Thanks for the responses - and by all means, keep them coming.  One of the reasons why this site is so useful to me is because the responses I get to questions I pose tend to act as a healthy check on my own sometimes extravagant opinions about things.

Let me extend the line of my original question a bit:  There have been a lot of steps taken in recent years towards establishing systemic and operational integration between the US and Canada with regard to military matters.  However, though I don't recall details offhand, I remember that some months back there were many voices in Canada (including across most of the Establishment political spectrum) who issued strong protests about certain aggressive steps the US was pressing for with regard to this integration.

I guess my question is this:  What role, if any, are ruling elements in the US envisioning for this military integration as a possible means for facilitating an eventual takeover of Canada?