A World of Cheese, For your Pleasure

Fair enough, the whole country has reason to be pissed off at them, (except the cowards in Ontario, apparently, but I'll get to them later) and the alternatives here were not that appealing. You could choose a party that is corrupt (the Liberals), the wacko New Democrats (who are not that wacko, but are too novel and alternative to really consider, which is a shame), the Green Party (which appear to be even wackier and more alternative, but whose policies actually make sense and therefore are not a serious choice anywhere), the Marijuana Party ('nuff said), the Conservative Party, (which didn't stand a chance here due to the spectre of becoming Bush's French-speaking wing) and various other little nothing parties. Or you could choose the Bloc, which promises to stand up to the Liberals and look after Quebec interests at the federal level above anything and everything else.

Being a typical anglophone and proud Canadian, I feel that Quebec separation would seriously hurt the rest of Canada, and the rest of Canada (ROC) means quite a bit to me. It's my country, and the residents are my countrymen. That may mean little to some people, but it matters to me. And I am not a flag-waving overly-patriotic nut by any means. A vote for the Bloc, or the Parti Québécois, their provincial counterpart, would mean that I do not care about any sort of national unity, or Canada's perception as a world-class country in any way. We have hardly any people in this country as it is, I don't enjoy the thought of becoming second or third rate in terms of population, economy, society or anything.

Quebec separatists are serious people. They actually want their own country. But they are not the only Canadian separatists out there. The Separation Party of Alberta is something I consider a serious threat to the fabric of our nation, and not some hokey and silly idea from some crackpots. The SPA actually seems to have some real numbers to back up their assertions that they are being fucked over. Well, one, really.

Alberta has, on a per capita basis, been Ottawa’s largest single contributor. For example, between 1961 and 1992, Alberta paid $139 billion more to Ottawa than it received back from Ottawa. That is what it cost Albertans to be Canadian. *

And where did the money go? During that time frame, the province of Quebec, despite its large population and vibrant economy, was a net recipient of over $ 168 billion from Ottawa. Alberta was paying Quebec to be Canadian.

The rest of the gripes that Alberta has with Ottawa are ones that everyone else has as well. I suppose that there should be ten new countries. No! Why not 30? 50? They say that Alberta is also distinct, like Quebec. They are against what most of the rest of the country prides itself on: multiculturalism and bilingualism, although I don't think that minorities or French communities would appreciate policies removing their status or protection. It seems to me as though removing these policies would whitewash the province and force a lot of people into a cowboy culture that may not be theirs. But I guess this new Albertan Republic would simply tell those people to move to fucking Canada.

The whole "distinct society" thing is far, FAR too vague for me to put much credence in anyway. So far, no one at any level of parliament has been able to satisfactorily tell me what a distinct society is. The only thing I can see that really makes a distinction is when a society, or a province, has a distinct language and civil/criminal laws. But this is another series of entries. I'll start with some research here and in other sources and report back later.

If Alberta were to go, British Columbia would go pretty damned quickly, as it has reasons to leave that are similar to Alberta's. BC interests not being protected. This is not hard to understand, since most of the country lives in Quebec and Ontario. But that is what provincial leaders are for. The premiers mandate are not only to run the provinces, but to protect the interests of those provinces on the federal level. I am a province booster, politically and socially speaking, as much as I love the whole country. I believe that the ones best able to serve the interests of a region are the ones from that region. What is needed are more and better ways for the provinces to interface with Ottawa. I wish I had some ideas on that, but I don't right now.

I think that it is important to realize how fortunate we are to live in a country where a (former) secessionist can become a Member of the Order of Canada. Culturally, we have a lot of flexibility and wiggle room. These regional parties such as the SPA or the Bloc Québécois cannot responsibly help govern a diverse nation. but I suppose, that's exactly the point. Diversity is exactly what they do not want.

Well, I do want this. I want to experience difference ways of doing things right in my own country. My home. Happy Canada Day.