Unattractive Union - The New American Magazine - May 11 - 2009.pdf
1. The High Cost of Cap and Trade • DHS: Everyone’s a Threat • Pyramid Schemes Put in Perspective
May 11, 2009
www.TheNewAmerican.com ThaT Freedom Shall NoT PeriSh
$2.95
Unattractive
UNION
2. Connect with something big
— from virtually anywhere.
Be one of the many dedicated Americans
working together to build a better world. Visit
JBS.org and get connected.
3. Scott
Farm
Founded 1880
ding
Fee a
Am eric
office • 701-869-2446
facSimile • 701-869-2829
The John W. Scott Farm P.o. Box 186
GilBy, north Dakota 58235
John W. Scott • Jack Scott
email • jwsfarm@polarcomm.com
To what avail the plow or sail or land or life if freedom fail?
8. Inside Track
Piracy solution: letters of Marque and reprisal
Is there another alternative to paying tribute to Somali pirates, are spending in the ongoing War on Terror. When dealing with
other than sending a huge naval expedition force to rout the pi- elusive, non-state actors like pirates and terrorists, Ron Paul’s ap-
rates out of their lairs? Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) believes proach would seem to make much more sense than current poli-
the Constitution’s long-neglected “marque and reprisal” provi- cies. There are very likely plenty of Special Ops/Special Forces
sion may offer a viable option. Article I, Section 8 of the Consti- operators who are ready, able, and willing to have a go at the
tution states: “The Congress shall have power … To define and Somali pirates.
punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, … To
declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules The guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge
concerning captures on land and water.” tows the lifeboat from the Maersk Alabama to
Throughout history, privateers have played an important role the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. Three
in combating piracy, and there’s good reason to think they could Navy vessels were used in this rescue.
do so again. As in the early years of our nation, Congress could
issue letters of marque and reprisal authorizing private parties
— individuals or corporations — to go after pirates and/or terror-
ists. Rep. Paul made the same proposal in 2001, introducing the
“Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001” to target Osama bin Laden
and other terrorists involved in the 9/11 terror attacks.
Placing bounties on the heads of villains would cost only a
few tens of millions of dollars, versus the hundreds of billions we news.navy.mil
globalist Piracy solution: Empower the UN
Our globalist-minded policy elites have the solution for piracy: option provided in the U.S. Constitution of granting letters of
more power for the United Nations. Ratification of the UN Law marque and reprisal to private actors to pursue pirates.
of the Sea Treaty (LOST) is a “top priority” for the new Obama The UN LOST would affect much more than our policies
administration, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. toward pirates. It would dangerously undermine national sover-
Articles 100-107 and Article 110 of the UN Law of the Sea Treaty eignty and transfer vast new powers to the United Nations to
deal with piracy. However, ratification of LOST would greatly control and/or regulate virtually all human activity on, over, or
hamper U.S. ability to deal with pirates, as it would restrict hot under the oceans, including the seabed, coastal areas, and inland
pursuit in territorial waters, pursuit on land, and interdicting and waterways (rivers, streams, and lakes) that empty into the oceans.
boarding pirate ships on the high seas, and it would prohibit the (See “LOST: The Law of the Sea Treaty” in our March 2 issue.)
obama: Hero or Villain in Pirate rescue saga?
President Obama scored major political points for the successful The critique, which claims to be based on conversations with
rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from his Somali pirate captors. Navy SEALs, notes: “Philips threw himself off of his lifeboat
Media headlines hailed his “decisive leadership” in his baptism prison, enabling Navy shooters onboard the destroyer a clear shot
under fire. However, scuttlebutt from the Navy community claims at his captors — and none was taken. The guidance from National
that the rescue succeeded in spite of Obama’s indecisiveness and Command Authority — the president of the United States, Ba-
interference, not because of his leadership. A harsh critique of rack Obama — had been clear: a peaceful solution was the only
the standoff by an anonymous Navy veteran that is circulating acceptable outcome to this standoff unless the hostage’s life was
widely claims that Team Obama attempted to micromanage the in clear, extreme danger.” The critique cites a litany of specific
situation, overruling the on-scene commander and imposing ri- interferences that allegedly prolonged the standoff for days and
diculous rules of engagement that repeatedly prevented the Navy endangered the life of Capt. Phillips.
SEAL shooters from taking out the pirates. A Special Forces veteran contacted by The New AmericAN
“What should have been a standoff lasting only hours — as said he “couldn’t vouch for all the specifics in the critique,” but
long as it took the USS Bainbridge and its team of NSWC [Naval that all the main points “appeared to be valid on the face of it.”
Surface Warfare Center] operators to steam to the location — be- The most obvious fact, he noted, was that when Capt. Phillips
came an embarrassing four day and counting standoff between a heroically jumped into the sea, “the SEALs would have shot
ragtag handful of criminals with rifles and a U.S. Navy warship,” the pirates or the Bainbridge would have blown them out of the
the critique says. water,” except for being countermanded by Obama.
6 THE NEW AMERICAN • MAy 11, 2009
9. “Efficient” socialism is Not the answer
ficer … will work to streamline processes, cut costs, and find best
practices throughout our government”;
• Aneesh Chopra, who in his role “as America’s Chief Tech-
nology Officer … will promote technological innovation to help
achieve our most urgent priorities — from creating jobs and re-
ducing health care costs to keeping our nation secure”; and
• Vivek Kundra, who as Chief Information Officer “is respon-
sible for setting technology policy across the government, and
using technology to improve security, ensure transparency, and
lower costs.”
