famous (if apocryphal) remark: “Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States,” and by Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden’s election-winning 1911 campaign slogan: “No truck nor trade with the Yankees.” Mexico has never forgotten that it lost vast stretches of land including what are now two of the U.S.’s largest states, California and Texas. Through the nineteenth and into the early twentieth century North American integration was viewed in terms of the prospect of the United States annexing all or part of its northern and southern neighbors to fulfill its “manifest destiny.” Canada’s very confederation out of a series of existing British colonies was driven by fear of absorption into the United States as was the creation of the east-west Canadian Pacific railroad. Why is this very real railroad merger so uncontroversial while the proposed highway had been a focus for such intense objection? Does this mean that North American integration can now be viewed positively? Or does it mean that its prospects are so dim that a mere transportation development no longer excites any fears? Before looking at the future of the “North American idea” as academic and government official Robert Pastor termed it, we should remember the turbulent history of efforts to bring the U.S., Canada, and Mexico closer together. The Texas state legislature even went so far as to prohibit the construction of a “Trans-Texas corridor” as a portion of this route. After proponents had suggested investments in highway infrastructure along a north-south axis through the center of the United States linking Canada with Mexico, the idea was attacked as a vehicle for illegal drugs and immigration to pour in and a sign of tangible loss of American sovereignty. It is largely forgotten now, although an old website promoting it can still be found on the internet. At that time, after the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the largely theoretical prospect of a “North American Super-highway” became a hot issue. What is remarkable, however, is how little the merger has been viewed in terms of broader North American integration, a subject of fierce debate in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Because of Canadian Pacific’s extensive network in the United States and Kansas City Southern’s in Mexico, this means that once the deal is implemented goods will be able to travel on a single line from Edmonton, Alberta to Vera Cruz in southern Mexico. Although the merger has been highly publicized, the media has largely covered it as a business story, stressing its impact on railroad shareholders and shippers. However, a somewhat less heralded but perhaps equally significant announcement was made in March of this year when two giant railroads, Canadian Pacific And Kansas City Southern revealed their plans for a merger. administration and may give new impetus to efforts at cooperation across the North American continent. Such summits had not occurred during the previous U.S. The leaders of the U.S., Canada and Mexico have announced that they will meet in Washington on November 18. Careers, Fellowships, and Internships Open/Close.Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition.Science and Technology Innovation Program.Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative.The Middle East and North Africa Workforce Development Initiative.Kissinger Institute on China and the United States.
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