Canada the worlds next failed state?

[BQSupporter]

The probelms with the Liberals and the resurgency of sovereignty has even made it into the U.S press:

Http://www.washingtonpost.com

Fragmentation to the North?

By Austin Bay

A political specter haunts North America -- the specter of the world's next failed state.

    We can still call it Canada, at least for a couple years. And who knows, like news of Mark Twain's demise, my cheeky pessimism may be greatly exaggerated. Our northern neighbor's polyglot populace of beer drinkers, peaceniks, Mounties and socialists may yet dump their crooked politicians and craft a new, more robust deal with Quebecois separatists.

    If you don't know about Canada's crooked politicians, you're not alone. Democracy and free speech are breaking out in Beirut, but they're both taking a beating in Ontario. The Canadian government has a press clamp on an investigation into the ruling Liberal Party's "Adscam" kickback scheme. A "judicial publication ban" is the term. It may soon rank with the Watergate rhetoric like "modified limited hang-out." Canadian Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Paul Martin is implicated in the Adscam fiasco, and he's starting to look like the northland's Richard Nixon.

  In the Internet Age, clamps and bans crack quickly, and the Liberals have seen their popular support go poof. A U.S. Web site (www.captainsquartersblog.com), run by Minnesotan Ed Morrissey, started posting leaked statements from the judicial hearings. The Web site instantly became Radio Free Canada and Deep Throat combined, with hundreds of thousands of Canadians going online to read the damning evidence. Now Canadian newspapers are on the story, but it's another case of major media following the Internet's lead. On his Web site, Mr. Morrisey sums up Canada's Adscam as "transfers of cash to the Liberal Party as part of the money-laundering effort."

    Linda Seebach of the Rocky Mountain News, in a column about Mr. Morrissey's coda of Watergate's Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, observed there's "hardly any coverage of what the Canadians call 'AdScam' in the U.S. press, although something that could cause the Canadian government to fall ought to be of interest to that country's southern neighbor."

    But "federal" Canada remains an iffy proposition, and becomes iffier as the separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) gains political clout at the expense of the corrupt Liberals.

    Bewitched by a Never Land notion of a francophone French Quebec freed from the yoke of "English-speaking" Canada, the PQ radicals regard themselves as culturally unique, prime ethnic candidates for their own nation-state and United Nations seat. It's not a new concept. Charles de Gaulle, in a 1967 act of French unilateralism, gave Canadians the jitters when he quipped, "Vive Quebec libre."

    What happens to Canada if Quebec secedes? Canadians are once again pondering this question -- live on the CBC -- and since Canada is America's No. 1 trading partner and continental neighbor, U.S. citizens should consider the ramifications.

    Canadians in the western and maritime provinces already dread the political power of populous Ontario. (Quebec serves as a political balance to Ontario.) If Quebec bids adieu, "remnant" Canada's political rules will be subject to revision. Subsequent regional bickering could lead to further fragmentation.

    What might a grand Canadian breakup look like? Jim Dunnigan and I, in the 1991 edition of "A Quick and Dirty Guide to War," speculatively redrew Canada's political map.

    Here's a thumbnail sketch: Say Quebec becomes a separate European-style nation-state -- a "people" with cultural, linguistic, religious and historical identity (never mind the objections of Mohawk and Cree Indians in Quebec). Quebec has the people and resources to make a go of it, though the economic price for its egotism will be stiff. British Columbia also has "nation-state" assets: access to the sea, strong industrial base, raw materials and an educated population.

    Oil-producing Alberta might join the United States and instantly find common political ground with Alaska, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. Canada's struggling Atlantic provinces might find statehood economically attractive and extend the New England coastline. A rump Canada consisting of "Greater Ontario" -- with remaining provinces as appendages -- might keep the Maple Leaf flag aloft. As for poor, isolated Newfoundland: Would Great Britain like to reacquire a North American colony?

[Bro]

LOL,Quebec will be the first land mass to become part of the USA. They will allow your distinct society,as long as you communicate in English.Try to make your new country bilingual,good luck on that one.LOL,like the saying goes,you don't miss a good thing till it's gone,that's when you will realize how good Canada and the English people[ were] to you.

[The Terrible Sweal]

BQS,

Would you support this bill in the QNA?

RESOLVED that the government of Quebec should begin negotiations with the government of Canada for the purpose of leaving the Canadian federation and taking up soveriegnty as a fully independent world state.

[fellowtraveller]

It is not just Quebec that is becoming deeply dissatisfied with the federation that is Canada.

Everybody, every region is seeing that 'me-firstism' , demanding special deals and favours from Ottawa is an effective strategy. Being a team player gets you nowhere fast today in our fractured land, may as well shoulder your way into the first row at the trough.

[Digby]

As a Nova Scotian who was born here and whos family has been here sence 1621 , id be glad to see the maritimes become a state of the US .

In the Issues that face me i just beleave america is better governed .

I have nothing against Canada accept i have little hope of seeing any form of wise goverment under Ottawa's makeup.

More western politiceans might give me a little hope , as long as Canada is mostly managed by men and women from Quebec and Ontario I doubt our ability to have good goverment.

Any goverment that is more concerned with making the gays happily wed and the pot smokers the norm rather then more important issues is not fit to govern a country. And thats all we will ever get for a goverment from Quebec and Ontario.

I'm not saying becoming a state would fix every thing as i know we would still have problems .I know the Americans better govern their fishery and make it fairer for all .they are not so much for promoteing this land lord peasant system Canada has adopted . In America they Don't allow ITQ Quotas , somebody down there still got a little wisdom . Up here fools are sprouting in goverment faster then any place on earth.

I know Ontario and Quebec still have good people too i'm not saying they are all bad .I just don't think much of the goverments we keep getting from them.