White House photo
But can these experts really help solve our fiscal and economic
woes? The fact that Obama himself has not demonstrated fiscal
frugality as either a senator or president does not give cause for
hope. In the U.S. Senate, for instance, he voted for creating the
$700 billion TARP fund, thereby helping to create the projected
President Barack Obama said in his April 18 weekly address that deficit of over $1 trillion he inherited for the current fiscal year.
we can “get our deficits under control and move from recovery Then as president he lobbied for the $787 billion “stimulus” leg-
to prosperity” by getting rid of “dozens of government programs islation and proposed a budget forecasting a $1.75 trillion deficit
shown to be wasteful or ineffective” and, in general, making gov- for the current fiscal year. His budget also called for spending
ernment more “efficient” and “accountable.” He also said that he $3.9 trillion this fiscal year and spending $3.6 trillion next year
has “assembled a team of management, technology, and budget as compared to $3.0 trillion for fiscal 2008.
experts to guide us in this work.” President Obama is advocating more government, not less. He
Obama specifically pointed to the following experts: wants to make the socialism he advocates more efficient, but ef-
• Jeffrey Zients, who “as the first ever Chief Performance Of- ficient socialism is not the answer.
The EPa Proposes New regulations to control co2 Emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency on April 17 proposed from automobiles and power plants is definitely on the regula-
new regulations to control carbon dioxide (CO2) and five other tion block. The first step toward costly and far-reaching regula-
“greenhouse gases” as “pollutants” under section 202(a) of the tions is that the EPA establish carbon dioxide as a regulatory
Clean Air Act. While not mentioning what aspects of carbon- “pollutant,” even though all green plants need carbon dioxide
dioxide emissions will be regulated, the carbon dioxide emitted for photosynthesis and all animals exhale carbon dioxide.
“Mexico as the ‘Pier,’ arizona as the ‘docks’ ”
“Mexico as the ‘pier,’ Arizona as the ‘docks’ ” — meaning that Therein lies the rub. While Munger and ImagineArizona por-
Mexico serves as the initial port of entry while Arizona supplies tray only the benefits increased international trade would bring to
the warehousing and transportation facilities — is the vision of Arizona, they are not considering how the U.S. economy would
John Munger, chairman of the newly formed political action com- be harmed by increasing the flood of cheaply made foreign prod-
mittee ImagineArizona. ucts that no American company can afford to compete with. Also,
The Arizona Daily Star spoke with Munger and reported on this close cooperation between Arizona and Mexico will only
April 10 that his goal is to have Arizona “encourage Mexico to serve to strengthen the move toward hemispheric integration that
build a major deep-water port on the country’s northern west President George W. Bush began with his Security and Prosperity
coast,” probably “near Guaymas, about 250 miles south of Ari- Partnership agreement with Canada and Mexico.
zona in Sonora.” According to the Daily Star, Munger sees that
the “shipping ports in Los Angeles and San Diego are near ca-
pacity at a time of growing Asian markets.” The ImagineArizona
website calls this an “opportunity” for Arizona to “become a criti-
cally important and large part of a major international sea port
serving shipping from all parts of Asia, including China, Japan
and Korea.”
www.TheNewAmerican.com 7
10. Inside Track
Hundreds of Thousands attend Tax day Tea Parties
On April 15, the deadline for U.S. taxpayers to mail their income
tax returns, hundreds of thousands of Americans from coast to
coast participated in approximately 2,000 nationally inspired but
locally organized “Tea Party” protests. Fox News featured live
TV broadcasts from four cities — San Antonio, Sacramento, At-
lanta, and Washington, D.C. — featuring Fox personalities Glenn
Beck, Neil Cavuto, Sean Hannity, and Greta Van Susteren.
Tea Party participants and their signs reflected a variety of
ideological outlooks ranging from constitutionalist and libertar-
ian to populist and neoconservative. The New York Times reported
that in downtown Houston, a crowd of 2,000 filled the Jesse H.
Jones Plaza and that, among them, were some who wanted Texas
to secede. The Times noted that the tax protesters were joined
by “anti-abortion activists, Libertarians, and fiscally conservative
AP Images
Republicans.” Amidst a sea of American flags, hand-painted signs
bore messages such as: “Abolish the I.R.S.,” “Less Government Washington, D.C.
More Free Enterprise,” “We Miss Reagan,” and “Honk if You Are
Upset About Your Tax Dollars Being Spent on Illegal Aliens.” ous, with many finding out about and promoting various events
The “Don’t Tread on Me” Revolutionary War-era flag was through the Internet and social networking.
prominent at a number of the Tea Party rallies (including the one Newt Gingrich, who addressed a Tea Party rally in New York
in Appleton, Wisconsin, where The New AmericAN is located), City, was the most prominent big-name neoconservative politi-
as were signs to end the Federal Reserve. cian who was heavily involved in promoting the April 15 events.
The event generally credited with inspiring the Tea Party move- The participation of establishment GOP politicians like Gingrich
ment was a February 19, 2009 broadcast from the floor of the in a movement that’s also populated by Ron Paul Republicans
Chicago Mercantile Exchange by CNBC financial commentator suggests that they view the movement as an opportunity to posi-
Rick Santelli. During his broadcast, Santelli criticized the Obama tion themselves as anti-big government, garner support, and (in
administration’s plan to use federal funds to refinance troubled general) further their political ambitions. It does not mean that
mortgages as “promoting bad behavior,” and he suggested the they are suddenly willing to abandon their neoconservatism in
idea of staging a “Chicago Tea Party.” Almost immediately after- favor of strict adherence to the Constitution.
wards, websites began to spring up promoting the idea and a new Veteran readers of The New AmericAN know about Gingrich’s
movement began. The clip of Santelli’s impassioned outburst has key role in placing the United States under the jurisdiction of
been viewed on YouTube more than a million times. the World Trade Organization and NAFTA, among other inter-
An excellent coordinated effort was provided to event organiz- nationalist positions he has taken. However, the vast majority of
ers through websites created by sponsoring organizations such Americans who attended the Tax Day Tea Parties were undoubt-
as TaxDayTeaParty.com, the American Family Association, Top edly entirely innocent of such knowledge.
