FLIT: Bruce points out that the Canadian troops in Afghanistan represent "the first-ever combat deployment of Canadian ground troops under American command outside the continent" --meaning by continent North America. It's all part of the slow, inexorable march towards statehood for Canada, I reckon. Which I think should only be agreed to if the CFL gets to merge with the NFL while keeping all the CFL rules (12 men on the field, goal posts in the inzone, etc.) alive in CFL stadiums, a la the American League-National League split in baseball. This is obviously the most important point to be made about any potential US-Canada merger.