Canadians,

Don't worry about Obama and Clinton. Pay attention to their rhetoric. In the last debate they talked about negotiation sure. But they talked about making labor conditions and safety standards tougher. On a national level Canadian standards are more strict than American ones already. Obviously they are not going to tell Mississippi and Alabama to adopt Canadian standards to satisfy NAFTA so Canadian trade is safe from that particular threat.


"Three years ago I traveled by car through many small towns of the southeastern US. I was shocked to see very little activity or people as they had become close to ghost towns with 75% of the buildings empty."

Sandy,

I travel extensively through small towns in the South by car. What you say is by in large true about the downtowns. Many small business are empty, leaving some really cool looking old empty brick buildings. Also the textile mill that ran on hydro power from the local river is usually empty. As are the shacks where the mill workers lived. But if you head out on main street, in most towns, to the nearest major highway you will usually find a bunch of dollar stores, a Walmart, an Ace, Home Depot, or Lowes, and a Piggly Wiggly or Winn Dixie depending on the size of the town. There are also lots of new subdivisions and often the plant building of a large employer or two. The Smithfield hog plant in Tar Heel, NC employes way more people than live in the town. Industries in the US are locating away from where the people live.   In many places you will also find a military base or two which employees a lot of people. Not to mention all the educated kids who move to Charlotte, Raleigh, Greenville, Baton Rouge, Birmingham and of course Atlanta.

I don't doubt what you saw. I've seen to too. But look beneath the surface and you will see that the South is booming.