Conservatives on Twitter (TCOT), Smart Girl Politics, and the Nonetheless, the Tax Day Tea Parties provided a very welcome
DontGo Movement. The new Glenn Beck 9-12 Project has also venue for hundreds of thousands of Americans to register their
promoted the Tax Day Tea Parties on its website. Yet once the opposition to the trillion-dollar bailouts, corporate takeovers,
movement took off, local events were more-or-less spontane- stimulus packages, inflationary deficit spending, etc. n
AP Images
AP Images
Lansing, Michigan Olympia, Washington
8 THE NEW AMERICAN • MAy 11, 2009
11. QuickQuotes
Ruth
Ginsburg
one supreme court Justice likes the idea
of relying on foreign law
AP Images
“Why shouldn’t we look to the wisdom of a judge from abroad
with at least as much ease as we would read a law review article
written by a professor? I frankly don’t understand all the brou-
haha lately from Congress and even from some of my colleagues about referring to foreign law.”
Speaking at a symposium held at Ohio State University, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg responded in
part to criticism of her view given by Justices Roberts, Thomas, Scalia, and Alito.
chief Justice opposes Use of foreign law
in rendering decisions
“If we’re relying on a decision from a German judge about what our
Constitution means, no president accountable to the people appointed
John
that judge and no Senate accountable to the people confirmed that Roberts
judge. And yet he’s playing a role in shaping the law that binds the
people in this country.”
Having taken this position during his confirmation hearing, Chief Jus-
AP Images
tice John Roberts has never backed away from his belief that foreign
law should not be relied upon in issuing decisions.
clever labeling Hides What something really is
“There’s a great company called I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. At least they have the decency to tell
you it’s not butter. Now we have something called ‘credit default swaps,’ because if they called it I Can’t
Believe It’s Not Insurance, maybe nobody would buy it.”
Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) made his point during hearings with financial regulators.
scoffing at the reputed Worth of “Public opinion”
“Public opinion may be defined as what people think other people are thinking.”
In his inimitable way, columnist Joseph Sobran places little value on oft-cited public opinion.
Bonuses for fannie and freddie Employees angers iowa senator
“It’s an insult that these bonuses were made with an infusion of cash from the taxpayers. It’s hard to
see any common sense in management decisions that award hundreds of millions in bonuses when their
organizations lost more than $100 billion in a year.”
Hoping to retain many employees, the quasi-government companies known as Fannie and Freddie are
awarding 7,600 of their personnel with more than $210 million in bonuses after receiving a $15 billion
bailout from the government. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) notes that four of the top executives
of these firms will each receive at least $1 million in hopes of retaining them.
Treasury secretary Not Evasive about Taking over Banks
“If in the future, banks need exceptional assistance in order to
get through this, then we will make sure that assistance comes.
Where that requires a change in management and the board, then
Timothy we will do that.”
Geithner Interviewed on television, Secretary of the Treasury Timothy
Geithner cited the government’s action that has provided bail-
outs while forcing out the top executives of AIG, Fannie Mae, and
AP Images
Freddie Mac. He obviously does not believe that failing entities
should be allowed to fail.
Professor Protests obama Presence at Notre dame commencement
“The invitation to Mr. Obama is a deliberate thumbing of the collective nose at the Roman Catholic
Church.”
Philosophy professor Ralph McInerny, one of the more prominent instructors at Notre Dame, believes
the school’s invitation to the president to deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary
degree should be rescinded. n
— comPiled by JohN F. mcmANus
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12. TransaTlanTic Union
Unattractive
UNION
It is now clear that European
nations were deceived into joining
an economic union that became
a political union, yet our leaders
still seek a similar economic union
with the EU.
by James Perloff ed States with Mexico and Canada. The curity and Prosperity Partnership” (SPP)
foundation for such a union was initi- that President George W. Bush, Mexican
T
he New AmericAN has devoted ated with the North American Free Trade President Vicente Fox, and Canadian
extensive coverage to the risks of Agreement, or NAFTA, which went into Prime Minister Paul Martin launched at
what critics have dubbed a North effect on January 1, 1994. Like the older their Waco, Texas, meeting on March 23,
American Union (NAU), in reference to European Common Market that eventu- 2005.*
the incremental integration of the Unit- ally morphed into the EU, NAFTA, a sup- Few Americans are aware of the SPP
posed “free trade” arrangement, provided
James Perloff is the author of The Shadows of Power: the supranational architecture for future * For background, see our special October 15, 2007
The Council on Foreign Relations and the American integration. “Merger in the Making” issue. The issue is avail-
Decline and Tornado in a Junkyard: The Relentless This process of North American integra- able online as a PDF: http://www.thenewamerican
Myth of Darwinism. tion was later advanced through the “Se- .com/files/MergerInTheMaking.pdf
10 THE NEW AMERICAN • MAy 11, 2009
13. coming together: In 2008, the leaders of Mexico, the United States, and Canada (Felipe Calderon, George W. Bush, and Stephen Harper)
met to further empower the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). The SPP builds on the North American Free Trade
AP Images
Agreement to integrate the three countries’ military and security functions, populations, and laws — similar to the EU.
arrangement because the major media ig- considered by many to have fathered the These sentiments were quietly certified
nored it — except for CNN’s Lou Dobbs, concepts that resulted in the SPP. But in November of that year when the U.S.
