Could there ever be a North American Bloc?

Why would we possibly use an 'amero' when the two largest (by far) and most powerful (by farther) countries already use 'dollars'?

...two? Who else uses the dollar?

Although, I agree, I'd rather just keep the dollar and be done with it...

edited 20th Aug '11 9:56:12 PM by USAF713

I don't know, I'm not the one that decided to make up the name. *shrug* Possibly theme naming with the euro. Hell, Canada calls one of its denominations the loonie, which is stupid but also a really funny name for a currency. So it's not like stupid names for money is a new thing. Also, Canada calls their dollars dollars. That's why I said "Canadian dollars" earlier. I think I did, anyway.

But yeah, Mexico needs to get its stuff together. Personally, I think we could stand to equalize (? I don't know if that's quite the right word for what I mean) our current trade agreements and reform immigration to make things friendlier for people coming over. I mean, hell, all those illegals most likely don't want to be illegal, but getting over here as a resident for work is hard as hell. Immigration reform I can imagine happening in my lifetime, since the Mexican population is increasing steadily here in Texas and the rest of the Southwest. I'm sure most of them like the idea of being able to bring their family over, or see them without having to spend years not leaving this country.

All of which could pave the way to a Bloc, I suppose. For North America, I think it would be a bunch of baby steps to such a thing.

edited 20th Aug '11 10:05:39 PM by AceofSpades

, like said, I'm talking about Canadian dollars. Even though they have different values, they're both still called dollars.

^^ Hey, we like our loonies. It's named for the bird (the loon) on the back of our dollar coin. It's no worse than the US calling their money Benjamins and Jeffersons. Now toonies, that's idiotic.

edited 20th Aug '11 10:09:24 PM by nightwyrm_zero

Well, I mean, on principle, I am for less obtuse immigration laws, but at the same time, I believe the object is to prevent the clogging of the job market here any more than it is.

Bleh... ending the War on Drugs would help, too, but I really think there's a lot of shit Mexico needs to do for itself, independent of the US. After all, the point shouldn't be, "oh, I guess you guys suck, wanna live here?" It should be, "oh, I guess you guys suck... how can we make you not suck?"

Not that anything is that simple...

edited 20th Aug '11 10:09:44 PM by USAF713

Canadian money makes me giggle.

Sort of on topic, yes, there's stuff that Mexico needs to do for itself. Like not let their presidents stay in power long enough to go crazy. But right now they could also use some outside help. It's like the one country I would not be annoyed if they outsourced tech help to there. Of course, helping them at this point would require the making of a long term plan and investment on our part.

As for the War on Drugs... Well, I think there's some that should remain illegal because they really fuck you up.(I am for the legalization of things like pot. Heroin, not so much.) And Mexico should crack down on such things, because those drug lords are terrorizing people there. But I think we're getting off the topic now.

edited 20th Aug '11 10:16:56 PM by AceofSpades

Well, this is what it would take to get Mexico to at least some semblance of our level. Come on, the National Guard of Texas could conquer Mexico. That's sad.

It's also a testament to how fucked up they really are...

"The US would not want to have to be responsible for dragging around several economies far more unstable than her own"

I don't think you know much about the Canadian economy, we're rather stable. Of course we're joined at the hip with you guys (along with the rest of the developed world.)

And Officially it's the loonie, though we use both dollar and buck as common substitutes.

Mexico would seriously benefit from a common currency, the hilariously low wages are a big part of the reason many hop over to the states and Canada.

I'd also like to note that in terms of the Euro, us Europeans are playing the long game with a lot of our new members. Sure, a lot of countries, when they joined, were dirt poor ex-soviet nations. Now, many like Poland are well developed and powerful economies.

When discussing an EU-style league, you have to remember one of the primary draws for the EU; the ability to bring a bunch of disparate, highly uneven economies up to a 1st world standard (new definition) which benefits everyone due to the massive developed market it forms. Mexico might be a net loss for the USA and Canada at first, but anyone who is forming a trade league with a large, undeveloped nation is essentially playing the long game.

...of course, you can also have it turn out like the PIIGS... I hate debt. It looks like the one force that might actually destroy the EU.

Have I said that I hate debt enough for it to be a catch phrase? "DEBT DELENDA EST!"

I was talking about several Central American countries, not Canada. Canada is a very stable nation. I sincerely apologize for not being clearer.

It's not the only reason the US would oppose a union, but a major one. Even one composed solely of the US, Mexico and Canada would face a lot of opposition.

edited 21st Aug '11 5:56:47 AM by Pentadragon

As you mentioned, you have the PIIGS. That's what happens when you "force the leveling of the playing field" like the EU tried. You end up with shit poor countries leaning on the backs of and living off the sweat and hard work of the rich countries.

Mexico would be a North American Bloc's Greece.

Sadly, that really sounds plausible.

And, yeah, this is just three nations. If you add in Central America—which just might have nations that are worse off than Mexico—it's just not going to happen, period.

I do not want us to be closer linked to the American economy. We are doing fine, k thanks.

edited 21st Aug '11 11:35:44 AM by Erock

The PIIGS haven't killed the Euro yet. Nonetheless, we'll see who is left standing after this crisis (assuming it ever ends and the rules haven't subtly changed, in which case we'll see who bends and reforms and who snaps like a rigid twig) and judge systems then.

For every Greece, there's a Poland.

edited 21st Aug '11 11:01:53 AM by GameChainsaw

Yes, but right now we're talking about three countries, since adding Central America is out of the question, here.

Canada and the US are about as economically linked as it can get. If we drop all our trade restrictions on them (as we should), that's about it.

Mexico... doesn't need to get anymore linked to our economy. They'd just drag us all down. I really don't think they're going to get their act together in a way that doesn't cost us a shitton of money and gains us little...

On the average Central America is superior to Mexico economic and political stability wise. Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama to name three all fit that criteria.

Basically, Mexico is the WORST state in Central and North America outside the Caribbean.

Much of South America like Brazil, Colombia and Argentina are superior to Mexico as well.

They aren't all that bad off, but if my Spanish teacher's experience is anything to go by, Nicaragua is probably on par, at least, with Mexico's level of crapsack...

Well, start off by making sure the US does what it can to aid Mexicos situation. That means dealing with its drug addiction.

Well, there are people who believe that the War on Drugs is working (it's not), those who don't and want everyone to be able to use drugs (Savage Heathen), and those who don't and want to get rid of it because it would make it easier to kill drugs (me).

Given that these opinions can be blown up to national scale, good luck on the US getting that done in the near-future...

And so the self-defeating cycle of the Mexican-American drug woes continues.

It doesn't help that Mexico encourages drug trafficking and illegal immigration to the States as well. Don't deny it, those are their primary exports.

Well, in theory, the War on Drugs would go better if the Mexican government were doing roughly the same thing within their country. The problem is that Mexican governmental corruption puts the Russians to shame, and they fail so hard at fighting organized crime it's sad...

It's a rather complex issue which really deserves its own thread.