We like to think that we as Canadians stand apart from Americans; it is something we certainly take pride in. Although there is some evident truth in our belief, there are some hidden facts that make our sense of individuality hypocritical. In the sense of culture, it is without argument that their music and fashion quickly spreads its influence into our own. We watch Hollywood; we watch their shows, their media. Though we have our own culture, their large influence is undeniable. But I digress.

There was an interesting news story published back in April that some may remember. It was about two men arrested in connection to an attempted terrorist plot to derail a Via Rail train in Toronto. The plot was apparently under “direction and guidance” from Al Qaeda. Let me just point out that Al Qaeda was created and funded by the United States to combat the Soviet Union, but that's a story for another time. The two suspects weren't Canadian citizens, though one lived in Toronto and the other in Montreal, and authorities didn't disclose how they got here or where they came from originally.

But the part of this story that wasn't subsequently explained was: how did they come to foil this plot? Although the RCMP was the source of disclosure and U.S./Canada cooperation was established, there was no transparency of the process that facilitated such an exposure. The North American Union (NAU) is essentially a concept that unites America, Canada and Mexico into one based upon political and economic interests. One important move that went towards implementing this idea into reality was the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), which was founded in 2005 through the cooperation of then-Prime Minister Paul Martin, American President George W. Bush, and Mexican President Vicente Fox under North American Free Trade Agreement, which was created in the mid-1990s. In case the fancy words don't spell the obvious, America gets to work within Canada now. More specifically, agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security operate past the American border.

Why is this important? Why should we care? The National Security Agency revelations over the summer from Edward Snowden were of large significance in that they revealed to the world how the NSA is watching everything we do. Some like to believe that this is no big deal, with an array of different justifications, but facts cannot be ignored. Several countries such as Germany have expressed serious concern in the actions of the NSA, and even America's most beloved ally Israel has not been exempted from the growing surveillance state. Companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Yahoo! are among those that supply your personal information to an agency whose purpose, actions, and objectives are causing concern among countries around the world. I now personally ask the reader, to employ logic and reason, and show your concern.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.