Welcome to the USA

[cowman]

US based companies may have invested in the oil and gas industry here cowman, and it was mainly because eastern canadian investors weren't interested, but the fact is that the resources are here in Alberta, we are debt free, and the royalites are being tucked away in our provincial coffers . I, for one, would hate to see our resources being spent to finance wars all across the world, pay down US debt, drill our national parks dry of oil and gas without a care for the environment etc.

If I wanted to be an American I would head south or north to Alaska as the case may be.
My family came west from Nova Scotia before AB was a province, and I too have family that went to war and were wounded at Vimy Ridge, and served this country with pride. They would roll in their graves if they thought one of their kin wanted our province to become part of the US !!!

[bombay_43]

I don’t know Emrald, I for one think that Cowman has some very valid points!
Now don’t read me wrong here, because if push comes to shove, I don’t relish the idea of joining the USA either. However, he makes some powerful statements in his post.

It seems to me, that Alberta has always had a struggle with Eastern Canada when it came to finances, and I have yet to see what good they have actually done us. In fact you can go back to numerous posts here and see exactly how much money has come out of Alberta over the years, to be fondly embraced by Quebec!

Growing up, I was very proud to be a Canadian, but over the years, have witnessed too many inequities within our own country, to be outright “proud” of it any more! Trying to elect an alternate Federal Government, is near to impossible, as she’s all over but the crying when the vote hits as far west as Manitoba. So basically it just does not matter what we over in the West believe.

As for our National police force, I think that the beginning of the end for the RCMP came, when turbans, ceremonial daggers, braids, etc. became part of their accepted dress code! We allowed this to happen ourselves.

Yes we are debt free, but I don’t thank my Federal Government for that fact either! We do have more trade barriers between our own provinces borders, than we would like to admit! Maybe we need to clean up our own act in our beloved Canada, before more Albertans start contemplating Cowmans way of thinking!

Incidently, I also appreciate Cowmans twist on this actual proposal, by putting in seemingly unobtainable conditions! It does make you wonder if maybe he isn't also venting his frustrations with a country, which his family obviously has a long and proud history!

[bombay_43]

Canada is made up of people from all over the world. I am also concerned that we seem to now have to change our customs to appease various minority groups, but that is what is happening in society so the RCMP isn't exempt either.
As long as they are allowed to do their job I don't really care what they wear on their head or what religious peruasion they are.

Western Canada has been treated like poor country cousins by the east for years, but of course Alberta isn't a poor cousin just considered to be a country bumpkin as far as our eastern legislators go.
If I were to support any change of governance for our province it would be leaning toward western separation vs becoming a part of the US.

We have everything to lose and not one heck of a lot to gain by selling our souls to Uncle Sam !!! If we think that we are getting hosed by the feds in Canada, what do you think would happen to our Heritage Trust Fund or any other surplus we had if we were the 51st state?

[WoolyBear]

Just think of it..... BC's fisheries, fresh fruit, and forestry, Alberta's oil, water, forestry, Saskatchewan has the potash, oil, coal and uranium, and Manitoba has abundant hydro electricity, several mining operations for nickle, copper, and zinc. All 4 of us have abundant lands for all kinds of agriculture. We have the people to operate manufacturing, and a transportation system that if handle properly could work. We have the resources and trade potential to have a reasonable well respected and successful country ON OUR OWN!

Our reason for less than that is the money draining, scum sucking federal government that claws back resource revenues, stifles domestic investment, (or atleast enourages foreign takeovers), and directs foreign policy with our neighbors (USA) out of the other side of their mouths, with both feet inserted crosswise. If Chretain, and now Martin had kept their PERSONAL views to themselves, I personally think that relations with the US would be at least a little better.

[WoolyBear]

WoolyBear,I tend to agree with you. The US has us over a barrel on the BSE issue and the softwood lumber issue. If we would have had any kind of leadership in Ottawa both of these would have been resolved by now.
The four western provinces are the real jewel in the crown of the country, even though we aren't steeped in the history of the east.
When I read your post and see in print all that the west has going for it, no wonder someone from the US would think that we were a real 'catch'.

