Orchard: Why are we doing the Kinder Morgan kowtow?

A thousand years ago, the Chinese Middle Kingdom regarded the regions around it as being made up of barbarians. These areas were either controlled by Chinese military power or regarded as satellites. The custom, and the rule, was that the barbarians had to recognize the imperial supremacy of China. This was done by performing the kowtow (three kneelings and nine prostrations) or by paying tribute.
Faced with the Kinder Morgan pipeline company, Canada is doing both, allowing itself to be given de