Re: [FT][SG][DS] Canada and the leadup to the NAC (long)

Allan Goodall wrote:
> 
> Okay, it's the Prairie provinces, not Plains... There are no Northwest
> provinces. There are the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, and I
think it's
> next year that NWT splits into two new territories. However, I don't
see
> population densities ever getting high enough for them to be
provinces.

Thanks.  I wasn't aware of the imminent split in the NWT.

> 
> >After a few more years, Ontario, its economy battered from isolation,
> >finally gives in and joins the United States, leaving only BC, and
the
> >orphan NW Territories as 'Canada'.
> 
> Nope, can't agree with this. Ontario actually has the strongest
economy of the
> country. The only two provinces that pay more in provincial taxes than
they
> get out of the federal government are Ontario and Alberta. Ontario is
the most
> likely province to manage on its own. BC is actually much worse off,
and is in
> the middle of a localized recession at the moment. A more likely
scenario has
> BC joining the western provinces, forming a trading partnership with
the
> northwest states. I think Ontario would be the last province to get
sucked
> into the US.

 > >Tensions between the newly-enlarged U.S. and Quebec continue, now
being
> >extended to France and the French-aligned members of the EU. 
Meanwhile,
> >regional differences in the U.S. are exacerbated by the ongoing
> >linguistic and cultural Balkanization of the south and southwest
regions
> >of the U.S.	The influx of former Canadians, with first-hand
experience
> >of what too much multi-culturism can lead to, support a backlash
which
> >reverses decades of bilingual policies.
> 
> Actually, most of the Canadians you've got assimilating into the US
have the
> LEAST amount of problems with multiculturalism. Toronto is a great
example of
> how multiculturalism can work. New Brunswick is the only truly
bilingual
> province. You'll find that the eastern provinces are actually centrist
or left
> of centre, and would (if allowed in as full states) shift the
political
> spectrum of the US more the left.

I would normally agree with you.  However, I posited a hostile Quebec
following the breakup, which would inflict great harm on both their
economy and Ontario's.	Thus, by the time Ontario finally agrees to
follow the rest of Canada into the U.S., the inhabitants of Ontario are
no longer in favor of PROTECTED multiculturalism (as opposed to the
natural kind found in Toronto).  No matter how many languages are
spoken, the government and the schools need to use just one (but that's
a separate rant).

> 
> Unlikely. Britain is actually more likely to reject the monarchy as
anything
> but a figurehead... 
> 

Oh, I agree.  However, I was trying to work within the framework given
to us by the GZG, which has the British royal family playing an
important part.  Frankly, I have a far easier time seeing the British
Isles drawn into a U.S. economic/cultural hegemony (though that is also
unlikely) than the other way around.

However, I like some of your other comments.  I can see Ontario holding
out as an independent, though I still think it would cost them.  Your
comments concerning the Northwest are probably sound, although the
capital influx I was referring to is the one that just finished.  I
think it will have a major influence on that area, eventually.