Hi B-Jay -

In looking at this story, it is instructive to see how trade disputes are fought these days - not through import duties, quotas and the like, but rather through sanctimonious concerns for Good Things - for example, penalizing Canadian softwood lumber producers in order to impose a more fair market (don't you know, crown land auctions to lumber companies for harvesting rights is un-American?); for example, blocking Cnadian beef exports to protect against mad cow disease (while refusing to test home-grown beef in any meaningful way, and then not releasing any test results); for example, defending the planet through measures against that filthy Canadian oil (BP spill, Exxon Valdez, North Slope pipeline leaks, coal-fired electrical generating plants notwithstanding).

I say forget about it and get some governemental support behind the Gateway pipeline so at least we can sell SOME of our crude to others than the US. When the shortages hit - and they will - we will have an alternative group of customers - Asia - and at least we can negotiate with some sort of stick in our hands, rather than boy scoutish good intentions and a delusional sense of moral superiority as negotiating armament!

Off topic-ish I knnow, but it is the weekend!