2 points I'd like to make on this:

1 - Treaties are undemocratic. The idea that one legislature can sign an agreement that ties all future legislatures is democratically wrong. It is legislation without representation (as the current legislature have only been voted for by the current population, they can not represent the future). Treaties should only be on one-off instances (like a peace treaty, or something), or severely time limited (like a cap of 5 years)... and even then, a new legislature should be able to block the treaty, if they so wish.

2 - Neither the USA nor Canada should partake in trade for political reasons. Canada should not sell oil to America to support their interests (indeed, the entire oil market should be private, anyway, I don't see why the Canadian government should be getting involved), nor should the USA institute a "Buy American" clause, it should just look for deals that are most cost-effective, particularly when having a $1.2tn deficit.

No one cared about the oil they get from Saudi Arabia, Iraq or Iran yet we in Canada are so evil!!

Well the whole Pipeline debate is so pathetic and the fault lies mostly with Barack Obama who instead of caring about Americans is pandering to special interests groups.

Its rather sad that Obama is stalling a job creating project to save his own job.

He is worried about the lost donations and volunteer support by alienating the environmentalists.

The Canadian govt in the past 2-3 years has grown much closer to China, and even though they are undemocratic we know they mean business unlike our American cousins..
Many in Canada have said that American will always be our partner but instead of 75% of exports going to America it should be more balanced out and Asia is the perfect place for this.

Not surprised at all given they have 1,339,724,852 people as of 2011. China and the US need new types of fuel more.

well my message got erased and now i'm demoralized lol. here's the gist of it:

Enbridge's 'northern gateway' pipeline which is the pipeline going to the bc coast is not expected to be completed till 2016. Obama is not a dumbass, as you put it. The US is simply biding its time with us until they're in a better scenario, politically. They push us around because they know they can. Sending oil across the border is easier than shipping it overseas. I gotta admit I dunno where china and such, stand w/ the tar sands though, so I dunno how desperately they want our oil and how much they're willing to pay for it. I was under the impression china produces a heckuva lot of their own oil though. From my internship out in calgary this summer, I did learn that they have the some of the best research programs in oil production.

I do think it would be great to lower our dependence on the US and improve relations w/ the other pacific-asian countries (china, japan,etc...). This would be a good time to stand up for ourselves and make a deal elsewhere. I'll believe it when I see it, though.

lol now i remember why I don't like posting here. twice i submitted an edit that didn't go through. I just wanted to say that this was one of your more interesting/engaging canadian topic threads. While I enjoy all of them, some of them are too self-centric imo lol.

Yah my comment stating Obama is a dumb ass wasn't refering to this single incident. Trying to introduce the Buy America bill three different times even though it was proven to violate the NAFTA agreement and many within the US Government itself see it as suicide. The fact that Obama himself has treated his allies so poorly breaking trade agreements , military agreements basically becoming an untrustable partner on the global stage. Trading the best interests of the American people to try and win some more votes so he gets re-elected which he won't. That by definition is a dumb ass.

That being said I have supported some of Obama's past decision's he isn't all bad. But his treatment of his biggest trading partner and strongest ally. As well as his recent treatment of other big allies shows he doesn't have the diplomatic skill to protect the US's best interests. Protectionism does not recover an economy especially not in this current day and age of globalization.

To be fair, it's a "Buy American" clause was only for the wasted stimulus money anyway.

I mean, if your plan is to waste money to stimulate the economy by giving money to us buisnesses it only makes sense you'd make it US only.

Stimulus spending doesn't really work if your spending all that money in Canada and China.

Well, it doesn't work anyway, but i mean if you believe in that it does... having the money going to other countries is a waste.

Just another reason why America cannot afford more Obama. Bowing to "opposition" is the exact same thing as buying votes.

Our government needs a complete, 100% overhaul. Id rather line the pockets of our Northern Brothers from Another Mother than OPEC.

Its pathetic that we could have a president so inept, that he would wait two more years to make a decision on Keystone XL.

Say what you will, but we're screwing both America and Canada over by waiting. We need this pipeline to go through. Its good for America (less dependence on Mid East oil, boon for Canada, and we are close to the producers so we have a better grip on the environmental impact).

But don't feel bad, Joe, Obama LOVES to screw over lots of people. Heck, he's been screwing over domestic energy production and domestic production wholesale since 2009.

I hate to be so partisan, but that is the sad, pathetic reality. In the 1990's, I used to make fun of Canada for being so socialist and inept. Now, I have to qualify most statements with 'Look at Canada, they do a much better job at running a country than we (Americans) can'.

Don't forget about the thousands of well paying, high skilled, jobs that are not being created in the United States because the Keystone XL pipeline isn't moving forward ...