who said of the Waco meeting: “President writing in the July/August 2008 issue of House of Representatives passed House
Bush signed a formal agreement that will Foreign Affairs (the CFR’s journal), Pastor Resolution 390, introduced by Nebraska
end the United States as we know it, and registered disappointment with its prog- Republican Doug Bereuter. The resolution
he took the step without approval from ei- ress. Though continuing to advocate conti- declared that the “United States and the
ther the U.S. Congress or the people of the nental unification, he lamented that “North European community are aware of their
United States.” America’s experiment in integration has shared responsibility, not only to further
It soon became apparent that the plan stalled.... The April summit meeting [be- transatlantic security, but to address other
would lead to eventual political consolida- tween U.S., Mexican, and Canadian heads common interests such as environmental
tion of the countries, modeled on the Euro- of state] was probably the last hurrah for protection, poverty reduction, combating
pean Union. It would destroy U.S. sover- the SPP. The strategy of acting on techni- international crime and promoting human
eignty, nullify the Constitution, flood our cal issues in an incremental, bureaucratic rights, and to work together to meet those
nation with cheap, job-destroying imports way, and of keeping the issues away from transnational challenges which affect the
via a NAFTA “Super Highway,” and allow public view, has generated more suspicion well-being of all.” It further stated that
uncontrolled immigration by erasing our than accomplishments. The new president “the partnership should be expanded pro-
border with Mexico. will probably discard the SPP.” gressively from a transatlantic community
Thanks to the vigilance of concerned But like a running back who, about to of values to an effective transatlantic com-
activists, the alarm bells reached the halls be tackled, laterals the football to a team- munity of action.”
of Congress, and in 2007 Rep. Virgil mate, the establishment has at least for the On the other side of the ocean, the Euro-
Goode (R-Va.) introduced House Concur- time being shifted to another scheme: ce- pean Parliament passed resolutions in May
rent Resolution 40, which resolved that menting the United States to the European 2004 and January 2005 advocating the es-
Union in what is called the “Transatlantic tablishment of a “transatlantic market.”
(1) the United States should not Partnership.” These intentions became actuated at a
engage in the construction of a North Early rumblings of this
American Free Trade Agreement partnership came in 2003
(NAFTA) Superhighway System; when the U.S. Department At a summit on April 30, 2007, President
[and] of Commerce stated in a
(2) the United States should not press release: “Commerce
Bush announced the signing of a new
allow the Security and Prosperity Secretary Don Evans and agreement whose expressed purpose is
Partnership (SPP) to implement fur- his European Union coun-
ther regulations that would create a terpart, Commissioner Erkki
to “strengthen transatlantic economic
North American Union with Mexico Liikanen, reaffirmed the im- integration.” Without the consent of
and Canada. portance of the transatlantic
Congress or a mandate from the American
economic and commercial
Robert Pastor of the ultra-establishment partnership at a meeting last people, this was an unconstitutional act.
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is night in Washington, D.C.”
www.TheNewAmerican.com 11
14. TransaTlanTic Union
Progression of the plan: Former President George W. Bush went to a G20 Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy in 2008.
AP Images
Obama was at another G20 financial summit in April. Both presidents were in favor of a new global financial system. The meeting Obama
attended ended with a tentative agreement to initiate such a system.
White House summit on April 30, 2007. Entirely aside from the fact that Presi- dimentary world government in the form
Standing beside Angela Merkel, president
dent Bush’s committing the United States of the now-defunct League of Nations.
of the European Council, and José Manuel
to this arrangement with the EU, without World government is the pathway to
Barroso, president of the European Com-the consent of Congress or a mandate tyranny because, by eliminating the sov-
mission, President Bush announced the from the American people, was an uncon- ereignty of nations, it would concentrate
signing of a new agreement whose ex- stitutional act, one must understand the all of the world’s political power in a
background that has led to this develop-
pressed purpose is to “strengthen transat- single regime — a frightening concept to
ment, which is only the latest in a series
lantic economic integration.” Specifically, contemplate.
of events.
the pact called for “joint work in the areas Because nation-states have tradition-
of regulatory cooperation, financial mar- The governments of Europe and the ally, and rightfully, been suspicious of
United States are dominated by an “estab-
kets, trade and transport security, innova- ceding themselves to a world government,
lishment” that intertwines multinational
tion and technological development, intel- the establishment has adopted the tac-
corporations, think tanks, central banks,
lectual property rights, energy, investment, tic of grouping countries under regional
competition, services, and government powerful foundations, and the major mass governments as a steppingstone to global
media. In the United States, the Council on
procurement,” as well as the “interopera- dominion. A Frenchman or German, in
Foreign Relations is the establishment’s
bility of electronic health record systems,” other words, might feel more comfortable
chief bridge of influence to the federal
“customs cooperation,” and other steps to- merged in a European federation than one
ward economic integration. government, having dominated the cabi- that included Asia or Africa.
nets of every president since Franklin D. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin understood
The Pattern Roosevelt. The CFR has counterpart or- this strategy well. He said: “Populations
Some may ask: “What is wrong with eco- ganizations in countries throughout the will more readily abandon their national
nomic integration? What’s the big deal world. Coordination of policy between loyalties to a vague regional loyalty than
about cooperation? Isn’t it xenophobic establishment figures from different coun- they will for a world authority. Later, the
paranoia to oppose it?” tries has taken place through such venues regionals can be brought all the way into a
as the annual Bildergberger con- single world dictatorship.”
ferences, begun in 1954, and the In a modern context, Zbigniew Brze
The push for the Transatlantic meetings of the Trilateral Com- zinski said: “We cannot leap into world
mission, founded in 1973 by government in one quick step. The precon-
Partnership is a well-coordinated Zbigniew Brzezinski and CFR dition for genuine globalization is progres-
one. At the hub of this movement is Chairman David Rockefeller. The sive regionalization.” Both the European
goal of the CFR and its sister or- Union and the incipient North American
a powerful but largely unpublicized ganizations is world government; Union are, of course, regional bodies.
institution called the Transatlantic in fact, the CFR was founded for However, many nations have been re-
that express purpose in 1921 after luctant even to join regional organizations.
