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In sum, I am confident that the United States will overcome our unusually large divisions of today and move forward together again, although that process will take some time and a lot of hard work by a lot of people. Those of you who are watching us from other countries, including Canada, should take part from that outlook. You should also realize that the great majority of Americans continue to be very committed to strong relationships with our friends and allies in other countries, including of course with the people of Canada. A poll of Americans this past summer found that 70% think it is best for our country to take an active part in world affairs. Roughly the same number think it is more important for us to be admired than to be feared in the world. And nearly as many agree that the United States should be willing to make decisions within the United Nations, even if those decisions are not our first preference. Moreover, four in five Americans said they think international trade is good for the US economy, a larger percentage that in similar polls in the preceding two years. With the embarrassing fight over NAFTA behind us and a revised NAFTA treaty hopefully coming into force, I hope that relations between Canada and the United States will fully regain their natural, necessary, positive spirit.
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