You open up academics to argue with each other, but my friend Joel asked what was in it for Latin Americans if Canada were to take a greater role. I could ask the same question about east Europeans and others if Canada were to take a greater role in NATO.
To answer the first question, I have experience with Latin Americans and have worked with the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies in Washington over the last number of years. What's in it for Latin Americans if Canada is involved? We're not the United States. It's very big on their agenda that they have somebody to talk to who is not the United States, and they will say that to you all the time. They want to be allied with us. The Mexicans do too. Don't forget, we have a war going on just across the American border. Some 20,000 people have been killed in the last few years, drug runners and others. There are all sorts of problems. Latin Americans would like Canada to be involved in the discussions in international organizations that affect them.