US annexing Canada, only a matter of time?

[minionofmidas]

Hey English, you do know that Alberta Residents League(ARL) and the Alliance Party are working to free Alberta and then possible make it a state.

After about a year when they're bankrupt it more than likely will happen!

They're just cranks! All countries have secessionist movements, the UK has SNP, PC, SDLP, SF, even a damn Cornish Independence party. I'd be willing to bet, in a vote to join the US, Alberta would vote overwhelmingly to remain in Canada. It's perhaps the most pro-British, pro-monarchy province in the country. The probability of them rejecting ties with the commonwealth are nill.

Canada has a great deal in common with Britain in more ways than one. People have more alleigance to their region or province than to the capital or nation in general. People in BC hate Ontario in the same way that people in Scotland hate London. People in the Maritimes stick together in the same way that the Welsh or Cornish do.

That the Alliance is working to "free" Alberta, whatever the f that's supposed to mean, is just nonsense. They're working to win elections in Canada, how could they do that without their stronghold?
But Alberta is not the "most pro-British, pro-Monarchy province in Canada". It's got hardly any residents of British origin, they are all Germans, Poles and Ukrainians (the Whites, that is). And yes, there is some support for joining the US in that province. Just nowhere near enough to become a majority unless Canada breaks up first. Which seemed possible a decade ago, but not now.

[English]

Hey English, you do know that Alberta Residents League(ARL) and the Alliance Party are working to free Alberta and then possible make it a state.

After about a year when they're bankrupt it more than likely will happen!

They're just cranks! All countries have secessionist movements, the UK has SNP, PC, SDLP, SF, even a damn Cornish Independence party. I'd be willing to bet, in a vote to join the US, Alberta would vote overwhelmingly to remain in Canada. It's perhaps the most pro-British, pro-monarchy province in the country. The probability of them rejecting ties with the commonwealth are nill.

Canada has a great deal in common with Britain in more ways than one. People have more alleigance to their region or province than to the capital or nation in general. People in BC hate Ontario in the same way that people in Scotland hate London. People in the Maritimes stick together in the same way that the Welsh or Cornish do.

That's true. A lot of lefties in BC vote Reform/CA to say: f*** Ottawa! more than anything else.

Exactly. The only thing that unites most Canadians is there mutual dislike of Ontario!

Saskatchewan has also been mentioned as one of the contenders for joining Alberta as some sort of 51st state. I think I should add that Sask is economically very, very left wing. It has nothing in common at all with the heavily Republican states on it's southern border. Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Sask continually elect NDP administrations?

[minionofmidas]

It does. In federal elections it's about as Conservative as BC, though. Saskatchewan would not join the US without bloodshed.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Exactly. The only thing that unites most Canadians is there mutual dislike of Ontario!

Saskatchewan has also been mentioned as one of the contenders for joining Alberta as some sort of 51st state. I think I should add that Sask is economically very, very left wing. It has nothing in common at all with the heavily Republican states on it's southern border. Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Sask continually elect NDP administrations?

The NDP have ruled Sask since 1990, first under Roy Romanow (who, along with Trudeau and Chretien, wrote the Canadian constitution back in the early '80'), and now under Lorne Calvert (a Bible Bashing Leftie. They get these a lot in the Praries (think of Tommy Douglas (who was a Baptist minister) or more recently Bill Blaikie(who is a United Church minister) who got in a fight with Alberta Premier, Ralph Klein (who is HATED in Sask) and won last years election by accusing the opposition Sask Party of "Alberta Envy")

People in Saskatchewan and Manitoba hate people in Alberta

[English]

Goodness me, does anyone in Canada like anyone else?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Goodness me, does anyone in Canada like anyone else?

Nope. They're bound together by mutual animosity

[minionofmidas]

People in Alberta sure tell more bad jokes about people from Saskatchewan than about people from Ontario...Then again, the other three objects of racial dislike in Alberta are Americans, Native Americans and Newfoundlanders...Don't ask me why they don't like Newfies...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

People in Alberta sure tell more bad jokes about people from Saskatchewan than about people from Ontario...Then again, the other three objects of racial dislike in Alberta are Americans, Native Americans and Newfoundlanders...Don't ask me why they don't like Newfies...

Alberta is quite an unpleasant place really...

[English]

Lake louise & Moraine lake are very nice though!

[Siege40]

Sorry to burst you Yankee's bubble, but the thing that unites Canada most is a strong sense of Anti-Americanism. Canada has a serious identity crisis, questions of our annexation are likely part of the cause. Alberta has the largest realistic separation movement yes, but they have some crazy strong Canadian Nationalist. The more extreme your country's party is the other side is equally extreme. So out west you have those lunatic Conservatives/Alliance and the NDP.

I agree with a lot of the comments against the annexation of Canada. Alberta is right yes, but likely compares more to Ohio than Texas or Alabama. Albertans like their FREE healthcare system.

Siege40

[Siege40]

Oh, and I'd like to point out, that maybe the Republicans wouldn't let us join if we wanted too. The Dems would push for it, but what does the Republicans want 300 more seats filled with Democrats?

Siege40

[MarkDel]

Sorry to burst you Yankee's bubble, but the thing that unites Canada most is a strong sense of Anti-Americanism. Canada has a serious identity crisis, questions of our annexation are likely part of the cause. Alberta has the largest realistic separation movement yes, but they have some crazy strong Canadian Nationalist. The more extreme your country's party is the other side is equally extreme. So out west you have those lunatic Conservatives/Alliance and the NDP.

