A funny thing happened on the way to the war: Our friends walked us to the front door, then said, "Best of luck, but we'll be sitting this one out."
We're not talking about countries like France, Germany and Belgium, whose non-support of American foreign policy has grown to such an evident state as to make their decision on the war a moot point.
No, what is truly surprising is that our land-locked neighbors, our partners in NAFTA -- Canada and Mexico -- turned their backs on us in our hour of need.
In announcing that Mexico would not be supporting the United States, President Vicente Fox stated that his country "laments the road to war," then added, "our relationship with the U.S., our closest partner, our neighbor and friend, shouldn't change."
Fat chance.
If the Bush administration has shown one unwavering tendency, it is that it views the world through a very definite black-and-white lens and possesses an elephant's memory when it comes to remembering slights, be they real or imagined.
Already, the Homeland Security Department has taken control of the United States-Mexico border and instituted unprecedented restrictions on Mexicans attempting to enter this country. The Washington Times reports that the result will be "fewer open entries, more inspections and mind-numbing wait times for the thousands of Mexicans who cross every day."
Can a similar response to Canadian citizens be far behind?
The impact of Canada's decision to turn its back on its closest ally could be most deeply felt right here in Niagara Falls. With four international border crossings within 30 miles of one another, our area has long been a haven of open trade of both products and citizenry. That could soon come to a screeching halt.
Prior to the Sept. 11 attack on America, there was no doubt as to Canada's right-hand status as our closest friend and ally. When President Bush addressed Congress and the world following the attacks, he raised eyebrows both near and far by calling Great Britain our "greatest friend." It wasn't so much his praise of England that shocked people as his omission of Canada from the entire speech.
Government officials said that Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien was slow to rally to America's aid in the days following Sept. 11 and the same can be said of his stance on the war with Iraq.
The Canadian press has been strong in its condemnation of Chretien's snub of America. In a National Post editorial, these stinging words were delivered in criticism of Canadian Caucus members wildly applauding when Chretien asserted that UN inspections were working before making the proclamation that the unfolding war is "not justified": "Their giddiness will no doubt dissipate in coming months as the United States realizes what has become of Canada -- formerly a good friend, but now just an unusually whiny European nation, transplanted stateside."
While any country is well within its rights to disagree with U.S. foreign policy -- especially as it relates to unprovoked war -- it seems especially hypocritical for Canada and Mexico to do so.
These are countries that have thrived under the safety of America's defense umbrella for the past half-century. Not having to provide for their own defense has evidently led them to the false conclusion that defense is not a tangible necessity.
The question that all Canadians and Mexicans need to ask themselves is, will that theory hold up in the bright sunlight of vulnerability that they will bask in when big brother America pulls away from their side?
It is easy to say that a madman like Saddam Hussein poses no real risk of terrorism when you are secure in the fact that the United States will fight the battle against him, while you wait on the sidelines like some North American version of neutral Switzerland. But how comfortable will the citizens of large metropolitan areas like Toronto and Mexico City feel when the next despot with nuclear weapons arises and America says, "You're on your own, boys."
Locally, another tourism season looms and the prospect of a border clampdown such as what's happening in Texas and California could well be disastrous for the economy of Niagara Falls.
Many local residents have long treated Ontario like the 51st State of the Union. Casinos, strip clubs, Harvey's hamburgers and Coffee Crisp candy bars -- a trip over the border is a feast for the senses. That attitude may change dramatically when the smoke clears from Baghdad and the Bush administration begins to take stock of the friends that didn't have our back.
A funny thing happened on the way to the war, but in the two sister cities named Niagara Falls, no one is laughing.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | March 25 2003 |