Much has been made of a poll suggesting over a third of Western Canadians want to give Confederation the back of their hand.
First we have to keep in mind that the question was worded with so much B.S. mixed in that it would be more befitting a Quebec seperatist than Western one. "Do you believe Western Canada should consider leaving confederation?" What a question. If the question was "Do you believe Western Canada should leave confederation?" the numbers would experience some shrinkage I believe.
Maybe if the ballot question out west was "Do you want the Western Provinces to begin negotiations with the federal government, in council of confederation, with greater control of natural resources, and border issues in mind, for a sovereignty association with the Dominion of Canada..." (etc. etc.) then maybe just maybe they have a shot. Why not follow the guttless Seperatists in the east by confusing the voter at the ballot with big words and phony pre-ambles?
The West won't leave anytime soon. It's too loyal and level headed to do that. Though I bet they aint happy with the rest of Canada. But Canada is all about being perpetually ticked off at the family. The only difference between the grievances of the West and the rest of Canada, is that the West always complains that no one pays attention to their concerns. Meanwhile, in the rest of the country, we see the destructive power of governments when they actually do start paying attention to what our concerns are, and they exploit them and meddle like mad. The Feds paying attention in the east, has made the east weaker.
Ignoring the west has made it strong. The Feds ignorance, in a sense, is a blessing in disguise. By ignoring the West historically, the West has learned to live with what it has, expecting no one to ever help it out. It's bred a culture of individual responsibility, self improvement, and it's become an economic engine for the country. I also quite frankly have the inkling that it may be the more compassionate, and community oriented section of the Dominion to boot.
It's as if a growth of anti-socialism was growing underneath a rock that the Feds never paid attention to. Through a depression, and an oil boom, the West was ignored. It was ignored, and no one meddled with it, and it has become a friggin' polar bear in Canadian Confederation.
I for one say ignore the West. Trust me, if you're a Westerner, you don't want the Feds to start paying attention - or else you start getting stuff like the NEP when they see a cash cow they can slaughter.
Jason, Jason, Jason. The question was hardly vague: "agree or disagree: Western Canadians should begin to explore the idea of forming their own country."
ReplyDelete"The West won't leave anytime soon"... of course not. Alberta will continue to pour 12 billion dollars a year in transfer payments to Quebec, and then meekly remain silent when we are called "scary", knuckledragging rednecks by the national press. And when a carbon tax is brought in that brings the oil industry to its knees (oh but not the car manufacturing industry) for the second time in twenty five years, we'll continue to finance Ottawa's experiments in social engineering, "somehow".
Well I thought it was vague. Sovereignty Association vague. "Western Canadians should begin to explore the idea of forming their own country?"
ReplyDelete"...begin to explore the idea..." You don't think that's vague?
Why not the simpler "Do you want Western Canada to seperate?"
I'm not going to disagree with any of the rest of the stuff you said. You're right, there is special treatment for Ontario. The whole point of the post was that creates weakness here, not strenght. It's not a good thing, it's a bad thing. The solution isn't more special treatment for the West, but it's less special treatment for the east.
Look I'm an Ontario Conservative. Too Conservative. I feel like I'm a lost sheep in land of wolves sometimes. The West is the only thing keeping balance in the Dominion. Without the West, we're all Chaputs.
IOW, please, for Pete's sake, don't leave me to the wolves.