Freedoms Phoenix

This super highway of toll roads and rail lines coming out of Mexico, crossing through many different parts of the United States leading to Canada is part of the agreement made between President Bush, President Fox, and then Prime Minister Martin of Canada at a summit in Waco, Texas last year when they established a quasi-government organization called the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP).

The point of all of this planning is to create the North American Union composed of Mexico, Canada, and the United States creating one big super government to which the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States would submit, similar to the current relationship between each state government and the U.S. federal government.

The idea of open borders and free trade is to be encouraged just like it was at the founding of the United States where the federal government was subservient to state government and borders were open for people and goods to freely pass.

However, the North American Free Trade Association, (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) are anything but about free trade and individual liberty. Both are all about more intrusive government regulation and control of individuals and goods traveling between countries.

The North American Union is all about individual countries giving up their national sovereignty to a mega-government, similar to the current European Union, complete with currency, cross national bureaucracy, and virtually borderless travel within the three countries, resulting, though, in restrictions on individual liberty.

According to the United States Constitution any treaty made by the president of the United States is to be reviewed and consented to by two-thirds of the United States Senate. Congress has never been consulted about the super highway treaty. Also, the amount of money congress has already supplied to study this proposal was buried in an enormous transportation appropriations bill of which most members of congress were not even aware.

Any movement toward larger government restricts the power of individuals to influence the laws under which they must live. It was this very reason why the founders restricted the activities of the federal government they created through the United States Constitution and left all other responsibilities with the states and/or the people. A movement toward a more centralized government that the founders created through the establishment of the United States Constitution is also the reason why many like Patrick Henry, Elbridge Gerry, George Mason, and Edmund Randolph and many others demanded there be a Bill of Rights specifically restricting this national government from getting involved in areas it has no business.

The founders knew that when a mega-government is created its tendency is to absorb greater and greater power over individuals. Likewise, today's generation needs to guard itself against centralizing government.

The Security and Prosperity Partnership and the North American Union Super Highway are another element of bigger and more intrusive government into the lives of all individuals. In reality this new partnership will make individuals far less secure and less prosperous just like restricting firearm ownership makes individuals less secure and more government economic planning make people less prosperous. Both add up to more and bigger government that individuals will not be able to control.

A superhighway to mega-government is the last thing individuals need. What is really necessary is a superhighway of liberty reducing the size of all government to microscopic proportions.

Mr. Ricardo Valenzuela, advisor to recently elected president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, president of Liberty Americas Foundation in Tucson, and former rancher, banker, and editorial writer, will be the featured guest at The Freedom Library Annual Education Forum tomorrow night, November 2 at 7 PM at the Booth Machinery conference hall located at Araby Road and 30th street. His topic, "The Future of Freedom in Mexico and its impact on Arizona and the United States" includes a discussion on this very issue.