Quebec independance

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why refer to "southrons"? why not just call them "southerners"? and nobody seriously means "free" healthcare [even if they say "free" healthcare], that is a false issue. please let us all be more civil to one another.

The big problems here are multifold and based on geography and demographics.

1) The ROC ('Rest Of Canada') would be in two widely separated pieces (I have heard it referred to as an analogy to the original Pakistan, before it split into today's Pakistan and Bangladesh) - the four 'Maritime' provinces and the rest of the country from Ontario on west. I doubt that they would remain together as one country for long.

2) The federal Parliament in ROCland would have over half of the seats in its lower house (House of Commons) controlled by members from ONE province (Ontario). THAT would not sit well with some of the other provinces, especially in the west - and without a USA-style upper house (Senate) to balance that, don't look for THAT situation to remain status-quo for long, and even more once the Maritimes fracture off.

3) Albertans have been dissatisfied with their lot in Canada for a long time and like with Quebec, there is a separatist sentiment bubbling under the surface there - and the big issue there is that 'equalization' transfer payments from them to the other provinces have been BADLY skewed against Alberta due to their MASSIVE natural resource base. Think: 'Canada's Texas' when you think of Alberta. Don't look for them and likely British Columbia to stick around long with Ontario having over half of the seats in the federal House of Commons.

And so forth.

Look for some of these fragments to start sending feelers to the USA's State Department within 5-10 years after a Quebec separation.



And THAT is a very likely logical progression that can give nightmares to many otherwise gung-ho 'English' Canadians once they get past a knee-jerk 'just let them GO!' attitude towards Quebec.

Mike

I am so civil I take every word you write literally.

In addition to which this is a forum for Aspies and Auties. Aspies and Auties take what they see and hear literally.

ruveyn

I too detest the term 'free' healthcare. Call it subsidized or universal, but free sends the wrong message to certain people. I too like to call it like it is.

Is southron a perjorative? I've never heard the term before.

I say whichever path is least likely to end with the US owning part or all of Canada. Aside from the more obvious political reasons, I need a poorly controlled national border nearby that I can cross to get my Havana Club and Cohibas, to say nothing of over the counter codeine. I've got to keep my priorities straight after all...

thank you for that info, it is more clear now. as for cast-off provinces i believe america should welcome them into the fold, at least that would enable me to move there perhaps- i don't think they would give up their canadian essense even if part of the usa, and the local culture has a much more liberal outlook compared to america.

Is there an unwarranted assumption that Quebec is anxious to join the obvious debacle now in motion in the USA?

sorry, mister r- i didn't intend for you to feel slighted, nor to offer any offense. but i would beg to differ about the blanket statement "Aspies and Auties take what they see and hear literally" - most do, but some of us have some occasional facility in this regard. but since it is handled in a roundabout fashion by my aspie brain, it takes me a lot longer than an average NT to "get" somebody's meaning. i read slowly so i guess that gives me more time for meanings to sink-in.
as for civility, calling a whole group of folk "southrons" doesn't qualify. southern readers here may have been hurt by the word you chose to refer to them. regardless of their relatively high proportion of repub voters, the south per se, still doesn't deserve the blanket condemnation of the implied word **ron [you fill in the blanks]. there are better words which are strictly factual and not merely perjorative.
have a nice day:+)

Add me to the perplexed group, other than being a tad archaic, I don't see anything demeaning in the suffix -ron, and I try to keep up with my offensive language, so I can be sure to use it more often.

[quote="auntblabby"]
as for civility, calling a whole group of folk "southrons" doesn't qualify. southern readers here may have been hurt by the word you chose to refer to them.

quote]

See
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southrons

Southron is a synonym for Southerner. And the folks in the CSA frequently referred to themselves as Southrons back in the days of the War Between the States aka The War Against Yankee Agression.

ruveyn

Speaking as a member of a society(Canada) that somewhat defines itself as what it is not(American), your idea seems strikingly unlikely. Wishful thinking on your part perhaps. No wish of ours.

The impetus that would cause the west to fragment from Canada as a whole would be exactly what would cause us to refrain from joining an even larger gang of government(the USA). The western Canadian separatist sentiment is driven by a resentment towards a distant impersonal and unfair seat of government: Ottawa. Washington D.C would be even more distant with an unfamiliar, even alien mannerism.

As a society we have not spend the last 200 years being taught to feel insecure, nor to distrust the rest of the world, prime reasons to cleave tightly to a protector government. We are neither Hawks nor Doves.

Economically, the west is self-sufficient. We produce all we need in terms of food supplies and building materials. We produce a surplus. This is part of a 100 year resentment towards Ottawa, as we normally get short-changed in tax equalization. It is well understood here that America is a net importer, so joining the states would be trading ~30 million dependents for some 300 million. No way. We know better.

Historically the west was populated by central and eastern european people who deeply resented the 1000 years of warfare, patriotism and nationalism that killed their children. It has colored our society and our psyche. Due to endless internecine religious persecution during that time, we are aghast at overt displays of faith. Your windmilling fundamentalist preachers evoke a shuddering horror in us. We fled Europe because of these things and we will-not-have-them-pushed-upon-us.

Now why did you say we would join you?

sorry- my bad:+( just the same, "southron" is an unpleasant-looking and sounding word. some of us [esp. moi] are superficial that way.

Last edited by auntblabby on 25 Feb 2010, 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

abjectly wishful thinking for my part. an "if i can't join you then will you join me?" wish. just remember us kindly, as we barbeque in religious/philosophical contention.

You probably won't barbecue, merely take on the role of China as all the labor legislation in the States and all the unions disappear and the joblessness forces people to work in sweat shops. That's what the Republicans with the cooperation of the Democrats are working up.The wages will descend to that now in China and possibly Chinese wages will rise to that of the best times in the USA.

No sorry, auntblabby. I was answering wisguy.

Why can't you move here?



Philosophical contention at a church barbeque would be preferable, wouldn't it?

ok, i report to the doghouse now:+( superficial me who is on less than familiar terms than he should be with a quite useful dictionary. my "spectral" limitation is being wowed by exteriors including words and how they "look" and "sound" as opposed to mr. webster's adjudication of meaning. i will go hide now.