Policy Network (TPN), headquartered
the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the The bait used to lure them in has been the
in Washington and Brussels. Versailles Treaty, which would alleged prosperity of trade treaties. These,
have committed us to joining a ru- while initially disguised as economic ar-
12 THE NEW AMERICAN • MAy 11, 2009
15. rangements, cast the die for inevitable po- nated changes in laws. In Europe, laws cans should begin considering formation
litical consolidation. are usually made by parliaments; thus the of a continental parliament.” (Emphasis
The European Union is a case in point. Common Market led to the formation of added.)
The EU actually started in 1950 as the six- the European Parliament in 1979, and the This view was echoed by University of
nation European Coal and Steel Commu- European Economic Community simply Nevada economics professor Glen Atkin-
nity. In 1957, this evolved into the Com- dropped the word “Economic” — which son in his paper “Regional Integration in
mon Market, which was sold to Europeans had only been a pretense — from its the Emerging Global Economy: The Case
as a purely economic structure that would name. Then came the European Union, in of NAFTA,” published in the Social Sci-
enhance prosperity; its official name was which sovereignties have been drowned: ence Journal. He wrote, “The stage of
the European Economic Community. national parliaments find themselves in- economic union requires a high degree of
The chief architect of the Common creasingly subservient to the dictates of coordination or even unification of poli-
Market was the shadowy Jean Monnet, the EU, as they see their laws, currencies, cies. This sets the foundation for political
whom Time magazine called “the Father of court systems, militaries, etc., gradually union.” (Emphasis added.)
Europe.” Monnet’s deceptive strategy was consolidated.
explained by British Conservative Adrian The plans for a North American Union Bridging the ocean
Hilton, who notes that Monnet believed likewise got their start with an economic Thus no one should be surprised that the
arrangement: NAFTA. Although hyped as latest thrust toward world government —
that Europe should become a federal a path to “prosperity,” Americans lost mil- the Transatlantic Partnership — is initially
superstate, into which all ancient lions of jobs as cheap imports flooded the being foisted on us as an “economic ar-
nations would be fused. ‘Fused’ is country. And our trade deficit soared: in rangement” (coupled, as was the Security
the word he used.... For this to be 1994 (the year we joined NAFTA) it was and Prosperity Partnership, with assur-
achieved without the peoples of Eu- $75 billion; in 2008 $673 billion. Our trade ances that consolidation will also provide
rope realising what was happening, deficit with Canada and Mexico went from protection against terrorism).
the plan was to be accomplished in $9 billion in 1993 to $98 billion by 2003. As we have noted, President Bush’s
successive steps. Each was to be dis- But adding constitutional insult to this signed agreement with the EU’s leaders
guised as having an economic pur- injury, NAFTA’s foremost purpose was to pledged “transatlantic economic integra-
pose, but all, taken together, would lay the groundwork for consolidation. An- tion.” It established a permanent Trans-
inevitably and irreversibly lead to drew Reding of the World Policy Institute atlantic Economic Council. And most of
federation. wrote: “NAFTA will signal the formation, the agreement’s provisions — concerning
however tentatively, of a new political unit trade, investment, energy, etc. — are eco-
Once nations agree to complex trade — North America. With economic integra- nomic in nature.
agreements, conflicts naturally arise over tion will come political integration. By Based upon the pattern set by the Eu-
issues such as prices, tariffs, taxation, whatever name, this is an incipient form ropean Union and the SPP, however, it
product safety, union relations, etc. Reso- of international government. Following is quite logical to conclude that this eco-
lution of these conflicts requires coordi- the lead of the Europeans, North Ameri- nomic consolidation is only a prelude to
intended merger with the EU.
Just 12 days before President Bush
signed the agreement, British Prime Min-
ister Gordon Brown delivered a speech at
the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
and Museum in Boston. Ironically, as he
stood only 12 miles from where the first
shots of the American Revolution were
fired, the Briton invoked this quote from
John F. Kennedy: “Today, Americans
must learn to think intercontinentally.”
Continuing, he gushed that “a global so-
ciety demands new global agreements and
integration by 2015: The EU’s members of
parliament voted in March to initiate a new
Transatlantic Policy Council “for systemic
European Parliament
high-level consultation and coordination in
respect of foreign and security policy” with the
United States. Its goal is to achieve “economic
integration” and a “unified transatlantic market
by 2015.”
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16. TransaTlanTic Union
lations; the Center for Strategic and In-
ternational Studies (CSIS); the Atlantic
Council; the Aspen Institute; the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace; and
the German Marshall Fund of the United
States. The CFR’s role in advocating re-
gional alliances and world government is
well known to many readers of The New
AmericAN. It is interesting to note the
statements being made by others listed
among the “Cooperating Institutions”
that demonstrate they are moving lock
step with TPN.
For example, CSIS, which counts among
its members such CFR heavyweights as
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Felix Rohatyn, Har-
old Brown, and Brent Scowcroft, released
a report in 2007 called “Towards a Grand
global cheerleader: U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been jetting around the world
AP Images
Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renew-
in a bid to convince countries to institute world regulations over financial institutions and ing Transatlantic Partnership.” It said
functions. The new regulations would be under the control of a global governing body. that “our long-term vision is for a zone
of common security and collective action
from Finland to Alaska.”
strengthened global institutions to protect As Dennis Behreandt insightfully noted In 2009, in its journal Internationale
and safeguard essential global resources.” in the May 12, 2008 issue of The New Politik, the German Council on Foreign
Phyllis Schlafly counted the word “glob- AmericAN: Relations published an article by Paul
al” 69 times in Brown’s speech. Clearly, Hockenos entitled “Rethinking US-Eu-
he was softening the American public for The emphasis placed on “top down” rope Relations.” It declared: “It must be
President Bush’s transatlantic agreement. is not insignificant. As typically used a partnership of equals across the Atlan-
Indeed, the push for the Transatlantic by NGOs, that terminology usually tic and this will require real compromis-
Partnership is a well-coordinated one. At implies that executive-level leaders es from the United States as well as the
the hub of this movement is a powerful but will impose their desires on the citi- Europeans.”
