My good friend over at the Nexus of Assholery has posted today about how Preston Manning is trying to tell western Canadians not to separate. I think it's the first good thing this guy has done in his entire political career... I can't even begin to describe the disdain I have for good old boy Preston, but that's not the point of this post.
The point is that the West feels like they were left out of the coalition of NDP/Liberals some of them seem to think it's a giant conspiracy by Toronto to run the country. I got news for you folks. You voted conservative. The rest of us who didn't are well represented within this coalition. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the idea of a coalition any more than you do. But I would never complain, for example, that Stephen Harper doesn't represent me. Ever. The bottom line is I didn't vote for him and I don't feel he has my best interests at heart. Does that mean I want Quebec (where I live) to separate. No. Never. Ever.
People who think that the western provinces should separate should have a gigantic bbq at the nuthouse along with the Quebec separatists because it's basically the same load of crap that they are spouting. The only difference is one is saying it in English and the other is saying it in French.
You see? We have more in common then most people think. Why can't we all just get along.
Muchacho Enfermo
4 comments:
Let's face, it's very simple. These come down to very simple issues.
Consider this:
Alberta - pop 3,290,350
Saskatchewan - pop 968,157
British Columbia - pop 4,113,487
Manitoba - pop 1,148,401
Quebec - pop 7,546,131
By any account, a separate Quebec would be a fairly small state by global standards, as would a separate western bloc -- and that's even if they all separated together.
When one considers the likelihood that such a bloc wouldn't separate together, things get even more complicated.
For example, without British Columbia, the ability of those three provinces to trade internationally would be severely compromised. With the exception of a tiny portion of Manitoba coastline, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are entirely landlocked.
That would provide them with two primary markets for their exports: the rest of Canada and the United States. And the rest of Canada certainly would not be eager to deal with a separated western bloc -- at least not under conditions even remotely favourable to that bloc.
Then there are questions about the place of such a state within the larger global order.
By any accounts, any of these provinces matter more globally within a united Canada than as separate states.
I concur. It's really fricking refreshing to get a point of you about this stuff from someone outside of Quebec who is also witnessing the same sort of ideas all around him.
Well, I would have to say that "all around me" is a bit of an exaggeration.
But all the same, I do see it becoming more visible. So I'm going to do what any patriotic Canadian should do: I'm going to fight the separatists.
Amen brother!
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