Canada has long been owned, maybe controlled or at least influenced by America. At least that is one view of Canadian history!? This is in response to Paul’s observation that the US should have taken Canada long ago like during The War of 1812. I want to remind Paul that the US tried very hard to voluntarily get Canada to join. In fact The US Articles of Confederation Article 11 written in 1777 and ratified in 1781 states that ” if Canada chooses to declare its independence and agrees to the terms of the Articles of Confederation, it can join the union and become a fully sovereign state like the other thirteen states. This offer does not include any other colony but Canada, unless nine states agree to extend this offer to another colony. ”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation
I guess we have a long history of staying independent. However I degress.
So after Canada becomes a nation in 1867 we generally have friendly relations with the UK and US. We are a great place to do business or raw material extraction !! However things started going alittle off into the wrong direction with the Province of Quebec.
“Following the Second World War, Québec experienced a new wave of industrialization and an improved standard of living coupled with full employment. This gave unions hope for greater recognition and increased membership. The union movement of the 1950s wanted to play a larger role in Québec society. Employers, on the other hand, were opposed to the growth of trade unionism and benefited from strong support from the Union Nationale government of Maurice Duplessis (1890-1959). To attract foreign companies to Québec, Duplessis wanted to ensure potential investors that they could count on a favourable, stable social environment, in addition to inexpensive natural resources and labour. This state of affairs would eventually lead to the trade union upheaval of the second half of the 20th century.”
This contributed in the 1960s to the ongoing Quiet Revolution and the Catholic Church slowly being removed from its traditional role in Quebec society. Replaced by increased union political influence and the evolution to a more socialist state.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiet_Revolution
Then in 1967 we get Charles de Gaulle supporting Quebec Independance and getting invited to leave Canada. Go to 4:15 – 5:10 minute mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0LQBcygNew
Then the Quebec Independance movement escalated to kidnapping, murder and the War Measures Act of 1970. What was happening in Canada ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Crisis
So “in 1974, a permanent garrison was assigned and Camp Drum was renamed Fort Drum. ” in northern New York State just kilometers from the Canadian border.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Drum
Then “in the 1976 election, the Quebec Independance (Parti Quebecois, PQ) party won its first majority in the Quebec National Assembly.” This was followed by the 1980 Quebec Referendum for independance which failed to get a majority. However “the PQ was returned to power in the 1981 election with a stronger majority than in 1976… However, they did not hold a referendum in their second term, and put sovereignty on hold, concentrating on their stated goal of “good government”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_sovereignty_movement#Precursor_ideas_and_events
“On September 11, 1984, the announcement was made that Fort Drum would be the new home of the 10th Light Infantry Division. The first division troops arrived at Fort Drum on December 3, 1984 and the unit was officially activated on February 13, 1985. The name was changed to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at that time. ”
Remember that a US Army Division is more army and air force than the entire Canadian Forces ! A full army division on the border with Central Canada; moved there (for many reasons) including the political risks in Quebec which is not on the unclassified list! An insurance policy so to say !?
Then finally in 2008 “Canada and the U.S. … signed an agreement that paves the way for the militaries from either nation to send troops across each other’s borders during an emergency…Neither the Canadian government nor the Canadian Forces announced the new agreement, which was signed Feb. 14, 2008 in Texas.”
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=47dc5095-4da9-4faa-8464-fe01289b4b7a
The Insurance Policy can now be enforced legally !
This of course is no conspiracy but simply the long term evolution of a bunch of unrelated stuff ultimately being very related.