largely unpublicized institution called the zens of a nation, not the other way In 2007, the U.S.-based Atlantic Council
Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN), head- around as envisioned, for instance, by issued a 35-page report entitled Transatlan-
quartered in Washington and Brussels. America’s Founders. tic Leadership for a New Global Economy,
In February 2007, just two months be- which advocated a “barrier-free ‘Enhanced
fore the U.S.-EU Summit, TPN publishedIndeed, TPN’s website (www.tpnonline. Transatlantic Market.’ ” Among its many
its white paper Completing the Transat-
org) lists as its business members a host of specific recommendations: “The United
lantic Market, which declared: “It is time
multinational corporations, such as AIG, States and the EU should launch a new,
for a complementary, top down approachCitigroup, Time Warner, IBM, Merck, GE, jointly funded effort to develop future en-
to transatlantic cooperation through a joint
and Coca-Cola. Peter Sutherland, the EU ergy technologies that will both improve
commitment by the European Union and honorary president of TPN, is chairman efficiency and reduce global warming, as
the United States to a roadmap for achiev-
of both Goldman Sachs International and part of the development of a new, post-
ing a Transatlantic Market by 2015.” the British Petroleum Company, as well Kyoto international consensus.” It calls for
as former director of the sov- transformation of the International Energy
ereignty-sapping World Trade Agency (IEA) into “the primary institution
The once-powerful nations of Europe Organization. for global energy governance,” and a merg-
Among the “Cooperating er of the World Bank with the IMF. In short,
are progressively finding themselves Institutions” listed by TPN are it wants broad consolidation of power.
reduced to the status of mere provinces what we might call a round-up The Atlantic Council is an old hand at
of “the usual suspects” who ad- the transatlantic game. Officially founded
of the EU. Should America unite with the vocate world government over in 1961, it grew largely out of the older At-
EU, we can expect to follow suit, finding national sovereignty, such as: lantic Union Committee, whose members
the Council on Foreign Rela- envisioned a U.S.-Europe merger which
our Constitution scrapped and ourselves
tions (CFR); RIIA (the CFR’s they dubbed “Atlantica.” In the 1960s, the
little more than a colony of Europe. British counterpart); the Ger- council’s lobbying resulted in resolutions
man Council on Foreign Re- being brought before Congress that would
14 THE NEW AMERICAN • MAy 11, 2009
17. His mandate: Zbigniew
have laid the groundwork for this merger. Brzezinski cofounded the
The resolutions were consistently rejected Trilateral Commission with David
by Congress, but with the further wither- Rockefeller. The commission is
ing of national sovereignty, the council ap- dedicated to achieving global
pears ready to renew its merger crusade. stability through coordinated
policies amongst developed
nations. The commission is
Events Propel the Union forward
regularly accused of undermining
Neither the advent of Barack Obama nor individuals’ rights and freedoms
the current financial debacle will slow the to gain unanimity among the
Transatlantic Partnership, but can be ex- world’s governments.
pected to accelerate it. During his presi-
dential campaign, Obama named globalist
Zbigniew Brzezinski as one of his top for-
eign policy advisers, calling him “some-
body I have learned an immense amount
from.”
Following the elections, Nicolas
Sarkozy, president of both France and the
European Council, said that “the European
Union sees in this election the promise of
Newscom
a reinforced transatlantic partnership.”
In the Spring 2009 issue of Internation-
ale Politik, the German Council on Foreign
Relations published an article called “A the Transatlantic Partnership. The Brus- Even the most affluent countries
New Transatlantic Partnership” that actu- sels Forum — yet another internationalist will confront shrinking resources.
ally complained of “the bruises that the tentacle of the transatlantic network — Each will have to redefine its national
transatlantic partnership suffered during the recently declared: “Since the beginning priorities. An international order will
Bush years” and opined that “if Europeans of the financial crisis in the fall of 2008, emerge if a system of compatible pri-
could have voted in the 2008 US presiden- the world economy has deteriorated at an orities comes into being....
tial election, they would have voted over- alarming rate.... The U.S. and European The alternative to a new interna-
whelmingly for Barack Obama.” governments must reassess the role of tional order is chaos.
Indeed, in April of this year — just a the transatlantic partnership in the global
little more than two months after his inau- economy and re-ignite it as the catalyst of The coordinated voices of many global
guration — Obama traveled to Europe for global economic recovery.” elites, speaking through mass media or-
a series of summit meetings with EU lead- In the United States, Henry Kissinger gans owned by the international establish-
ers. Canada is now joining the Transatlan- has long epitomized the foreign policy es- ment, give the public an illusion that there
tic Partnership. Canada’s daily Financial tablishment. He once told Hamilton Fish is a logical consensus for world govern-
Post reported on March 5, 2009: Armstrong, editor of the CFR journal For- ment, with the Transatlantic Partnership as
eign Affairs, “You invented me,” and be- its newest cornerstone.
