The Neo-Separatists

The Moderate Separatist ^ | December 13, 2008 | Leigh Patrick Sullivan

[Leigh Patrick Sullivan]

Once thought of as a fringe movement populated mostly by the far rightwing and the over 50 crowd, those Albertans who now publicly support the idea of independence in the face of yet another Eastern hijacking of national power – and an unmistakable rejection of Albertan and Western Canadian values – are from every background, race, religion, and financial spectrum.

[marron]

Good piece.

[April Lexington]

We need to have a serious, intellectual, non-radical, non-emotional discussion about separating into a North America that wants to be a socialist state and a North American nation of free people who believe in our founding promises.

If one group oppresses the other we are in for (a) a declining society and standard of living; and (b) worse.

Time to agree to a divorce and get back to building our respective lives. Those of us who want to live in freedom and those of us who want to live in the Utopian nanny state of their dreams (only don't go asking us for money after you leave!).

[sageb1]

We need a Global Conservative Movement.

[dynachrome]

Interesting. Could some of our northern states join in? Idaho, Montana, Wyoming....

[padre35]

A very informative article, the Canadians that I’ve chatted with were stunned at Dion’s move, then they said what all good Canadians say:

“It won’t be that bad”

[fanfan]

Thanks for the ping, Dynachrome.

[fanfan]

Imagine those States and Alberta separating.....

Clowns to the left of us,
Jokers to the right,
Here I am,
stuck in middle with you.

[dynachrome]

“Thanks for the ping”

You seem to be in the news a lot lately, eh?

[Alberta's Child]

Great article.

It's important note that Alberta (and, to a lesser extent, Saskatchewan) -- for all intents and purposes -- is effectively a semi-independent nation already anyway.

The North American Free Trade Agreement strengthened the north-south ties between western Canada and the U.S. in a big way . . . and at the expense of Canada's national unity.

[fanfan]

Maybe we are the 51st State.

;-)

In an informal way, of course.

[Molly T.]

I agree,,,it's a very thoughtful piece....and as a Conservative American, reading of the hi jinx of the LIBERAL group of Canadians...I was just struck by the turmoil that is in THIS area of the world, and of the similarities in the attitude of liberal everywhere....as in they are the only ones who deem themselves “smart enough, wise enough”to rule the country....one might say they feel ENTITLED to run the show. Dare I say, that sums up the attitude of the arrogant fools who are running our country “right into the ground”. Maybe it's time the Midwest of our country pull away and let the so called PROGRESSIVES proceed to make a mess of the rest of the country. Let's see how good they really are....not.

[deadrock]

Our unifying hatred of the east(Ottawa/Toronto) does not preclude our love of their liberal/statist policies. Stelmach is continuing the big spending over taxing policies of Klein.

Alberta seperating is a non-starter because there are more liberals in this province than most people are willing to admit.

[Leigh Patrick Sullivan]

All gov’t who have been in too long end up overspending. I doubt there are more liberals in Alberta than we think. Election results prove that. However, I do think more and more Albertans wish for a return to the fiscally responsible days of the early-mid 1990s with Jim Dinning controlling the provinces purse strings.

[deadrock]

I doubt there are more liberals in Alberta than we think. Election results prove that.

Don't mistake political party for ideology. The hatred shown for Ted Morton during the leadership race and the support for liberal Dinning and the subsequent election of liberal Stelmach proved without a doubt there a ton of liberals in the PC party. I had Tory members saying they'd never vote for that $#@#ing American(Morton). How very liberal of them I thought at the time.

At the next PC gathering, ask anyone there if they're interested in a private health care option for Albertans. Don't be surprised if get a liberal-rage-filled response. I know because it's happened to me many times.

Why would I want to separate from a big spending over taxing central government(Ottawa) to be run by a big spending over taxing gov. based in Edmonton? Different viper, same poison.

[caveat emptor]

Imagine those States and Alberta separating.

Not just those states, but check out this map:



[I couldn't find a similar map by riding for Canada]

North America north of Mexico could be divided into a Peoples Republic of North America and a North American Republic. The People's Republic would include the northern territories of Canada, Canadian provinces east of Sault St. Marie except would include B.C. west of Hope and south of the Fraser River, with the possibility of other enclaves in the west [similar to West Berlin during the Cold War].

The US contribution to the People's Republic wouldn't be so easy to delineate, but would basically exclude all of the US except for a few high population coastal counties as well as a few inland embeds, whose boundaries could be negotiated.

So we would have, roughly speaking, western Canada, plus almost all of the US. I'm in.

[caveat emptor]

Oops. The US contribution to the People's North American Republic wouldn't be so easy to delineate, but would basically exclude all of the US except for a few high population coastal counties as well as a few inland embeds, whose boundaries could be negotiated.

[fanfan]

If you just get rid of the cities, we are all conservative.

Southern Ontario map.