The new
American ambassador to Ottawa, David Jacobson, is touring Canada
because he wants "to learn as much as I can" about the country. A
few days ago he was in Niagara Falls, visiting the customs
facilities on both sides of the border. He was jovial, spontaneous
and very open to talk about the relationship between Canada and the
United States. He believes in the ability and the will of both
governments to combine the need for business and the duty to provide
security, and he is not concerned about the "irritants" between the
two countries.
Embassy interviewed Mr. Jacobson while he was crossing the
border after the visit on the US side and coming over to Canada. The
following is a transcript of that interview, edited for style and
length:
How do you describe the present relationship between Canada
and the United States?
"Canada's relationship with the United States is one of the
strongest between two countries in the world. I've said many times
that ambassador to Canada is the single job in the United States
government that I would want. There are many reasons why, the most
important being that strong relationship, and I view the most
important part as continuing that close relationship and perhaps
enhancing it."
How surprised are you by the good relationship established
between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen
Harper?
"I think there is a strong common interest and, on the political
side, Canada has been a closest friend, ally, neighbour and trade
partner for quite some time, and I think that our interests do
coincide dramatically more often than they diverge.
"I also think that, on a personal level, my perspective speaking
on both sides of the border, there is a strong personal relationship
and that always facilitates matters. They go along well; I believe
they have already met eight times since the president was sworn in.
If he has met that many times with any other foreign leader I'm not
sure who that would be. I haven't exactly kept score but,
considering also the times they have spoken over the phone, they
have a very strong relationship."
How do you explain this?
"They are both nice guys, they can get along personally and there
is community of interest."
Do you believe that the diplomatic incident between Canadian
government and Obama's campaign during the primaries has,
ironically, contributed to strengthen the relationship between
Harper and Obama?
"I don't know the answer to that one, but they do have a
strong relationship."
Some believe that security at the border and trade between our
two countries have conflicting interests. Do you agree?
"I don't buy the notion that you can't have trade and
security at the same time. That is the position of my government and
I believe this is the position of the Canadian government. I believe
that if we approach the border in a smart way, if we provide
adequate resources and if we utilize technology in creative
thinking—and I've seen a lot of it today—you can be both safe and
secure on both sides of the border. And you can [facilitate movement
of] people who are going back and forth commercial[ly]. So, I do
believe you can have both.
"I also believe that there has been a strong level of
co-operation between Canadian and United States governments. I've
seen a lot today, with respect to the border, and I think that that
facilitates matters as well."
What is your assessment of the border crossing from what you
have seen today?
"I was very pleasantly surprised. Not because I ever heard
anything bad, but when I actually saw the operation, particularly
the Nexus, the trusted travel program, and the FAST program which is
the analogue on the cargo side, I saw the incredible way the
technology has been used in order to facilitate the movement of
people and goods across the border.
"On the Nexus side, I stood in the booth while cars were driving
through and people with Nexus cards were holding it up and there is
also a licence plate reader, and within about a second, on the
screen would flash information about the driver and the car which
would allow in a matter of seconds for the agent to ask a question
or two and move on.
"It takes a little bit longer with the FAST system, but not much,
and it really moves incredibly well and, I'm not sure that
'surprise' is the word I would use, but I was extremely pleased by
what I saw."
You've just arrived in Canada but I'm sure you have a plan in
mind. What is the main obstacle you see in reaching your goals?
"My overarching goal is to take my president's message of hope
and of change and bring it right across the border. I've worked very
hard in the campaign; I've known the president for some time and I
think my greatest goal is to take that message to the Canadian
people.
"In terms of issues—and the word I think that often has been used
is 'irritants.' There are irritants in this relationship today,
there were irritants in this relationship 50 years ago, and there
will be irritants in this relationship 50 years from now, because we
have the strongest and the most integrated economy that you could
have. Today it is 'Buy America[n]', tomorrow it is going to be
something else. And there are issues on my side of the border as
well.
"But I believed before I came, I've said it before I came, and I
believe it even more now, is that the measure of the strength of the
relationship, any relationship, is not whether there are the
irritants, but whether both sides demonstrate the resolve to try to
find common ground and resolve them. And I think that when you
measure the relationship by that standard, this is the strongest
relationship in the world."
Your predecessor James Blanchard, in his book Behind
Embassy Doors, wrote that, according to an American bureaucrat,
"in the bowels of the Canadian bureaucracy are a bunch of guys who
want to pluck a feather from the American Eagle. When they get out
of hand, we whack them hard and they run for cover." Do you
agree?
"I've been in Canada for about three weeks and the overriding
emotion and feeling that I get in all of my conversations is the
warmth and the closeness of our relationship. They are not focused
on irritants; they are not focused on the problems. I certainly
discuss them and it's not to say that we don't address and solve
them, but the headline, to use the reporter's phrase, is the
strength and depth of our relationship. And, that's true with the
government and it's true with private citizens."
Coming to Canada, what gift you would like to bring to
Canadians from the United States?
"I would like to keep my Chicago Cubs. Kidding aside, I had a
wonderful experience in the political campaign that we just went
through and the greatest part of that political campaign was the
involvement of young people in the political process, which was the
norm in my country. And, as I understand, just empirically, Canada
and the Unites States were like each other before the Obama campaign
and I thought that it was something very special and positive, not
just because it resulted in Barack Obama becoming president, but
because of the view that he has, and all of us have, that if
ordinary people, particularly young people, are involved in the
political process, then many of the other problems we have, will
take care of themselves.
"I hope it stays that way in the United States and I would like
to see something like that not just in Canada but elsewhere around
the world."
And what would you take back from Canada?
"Aside from the Timbits that need to come back to the Unites
States—I'm a big fan—it is the warmth and the politeness, the
friendliness of the Canadian people. I'm from the mid-West, and
people there are very much like that; but there is decency and a
genuineness to the people I've met here which can serve as a model
to all of us. I've routinely said that, as ambassador of the United
States to Canada, I've got the best job in the United States
government, and a large part of the reason I believe that is the
kindness of the Canadian people."
What was your impression of our country before your
appointment?
"I've been here a number of occasions, I have studies about
Canada, I believe that I'm reasonably informed politically. I've
spent a good deal of time between the spring, when I learned about
my nomination, and the end of September when I finally came here.
I've been reading, speaking, getting briefed by a vast multitude of
people inside and outside the government to learn as much as I
could. One of the reasons that I'm spending the first six weeks that
I'm here travelling extensively thorough your country is that I want
to learn as much as I
can."
