Almost every newspaper in Canada has been carrying stories for the last two days about how Clinton and Obama are tripping over each other to show who hates NAFTA the most. While this is an obvious ploy to get primary voters in Ohio, the harsh criticism of NAFTA is not only baseless, but also stupid. NAFTA has produced benefits for every signatory country, including the US. If the US shuts down NAFTA, it will have serious economic consequences for Canada and Mexico, which may be tempted to retaliate. On the immigration side, we must not forget about the thousands of NAFTA status visas issued every year to Canadian, Mexican and US citizens, which are crucial at a time of labour shortages and increased mobility. Also, NAFTA creates badly needed jobs in Mexico, and cutting them off would be the best way for the US to ensure a flood of illegal Mexican workers looking for work in the US. Canada may also retaliate by rethinking its oil and gas links with the US. Message to the Dems: the jobs went East to China and India, not to Canada and Mexico!
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