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u.s. canada easterring ♪ oh, canada, our home and native land >> and my bias is declared upfront i am a merger i am an american canadian. i think they are already merging -- >> diane francis is editor at large of the national post, a newspaper based in toronto. diane has a big idea, and she has set it forth in a 400 page book, merger of the century. she argues, get this, that the united states and canada should merge into one nation. francis is serious. she notes that the two nations

have plenty in common, quote they share geography, values and a gigantic border. their population study, travel and do business together and intermarry in great numbers and each country has what the other needs the u.s. has capital, manpower, technology and the world east strongest -- world's strongest military canada has vast reserves of undeveloped resources canada is the u.s.'s number one trading partner last year across the longest board inner the word -- longest border in the world, $632 billion in goods flowed. trade and national security are features that loom large through author francis in what some see as a disturbing future, one where quote by 2018, 4 years from now, china's economy will be bigger than that of the u.s. and asian

economies will be bigger than those of the u.s., canada, germany, britain, italy, france and russia combined. where as quote if canada and the u.s. were to join forces, the tables might well be turned, the north american neighbors would become an even more formidable super power with an economy larger than the european union and a land mass bigger than south america's. the new union would top the world in energy, minerals, water, arable land and technology, unquote. >> you make an interesting point, basic point in the book. what is the benefit to the united states in a merger between the u.s. and canada? >> well, the benefit would be and by the way it is all different ways you can merge you don't have to go all the way like the germans did.

i make that clear in the book but it would be total security of borders, access and control over the arctic which is going to be very geo politically important strategically going forward. >> are you worried about russia and china. >> russia declared the arctic as russian china targeted kana the's resources and the base -- canada's resources and the base is about the size of australia and completely untapped. it is harsh but there is no infrastructure up there to explore it. the u.s. would have if we did a union like the europeans the u.s. would have business opportunities to build out the infrastructure,ic lore and develop, huge job capability and more secure border. >> canada recently expel the russian minister in. >> yes, over ukraine. >> over ukraine. >> over ukraine. >> why? >> there is a million and a

half ukrainians living in canada the largest diaspora of ukrainians outside ukraine except for russia. so there is a great deal of interest and they are very important and influential people and there is a lot of anger about what is going on. >> we have a phenomenon in the u.s., some described it as a hispanicization of the u.s. what impact would a canadian u.s. coalition, more than that what you describe in your book have on that in the u.s. >> well, there is 35 million canadians and 314 million americans and canadians are biggest minority would be the french and bulk of the rest of the people are from the british isles germany and so on and a very large asian immigration population. >> let me enter if i might. >> you said the greatest

tragedy one can suffer in one's world is loss of one's own country i cannot understand why for reasons of efficiency or money one would give up their country specifically a magnificent country with its own unique history that canada has. if you look at the european union, half of the countries want out the world is moving the other way from sardinia to scotland, catalonia to krimea. it goes against what conservatives of the heart believe in to do this. >> let her respond to this [ overlapping voices ] >> i just want to respond the that. there are many countries that want into the eu most recently there is about seven or eight on the list the cue to join and yes, scotland is talking about

leaving and catalonia and so on the borders were artificial usually drawn by colonial powers and if canadians indeed don't want to go all the way with the political union i have five other noddles where we can -- models where we can do a joint venture in the arctic. >> got no problem with doing nafta type deal s with the canadians and working with them they are the best friends we've got in the world them and the brits but idea of merging the u.s. with its own history and everything else seems to go against -- [ overlapping voices ] >> canada wants our military protection. >> they already have it because they are an ally if anybodythreatens canada. >> she is talking about russian intrusion. chinese in the north [ overlapping voices ] >> they have already got the u.s. protection. i agree with everything pat

said except the park about kith and kin that will be more diverse fied everywhere that is the trend of the future. not necessarily splitting off separate ethnicities. it may be tumultuous along the way. i think it is a wonderful sort of experiment you have done but i think that is all it is because there really are no significant barriers to u.s. investment in canada, if we were to merge which would the -- which brand would survive, it would be the u.s. the canadians are not going to give up all their unique culture that would be like facebook picking off a little app. >> wow. >> i think we differ on health care, we differ on guns owe all are -- >> the merger -- [ overlapping voices ] >> let her answer. >> i just want to finish my point please. >> we are running out of time. >> gun violence in canada is not like this country.

so i agree i don't think they are going to want to give up their uniqueness. >> they may not want to but canadians don't even realize how important the u.s. is to them going forward and vice versa. i would argue i wrote this book to start conversations like this in both countries because they both need each other how that construct is forged is down the road, i am not saying and i am not picking personally speaking i am a merger just get it over with and do it but you are right that is not going to happen. >> what about the health arrangements for the canadian people by the government. how does that work? do you think it would help the u.s. >> totally different they have a single payer system in which the health outcomes in canada are significantly superior to the u.s. at one third the cost we would never because of our political culture here introduce that system. >> why? >> we don't believe in that kind of system. i don't believe it is right or wrong but it would never pass

here in the country. >> would it not be cleaner and more effective than obama care. >> let me give you a metaphor a lot of people think i should marry audrey hep burn she doesn't seem to think so. >> canadians do not want [ overlapping voices ] >> i understand that is why i use her i didn't want to mention anybody i know. you don't know what it is like to be single. >> i don't know what this is. sounds like a proposition. >> the canadians have a very different kind of political system which happens to work well they have a much more efficient government for all kinds of reasons they have an executive branch and legislative branch here we have two completely separate our political system is very very different. but having said that, what we are talking about and what i think you are talking about was not so much a union of the two countries but an economic system. >> we have that in nafta. >> no. >> it is not --

