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Alberta to Secede from Canada?

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Mike

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Sat, July 9, 2005
Time for Alberta to exit, stage right?

By LINK BYFIELD -- Calgary Sun

A University of Alberta professor I know sent me a lengthy article he's trying to get published, entitled: "Let's get while the getting's good."

In it, Leon Craig, professor emeritus of political science, lays out a case for Alberta to declare unilateral independence. And he lays it out well.

Craig makes no bones about it.

Alberta, he says, should go it alone.

Almost overnight, we would become one of the most prosperous nations in the world.

But -- and this is his key point -- the main reason to secede is not because Albertans would have more money. Not that there's anything wrong with money.

More importantly, we would create a country that reflects our own political and social beliefs, values and traditions, and our understanding of the common good.

Canada, says Craig, has been so badly governed since the Trudeau era, it has doomed itself to a Third World, banana republic fate.

We will become -- are in fact becoming -- the Argentina of the 21st century.

Political corruption gets rewarded instead of punished, productivity slides, and the opportunistic politics of envy becomes the basis of our whole system of national government.

The only promising place left in Canada, he concludes, is Alberta.

And Alberta owes it to itself, to its future citizens, and to like-minded people in the rest of the country to save itself.

As a sovereign and independent nation, he suggests, our population -- viable to begin with -- would double in 10 years, even allowing for a welcome exodus of Albertans who would be happier back in Canada.

Far more good people move to take advantage of opportunity than flee from it.

Our social policies -- marriage and family matters, medicare, civil and religious freedoms, etc. -- would no longer be imposed by the Supreme Court and a handful of Ottawa mandarins.

We could establish our own laws to deal with crime and punishment, and our own separate relationship with the Americans.

If we don't do these things now, he says, we'll sink with the Canadian ship.

The professor dismisses the idea of "refederating" Canada along its original lines of strong provinces and a small central government.

He thinks the rest of the country is too far gone to change back to what it was.

He even gives short shrift to the "West."

Any attempt to create a new federalism, even in the West, he believes will fail. If other western provinces, or parts of provinces, want to join Alberta, by becoming part of it, they should be welcomed.

All that binds Albertans to Canada, he concludes, is sentiment -- an attachment to Canada's once-illustrious military and pioneer past, and to our own provincial part in it.

We must now face the fact that the old Canada is gone forever and the new Canada is disgusting.

So what are we to make of all this?

It's hard to argue against his analysis of the problem.

The Trudeau delusion that you can build a credible nation with "national social programs" is so shallow it's absurd.

And given the stern rejection of the Reform party by eastern Canadians, it's impossible to refute that the only forceful thing Albertans can do is to separate.

Where I disagree with my friend is whether we owe any allegiance to other Canadians.

What is driving more and more Albertans towards separatism is the fact that our original constitutional arrangement -- the political bargain on which Canada was built -- has long since been obliterated by the national government.

Had that not happened, Canada would not be in its present ugly mess.

Alberta is the only province with both the means and the motive to force a restoration of those original terms. Not by asking. By telling.

But we owe it to our nine federal partners -- the other provinces -- to state the terms on which we would be willing to stay. This is something we have never done.
 
For sure South Dakota!

Several of us have talked about taking the western parts of SD, ND Mont.,Wyo and Neb. and starting a new state. We could call it Ranchers or Cattle country, or some such. At least we would have a better voice in our politics! :mad:
 
Jinglebob said:
For sure South Dakota!

Several of us have talked about taking the western parts of SD, ND Mont.,Wyo and Neb. and starting a new state. We could call it Ranchers or Cattle country, or some such. At least we would have a better voice in our politics! :mad:


Don't call it Saskatchewan as it is already taken and to hard to spell. :wink: :cowboy:
 
Alberta better not take off and leave our little chunk of BC behind. NE BC doesnt fit with the rest of BC anyway, and besides that I don't like to be identified with the folks west of the mountains :wink: So if Alberta leaves it better be with us in tow. :lol:
 
Further to my above comments, I allways figured Canada's 9 provinces and 3 territories shoud seperate from Canada, leaving Quebec on its own as Canada. Would they still want to seperate? Would they get all the national debt like they would like to leave us with? Could we give them Nfld. as a going away present? Would they have to call themselves Canada forever? :???:
Ohhhhh.... the bitter ironies of it all. :wink:
 
I live in Colorado and sympathize with those who feel they are not represented unless you live in the urban sprall. Developers build in around established ranches and farms and wait for another farmer or rancher to sell his "unprofitable", land to stick his chai tea drinkin sushi eating establishments in and build 500 houses on 40 acres. And they wonder where the water is going??? I heard that Denver is projected to be the size of LA in the next 20 yrs. Let me know when the SoDAK, MT, WY, and Alberta deal goes through!!
 
I used to love visiting Colorado; I remember a rural cowboy culture not that long ago. Perhaps Colorado represents part of my youth I can't recapture or else I'm not really thrilled by endless suburban sprawl. The frontrange is just depressing; now visiting Colorado is the price you pay for great skiing. Pardon my biggotry, but I suspect the ruination of Colorado is partly due to so many immigrants from California.
 
Jinglebob said:
For sure South Dakota!

Several of us have talked about taking the western parts of SD, ND Mont.,Wyo and Neb. and starting a new state. We could call it Ranchers or Cattle country, or some such. At least we would have a better voice in our politics! :mad:

Back in the late 70s - early 80s there was a bunch who were serious about Western Nebraska seceeding from Nebraska and joining Wyoming. One big problem was that Wyoming didn't want us... :lol:
 
Sandhusker said:
Jinglebob said:
For sure South Dakota!

Several of us have talked about taking the western parts of SD, ND Mont.,Wyo and Neb. and starting a new state. We could call it Ranchers or Cattle country, or some such. At least we would have a better voice in our politics! :mad:

Back in the late 70s - early 80s there was a bunch who were serious about Western Nebraska seceeding from Nebraska and joining Wyoming. One big problem was that Wyoming didn't want us... :lol:


Can you blame them :!: :wink: :cowboy:
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
Sandhusker said:
Jinglebob said:
For sure South Dakota!

Several of us have talked about taking the western parts of SD, ND Mont.,Wyo and Neb. and starting a new state. We could call it Ranchers or Cattle country, or some such. At least we would have a better voice in our politics! :mad:

Back in the late 70s - early 80s there was a bunch who were serious about Western Nebraska seceeding from Nebraska and joining Wyoming. One big problem was that Wyoming didn't want us... :lol:


Can you blame them :!: :wink: :cowboy:

That's OK Sandhusker, we'll take you! Course your gonn'a have to finance the deal! :wink:
 

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