Exovedate
29th January 2008, 14:54
February 16 is the Nationwide Call to Action for a Referendum on the SPP (in Canada). Protests will be held in many major cities across Canada. If the SPP has its way, it will affect every person in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.
The SPP is the Security and Prosperity Partnership, an informal agreement among the three countries of North America to work in close cooperation to:
1) Create an integrated, secure perimeter around North America
2) Ensure an uninterrupted flow of goods within North America and guarantee energy supplies for the U.S.
To accomplish these goals, government and business leaders say they are working together to exempt goods and business people from "red tape" and "border delays". Meanwhile, the rest of us face increased surveillance, restrictions on travel, racial profiling and invasive security checks. Is this a democratic model?
The SPP is run by 30 CEOs of North America's biggest corporations. They are advising the governments on what changes are needed and even writing new agreements into the SPP. National leaders have some involvement, but Members of Parliament, civil society groups, and the peoples of North America are given no say.
The Security Agenda:
- "continental resources" seen as fundamental to U.S. national security
- Canadian and Mexican police and immigration data shared with U.S. security forces
- increased "no-fly list" and "risk profile" for every traveller and transportation worker, along with increased racial profiling
- increased infrastructure for mass surveillance of the population using iris and digital face scans and fingerprints. "Risk management" means that everyone is considered a potential threat.
- corporate executives take part in decisions about surveillance, the protection of critical infrastructure and emergency planning.
The Prosperity Agenda:
- loosening of environmental regulations, faster approval of licenses for pipeline development and a five-fold increase in the export of raw bitumen (from Canada) to be processed in the U.S.
- rapidly developing the tar sands in response to U.S. demands (causing huge environmental damage and health risks)
- the threat of bulk water exports to the United States
- Canadian and Mexican regulations being viewed as "barriers to business and trade" instead of "rules necessary to protect the public good"
- rising levels of pesticide residue on our fruits and vegetables
- less public oversight in the approval of new drugs and food safety
- public services and institutions being undermined in favour of public-private partnerships and privatization
- migrant workers being forced to work under dangerous conditions for low pay, abuse and no access to citizenship rights
The SPP is moving fast, and so we must too. Already, this coming spring, Canadian driver licenses will be modified to contain an RFID tracking chip, no joke!
Concerning the protest in Montebello, Ontario, Tom d'Aquino of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives said, "...I don't do that because civilized human beings - those who believe in democracy - don't do that."
It's time to take action! Join one of the many protests going on throughout Canada, or start your own. February 16 is the Canadian Nationwide Call to Action for a Referendum on the SPP.
The SPP is the Security and Prosperity Partnership, an informal agreement among the three countries of North America to work in close cooperation to:
1) Create an integrated, secure perimeter around North America
2) Ensure an uninterrupted flow of goods within North America and guarantee energy supplies for the U.S.
To accomplish these goals, government and business leaders say they are working together to exempt goods and business people from "red tape" and "border delays". Meanwhile, the rest of us face increased surveillance, restrictions on travel, racial profiling and invasive security checks. Is this a democratic model?
The SPP is run by 30 CEOs of North America's biggest corporations. They are advising the governments on what changes are needed and even writing new agreements into the SPP. National leaders have some involvement, but Members of Parliament, civil society groups, and the peoples of North America are given no say.
The Security Agenda:
- "continental resources" seen as fundamental to U.S. national security
- Canadian and Mexican police and immigration data shared with U.S. security forces
- increased "no-fly list" and "risk profile" for every traveller and transportation worker, along with increased racial profiling
- increased infrastructure for mass surveillance of the population using iris and digital face scans and fingerprints. "Risk management" means that everyone is considered a potential threat.
- corporate executives take part in decisions about surveillance, the protection of critical infrastructure and emergency planning.
The Prosperity Agenda:
- loosening of environmental regulations, faster approval of licenses for pipeline development and a five-fold increase in the export of raw bitumen (from Canada) to be processed in the U.S.
- rapidly developing the tar sands in response to U.S. demands (causing huge environmental damage and health risks)
- the threat of bulk water exports to the United States
- Canadian and Mexican regulations being viewed as "barriers to business and trade" instead of "rules necessary to protect the public good"
- rising levels of pesticide residue on our fruits and vegetables
- less public oversight in the approval of new drugs and food safety
- public services and institutions being undermined in favour of public-private partnerships and privatization
- migrant workers being forced to work under dangerous conditions for low pay, abuse and no access to citizenship rights
The SPP is moving fast, and so we must too. Already, this coming spring, Canadian driver licenses will be modified to contain an RFID tracking chip, no joke!
Concerning the protest in Montebello, Ontario, Tom d'Aquino of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives said, "...I don't do that because civilized human beings - those who believe in democracy - don't do that."
It's time to take action! Join one of the many protests going on throughout Canada, or start your own. February 16 is the Canadian Nationwide Call to Action for a Referendum on the SPP.