Canada and the European Union fore serving as Richard Nixon’s Secretary However, like NAFTA and the Europe-
have agreed to begin free trade ne- of State, he acted as chief foreign policy an Union itself, there has never been any
gotiations.... After months of “scop- adviser to Nelson Rockefeller, whom he mandate from the people of the nations for
ing exercises,” the two parties have called “the single most influential person these globalist arrangements.
come to an agreement on the areas in my life.” Experience has proven that if America
they would like to negotiate, includ- Still a dominant voice in foreign policy, moves ahead with the Transatlantic Part-
ing trade in goods, services and in- Kissinger published an article in the Janu- nership, the economic alliance will be
vestment, and have now adjourned ary 12, 2009 issue of the International converted incrementally into a political
to prepare their proposals to take Herald Tribune entitled “The Chance for merger. The once-powerful nations of Eu-
to the negotiating table.... “At long a New World Order.” He stated: rope are progressively finding themselves
last, Canada is poised to realize the reduced to the status of mere provinces
immense potential of a closer trans- As the new U.S. administration pre- of the European Union. Should America
atlantic relationship,” said Thomas pares to take office amid grave finan- unite with the EU, we can expect to fol-
d’Aquino, president of the Canadian cial and international crises, it may low suit, find our Constitution scrapped
Council of Chief Executives. seem counterintuitive to argue that the for international regulation, and ourselves
very unsettled nature of the interna- — after over 200 years of the blessings of
The financial meltdown is being used tional system generates a unique op- independence — little more than a colony
as a stick to force us eat the “carrot” of portunity for creative diplomacy.... of Europe. n
www.TheNewAmerican.com 15
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19. EnErgy
AP Images
The High Cost futile cause? These protestors participating in
a walk in South Burlington, Vermont, in 2006
want humans to “Stop Global Warming.” What
of cap and Trade
they may not have considered is that variations
in the Earth’s temperatures are a natural — not
a man-made — phenomenon.
have read any of several well-researched
Cap-and-trade programs to control carbon-dioxide books* disputing both the severity of glob-
al warming and the theory that it is caused
emissions are an unacceptably costly way to deal with the by man’s activities, will not easily accept
supposed problem of man-made global warming. the argument that a massive and costly
government program is needed to prevent
a catastrophic ecological event.
by Warren Mass ing to those limits, and then allow firms To make an informed decision about
to trade the allowances.” whether a cap-and-trade program is advis-
T
he term “cap and trade,” in terms Aside from telling us how cap-and-trade able, therefore, requires that several ques-
of a plan to reduce carbon-dioxide programs might operate, the reference to tions be answered.
emissions into the air, is one that “tightening limits on emissions” gives away
is heard widely of late as a proposed solu- the ostensible purpose of these programs: Is global warming real, or at least real
tion for the supposed problem of global to fight that supposed ominous scourge of enough to be threatening?
warming. It will be discussed with more the 21st century, global warming. This question is best dealt with by refer-
frequency as cap-and-trade proposals that Those who have accepted the widely ring to our February 16 cover story or one
failed to pass in the last Congress are re- promulgated theory that the melting of the
introduced this year. But many people polar icecaps and rising of the seas is im- * See, for example, Hot Talk, Cold Science, and Un-
are still a little hazy about what “cap and minent may believe that any economic cost stoppable Global Warming Every 1500 Years, by
trade” actually means. One succinct ex- is worth enduring, if only global warm- Dr. S. Fred Singer; The Politically Incorrect Guide
planation appeared in an article on the ing can be forestalled. However, regular to Global Warming (and Environmentalism) and
Congressional Budget Office website: readers of The New AmericAN, especially Red Hot Lies: How Global Warming Alarmists Use
“The government would set gradually those who have read our February 16, 2009 Threats, Fraud, and Deception to Keep You Misin-
tightening limits on [CO2] emissions, cover story entitled “Whatever Happened formed by Christopher C. Horner; and Meltdown,
issue rights (or allowances) correspond- to Global Warming?” as well as those who by Patrick Michaels.
Call 1-800-727-TRUE to subscribe today! 17
20. EnErgy
about 95 percent of the earth’s of the Earth. But the system isn’t so simple.
natural greenhouse effect, If the climate system worked this way, the
David Sawyer of the Alabama Policy whereas carbon dioxide con- Earth would have reached its maximum
Institute warned that a cap-and-trade tributes most of the remaining temperature eons ago, and stayed there:
5 percent. Global warming water vapor would have entered the air
system could more than double electricity
projections assume that water when the oceans were heated by sunlight;
and natural gas bills for residents. vapor will increase along with the Earth would have warmed somewhat,
Sawyer noted that putting “a chokehold any warming resulting from leading to more water vapor entering the
the increases in carbon diox- air and more heating of the Earth, followed
on our economy with the idea of saving ide concentrations.” by more water vapor, and so on.
the planet is a complete ruse.” Dr. Spencer points out
that such assumptions are What is the economic cost of reducing
unproven, noting that “there carbon-dioxide emissions, either by cap
of the books cited in the footnote. Suffice remain substantial uncertainties in our and trade or a direct tax?
it to say that the issue is not as settled as understanding of how the climate system Whether one accepts the claims that carbon
many in the media portray it to be. will respond to increasing concentrations emissions contribute to global warming, or
of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse prefers to give equal weight to contradic-
What impact, if any, do man-made CO2 gases.” He observes that the natural tory evidence, there is no dispute that a cap-
emissions have on global warming? greenhouse effect that heats the Earth is and-trade program would be costly. As to
In the April 3 issue of the Wall Street Jour- offset by natural cooling processes. “In how costly, we should consider the article
nal, deputy editor George Melloan noted other words,” concluded Dr. Spencer, “Study the (scary) figures on cap and trade,”
that, according to “serious scientists,” “the “the natural greenhouse effect cannot by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) in the Fort
greenhouse gases are a fundamental part be considered in isolation as a process Worth Star Telegram for April 11, 2009. In
of the biosphere, necessary to all life, and warming the earth, without at the same it Barton noted: “[Cap and trade] is being
… industrial activity generates less than time accounting for cooling processes sold as a way to save the planet by taxing
5% of them, if that.” that actually keep the greenhouse effect ‘emitters,’ but it will kill the economy and
Furthermore, the theory that CO2 is the from scorching us all.” decimate your family’s budget.”
prime culprit in so-called global warming Theories on runaway global warming Barton made the following predictions
may also be flawed. In the compendium based on CO2 emissions postulate that of how cap and trade would affect the U.S.
