The US economy and us

With the major political forces in the U.S. in a game of chicken over that country’s debt ceiling -- the world economy hostage in the process -- Canada needs to seriously reassess its economic priorities.

Over the past generation, our economy has been drawing closer and closer to the American one.  We have always relied on our neighbours to the south for much of our prosperity, but never as much as in recent years -- thanks to free trade.

The current fight between Congress and U.S. President Barrack Obama over that country’s debt ceiling (the amount of money Washington can borrow to cover its bills), is exposing just how precariously close we’ve become to American interests. If the two sides can’t come to a deal by Aug 2 -- just over a week from now -- the U.S. won’t be able to pay its bills.

And that would throw the world’s economy -- Canada’s especially -- into a tailspin.

Canadian working people deserve better.

Rather than fighting the deficit or trying to figure out how to more closely tie our fortunes to those of the U.S. -- such as by shipping our bitumen south to be upgraded and opening up our telecommunications and media sectors to more foreign competition -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives need to put people first.

We need economic policies in this country that create decent jobs with decent pay right here, not south of the border.

Harper needs to put Canadian workers first, for a change.