The Real United States of America
Is more integration with the US a bad thing? Canada isn't perfect, but let's have a close look at the United States:- The use of torture has been authorized by the highest levels of their government. President Bush condoned the use of torture and even vetoed a bill banning torture.
- Their for-profit medical system is the most expensive in the world yet it ranks low in the world and millions go without health insurance. A common cause of bankruptcy in the US is cancer (even for people with health insurance).
- European lawyers consider China and Russia's legal systems to be fairer than America's.
- Their for-profit prison system has produced the highest incarceration rate in the world.
- They spend more on their military than the rest of the world combined. The US government and military industrial complex are highly integrated. War is a Racket. The American Empire has 800 military facilities in 140 countries.
- The US monetary system is controlled by a private entity, The Federal Reserve, created by private banking interests in 1913 through bribery and deceit. See also Federal Reserve ownership chart.
- Their financial system is highly corrupt, leading to such fiascoes as the current mortgage crisis/meltdown.
- Transparency International ranks the US 20th in the world for political corruption (not as bad as it gets but they are no Denmark either).
- Their debt is out of control, doubling in the last eight years. See this chart for current account deficits (scroll to the bottom to find the USA).
- The US dollar is in serious decline. It will not recover, many oil exporting countries (and China) are moving away from the dollar.
- Worldwide America ranks 48th for freedom of the press, resulting in a public out of touch.
- They are the main opponent to the Kyoto Protocol and have an poor environmental record (Canada is not much better).
- They are the main opponent to UN bans on space weapons, land mines and cluster bombs.
- Their factory-farming practices are inhuman and unsustainable. Their farm subsidies program causes more harm than good.
- They are not a functioning
democracy; the amount of money
behind lobbying efforts makes that impossible.
Ex-vice president Cheney displays his contempt for democracy in this video. - Oil companies (reporting record profits) receive government subsidies, while 10% of the population lives in poverty. Save the Children: US rated 23th in the world for child poverity.
- Their education system ranks low in the world. A majority of Americans do not even believe in evolution. Even the Vatican (finally) admits Darwin was right.
It is now well known that President Bush lied to the American people in order to lead them to war with Iraq. The civilian death toll by some estimates is now over 1,000,000. One million innocent people killed so the rich can get richer! See also An illustrated people's history of the US empire.
The closer you look at the United States (“George Bush and the 14 Points of Fascism”, “The War On Democracy”, “Timeline of CIA Atrocities” etc., etc.) the more shocked you will become.
Confessions of an Economic Hitman: