Quote from: Oliver the Second on Today at 06:22:36 PMBuy stock in flag manufacturers, we're gonna need a whole bunch of new ones with 51 stars!

Quote from: DKG on Today at 10:09:22 AMOf course not. A bride does not knowingly choose an abusive husband.

Quote from: . on Today at 03:39:17 AMHeh, yeah a highly generous arrangement and one that's unlikely to happen now, isn't it? Why, with the exchange rate between the nations being like it is at present, a dollar for dollar exchange would be effectively increasing the worth of Albertans' wealth over one third. I imagine non Albertans would be scrambling to see how they might take advantage of such generosity, at the very least those with a passing understanding of economics... and the current 50 states would be almost universal in their condemnation of what is, on the face of it, a welfare handout for those residents of the former province. Shit, you'd likely see investors cashing out of US investment in droves, registering in Alberta and buying up big ahead of the exchange, leading to massive market instability and all that goes with.

So no, the deal would fall through on that condition alone. Trump isn't your average democrat, he's not going to fuck with the worth of Alberta to that extent. It would rank as one of the more grossly irresponsible financial arrangements any president has authored if he did.

And that's before he sends in the troops to protect the United States newest investment... for which he would be receiving not a single penny of income tax. I don't doubt that Albertans would jump at such an arrangement, it is a sweetheart deal for them one third richer, no income tax and a military upgrade into the bargain! And (accordingly) one that is highly unlikely to be tabled by the US. Alberta simply isn't that important to them... but it doesn't hurt to give the leftie media something to scream about by pretending that it is.

Albertans ought to be thinking of this more along the lines of how one acts when looking to secure a financial loan from a bank; namely proving they don't need the contract in order to secure it. The best way I can see to do that is to prepare to "go it alone" as it were. Shutter the borders and declare independence - there goes the euqaliztion blood money for starters. You raise the spectre of the need for an armed force; a "well regulated armed militia" in the style of what the US's founding fathers envisaged would be a start and certainly earn the respect of diehard 2A supporters to the south. Especially once you start enforcing your sovereignty at your borders, which will be another thing they will cheer. Stockpiling freshly liberated crude and making it known you were prepared to sell it to US interests (in whatever currency the province is prepared to adopt) would also go a long ways towards commending your inclusion in the US pantheon, as a territory at least, if not a fully fledged state.

That sort of thinking will get you a lot further towards statehood I think you'll find. Simply saying "we have oil" and sticking out your hand for "gimmedats" isn't enough. The US has oil too and it can get at it with a lot less heartache and effort than arbitrarily annexing Canadian territory. But I can see a path towards the goal, if not a genuine willingness at the provincial level to undertake it. If Alberta were to cease being Canadian territory and become a nation in its own right, I can see a shift from someone like Trump from merely saying "we'll annex Alberta" to get a rise out of politicians hostile to his administration in favour of genuine negotiations to make it a reality.

Just the way I see it, mind you. You want statehood? Prepare to think more like an American and make it happen. They will welcome you with open arms then.

Quote from: The Donald on Today at 01:56:35 PMAccording to an Edison Research exit poll, 65 percent of your fellow American Indians voted for me.

Quote from: Eggward on Today at 10:26:38 AMYou were wrong about Poilievre winning the election and you are wrong about Alberta separating. You are wrong about a lot.

Quote from: Brent on Today at 11:53:42 AMThe PQ is favoured to win the next election in Quebec. They are promising another independence referendum in 2027.

Quebec will not separate. They have a good deal in confederation at Western Canada's expense. The same cannot be said for Alberta and Saskatchewan. They are more likely to leave than Quebec is.

Either way, Mark Carney will be facing a unity crisis worse than Jean Chretien did in the 1990's.

Quote from: Eggward on Today at 12:02:55 PMThe chug population in the prairies (your people) are six percent in Alberta and about 17 percent in Saskatchewan. They would not vote to separate. Trump would take your native rights away. It would be enough to make the difference. They won't seperate.