Alberta, Canada - the 51st State?

Now that Canada has temporarily dodged the bullet of a separation referendum from Quebec, can it afford a sigh of relief, or is Alberta next? As the Separation Party of Alberta states,

'Our aim is to ensure the future of Alberta for Albertans by becoming an independent nation separate from Canada.'

There was some historical, albeit far fetched, reason for Quebec to become independent, after all the number plates on Quebec's vehicles all show the motto - 'Je me Souvien,' which translates as 'I Remember.' Most people seem to have forgotten what it is that the Quebecois remember, but let's assume they remember they used to speak French. So much so, that they inveigled all of Canada - from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to be bilingual.

Every road sign would be written in English and French - except in Quebec, that is, where anything written in English would be torn down by the language police. If you detect a slightly bitter tone in the previous sentence, and wonder why, I suggest you try driving through Montreal if you speak only English.

Alberta, (motto 'Strong & Free') on the other hand has no particular axe to grind, except for the fact that it is rolling in cash; cash from selling oil and gas. They could put on their VIN plates 'We've got the oil, Nya-Nya, Nya-Nya, Nya.' This is not a logical reason for separation.

It is reminiscent of Scotland back in the 1960's when oil was first discovered in the North Sea. Suddenly there was an upsurge in the Scottish National Party membership as they all chanted 'It's Scotland's Oil.' Sanity prevailed in that case, although Scotland did end up with its own parliament, if that's what you can call a building that cost 4 times more than the estimate and still has to answer to the British Parliament for any law higher than parking tickets.

The Alberta Separation party insists that it will be completely independent and has no wish to become American - It wants to survive on its own. They say that they will negotiate contractual agreements for the shipping of goods across British Columbia, just as any other landlocked nation does. Have the party learned nothing from other landlocked nations? Doesn't it make you want to weep?

Across the Atlantic in Europe, where the independent countries have been slaughtering each others' citizens for centuries, they have finally seen sense. Most of Europe's countries now have open borders, and it is possible to drive across the whole continent using the same currency and without troubling with borders. North America has had this freedom for nearly two centuries - and now what is happening? We have some idiots; some mindless politicians trying to break the continent up? For what? Enough Mac, you're only giving yourself a migraine.

If Alberta does break away from Canada, it would fit snugly into Montana. We could call it Monterta or Albertana? 'Come on in separatists; we'll take your oil and gas and even help built the pipelines for you. We promise not to interfere in any of your naval or coastguard disputes. Is it true that you grow prairies of wheat and have vast herds of Aberdeen Angus cattle as well, buddies?'

Source: www.seperationalberta.com