[Guest eureka]

Before you declare that America is better governed you should do a little study of American government. Since there are thousands of issues involved, I will not go into that, but you might find it an eye-opener.

[Digby]

I know america is not perfect ,but in an issue like fisheries management they have Canada beat 10 to 1 .

Even the issues that we use to brag about being Canadian like medicare are now nothing but messes in Canada ,there was a time i would of agreed Canada was better governed in some ways .

We may still have america beat in some places such as crime rates in major cities . homelessness of the down and out is probly worse in america then in Canada . But i think America is winning over all when it comes to who is better governed .

Canada has way more fools in goverment its mostly to do with many years of the left leading and the fact that a french speaking fool applieing for a goverment office will win every time over a english only somewhat wiseman .When picking Goverment beuracrates the ability to speak french always wins over real ability to govern .

One of Canadas major problems is we really don't know who we are loyal too its the english monarch's face on our money ,and the one who takes us to court ect ,But we allow for 1/3 or more of our country's loyalty to be somewhere else .

The biggest problem in Canada we have less God fearing men and woman in Goverment , We got alot of anything goes type people governing this country.

[Newfie Canadian]

As a Nova Scotian who was born here and whos family has been here sence 1621 , id be glad to see the maritimes become a state of the US .

With the exception of 9 months, Digby, I've lived in NL for all of my 31 years.

I can say, with all respect to your position, that the conservatism that now dominates politics and many attitudes in the US would not be beneficial in any way to the Maritimes.

[Digby]

As a Nova Scotian I have alot of respect for Newfoundlanders in most cases i would say you have more wisemen per capita then any part of Canada .

You would have to see with your own eyes what this bunch of liberal crooks has done to the nova scotia fishery with the fools the hire to mis manage it .Then you might know why i would rather be part of the US .

These crooked liberal's have only managed in a way to help their rich buddies have all . Nothing else has been on their minds ,conservation is just a word used to hide their real motives.

I suspect Newfoundland's luck would of been much different if snow crabs had not replaced the mighty cod . It was missmanagement that lead you too it but you got lucky . by wipeing the cod out ,then came the crabs .

You would have to see it Newfie to know where im coming from!

[Newfie Canadian]

Ah Digby.

As a Nova Scotian I have alot of respect for Newfoundlanders in most cases i would say you have more wisemen per capita then any part of Canada .

Thank you. Nova Scotian's, if you don't mind my saying, are only a step from being Newfoundlanders.

You would have to see with your own eyes what this bunch of liberal crooks has done to the nova scotia fishery with the fools the hire to mis manage it .

The same is true here. DFO cutbacks, mismanagement and apathy have helped to ruin the fishery, to say nothing of the lunacy coming from the politicians and bureaucrats in Ottawa. But I don't think the US would do any better. The only way to curtail overfishing for example, is to assert custodial management over the nose and tail of the Grand Banks. In the recent fisheries conference in St. John's, an American offiacial said they were against such actions, which they say violates international law (I'm not kidding, he said that).

I suspect Newfoundland's luck would of been much different if snow crabs had not replaced the mighty cod . It was missmanagement that lead you too it but you got lucky . by wipeing the cod out ,then came the crabs .

The crab hasn't been a saviour. There is a dispute ongoing that has some fishermen taking their crab to NS, while others aren't even fishing. That however is a dispute with the provincial government.

All I'm saying is, I don't know if being part of the US would be better. I personally don't think so.

[I miss Reagan]

LOL,Quebec will be the first land mass to become part of the USA. They will allow your distinct society,as long as you communicate in English.Try to make your new country bilingual,good luck on that one.LOL,like the saying goes,you don't miss a good thing till it's gone,that's when you will realize how good Canada and the English people[ were] to you.

I guarantee you neither Quebec nor the US would be very interested in this type of a union. I'm sure the US would make some pretty sweet trade deals with Quebec to use as leverage against the rest of Canada, but they'll never want to deal with the baggage Quebec would bring with them in becoming a state.

It is not just Quebec that is becoming deeply dissatisfied with the federation that is Canada.

Everybody, every region is seeing that 'me-firstism' , demanding special deals and favours from Ottawa is an effective strategy. Being a team player gets you nowhere fast today in our fractured land, may as well shoulder your way into the first row at the trough.

And Paul Martin is encouraging this with his different deal for everyone. This will, with out a doubt, create jealousy and alienation between the different regions. This guy is the perfect catalyst for the balkanization of Canada.

With respect to Alberta, although joining the US would be better than what we have now, I'm not sure we'd go for it. We're pretty independent and are a good example of how a combination of Canadian and US ideals can work well. But we may not have any alternative without access to the sea. I think the Maritimes would fit in well with the US. However, I'm not sure how either the Maritimes or Ontario would survive outside of the co-dependent relationship they enjoy. I'm not sure Ontario would feel it had much of a purpose not being able to steal money to give to someone else .

[shamus111]

Be a Liberal Volunteer

By

James Bredin

There’s a rumor going around, they’re looking for volunteers,

To work for the Liberals and maybe make it a career,

To deliver unmarked envelopes to folk who are unnamed,

And never talk or feel in the least bit guilty or ashamed.

You should be bilingual, multicultural and half blind,

And leave all common sense and decency far behind,

Disregard, dithering, nepotism and patronage galore,

Conspiracies, cronyism, incompetence and much more.

And don’t worry; the fix is in; you can never go to jail,

There’s that divine right of kings and you never need to get bail,

Just show your membership card and they will be so impressed,

They’ll do anything, vote for anyone at your request.

Monday, May 16, 2005

[ceemes]

The opening article must of been written by someone who got a hold of waaay too much BC Bud.