[dgrant]

A very smart friend of mine on Facebook with lots of ties in the tech industry described Balsillie as "Canada's Donald Trump."

He says "I’m not a partisan actor, but I actually think this is the worst thing that the Harper government has done for Canada." The worst?

He says "It’s a treaty that structures everything forever – and we can’t get out of it." Forever?

Later in the article we find out,

"The deal must be ratified by all 12 countries, and then it would come into force six months later. It would require a parliamentary vote in Canada. Alternatively, the treaty can also take effect if it’s ratified by half the countries representing 85 per cent of the zone’s economy. A country can withdraw any time, on six months’ notice."

So not only can we get out, but it's not forever if you can get out. So Balsillie is full of $hit, alarmist, and possibly still butthurt over losing out to a patent troll that RIM never took seriously enough.