>> way too much talking on the panel we have a guest here. please proceed. >> let me talk about the other reason and challenge that i think we face we are very similar countries we get along that you will is great. we joined forces in 89, mexico came along later they had nothing but problems went bust and all that stuff. we, 26 yearings later have a board -- years later have a border that is worse thicker between security concerns, concerns about lack of terrorism -- >> cut to the war on terror worldwide. >> pat it is not tariff barriers, lobbies on both sides, canada's drug smuggling problem we are the biggest exporter of meth and ecstasy. >> kana can is a unique, terrific -- canada is a unique, terrific country you got the single payer system you couldn't debt that through the house -- get that through the

house of representatives [ overlapping voices ] >> we should clean up the border and get rid of it. >> the agreement as you know, there is an enormous backlash, it allows people to cross borders all over that is one of the things they are protesting about now. >> how about starting with a common current say. >> it would be our current say. >> then i wouldn't get canadian dimes shoved back at me. >> i tell you what, the real problem with diane's book is that given potential domestic political opposition to paying canadians, you want us to pay canadians going into a merger. >> that is one model. >> $492,529 for each american. correct? >> the model is if you did a full on merger like germany did we have that many more per person in resources that we

would be bringing into a partnership. >> let her finish. >> let her talk. >> that is a hypothetical number i did with an investment banker this is part of the thought. i wanted canadians to realize how much they are leaving on the floor by not doing anything in the arctic and i wanted americans to understand how valuable it is. >> it is absurd to compare canadians who have a per capita standard of living as high as ours with east germans it took a trillion dollars for the germans to pick that place up the canadians are as well off as we are if we are going to pay that money we got to get all the resources and go. >> you don't do a full on political merger like germany unless you have a crisis. >> i wonder if you have a model where canada would bet electoral votes. >> political union is possible it is just a hypothetical thing [ overlapping voices ] >> no republican is going to go

to bring a social list into the united states. >> there are many more things you can do in economic terms. >> diane says canada has between 9,000,000,000,015,000,000,000,0 in yet to be discovered precious metals and minerals. we get all that in a merger what do you think of that pat. >> do you want americans digging all that up in canada or canadians to parcel it out slowly. >> let's have a round robin on the concert. idea, -- concept, the idea is it good or bad pat. >> it is worth discussing and rejecting. >> fun to discuss, already taking place on some levels but you know, it is not going to go any further or much further. >> i want to hear -- >> now that i have moved to the u.s. it is no longer necessary -- >> what do you mean? are you dodging? >> i don't think it makes any sense at all to think of a

political union. >> no. political union if there is a crisis economic union has to happen and will happen this century. >> good idea but has to be shored up you understand. >> i understand. >> it is a good idea in the long term. >> think about what they bring to the table. >> some basic stats and factoids population of canada, 34,568,000. u.s. 330 million literacy canada 49%, u.s. 49%, life expectancy canada 81.5 years u.s. 78.6 years, gdp per capita, gross domestic product per capita canada $41,500, u.s. $49,100. symbol for canada is maple leaf, going back now the

unemployment in canada is 6.9%, u.s. 7.3%. the budget in canada is $2.456 trillion we don't have any for -- excuse me. >> billion. >> 6.79.3 billion u.s. is 6.25 trillion. ethnic groups in canada british 28%, french 23%. u.s. white 79%, black 12%, and so forth. i want to talk about canadian film makers. how are they doing? >> well, when we give tax breaks they come and film up in canada but -- >> i am talking about feature films. >> canada has a lot of canadians are in hollywood, 250,000 some of the biggest directors james cameron, receipt man very important

people composers actors, post production people there is 250,000. >> documentarians too. >> yep. >> that is an unknown factoid how they contribute. >> there is a quarter million -- well, louis -- warner brothers came out of canada disney's father was canadian but in silicon valley you have a quarter of a million canadians working that is not the ones doing it part-time and illegally in manhattan 400,000 canadians working every day in manhattan he is just an example of the worst of the brain drain -- >> who is the most famous. >> were you born in canada. >> i came here to graduate school in the u.s. and stayed. >> where? >> harvard law and warton. >> you graduate with honors. >> i don't know about distinction. >> under graduate. >> mcgill. >> canada. >> jesuit university >> there is a great one up there and a lot of interaction

between the french and english speaking population. >> what about the quebecois. >> i immigrated from chicago in 66 and it was very british then. then a couple years later the french stuff started to happen there was terrorism, there was all kinds of things that happened and a separatist movement, a political movement came about and so ever since then canada, they did the flag over again it was like a little miniunion jack they came up with the maple leaf did everything they could to appease the french and yet, you know there is still an uneasy truce between french and english and it is preoccupied the politics of canada. >> what do you mean?

