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<strong>Filibuster Cartoon</strong>
<strong>Title: </strong> <a href="http://www.filibustercartoons.com/archive.php?id=20061122" target="_blank">Sam\'s best friends</a> (click to view)
<strong>Date: </strong> November 22, 2006

Starting in 2007, the US will start demanding passports from all Canadians, Mexicans, and Bermudans who wish to visit the United States. Previously, these three countries enjoyed a special relationship with America whereby tourists could come and go as they please with only a basic form of ID such as a diver\'s licensee. In Europe they never use passports. <br> <br>There is a growing consensus of opinion that in its zeal to implement tough anti-terror legislation the United States is actually passing laws that are decidedly not in its own best interest. Tourism is a big industry for America, but all these new rules are making it an increasing hassle to visit the country. Visits are down 17% overall, and one can only guess how many billions of dollars that represents.

[andrewcool]

They should check only Canada Passports LOL...

Anyway...thats why we need to unite. and Form the Real "United States of America"!

[Prestwick]

I see a nit. I pick.

It depends on whether your EU member state has signed up to the schengen agreement. Those who have signed up mean that if you are a citizen of an EU nation or someone with a student visa, assylum seeker, etc, then you can travel freely without the need to show any ID at any border.

Those who are not signed up to Schengen (the UK and Eastern Europe) however just require a modicum of ID, namely just a passport. There are still the dedicated "EU queues" at the national borders, etc, you just wave your passport in the immigration department guys face and drive on.

Very minor difference really.

[stratos]

I'm not happy about the pass port rule with canada. Never have there been serious issues between us sense what 1812. Mexico I only agree to it because of the illegal immigration going on.

I hope that in a few years it will be relaxed again.

[Clogeroo]

Quote:

I'm not happy about the pass port rule with canada. Never have there been serious issues between us sense what 1812. Mexico I only agree to it because of the illegal immigration going on.

That sounds very ignorant. There have been many serious issues since that war.

Anyway just get a passport if you want to come here or want to go to the United States you already need one to fly anyway. The only people I feel sorry for are those in Point Roberts. Why is that even a town anyway? We should just invade it and end their non-sense.

[Prestwick]

Clogeroo wrote:

Quote:

I'm not happy about the pass port rule with canada. Never have there been serious issues between us sense what 1812. Mexico I only agree to it because of the illegal immigration going on.

That sounds very ignorant. There have been many serious issues since that war.

Such as the "Great Clogeroo mountain dew incident of 98'"

[Clogeroo]

Quote:

Such as the "Great Clogeroo mountain dew incident of 98'"

?

[Prestwick]

I was joking you silly moo

[Clogeroo]

Quote:

I was joking you silly moo

There is actually some truth to that though. I thought you heard about it.

[JJ]

Clogeroo wrote:

Quote:

I'm not happy about the pass port rule with canada. Never have there been serious issues between us sense what 1812. Mexico I only agree to it because of the illegal immigration going on.

Anyway just get a passport if you want to come here or want to go to the United States you already need one to fly anyway. The only people I feel sorry for are those in Point Roberts. Why is that even a town anyway? We should just invade it and end their non-sense.

Well we didn't need one to fly until very recently, actually.

But anyway, It's very easy to say "just get a passport" as if it's simply a matter of stopping by the corner store on the way home. But it's not. Especially in this country, getting a passport is a huge expensive hassle, which explains why the vast majority of Canadians don't have one.

This new reform essentially kills impromptu tourism between the two countries, which historically has been one of the most important kinds. If you don't have a passport, the once-proud tradition of weekend border crossing for some casual shopping is now dead. I think it's extraordinarily regressive for Canadians to suddenly be lumped into a catch-all category of "foreigners," all of whom are to be distrusted equally. It's such a band-aid solution in search of a problem, and, as the article I linked to proves, it ultimately does little more than foster a negative image in the mind of visitors about the unwelcoming nature of "fortress America."

[Pitchfork]

JJ wrote:

I think it's extraordinarily regressive for Canadians to suddenly be lumped into a catch-all category of "foreigners,"

But you are foreigners. I thought Canadians were proud that they weren't American.
Just joking.
Sorry if I sound like the parochial American here, but I don't see what the big deal is. I know people who travel regularly to Canada and Mexico and they've told me for years a passport is good to have with you even though it's not required. I don't know the Canadian process but for an American adult a passport costs less than $100 and I believe it's good for ten years, at least I think my parents' passports are. Not fun to part with that but in the grand scheme of life and over the years I don't think it's that great an inconvenience.

[Prestwick]

And in Europe, despite years of free (or almost) free rights to cross whatever border you want in Europe (Ireland by the way also isn't in Schengen, the UK negotiated Ireland's entry to the EU in the 1970s and as they have a freedom of movement agreement with the UK they too are not signed up to Schengen as that would clash with that agreement), a passport is a very desirable thing to have throughout Europe.

So usually by the time you are about 5 or 6, you have one. Normally costs about $130 US but its almost one of those necessary things that parents get you as a child.

As a result, I'm a bit puzzled over all this hoo-hah over passports too.

[JJ]

Well it's a cultural change being imposed upon us quite late in the game, as I've said. Generations of Canadians and Americans have grown up with one system, and are now suddenly having a very different one imposed upon them. It may be your way in Europe, but it's certainly not our way on this continent, and I'd think you of all people, Prestwick, should be sympathetic to our animosity towards pointless bureaucratic changes being imposed upon a perfectly sensible, working status quo.

[Psudo]

A "working status quo"? I think the 9/11 disaster proved something had failed in the status quo and that the hole(s) those terrorists exploited, or that others like them could potentially exploit, should be patched. I'm not convinced these changes are the best way to do that, but I would be far more upset if it was possible for, say, a member of Hezbollah could fly to Jamaica, take a boat to Barbados, and then enter the USA without some kind of background check and nothing was done to address the problem.

[Clogeroo]

I think the United States has every right to secure its borders. Security should always come ahead of economics and tourists. Look at Canada's borders like our security is on par with the United States. Not to mention our seemingly lax immigration system. I have crossed the border into Canada before without going through customs by accident yet nothing happened. Like our ports are really that safe they only check 1-100 containers. At Airports people ended up in restricted areas or uniforms and passes going missing. Maybe it is all nothing maybe no one could be taking advantage of this but people can’t take their chances and after years of being warned by the Americans to shape up our security and military we haven’t done so or not done enough and now it comes to bite us in the arse.

This is just the way things are now and these passport requirements have been talked about for a few years so it is not like surprise a bill gets passed in a day and becomes implemented. There are still a few years before land crossing take affect. But if you plan on travelling to the United States or Mexico I suggest you get a passport. Lots of Canadians actually do have a passport probably half of us do now. To travel to any other country you need a passport anyway so it’s not like this is out of science fiction. If Canadians are not used to it better start because this will be probably permanent from now on.