Attention travelers...

...please have your passports ready for inspection.

Well, it looks like that it is going to be more of a hassle to get into Canada. By 2008, the U.S. government is going to require that both Canadians and Americans have their passports to cross the border. Currently, we only need a driver’s license or a Nexus to cross the border. There’s not much thinking involved since everyone who crosses the border is driving, and most drivers have their license on them. Want to go to Canada? No problem. Other than the toll and check, it’s just like going to another state. We go through Canada to get to New York. It’s more convenient and interesting than going through Ohio. It’s great for 18 year olds looking for a drink (It’s pretty much how Windsor’s economy stays afloat.) Also, there are lower prices for cigarettes and prescription drugs. Canadians can come over for jobs, warmer vacation areas, and quicker medical attention.

This is complete crap. Not because the border is undefended and vulnerable, but because requiring passports isn’t going to solve the problem. It’s not hard to get a passport. All they need is some simple forged documents like a birth certificate and they’re issued one.

Eileen Byrne was talking about it today on WLS. Did you know that 2/3 of Americans don’t have a passport? People make such a big deal that Americans aren’t “cultured.” They don’t travel. They don’t have an appreciation of other cultures. As if a passport is going to cure that! The reason why 2/3 of Americans don’t have passports is because they don’t travel! Mostly because they can’t afford to travel. If they did travel, they are most likely to travel to someplace within the US or Canada or Mexico, where they don’t need a passport. And face it, the only other place that Americans feel comfortable visiting are other English speaking countries and Europe. And at the moment, they’re not feeling too welcomed in those places—like France. They don’t like dealing with foreign languages (because Americans can barely speak English.) And they don’t like visiting other countries whose standard of living is significantly lower than their own. If Americans feel like experiencing other cultures, they’ll just go visit the local ethnic restaurant. If they are really curious, they just might visit the World Showcase at EPCOT.