ft.niagara

North Korea has almost no bargaining chips except WMD, and so they use it. I personally do not think that the US should get involved, it is China's problem, and they should be told such. I think French Canadians and blacks in North America are very different, even though sometimes blacks seem to be speaking a different language. French Canada has the size, and resources, and potential to act as a separate nation. They will probably only continue as part of Canada as long as ESC gives them privledged status, and the benefit outweighs the detrement plus the hastle. In the US, Puerto Rico mantains privledged status. They have all the benefits of citizenship minus some of the hastles, so they choose no to statehood. The only question for Canada is how much and for how long does ESC want to givein to FSC.

The analogy of native americans, to blacks, to French Canadians diserves a reply also. I think the native americans are a separate group, and to a greater or lesser degree have been dealt with fairly. They were many separate entities and they were dealt with as such. Each mantained a separate nation status. The blacks came here as slaves. They are mainstreamed into everyday culture to a greater or lesser degree. The French Canadians are very different in that they have a tradition of white europeans who came to this continent as did the English Speaking Canadians. Their confederation with ESC was forced on them. The control perhaps a third of Canada, and the two societies are not integrated as say the blacks. It is like comparing apples and oranges.

Ft. Niagara, you just implied that Quebec was like North Korea. Are you serious? There were three groups of people who, involuntarily, wound up in the North America we all know. Everyone else chose to come here or had ancestors who chose to come (which then became a family legend about "stepping off the boat with nothing in my pocket...") The three groups? Native Indians, French, Black. These three groups did not choose to live on this continent the way it is now. In the American context, you can understand French Canada by asking an African-American about why his ancestors decided to come to America. Don't get me wrong, Ft Niagara. Your posts seem reasonable and I'm a fervent believer in American ideals. I was just simply using the ANALOGY of an entity using SOMETHING of IMPORTANCE as a bargaining tool to GET THEIR WAY. Get it now?

The marriage of French and English in Canada seems to be one not made in heaven. There is a parallel with North Korea and the World- give me my way or I will make and export atomic weapons. Quebec says give me my way or I will want a divorce. Marriages are not forever sustainable on a nonequitable relationship. Sooner or later the battered spouse will leave, or perhaps like North Korea, Quebec will continually use brinkmanship to its advantage. The actions of the nation France does not help the situation. France the nation holds english speaking nations in distain, and by default, probably French Speaking Canadians of English Speaking Canadians. Just my opinion.

If I am wrong there, then substitute Buffalo/Ft Erie.

If everyone seems to view the US government as a bully, why not just quit NAFTA? From my point of view there has not been a trade agreement the US government has negotiated which is favorable to the US. Just look at the imbalance of the balance of trade month after month and year after year. With regard to the steel tarriffs, a fellow I know here in Buffalo has a scrap yard who was driven out of business because the price of steel dropped because of dumping by SOMEONE.

I am an American. I live outside Buffalo. I see the Peace Bridge probably once a week and visit Canada probably every other month. I see Canada as greatly benefiting from its proximity to the US. Your casinos, and bingo parlors are greatly patronized by Americans. Before NY had casinos, you had yours, and forced NY to build one. Your drinking age is lower, and bottomless dancing is legal, drawing our young across the border. I do not know how this is allowed, but drugs are cheaper in your country drawing people across the border, yet profits from these drugs supply the fuel for new drugs. When SARS, which was similar to a bioterror attack, came to Toronto, and WHO banned travel to Toronto, the CDC did not. When you advertise your casinos, how many ads do you see in Toronto? When WWII broke out, and Canada was in it before the US, Canada was angry at the US for not helping. Your defense budget is so small, it is almost nonexistant. Ninty percent of your population live within 100 miles of the border. Some Canadian and American cities are almost one: Vancouver/Vancouver, and Detroit/Winsor. And with all this, from your television and radio, there is a detectable antiAmerican thread. I do not know why. Maybe it is the French influence over your politics, and your distain for Americans. Yes, probably most Americans probably do not know Toronto is not the capital of Canada, but I for one see this relationship benefiting Canada more than the US. As far as the 51 state, it would probably be more like states 51-60.