[Thanos]

Nah. There are no solutions for any of this country's problems. We're no different than the Americans are, really. Something goes wrong, double-down on making it worse instead of fixing it. It's built into our bones to react that way.

Oil train derailed in Manitoba today. CBC comment section was reliably full of "it's all Alberta's fault!" mockery. There is no cure.

[fifeboy]

Thanos Thanos:

Nah. There are no solutions for any of this country's problems. We're no different than the Americans are, really. Something goes wrong, double-down on making it worse instead of fixing it. It's built into our bones to react that way.

Oil train derailed in Manitoba today. CBC comment section was reliably full of "it's all Alberta's fault!" mockery. There is no cure.

I have never met one person who claims they have ever sent comments to the CBC or anywhere else.

[JaredMilne]

Thanos Thanos:

No. Unilateral declaration of independence, spontaneous, with no negotiations period. What's inside Alberta is ours, what's outside is theirs. What would Ottawa really do anyway in a scenario like, send the non-existent Canadian military in to start dropping bombs on us, all to keep people they detest inside of a disintegrating confederation. Open the place for business and business will take care of all the details. Canada can have everything,say, from a line starting 200 km north of Ft. McMurray if they want, just leave the horrifying oilsands that absolutely DISGUST! them behind with us. They're so much more moral than Alberta is so they won't have to soil their hands with any of the product or money that comes out of here anymore.

I actually think there'd be a net migration into Alberta if this happened from people across Canada coming here for a new start in a new state that certainly wouldn't be run as stupidly awful as the current arrangement is. Some would leave Alberta, but more would arrive, just to get away from the malicious silliness of the Laurentian Consensus. Probably end up with half the Maritimes as a result, given the botch job Central Canada's done on them for the last 150 years that turned them into perpetual have-nots.

Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Quebec's already done this twice already, and if they can't unilaterally leave then neither can we. And if Quebec is divisible, so are we. Quebec also had the provincial Belanger-Campeau commission in this where they consulted several experts on international law, all of which said the province has no right to unilaterally secede.

The Clarity Act sets out the provisions by which a province can leave Confederation. It applies to us as much as to Quebec.

Back in '95, everybody was clamouring for Ottawa to play hardball with Quebec in secession negotiations. If the feds play it with the Quebecois, they'd no doubt play it with us too.

[Thanos]

I have my doubts that it would be that difficult, given how frequently so many of them say they'd be glad to be rid of us. Kind of like a divorce between two people who can't even be in the same room with each other anymore.

[Strutz]

I sincerely hope that in my lifetime I do not see the day when any part of Canada leaves, whether it's Quebec, Alberta or any other province or territory.

[fifeboy]

Strutz Strutz:

I sincerely hope that in my lifetime I do not see the day when any part of Canada leaves, whether it's Quebec, Alberta or any other province or territory.

[JaredMilne]

fifeboy fifeboy:

Strutz Strutz:

I sincerely hope that in my lifetime I do not see the day when any part of Canada leaves, whether it's Quebec, Alberta or any other province or territory.

What fifeboy said!

[JaredMilne]

Thanos Thanos:

I have my doubts that it would be that difficult, given how frequently so many of them say they'd be glad to be rid of us. Kind of like a divorce between two people who can't even be in the same room with each other anymore.

What you're saying-and I don't mean this in a disrespectful or negative way-really reminds me of what Quebec separatists have said about a unilateral declaration of independence, and how Quebec's borders were sacrosanct. Your analogy of the divorce between two people who can't stand each other, and the number of people outside our province who say they'd be glad to be rid of us, also reminds me of all the comments I've seen on newspaper comment sections about how Quebec should be kicked out of Confederation.

And the Pandora's Box of problems that would have erupted in '95 would repeat itself here too.

[Thanos]

Probably. The thing with divorces is that sometimes the participants reach a stage where they just don't care anymore. That's what non-stop mental & emotional attrition does to people. The logical arguments die out, the threats are no longer scary, and the need to move on becomes the only priority. As with a marriage, or a family where the younger siblings feel like they just can't breathe anymore because the older ones are just too dominant and controlling, nations fall into the same pattern.

I'm not endorsing anything by the way. These are all just hypotheticals. There will probably never be an independent Alberta, at least not in my lifetime. What I do feel about Canada though? After the last few years of sneering disrespect, unwillingness to help other Canadians in crisis, and endless horrible comments aimed at us from those who are supposed to be "family"? Take this as the gospel - I no longer believe in or have any faith in the country I was born in. And there are probably hundreds of thousands of other people in this province, and unknown thousands more everywhere else in this land, that most likely feel exactly the same.

[JaredMilne]

Thanos Thanos:

I'm not endorsing anything by the way. These are all just hypotheticals. There will probably never be an independent Alberta, at least not in my lifetime. What I do feel about Canada though? After the last few years of sneering disrespect, unwillingness to help other Canadians in crisis, and endless horrible comments aimed at us from those who are supposed to be "family"? Take this as the gospel - I no longer believe in or have any faith in the country I was born in. And there are probably hundreds of thousands of other people in this province, and unknown thousands more everywhere else in this land, that most likely feel exactly the same.

I wish I could say you were wrong about that last sentence, but I really, really can't.

And if there was one thing I could do with my life, one thing that I would hope to do more than anything else in the world, it would be to change that...

...but I'm afraid I don't know how to do it.

[llama66]

No one really knows how to fix this nation.

[peck420]

llama66 llama66:

No one really knows how to fix this nation.

Lots of people know how to get started on fixing this nation. The problem isn't that there is no solutions, the problem is that all of the solutions are political death blows, so they don't get a sniff of attention, while empty platitudes get lots of noise.

[llama66]

peck420 peck420:

llama66 llama66:

No one really knows how to fix this nation.

Lots of people know how to get started on fixing this nation. The problem isn't that there is no solutions, the problem is that all of the solutions are political death blows, so they don't get a sniff of attention, while empty platitudes get lots of noise.

Fair enough. It would be nice for someone to realize that self-sacrifice maybe necessary for the betterment of this nation. Like President Kennedy once said, "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." This country needs someone to fall on a sword to save it.

[Thanos]

llama66 llama66:

It would be nice for someone to realize that self-sacrifice maybe necessary for the betterment of this nation. Like President Kennedy once said, "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." This country needs someone to fall on a sword to save it.

Count me out of that crusade. The ones who always gain everything and never lose anything can take the hit the next time, for a change.

[DrCaleb]

Thanos Thanos:

llama66 llama66:

It would be nice for someone to realize that self-sacrifice maybe necessary for the betterment of this nation. Like President Kennedy once said, "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." This country needs someone to fall on a sword to save it.

Count me out of that crusade. The ones who always gain everything and never lose anything can take the hit the next time, for a change.

The problem being; there are no consequences for campaign lies.