I don't think people are appreciating what's at stake in Canada and its future.
We have a couple of major issues that need addressing. One, is our aging demographics. We don't pump out enough babies to keep up and the only way to solve this glut is to increase immigration - and even then it may not be enough. Our tax base is tiny to pay for a lot of stuff.
For now, we've been ok because, and this brings me to point two, Alberta has served as a sugar daddy for the rest of the country. Leaving the Quebec-Ontario axis to continue to play their counter-productive power politics games. Ontario's position is more digestible considering its wealth but Quebec is playing with fire.
Already a province that takes in more in equalization payments than most, the province is also not as productive and wealthy.
Their war with Alberta is a bit of a 'biting the hands that feed you'.
By taking an anti-pipeline stance, Quebec is condemning itself to a no-win situation.
The country as a whole needs these pipelines to be built.
When all is said and done. When we get past the Green lobby and David Suzuki, this country's independence (to the extent we are independent vis-a-vis the United States) hinges on keeping the oil flowing; on not destroying the energy sector.
We are who we thought we were. A semi-diversified, branch-plant, resource based economy.
The one competitive advantage we have that could keep us prosperous we're in the process of eliminating.
For what? Exaggerated fears over the environment and noisy indigenous activism?
Environmental impact studies are taken seriously (as they ought be) and we do take care to consider First Naions concerns.
But we're at a point it has paralyzed us and nothing short of just shutting down the oil industry will suffice.
Guess what?
The decision was made by the United States. It's 'damn the torpedoes' as they revolutionize the oil and gas industries. They're already oil and energy dependent and with that Canada has a choice. Either we join in on that reality, or we don't.
If we don't, then all we do is further our dependence on the USA. We already take advantage of their corporations locating here, we have military protection (even if not explicitly said but everyone know the USA is our protectorate) and now we're about to add energy to the mix.
If these pipelines to Houston don't get built, we sealed our fate.
I hope Canadians understand this once they get past their myopic 'yeh but we're not American' tiresome navel-gazing.
Alberta is the key to keeping Canada together. Not Quebec.
If Alberta gets beaten down by the Trudeau liberals, they will become less prosperous and retrench into a backwater producing hockey players and some country singers.
Ottawa is looking to tax the living hell out of Alberta because they're the sweet spot with all those young people. Alberta is the only province with a decent demographic profile. Once we realize Canada's birth rate is among the worst in the West coupled with the Liberals spending to historic levels while knowing they can rape Alberta, it's pretty obvious they know where to go get the money.
If they fight, they risk being outcasts in Ottawa.
And this is where the fun begins.
The eye of the American eagle is watching.
With #Wexit on the march (and the fact few people hear about this points to just how apathetic we are as a country), Alberta's separation movement isn't going to create an Alberta nation.
It will be absorbed into the American empire for no way can Alberta exist betwixt Ottawa and Washington.
This is why Canada re-electing the Liberals may have made a grave miscalculation. I have little confidence in the Liberals making the pragmatic and healthy choice. They're led by a self-absorbed, selfie maniac ideologue.
If I'm Albertan, aside from NEVER voting Liberal or NDP again, and they continue to be pummelled by Justin, I start to think about this very attractive possibility.
Wake up Canada.
Build the damn pipelines.
The world is moving ahead with or without us and we can be a part of it or lose more than we think.
We have a couple of major issues that need addressing. One, is our aging demographics. We don't pump out enough babies to keep up and the only way to solve this glut is to increase immigration - and even then it may not be enough. Our tax base is tiny to pay for a lot of stuff.
For now, we've been ok because, and this brings me to point two, Alberta has served as a sugar daddy for the rest of the country. Leaving the Quebec-Ontario axis to continue to play their counter-productive power politics games. Ontario's position is more digestible considering its wealth but Quebec is playing with fire.
Already a province that takes in more in equalization payments than most, the province is also not as productive and wealthy.
Their war with Alberta is a bit of a 'biting the hands that feed you'.
By taking an anti-pipeline stance, Quebec is condemning itself to a no-win situation.
The country as a whole needs these pipelines to be built.
When all is said and done. When we get past the Green lobby and David Suzuki, this country's independence (to the extent we are independent vis-a-vis the United States) hinges on keeping the oil flowing; on not destroying the energy sector.
We are who we thought we were. A semi-diversified, branch-plant, resource based economy.
The one competitive advantage we have that could keep us prosperous we're in the process of eliminating.
For what? Exaggerated fears over the environment and noisy indigenous activism?
Environmental impact studies are taken seriously (as they ought be) and we do take care to consider First Naions concerns.
But we're at a point it has paralyzed us and nothing short of just shutting down the oil industry will suffice.
Guess what?
The decision was made by the United States. It's 'damn the torpedoes' as they revolutionize the oil and gas industries. They're already oil and energy dependent and with that Canada has a choice. Either we join in on that reality, or we don't.
If we don't, then all we do is further our dependence on the USA. We already take advantage of their corporations locating here, we have military protection (even if not explicitly said but everyone know the USA is our protectorate) and now we're about to add energy to the mix.
If these pipelines to Houston don't get built, we sealed our fate.
I hope Canadians understand this once they get past their myopic 'yeh but we're not American' tiresome navel-gazing.
Alberta is the key to keeping Canada together. Not Quebec.
If Alberta gets beaten down by the Trudeau liberals, they will become less prosperous and retrench into a backwater producing hockey players and some country singers.
Ottawa is looking to tax the living hell out of Alberta because they're the sweet spot with all those young people. Alberta is the only province with a decent demographic profile. Once we realize Canada's birth rate is among the worst in the West coupled with the Liberals spending to historic levels while knowing they can rape Alberta, it's pretty obvious they know where to go get the money.
If they fight, they risk being outcasts in Ottawa.
And this is where the fun begins.
The eye of the American eagle is watching.
With #Wexit on the march (and the fact few people hear about this points to just how apathetic we are as a country), Alberta's separation movement isn't going to create an Alberta nation.
It will be absorbed into the American empire for no way can Alberta exist betwixt Ottawa and Washington.
This is why Canada re-electing the Liberals may have made a grave miscalculation. I have little confidence in the Liberals making the pragmatic and healthy choice. They're led by a self-absorbed, selfie maniac ideologue.
If I'm Albertan, aside from NEVER voting Liberal or NDP again, and they continue to be pummelled by Justin, I start to think about this very attractive possibility.
Wake up Canada.
Build the damn pipelines.
The world is moving ahead with or without us and we can be a part of it or lose more than we think.
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