something for the conspiracy fans: the nafta superhighway

Evidently I am not with it and hip when it comes to conspiracy theories as I have only just learned about the NAFTA Superhighway theory (thanks to Rolling Stone and their Hot Issue). As Rolling Stone writes:

It’s twelve lanes wide and longer than the Great Wall of China. It stretches from Mexico City to Toronto, flanked by a railroad, gas pipelines and fiber-optic cables — all built and maintained by a murky Spanish multinational. And it will destroy America, merging the United States into a single nation with Mexico and Canada, called the North American Union. It’s the NAFTA Superhighway, and according to conspiracy theorists, it’s the most dire threat to our freedom since King George levied a stamp tax. Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul says the highway will “erase the borders.” Anti-immigrant crusader Lou Dobbs calls it “an attack on national sovereignty.” In February, the Montana legislature passed a resolution opposing it. And right-wing radio host Hal Turner claims to have obtained an Amero coin, the currency of the new Evil Empire.

There’s only one catch: The highway is a myth.

Myth or no myth, many people still believe that the project does exist and is underway. I suppose we should just not tell them that you cannot hide something like a superhighway. Although, it appears that someone already has an answer to that.

See what once respected business reporter, and now we’re not sure what he is, Lou Dobbs has got to say (it’s at the end of the clip):

Even if such a highway were under construction, would it be so bad from a geopolitical standpoint (I am leaving all environmental arguments out of this point)?

One Response to “ something for the conspiracy fans: the nafta superhighway ”

Comments:

Jimmy says:
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:04 am

I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but after hearing it brought up at the CNN Republican Presidential debate, I had to look it up.

I found articles claiming it was a myth, that no “Nafta Superhighway” existed, that there was no new highway being built.

But official sources seem to contradict eachother:

http://www.nascocorridor.com/pages/about/about.htm

As of late, there has been much media attention given to the “new, proposed NAFTA Superhighway”. NASCO and the cities, counties, states and provinces along our existing Interstate Highways 35/29/94 (the NASCO Corridor) have been referring to I-35 as the ‘NAFTA Superhighway’ for many years, as I-35 already carries a substantial amount of international trade with Mexico, the United States and Canada. There are no plans to build a new NAFTA Superhighway - it exists today as I-35.

The 11 NASCO Corridor states have identified at least $6.3 billion in needed construction and maintenance

Since 1999, the Federal Government has directed more than $234 million in project funding towards the NASCO Corridor

http://www.txdot.gov/keeptexasmovingnewsletter/04302007.html

The report showed that expanding I-35 beyond what is already planned between San Antonio and Oklahoma would cost more, impact more existing businesses and have higher consequences to the tax base than development of an alternative, parallel highway.

To meet future needs, TTC-35 is being considered as a new, alternate transportation corridor parallel to I-35. Depending on location and demand, TTC-35 could ultimately include separate lanes for cars and trucks, passenger and freight rail, and room for utility transmission. The first element to be constructed will likely be a four-lane toll road (two lanes in each direction) from San Antonio to Oklahoma.

http://www.governor.state.tx.us/priorities/transportation/ttc_factsheet/view

Just to add one extra lane in each direction of I-35 would cost billions of tax dollars and decades of construction. By building a new parallel tolled corridor, we can build more road, build it in a fraction of the time it would take to expand I-35, build it for less money, build it with little or no tax dollars, and allow for new rail and utility lines as our state continues to grow. The state will continue to make necessary improvements and expansions to I-35, but we can’t count on that aging highway to meet all of our future needs.