Canada: Next Failed State?
April 27, 2005 · By Tom Cerber
Austin Bay makes some prognostications about the future of Canada in the wake of Adscam:
Canadians in the western and maritime provinces already dread the political power of populous Ontario. (Quebec serves as a political balance to Ontario.) If Quebec bids adieu, “remnant” Canada’s political rules will be subject to revision. Subsequent regional bickering could lead to further fragmentation.
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Quebec has the people and resources to make a go of it, though the economic price for its egotism will be stiff. British Columbia also has “nation-state” assets: Access to the sea, strong industrial base, raw materials and an educated population.
Oil-producing Alberta might join the United States and instantly find common political ground with Alaska, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. Canada’s struggling Atlantic provinces might find statehood economically attractive and extend the New England coastline. A rump Canada consisting of “Greater Ontario” — with remaining provinces as appendages — might keep the maple-leaf flag aloft. As for poor, isolated Newfoundland: Would Great Britain like to reacquire a North American colony?
Well, don’t forget the Alberta-Colorado connection, with Ian Tyson as the new republic’s troubadour.
Whle I would venture that Canada as a state is failing rapidly, I don’t understand why our friends to the south insist on prognosticating about Alberta joining the Union.
In my conversations with Albertans on the subject, there is very little solid support for any kind of secession, no matter how preferable it may be to the status quo. Of those who do hold a desire to secede, I can think of a rare few who have any desire to become the 51st state.
Why would make anyone think that going from one province in ten to one state in 51 would be preferable?
Alberta sinks or swims on its own, either inside or outside of Confederation.
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Via Tom at The Politic comes this post-Quebec separation prognostication from Austin [...]
I don’t think BC would be chomping at the bit to go it alone either, just because Quebec left. BC is full of socialists, just look at past NDP provincial governments. I don’t know who’d be stupider - the US for accepting the moribund Maritimes, or the Martimers for leaving their sugar daddy Ontario.
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Why would make anyone think that going from one province in ten to one state in 51 would be preferable?
You’re comparing apples to oranges. It has to do more with the autonomy of individual states rather than with percentages. The two governmental systems you’re attempting to compare are incompatible.
The United States of America is a republic rather than an empire. The Sheeple’s Republic of Canada is an all-encompassing highly centralized government which regularly and repeatedly trounces on the rights of individuals. In 2005 it resembles more of an empire than the United Kingdom ever did in the 18th century. So a more apt question should be, “Why would anyone think that remaining one province in ten would be preferable to being one state in 51?” Think about it…
If I ever live in a province that joins the USA, I will leave and go to another Cdn province. If they all join the US I will move to England. There’s nothing remotely of interest to me in being part of the US. Why would I want to be part of a country that has no socialized medicine, guns without limitations and a government that invades and abuses other nations like a school yard bully? The US (The only country without a name), has a poor education system. Just once, I want to be able to visit a state that doesn’t border Canada, and has people who understand that Canada is a country in North America. I can’t tell you the number of times they have referred to Canada as ‘over seas’. When they become peaceful, law abiding, socially concerned and educated, maybe I want feel so strongly.
If Canada ever joins the US, I sincerely hope I am not alive to see it.