[WoolyBear]

Actually emrald1 if we could just do a surgical removal of the tumor in Ottawa, and most of Quebec, I think that the whole country as a whole is the REAL thing.

Maybe if we were to move the capital of Canada to somewhere like Dryden, or Kenora, it would be far enough from Quebec and the boys on Bay Street that things should run a little more smoothly! Its too easy for the Sponsorship crowd to duck back across the border after they've had lunch with the Boyz on Parliment Hill.

MAYBE we just need to get rid of the Liberal party as a whole, and that would be a good start!

[kato]

The way things have been going lately, that may not be as unlikely as we may think......

[kpb]

If you heard the calls into cross-country checkup today you'd know that there is no way that the Liberals are ever going to be booted out of office. Quite simply these guys are thieves and should be punted but it seems there are a lot of people in this country that don't mind having their pockets picked and will, in fact, support the thieves any chance they get. So if this latest scandal doesn't make people vote against them, what would? It is sickening.

Cowman, I say that we should separate and get out of a national union that is not working. But I don't think we need to join another dysfunctional country. How about Alberta going on its own--I'm pretty sure we could be a properous country on our own and with no one else's help. The more I see the way we are treated in this country which is to say plundered and ignored and despised than I say to hell with Ottawa.

I think our time for nationhood in Alberta is coming and I think you'll see a vote for separation in this province in your lifetime. Every day that goes by makes more and more Albertans realize there is no future for us in Canada. I, for one, can't wait for the Republic of Alberta to become a reality.


kpb

[farmers_son]

Interesting discussion on why we should not be annexed into the U.S. What makes you think we are not already there? Since CUSTA was signed, later NAFTA the only thing separating us is our self image. There is free movement of most goods and services across the borders except people as each country still requires a green card or some sort of visa to work in their respective nation. There are more restrictions to trade between provinces in this country than there is between the U.S. and Canada. I think if we knew what percentage of Canadian economy was owned by the U.S. we would be astounded. For all intents and purposes, North America is one.

I am amused by the discussion on east versus west, north versus south and how the best people just happen to live where we happen to live. What a coincidence!

In fact Canada and the U.S. are both young countries that have had lots of immigration from all over the world. Canadians take quite a bit of pride in being different (read better) than those damn Yankees while the Yankees take quite a bit of pride in being the biggest and best nation in the world. Now someone is likely overestimating themselves there. In fact China is the worlds biggest consumer market and in terms of land mass and population is bigger than the U.S. For that matter, Canada is bigger than the U.S. The world’s biggest democracy is India, not the U.S.

I have a map of the world tacked up on my wall. It is a satellite image of the world as it seen from a few miles up and believe it or not you cannot see any borders from that vantage point. The reality is the borders do not exist except in our psyche.

So what purpose do borders serve especially when you consider borders to trade are largely gone in North America. Borders make people easy to rule. People are easier to rule if they have an enemy or adversary, someone beyond “their” borders. Borders provide a sense of identity. Borders provide a means of increasing wealth to a group of people without needing to distribute that wealth to a larger group, i.e. Heritage Trust Fund or whatever it is called now within Canada or the wealthy United States compared to the poorer Mexico and certainly Central America.

But if we are going to have borders I would point out when GLTUSA says Albertans should join the USA I would instead ask him why doesn’t the USA join Alberta. After all we have the oil and as GLTUSA has pointed out more than once the USA needs it. As long as you leave Montana out of the deal.

[farmers_son]

Good LORD !! The US joining AB !!! I doubt if the average American has a clue where Alberta is with the exception of possibly Calgary !!! They would likely think that we all live in igloos so why would they want to join us ????? And why would we want them to.
I think that depending on what governments are elected in Ottawa and AB in the future there will likely be more noise about our own independence but I doubt if it will ever come to pass.