The self-appointed
thread archaeologist has some old Haass comments-
(2/14/08)
The North American Union Myth (thread by Memory Shock)
Straight from the Haass's mouth:
Sovereignty and Globalisation
Author: Richard N. Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations-
The world’s 190-plus states now co-exist with a larger number of powerful non-sovereign and at least partly (and often largely) independent
actors, ranging from corporations to non-government organisations (NGOs), from terrorist groups to drug cartels, from regional and global institutions
to banks and private equity funds. The sovereign state is influenced by them (for better and for worse) as much as it is able to influence them. The
near monopoly of power once enjoyed by sovereign entities is being eroded. [con't]
As a result, new mechanisms are needed for regional and global governance that include actors other than states. This is not to argue that
Microsoft, Amnesty International, or Goldman Sachs be given seats in the United Nations General Assembly, but it does mean including representatives
of such organisations in regional and global deliberations when they have the capacity to affect whether and how regional and global challenges are
met. [con't]
Moreover, states must be prepared to cede some sovereignty to world bodies if the international system is to function.
...
Some governments are prepared to give up elements of sovereignty to address the threat of global climate change
...
All of this suggests that sovereignty must be redefined if states are to cope with globalisation.
Globalisation thus implies that sovereignty is not only becoming weaker in reality, but that it needs to become weaker. States would be wise to
weaken sovereignty in order to protect themselves, because they cannot insulate themselves from what goes on elsewhere. Sovereignty is no longer a
sanctuary.
Necessity may also lead to reducing or even eliminating sovereignty when a government, whether from a lack of capacity or conscious policy, is
unable to provide for the basic needs of its citizens. This reflects not simply scruples, but a view that state failure and genocide can lead to
destabilising refugee flows and create openings for terrorists to take root.
Thank the
Ghost of Tom Jefferson for bringing this back up.
Some other NAU threads which tie into some of Haass's comments-
(8/13/07)
NAU (what you NEED TO KNOW) and how it is not SPP.GOV (thread by
cpdaman)
(8/19/07)
North American Union Exposed (thread by xstealth) 
