The Adverse Effects of Unilateralism in the United States on Canadian Law, Economics, and Justice

In 1776 a new nation was born in the western world. The Declaration of Independence birthed the United States of America. The same forefathers that drafted the declaration, including George Washington, all took part in establishing a new form of foreign policy, known as unilateralism. (Encyclopedia.com, 2008) In its infancy, unilateralism in the United States, then referred to as “isolationism”, focused on one guiding principle that is still followed today: never agree to a policy that benefits another nation more than it benefits yours. Now, while it seems that this is what every country should do, nothing could be further from the truth. Every nation, at some point in its history has made agreements that they knew would benefit their partners more than themselves, this is compromise. However, there is one nation that makes a valiant and concerted effort to never end up on the losing end of a deal, to never give another nation a break, to never compromise. This nation is the United States of America. The choice of the United States to turn its back to the world has greatly impacted many nations for the worse. Unilateralism in the United States is a policy that has adversely impacted Canada. The negative effects can be seen through the constant border security issues, the horrible military and economic allegiance Canada now has to the United States, and the blatant disregard by the United States of international agreements and organizations.
The first example of how unilateralist ideology in the United States has harmed Canada is seen in the constant issues both nations have on border security and boundaries. Ever since its conception as a nation the United States has been on the hunt to dominate Canadians north of their border. These issues began even before Canada was a nation. After gaining its independence the United States almost instantaneously began challenging the borderlines that divide Canada and the United States. More specifically, areas in the

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