I agree with a lot of the comments against the annexation of Canada. Alberta is right yes, but likely compares more to Ohio than Texas or Alabama. Albertans like their FREE healthcare system.

Siege40

SIege,

You have said some incredibly silly things in other posts, BUT, I would like to commend you on this post. You are 1000% correct. The main, perhaps only, thing holding Canada together as a nation is its hatred of America and all things American. As someone who has spent a lot of time in your country, even having lived there for nearly a year, I can tell everyone here that you are correct about this point.

Canada, at this point, is a collection of provinces, all of which have very, very little in common. There's nothing cultural that holds this nation together, other than maybe Hockey and donuts, and the difference between the East and the West is about as dramatic a difference as any country in the world. There's nothing cultural, religious, social, anything that holds Canadians together. There's nothing that they can define as "Canadian" per se. Hence they express their identity, or lack of same, through expressions of "we're not Americans" If someone asked "What does being a Canadian mean  to you" the answer would be "I'm not an American" The national identity of Canada is "We're not Americans" and that's a sad, but true statement on your part.

[Platypus]

If I wasn't an american, I don't really think I would want to be an american, actully. Well, thats not true. If, just say, I was a Sudanese refugee, I would prefer to go to Canada trhen come here.

Thats something that we have to change-ASAP.

[English]

If I wasn't an american, I don't really think I would want to be an american, actully. Well, thats not true. If, just say, I was a Sudanese refugee, I would prefer to go to Canada trhen come here.

Thats something that we have to change-ASAP.

You've got that right!
The US seems to have gone very right wing at the moment. I don't think as a foreigner I would feel very comfortable.

[minionofmidas]

Well, lots of them are still coming. THough it's not as if the US had the highest immigration rates in the world (as many Americans seem to believe).

But basically, if you're a Sudanese refugee, you don't care where you're going as long as it's a country you've heard of in the Northern Hemisphere. Which means people go wherever they can and wherever there's already an established community from their country.

[English]

Most of the immigrants to the US are probably Mexicans swimming across the Rio Grande.  

[Kghadial]

Most of the immigrants to the US are probably Mexicans swimming across the Rio Grande.  

Actually they wade.

[KEmperor]

LOL, you people seriously can't see a joke when you see one, can you?  The US is not about to annex any part of Canada!  Come on.  Perhaps, in the distant future, there may be a voluntary union.  But the US hasn't taken any territory by force since the days of European imperialism.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

I think there is a realistic scenario in which part of Canada would seek to become part of the US.  

If Quebec somehow won independence from the rest of Canada, the four maritime provinces would be disconnected from the rest of the country.
They are pretty culturally similar to New England, and would probably be at home with the politics of Vermont and Maine.  So I voted "only the maritime provinces."

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Nova Scotia wouldn't... even the Conservatives are left wing there...

[Siege40]

Canadian Nationalism is going up, as time progesses we create a stronger national identidy. Within a hundred years time Canada will be very well unified, especially as Quebec becomes Anglosized, sad, but true.

Siege40

[Emsworth]

Defintely, Alberta should not be annexed. We don't need any more Republican Senators.

[muon2]

But Alberta is not the "most pro-British, pro-Monarchy province in Canada". It's got hardly any residents of British origin, they are all Germans, Poles and Ukrainians (the Whites, that is). And yes, there is some support for joining the US in that province. Just nowhere near enough to become a majority unless Canada breaks up first. Which seemed possible a decade ago, but not now.

You've hit on an important point. I remember 25 years ago when the first movement for Quebec independence (that made it here) was underway. The impression I had here in the states was not would the US annex some provinces, but would the US entertain a request from provinces rent asunder by Quebec. I think there was not a lot of interest on the US side back then, but there was some fear that Provinces (especialy the Maritimes) might be left adrift looking for help.

That was the 70's. I think Canada has come to grips with the issue of Quebec over the last two decades, and there is greater sense of Canadian national self now then there was back then. Furthermore, NAFTA eased many economic differences, and I see little reason to suspect border shifts initiated from either side.

[Siege40]

But Alberta is not the "most pro-British, pro-Monarchy province in Canada". It's got hardly any residents of British origin, they are all Germans, Poles and Ukrainians (the Whites, that is). And yes, there is some support for joining the US in that province. Just nowhere near enough to become a majority unless Canada breaks up first. Which seemed possible a decade ago, but not now.

You've hit on an important point. I remember 25 years ago when the first movement for Quebec independence (that made it here) was underway. The impression I had here in the states was not would the US annex some provinces, but would the US entertain a request from provinces rent asunder by Quebec. I think there was not a lot of interest on the US side back then, but there was some fear that Provinces (especialy the Maritimes) might be left adrift looking for help.

That was the 70's. I think Canada has come to grips with the issue of Quebec over the last two decades, and there is greater sense of Canadian national self now then there was back then. Furthermore, NAFTA eased many economic differences, and I see little reason to suspect border shifts initiated from either side.

The Separtist movement has come to a screeching halt. It's likely to slow down or stop soon, immagrants from Asia and Europe and the rest of the world pile into Canada, Quebec offers some excellent careers so many are landing there, and a lot of them speak English. The Soveirgnity issue will diminish over time, it will flare up a time or two in the next 20 years but I think '95 was the height of the movement.

Siege40

[2952-0-0]

Bump. Someone move this please!!