In her book The Future and Its Enemies, Virginia Postrel describes the odd phenomenon where the far political right and the far political left end up sounding very much the same.
That phenomenon has never been more clear than in the underground controversy surrounding the “North American Union.”
The basic premise of the complaint is that the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which (little did you know!) America entered into some years ago, is actually a covert organization intending to functionally eradicate the borders between America, Canada and the United States.
Why would Bush do such a thing? Capitalism, baby, and of the global variety. This is one of the main points where the left and right get together–they both decry organizations like the WTO for pushing the global capitalist agenda, bemoan the undercutting of unions by outsourcing and, generally speaking, turn to the government to enact policies to ensure that things remain the way they are.
One of the rumored signs of the impending end to American independence is the “amero,” which ostensibly will replace the currencies of each respective country. And now, radio host Hal Turner allegedly has one such Amero, which was printed by the Denver Mint.
What’s interesting, though, is that Turner’s site includes this video of lefty Lou Dobbs expressing grave concern over the NAU. He may as well have been channeling Jerome Corsi, who writes for the conservative World Net Daily and has recently published a detailed and thorough account of the emerging North American Union (disclosure: I am credited as an editor on Corsi’s work).
As for the claims about the emerging NAU, I remain skeptical. But the similarity between right and left on this issue is a curious phenomenon indeed.
(Ht: Presurfer)
Matthew Lee Anderson
Matthew Lee Anderson is an Associate Professor of Ethics and Theology in Baylor University's Honors College. He has a D.Phil. in Christian Ethics from Oxford University, and is a Perpetual Member of Biola University's Torrey Honors College. In 2005, he founded Mere Orthodoxy.
