I was recently asked, “Why can’t the United States
be more like Canada? Just your ordinary, international-law abiding
country, that keeps to itself and doesn’t bully other
countries.” My first reaction was, “Are you on
crack?”
The United States will never be like Canada. First of all Canada
and the United States have different national histories. The
American colonists fought the British and, with the help of the
French, won their independence. The Canadians achieved their
autonomy from the British Empire but remained a part of the British
Commonwealth of States. The Canadian chief of state is Queen
Elizabeth II. So Canada remains an extension of Great Britain.
Great Britain, France and Germany all fought each other to
exhaustion and bankruptcy twice in the 20th century. This resulted
in a vacuum of power after World War II where the Cold War
ensued.
We have all taken classes dealing with how and why the United
States fulfilled the role of the former Great Powers. For all the
rhetoric about the future of the European Union and the Euro, the
American dollar remains the strongest currency in the land. OPEC
countries, drug-dealers and weapons manufacturers want dollars, not
Euros.
Therefore the United States is in a position to sustain and
protect its interest in a dramatically different way than the
Canadians. The current exchange rate with Canada is 1.56 to 1.
Economically, politically and socially the United States is a
very different country than Canada. Most people hate the fact that
the United States “bullies” other countries around. But
if its not the United States it would inevitably be someone else.
France, Russia, China ““ take your pick. With American troops
in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and possibly Iraq, the basis of the
Middle East state system is now dependent on the United States for
the sovereignty and security of each state. Otherwise the states
would rip each other apart until one would emerge the
strongest.
The United States in effect has become the guarantee of
worldwide stability, sovereignty and security. This status
inevitably brings in comparisons to lasting peace of earlier
hegemonies such as Rome and the former British Empire. However,
comparisons of empires are ridiculous. The United States helped
rebuild Germany with the Marshall Plan and Japan under the guidance
of General Douglas MacArthur. They are now the second and third
largest economies in the world and the primary industrial
competitor of the United States. Case in point ““ how many
Hondas, Mercedes and BMW’s do you see in UCLA parking
lots?
Additionally, students from all over the world come to the
United States, especially UCLA and stay here. Some go back to their
countries, but a large majority stay. Freedom of movement,
expression, association and speech are enjoyed throughout the
western industrialized world. What makes America exceptional is
economic opportunity. Canada has a lot of taxes, I mean a lot of
taxes. Although they have a premier Social Health Care system, most
cities are dependent on trade with its big neighbor to the south.
So that’s the long answer to a short question.