Beating around the Bush ???

[dZeus]

paulcs: The Netherlands a G7 country? That is new to me! I think you got confused with Germany, which has a _much_ larger economy... well... isn't that much difference between Holland and Germany, so I understand (don't tell any Dutchman, or they will get furious! ).

[paulcs]

I actually forgot about mentioning the Netherlands when I brought up the Netherlands.

The Dutch presence in the US economy is enormous, however. During the Eighties, when the US media was doing backflips over the Japanese purchasing some high profile American assets, there was some discussion about the possibility of racism being the root of these concerns. There were at least three countries ahead of Japan, and they were Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

Canada and the UK were pretty obvious. Canada is a highly industrialized nation and shares a very long border, very peaceful border with the US. England and the US have a shared history, of course.

The Netherlands wasn't so obvious, although it you think about it, it makes sense. The Dutch settled the US's center of commerce, New York City. In fact, they are responsible for it being the center of commerce. When the English took over, they apparently maintained much of the New Amsterdam status quo. Dutch enterprise was not disrupted, and remains to this day. If NYC is all about money, it's because the Seventeenth Century Dutch were all about money.

Himself, that's the wackiest macroeconomic theory I've ever heard. If the US severed economic ties with Canada tomorrow, I suspect the US economy would be severely damaged and the Canadian economy would collapse. Both nations would lose their number one trading partners. Canada would lose billions in assets.

Not to mention the extra cash made in Canadian border towns from the one to one dollar exhange.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[Himself]

By long term, I meant looong term. Besides, even if Canada were wiped out along with the US, that's still a drop in the bucket worldwise.

[SCompRacer]

<a href="http://www.cnn.com/interactive/allpolitics/0011/election.glossary/link.ballot.glossary.gif">chad
dictionary</a>

[This message has been edited by SCompRacer (edited 20 November 2000).]

[paulcs]

What would they do without us?

Where would they get their videocards?

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[Himself]

LOL!