we are talking montreal. we are restricting it here to montreal. >> no, quebec. >> wait [ overlapping voices ] when canada was formed in 1867 it was formed we then had upper canada ontario, low erica nada which is -- lower, canada which is now -- the french had been a majority in low erica nada when canada was reformed they became a minority. you have a very strong both a language and a history, and frankly religion. >> i think [ overlapping voices ] >> still major tension point in canada to this day. >> we can safely say the french canadians are not sure they want to be part of canada much less part of the u.s. i think canada is a wonderful country it has an image it is

colacent and quiet and i think the u.s. seems more dynamic and it would be nice -- >> go to monroe i can't like. >> i like the fact -- montreal. >> i like the fact canada is there. >> sceptics might point out the u.s. and canada cannot get their act together on a new bridge linking detroit and canada. does that discourage you the bridge which has funding for private interest has stalled who will pay $250 million for a customs plaza canada says u.s. the u.s. transportation department says it has no funds. >> i think it is ridiculous to start off with but i think the pipeline that was supposed to go from the key stone pipeline. >> excel. >> yeah, well, that is another pipeline frankly i believe should be done because it would serve everybody's interest and there is going to be a certain kind of competition or conflict

on all these issues it is natural. >> these are the examples of why the border isn't working the polls in the u.s. show key stone should happen we've had 82 pipelines cross the border without a problem suddenly it is a problem. ambassador bridge should have been expro pray crated by the two countries. >> jack karawak he moved to america. >> parents did they were french canadian. >> why? >> 7 million canadians in the 20th century had to go to the u.s. for jobs or opportunities it is an enormous migration and brain drain. >> millions of french canadians came here. >> yes, and english canadians. and i think one of the largest ethnic groups in new england are french canadians. >> we went to the factories. >> what percentage of english speakers versus spanish would you foresee in a merged

country? >> you are counting spanish speakers that would be americans and french speakers would be canadians and then. >> about 53 million hispanics and quebecers are 5 or 7 million so a it and in the ocean. >> but the point is, we are becoming bilingual. >> many of those are chinese and immigrants. >> but we are becoming bilingual in many parts of this country i think we can learn from canada because canada has been bilingual. >> my chicago ballot every time there is a presidential election it is spanish and english. >> successionist movements would be quickly formed in both countries canada those who don't want any part of us and u.s. who would not want the changes we are talking about. >> i wonder. i wonder. >> i think canadians --

>> i can as sure you there would be. >> i think canadians are proud of the fact they are not americans they think of us those south of the border barbaric and a lot of times they are right. >> i think they would come to think of it as mutual enrichment. >> don't you think so? >> i am totally for it i think it would be a terrific thing for canadians as well as the u.s. i don't think it has any possibility of occurring it would be a great advantage for the u.s. >> when you read about members of the armed forces who have been killed you invariably see with the americans and brits canadians. the canadians are with us all the time. >> absolutely. >> canadians were dragged into both world wars because they were part of the british empire they went in 39 and 14 not 17 like us. >> why did hillary clinton make contact with you.

>> i gave her a book she was kind enough to send me a letter and said it was a very interesting idea. >> hillary is a sentries? >> i would think so these people know more about where center is. >> she wants to route the progressives. >> pro canada. >> maybe she figures there are some votes there. >> you think? >> i don't know. >> why did she write that letter? >> she genuinely liked the book. >> did she like the idea? >> she thought it was thought provoking and interesting. >> right out the side door. >> that is what everybody said on the panel. >> i think diane agrees with that. >> why did bush contact you. >> again i went to an event and was seated beside him at the table he was speaking i gave him a book he said this is interesting what do canadians think about it then i explained

-- >> this is jeb bush. >> jeb. we started to talk about resources and benefits that would derive to everybody americans could help us develop it and protect them and he said now you are putting a lot more chips on the table. >> british 1967 they came to quebec, said viva quebec libre. this will never happen. >> go to any airport in the world and look at the canadian maple leafs if this happens i am looking forward to lasterring my luggage -- plastering my luggage with canadian maple leaf it travels well. >> diane. >> gee owe political realignment is important the world is shifting china, russia. >> predicting. >> this is under way and inevitable not politically unless there is a crisis but we will be one economy. >> before the end of this century. >> century.

>> prime minister harper is one of the outstanding leaders canada has had. he is the most powerful politician and will be re- elected. >> i predict by 2050 u.s. and canada will be merged into one super nation mutual necessity and super values will drive us together. happy easter. bye bye

this week on "moyers & company," "the new york times" on a revolutionary new book about wealth and democracy. >> telling us that we are on the road not just to a highly unequal society but of inherited wealth. >> funding is provided by encouraging the renewal of democracy, carnegie, the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide, the her b albert foundation, whose mission is to promote compassion in