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APPROACHING THE BREAKING POINT?: THE UNITED STATES-CANADA BORDER IN THE 21 ST CENTURY

APPROACHING THE BREAKING POINT?: THE UNITED STATES-CANADA BORDER IN THE 21 ST CENTURY. Montana State University Victor Konrad, BPRI, WWU/Carleton University May, 2009. Breaking Borders?. “Napolitano’s Priority: Canada Border” Washington Times January 26, 2009

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APPROACHING THE BREAKING POINT?: THE UNITED STATES-CANADA BORDER IN THE 21 ST CENTURY

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  1. APPROACHING THE BREAKING POINT?: THE UNITED STATES-CANADA BORDER IN THE 21ST CENTURY Montana State University Victor Konrad, BPRI, WWU/Carleton University May, 2009

  2. Breaking Borders? “Napolitano’s Priority: Canada Border” Washington Times January 26, 2009 “Homeland Security chief says Canada-US border review ‘misconstrued’ Vancouver Sun February 27, 2009 “The thickening situation is getting worse” Chairman, Blue Water Bridge Canada, Today’s Trucking March, 2009 “Borderline insanity” Maclean’s May 4, 2009 editorial on Napolitano’s gaffe about 9/11 conspirators coming from Canada “Ridiculing US Official Just Made Your Border Wait Longer” Edward Alden, Council on Foreign Relations, April 28, 2009

  3. What’s Wrong?

  4. “The Border” The ‘problems’ of the border: negative discourse ‘Priorities’ developed to deal with the problems Transition from security to insecurity border Dialectics of trade/security, trust/suspicion etc. “Breaking points” emerge in border policy Border policy responds to breaking points rather than to underlying problems “Sustainable Security and Competitiveness”?

  5. The future?

  6. The Past.

  7. Border Problems Abound Need to differentiate, not lump problems: New, visible problems: terrorism, guns Endemic problems: environmental impacts Recurrent difficulties: smuggling, immigration Structural issues: exchange rate impacts Geography: extent, variation, fluctuation, extremes. Most Canadians live in the borderlands; most Americans do not.

  8. Insecurity Re-Bordering Congestion and wait times: the paradox of waiting in an expedited world Barriers to trade/lost time and money: $ billions Security-scapes: the bristling border, “walls” Expense of re-bordering: $ billions Firearms: exploding concern crosses the border Drugs: the constant battle of supply interdiction Illegal immigration: “the real problem”? Disease: the unpredictable killer

  9. Braking at the Border!

  10. Are you carrying firearms?

  11. A very mad cow.

  12. Across the Canadian border?

  13. The Answer?

  14. Thin Line

  15. The 20th Century Border • Multiple, convenient crossings • Loosely defined hierarchy of crossings • ‘Port Authority’ • Smooth, eventless operation • Strong border regionalization • Community across the border • Borderlands culture • Socialized border • Layered border governance

  16. Thick Line

  17. The 21st Century Border • Rationalized crossing system • Defined hierarchy of crossings • Variable thickness along the line • Centralization and delocalization • Mobilization and militarization • Streaming and corridor development • ‘Chain of command’ enforcement • Strained borderlands culture • Breaking points in operation

  18. “Thick Line” Border Priorities Fighting terrorism: initial DHS focus Identity verification: WHTI Regulating immigration: new DHS focus Sustaining trade flows: Canadian emphasis Balancing security and trade: both sides Enhancing corridors: both sides Managing the border: both sides Emphasizing technology

  19. The 9/11 Effect “Blame Canada-A new US Army text says our border is no safer than Mexico’s” Maclean’s Dec. 1, 2008, 24. 9/11 had a sustained impact on export trade (Globerman and Storer) Travel and tourism down in US; lost 1.6 million jobs in 2002, Milken Institute Security still trumps trade Does the WHTI enhance identity verification?

  20. Viewing the broken ‘Border’

  21. Managing the Border!

  22. Without ‘port authority’?

  23. Breaking Points What leads to breaking points in re-bordering? Dissonance: inconsistent messages Misinformation: simply not true Delocalization: taking authority from locale Centralization: keeping power in DC /Ottawa Increased flows of people and goods Funneling, re-routing, corridor enhancement Sudden changes, revisions, reorientations

  24. Loss of Trust: Has Canada ever looked the other way?

  25. Betrayal

  26. Misinformation

  27. Fear

  28. Suspicion

  29. Entitlement

  30. Isolationism

  31. From Corridor to Gateway: 1. Delocalization and Breaking Points • Reduction of ‘Port Authority’ • Centralized, emergency governance • Risk definition and assessment • Expansion and complication of procedures • Disruption of borderlands culture • Crisis management • Breaking points

  32. Breaking Points in the Cascade Gateway

  33. From Corridor to Gateway: 2.Socialization of the Gateway • Simplification of procedures • Rationalization of infrastructure • Move beyond risk management • Reinstatement of trust • Mediation of agency and structure (eg. IMTC) • Respond to underlying causes of breaking points • Institutionalization of the Gateway

  34. Border Possibilities Trust Identity Re-Localization Relocating security Sustainability Cost reduction Free trade Environmental concern Borderlands culture Trusted traveler program? Citizenship verification? Port authority? Perimeter “light”? Regulated flows? Managed flows? Superhighway/gateway? Natural corridors? Humanized border?

  35. “Mending Walls?” “A policy narrative on North American borders…requires a discourse pattern that acknowledges asymmetries yet constructs components of effective interaction and alignment.” Konrad, 2009 1. Platform of trust 2. Brand 3. Convey and celebrate integrative process 4. Dimensional alignment: articulate cross-border constructs with cross-border processes

  36. Look Ma! No border wall!

  37. Small is good. Local is good.

  38. Why not an EDL for everyone?

  39. Sub-national cooperation

  40. Are gateways the new normal?

  41. Acknowledge emerging systems

  42. Educate borders awareness throughout the U.S.

  43. 25% of the borderlands are held in public stewardship: template for a new border design?

  44. A resilient and adaptive borderlands culture

  45. 21st Century Border Forum • Ensuring and balancing “Security,Prosperity and Mobility” • Working borders for a borderless world • Border forum: ‘top down’ meets ‘bottom up’ • Border stewardship, Border ‘watch’ • Omdudsman? Ambassador? Commission? • Forum 1. Cascadia 2. Western Interior 3. Great Lakes 4. Laurentian/Northeast

  46. Conclusions The border has become visible but it is being seen as a problem rather than as an opportunity. The image of a broken border, combined with priorities to fix it, have resulted in breaking points in border management. We need to rediscover and re-learn the border before we re-invent it. Need breakthroughs not breaking points. A positive discourse pattern is the key to developing a policy narrative on the border.

  47. Policy Implications Recognize that the border runs through most dimensions of Canada-US relations, and that policy development needs to acknowledge the border effect. The border has regional and local characteristics that impact policy. Large ports and corridors now dominate border visions, but small POEs can tell us much about how borders work well. The borderlands have deep culture to mediate policy.

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