Some people are beginning to predict the breakup of the United States, see for example Igor Panarin who predicted it ten years ago but is now getting more attention, http://en.rian.ru/world/20081124/118512713.html
Any US states worth absorbing? How about Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine and Vermont? Geographic contiguity and similar politics, economics and demographics would be necessary.
Maybe Alaska could come in as a territory and be renamed the Western Yukon, that was even less likely however.
Yes.
Quite a few Canadians in California and Florida already.
all the leaves are brown
and the sky is grey
I've been for a walk
on a winter's day
First, I doubt that the US would politically split apart, especially into 6 pieces. Heck, this guy is even predicting that Russia can claim Alaska back.
Even if it does split apart (which is probably highly unlikely within the next couple decades), I'm not sure there are any states which would want to join Canada. I'm pretty sure any secession movements in the US have the goal of an independent state, not annexation by Canada.
Oh yeah, we get Sarah Palin. Only if we can have Tina Fey too.
Ya if their multinationals are able to out-manuever our free trade genuses in Ottawa with lawsuits over a gasoline additive banned in several US states, we have little chance for reverse muscling them. Canada is close to becoming a rightwing Libertarian's dream for weak and decentralized colonial administrativeships selling off rights to vast preserves of valuable energy and raw materials for a bit of kick-back and graft. We need a real leader. Elmer Fudd might be an improvement over what Canadians have been used to.
No, absolutely not for any inclusion of US states into Canada.
Moreover, this is the pertinent part of the linked article;
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"watching the tide roll away"
IF this were to hapeen, i'd say we should definitely let Vermont in.
We'd have a hard enough time keeping Canada together though.
"Sweatervest Destiny."
I have changed my mind, I think no, now.
You can say that again. Hey, I think we did in a parallel thread
Wow, is Sarah Palin that popular in Russia?
I am 47 years old, and I predict within my lifetime there will be a movement in the state of California to have them succede from the United States to form its own country, a-la Quebec.
Once that happens, look for similar efforts in states like Texas and Florida, and then the 'United' States will be no more!
I can see some of the New England states looking to join Canada, along with Minnesota (any state that can elect Jesse Ventura as it's Governor is okay in my books!
Does anyone have the 1959 movie Ben Hur on DVD/Blu-Ray?
I'm thinking of the quote Charlton Heston's character says to his Roman friend about how his people would celebrate once the Roman Empire falls.
I'm 45 and I say you are wrong.
I can see a few of the the states wanting to join, but as a leftwing canadian I have had my fill of Emay and Diane Francis as they try to impose amercican ideals in their transplanted country. Because as progressive as bernie sanders is, a lot of americans would push our spectrum even farther right. regardless of what state they are from.
I VOTE NO....how about Turk and Caicos be our first priority. 33,000 people tropical paradise with our own currency. We could have a nice sea relationship with Cuba to educate the citizens with a good model
Try to lift them up to our level. I think we haven't done it because we would hate to pay minimum wage to a tropical islander. Or provide hurricane aid.
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"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."
Noam Chomsky
I'm simply not convinced that Canada is somehow more left-wing than places like Vermont or Minnesota.
40% of Canadians voted for Harper, which is about the same fraction or higher than the number of Americans in those states who voted McCain, and McCain is to the left of Harper.
I think the canadian political spectrum is to the left of the American political spectrum.
I've never really been convinced of that one. I think it's something Canadians tell themselves ("we're so compassionate !!!") in order to feel good about themselves.
A large part of the difference is that they don't allow ex-cons to vote in a lot of places because African Americans are more likely to vote democrat. 1 or 2 points would have knocked out Bush both times.
Anyhow even if it is true, it's only because of places like Texas, and the south.
Actually, no - far less than 40% of Canadians voted for Stephen Harper. Many Canadians didn't vote.
And by what measure is Stephen Harper to the right of John McCain? Don't get me wrong, I loathe Harper - but I think the Republicans and our Conservatives are (peas in a) pod-people.
The only difference I can think of is environmentalism, but that's a pretty big one.
People like to point out that most people don't vote, but I have never seen a shred of evidence that the people who don't vote are any different than the people that do.
I didn't vote in the last election because Elections Canada never responded to my absentee ballot request. Does that mean I'm boycotting the political system? No.
Oh yeah, there's nothing imperialist about trying to annex a British imperial holding for use as a vacation spot for rich Canadians...
500 apples wrote: I've never really been convinced of that one.
And when did socialized medicine become part of the mainstream political debate in the US?
When did a third party to the left of the democrats begin winning a substantial number of seats in Congress?
I am 46, as of yesterday, and I say you are right, that David Young is wrong.
Socialized medicine can be rationalized based on purely economic arguments. The USA spends twice as much on health care as we do and achieves inferior results. That trend is not helpful to American capital and that's why the rhetoric on the issue has been shifting.
I don't have a satisfactory response to the NDP consistently receiving the votes of 15-18% of Canadian voters. As I'm currently living in the USA I know there's a strong base for bourgeois liberalism here, but it has been successfully directed into safe channels like the Obama campaign.
Cueball wrote: I am 46, as of yesterday,
Happy belated birthday, Cueball.
If the war of 1812 had gone just a little differently, much of Maine would be part of Canada; it was invaded bloodlessly and remained in British hands until the end of the war. Vermont would be a good fit politically.
The same forces that may cause the breakup of the United States, including Peak Oil (see the Long Emergency), will likely have the same inpact on Canada, as our east-west links are not all that strong.
The inclusion of Wasington, Oregon, Idaho and northern California fits with the proposed boundaries of an independant Cascadia.
Of course the other part of the Cascadian indepedance project is the separation of BC, the Yukon from Canada.
Anyone who thinks that any breakup of the United States would not be an event that took place in the environment of a massive civil war, with huge consequences for Canada is crazy. It is far more likely that any breakaway union of states would try and absorb parts of Canada through military means, rather than some kind of peaceful union voted on in a referendum.
Umm they have repeatedly asked to join Canada, that isn't imperialism. I am stating some of the benefits of the islands. Just google their name and see how quickly canada comes up.
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"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."
Noam Chomsky
Have to agree with you. There were a lot of people ready to roll tanks in 95 if quebec voted for it. SO I can't see how a country that is more homogenius(spell check doesn't work anymore!?!) than canada wouldn't have a civil war AGAIN!
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"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."
Noam Chomsky
Heh. From Wikipedia's entry on Turk and Caicos:
Does Canada want to merge with them - what name should we call the newly created country? We'd practically have the USA surrounded.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/andrew-steele/