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Posted on 07/09/2005 12:18:50 PM PDT by ConservativeStLouisGuy
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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.
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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.
Only if those terms are refused should we decide on independence.
This makes a lot of sense. I conclude, therefore, that it will not happen.
This article brings up an interesting point...if the US of A makes a turn for the Left or goes down the crapper in the coming years, perhaps some states would secede?
An independent Alberta would be nothing more than the oil reserve for America...plus it would be badly outnumbered in North America. Joining up with the US is a better idea. Best yet, let Quebec separate and let Canada rebuild!
In general, true, especially in the U.S. But not always. I seem to have read in about something in 1776 and again in 1860 . . .
If Alberta were to try to secede, would the central government move against them by force?
Alberta come south and join the US! We will welcome you with open arms!
Force?
Force of what?
Force of habit?
Not sure where they'd put their navy but maybe they could run a better one than the Motherland has been running?
I am an Albertan...for me this Province comes first and the Ottowa mob come a distant second. The eastern part of Canada has done everything it can do to denigrate us, use us, syphon money off our resources and generally give us the bird.
I truly believe our day is coming..people I talk to are so disenchanted with the ruling clique that it would take very little more to cause a revolt here.
We are taxed without representation..we are ignored in higher councils, we are sneered at if we try to get a senator elected by a free public vote, high court judges are elected by Prime Minister Martin.
Most forms of democracy have been extinguished for us..it is getting way past time to leave this pestilent country.
Alberta joined by BC would be a very attractive, strong State on the world stage. Plus I would live there and enjoy the benefits and pride.
It is strange you should say that...in recent years a large part of the Canadian armed forces have been moved into this province...including the main fighter base at Cold Lake.
Alberta is THE red province of Canada, feeding Ontario and Quebec through a monetary spigot. They've been forced to pay for the socialist programs that keep eastern Canada fat, happy, and voting for the Liberal Party.
This seperatist movement that is suddenly on the radar didn't start yesterday. Western Canadians have been talking about a different course for years.
I think Alberta will be a member of the United States, likely with Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia following, in the next 10-15 years, if Canada keeps spiralling into socialist oblivion...
BC is just as loony left as ottawa is.
With what? Canada's Armed Forces are an embarrassment. They figured out a long time ago that the USA would never permit a foreign invasion of Canada and have let us subsidize their national defense for 50 years.
It is my hope we will be invaded, and then the US can spend about $2 billion rebuilding.
So far it's not working.
That was tried once, about 140 years ago.
Alberta joined with British Columbia and California extending from Mexico to Alaska would give us a bigger GDP than all of the EU countries combined. Also we would have enough fossil fuel to last us for about 400 years.
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