Earth Report 2000, Dr. Roy Spencer, se- increases in CO2 will cause some (minor) economy, citing the National Association
nior scientist for climate studies at NASA’s heating of the Earth that will in turn cause of Manufacturers as his principal source:
Marshall Space Flight Center, noted: “It more water vapor to enter the air from the • Job losses: 1.8 to 7 million
is estimated that water vapor accounts for oceans, thereby causing dangerous heating • Family tax increase: $739 to $6,752
• Electricity cost increases: 44 to 129
percent
• Gasoline price increases: 61 cents to
$2.53 per gallon
• Natural gas increases: 108 to 146
percent
He added: “While the exact cost in-
creases may be debatable, experts — in-
cluding those working at the White House
— agree that prices will go up.”
The Huntsville, Alabama, Times for
sen. John Warner (R-Va.), left, accompanied
by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), center,
and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), right, during
a 2008 news conference on Capitol Hill to
discuss the environment and climate change.
When Lieberman and Warner introduced
the America’s Climate Security Act of 2007
(S. 2191) in the last Congress, the Heritage
Foundation warned: “All such climate change
measures warrant careful scrutiny, as they
AP Images
would likely increase energy costs and do
considerably more economic harm than
environmental good.”
18 THE NEW AMERICAN • MAy 11, 2009
21. House Energy and Commerce Commit-
tee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.)
and Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.),
chairman of the Energy and Environment
Subcommittee, released a draft climate
bill in March that they hope to send to the
full House by Memorial Day.
Another bill containing a cap-and-trade
provision has already been introduced in
the House. H.R. 1759, the Emission Mi-
gration Prevention with Long-term Output
Yields Act, was introduced on March 26
by representatives Jay Inslee (D-Wash.)
and Michael Doyle (D-Pa.) and has been
referred to the House Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce.
Perhaps to address concerns voiced by
opponents of cap-and-trade plans that they
AP Images
will damage an already weak U.S. econo-
my, Joseph Aldy, a special assistant to the
rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce president for energy and the environment,
Subcommittee, said that cap and trade “is being sold as a way to save the planet by taxing announced on April 8 that a portion of the
‘emitters,’ but it will kill the economy and decimate your family’s budget.” revenue received from any cap-and-trade
plan must go toward relieving those who
April 14, 2009 ran an article headlined scrutiny, as they would likely increase en- end up paying higher energy bills because
“Cap-and-trade will hurt economy, group ergy costs and do considerably more eco- of the plan — an admission against in-
says,” that quoted Dr. John Hill, director nomic harm than environmental good.” terest that energy costs are going to go
of research for the Birmingham-based Al- The Heritage assessment cited a study up, just as critics claim. “There will be
abama Policy Institute (API). Dr. Hill cast by Charles River Associates that put the those who are going to be vulnerable as
doubt on the idea that carbon emissions cost (in terms of reduced household spend- we make this transition and … we need
have much impact on global warming. ing per year) of S. 2191 at $800 to $1,300 to actually target the allowance value and
The article noted that, regardless of per household by 2015, rising to $1,500 to revenues to those households, communi-
differences of opinion concerning global $2,500 by 2050. Electricity prices could ties, and businesses,” Reuters news quoted
warming: “All sides agree that carbon di- jump by 36 to 65 percent by 2015 and 80 Aldy as saying at an Energy Information
oxide limits could raise the cost of elec- to 125 percent by 2050. The study noted Administration forum.
tricity or heat generated using fossil fuels that while no analysis has been done on Advocates of cap and trade are promot-
such as coal or natural gas. It also could the impact of S. 2191 on gasoline prices, ing it as a way to prevent global warming.
raise costs for other industries that release an Environmental Protection Agency But U.S. Representative Marsha Black-
carbon dioxide, such as cement plants.” study of a less stringent cap-and-trade bill burn (R-Tenn.) has another description
The report also quoted API’s commu- estimates impacts of 26 cents per gallon by for it: “cap and tax.” Even New York City
nications director, David Sawyer, who 2030 and 68 cents by 2050. Mayor Michael Bloomberg admitted that
warned that a cap-and-trade system could And what benefit would ensue from cap and trade is a form of taxation when he
more than double electricity and natural- these financial burdens? Again citing the told reporters at the UN Climate Change
gas bills for residents. “Since when was Charles River study, Heritage noted that Conference in Bali, Indonesia, in 2007 that
carbon dioxide considered a poisonous “even if the U.S. were a party to [the Kyoto the growing cap-and-trade industry is vul-
pollutant?” Sawyer questioned. “To put a Protocol] and the European nations and nerable to “special interests, corruption,
chokehold on our economy with the idea other signatories were in full compliance inefficiencies,” and should be replaced by
of saving the planet is a complete ruse.” … the treaty would reduce the Earth’s fu- straight carbon taxes.
ture temperature by an estimated 0.07 de- It makes little sense to impose a higher
And finally, does the benefit justify the grees Celsius by 2050 — an amount too tax burden and another revenue-sharing
cost? small even to verify. S. 2191 would at best scheme on Americans already beaten
When Senators Joseph Lieberman (I- do only a little more.” down by the current recession, using the
Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) intro- Despite the above findings, there is a prevention of “global warming” as a pre-
duced the America’s Climate Security Act strong political movement in our nation text. Americans who think that the cost of
of 2007 (S. 2191) in the last Congress, the determined to impose cap and trade or living is already high enough should share
Heritage Foundation warned, “All such other forms of carbon taxes that will place their concerns with their representatives in
climate change measures warrant careful a further economic burden on Americans. Congress before it is too late. n
www.TheNewAmerican.com 19
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