Ought to Canada be a part of the USA? Perhaps that’s a superb query to ask Canadians.
The Night time We Burned Ole DC Down, Aug. 24, 1814 (Illustration: Historical past.com).
If Justin Trudeau has the center and moxie to throw the gloves down on the ice, all he must do is name a referendum!
Simply put it on the poll for Canadian voters to render their verdict on the once-and-future American president’s suggestion the true north sturdy and free must grow to be the 51st state.
For Donald Trump, it might be a lose-lose proposition: If Canadian voters selected continued sovereignty, it’s a black eye for his revanchist bullying. Within the wildly unlikely occasion they voted to hitch the united statesA., it might create a block of votes that may guarantee Democrats occupy the White Home for a era to return.
Keep in mind, Canada is a rustic the place the concept of turning into American is so well-liked that even sweet shops are named after a girl who helped beat again the American invaders in 1813, and also you’ll by no means meet a Canuck who gained’t brag concerning the Night time We Burned Ole DC Down.
What’s extra, even Donald Trump doesn’t get a say on whether or not or not Canada joins the USA. We are able to be part of the USA on our personal phrases any time we wish.
Laura Secord, who helped Canada beat again the American invaders in 1813 (Picture: Public Area).
I provide the Articles of Confederation, the USA’ first structure, adopted by the Continental Congress on Nov. 15, 1777.
The Articles set out the “perpetual Union between the States of Newhampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhodeisland and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia,” thereafter to be often known as the USA of America. (The seventeenth Century spacing and capitalization are from the unique.)
You possibly can – and will – learn it for your self. However let’s go to Article XI, which says … “Canada acceding to this confederation, and joining in the measures of the united states, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this union: but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine states.”
Now, you might say the Articles of Confederation have been supplanted by the U.S. Structure of 1789. True, however nothing within the Structure says the Articles have been repealed. Certainly, the Structure was written and signed by a bunch of gents who gathered in conference to amend the Articles.
As a result of the Structure supersedes the Articles of Confederation, and because it adjustments nearly every little thing in them, a lot of the textual content is arguably irrelevant. However the Structure didn’t change the Perpetual Union of the Unique 13 plus Canada!
Twin citizen Andrew Scheer, former chief of the might-as-well-be American Social gathering of Canada (Photograph: David J. Climenhaga).
That is necessary as a result of it implies that if we do come knocking on the door and demand instant admission to the Perpetual Union, we can’t be assigned second-class standing, just like the unlucky residents of Puerto Rico or “American” Samoa.
So if we really feel prefer it, Mr. Trump, we rattling properly will be part of, whether or not you prefer it or not! No Artwork of the Deal required.
Now there are these in the USA who would possibly argue the whole doc is defunct. And there are those that are sure to assert Canada merely means Quebec. (In spite of everything, Alberta and Saskatchewan have been in no person’s atlas in 1777.)
However to them I say, go away that query, ought to it ever come up, to the USA Supreme Courtroom. If we wish in and it guidelines we’re not, we will simply take our molybdenum and our uncommon earth metals and petition the European Union for membership. With Mr. Trump within the White Home, I wouldn’t be shocked in the event that they’d be glad to have us prior to later, even when NATO is defunct, which it in all probability shall be if he’s round for lengthy.
If we don’t need in, it’s of no concern to us what the Articles of Confederation say.
U.Okay. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in 1921 – the place is he now that we truly must berate him? (Photograph: Walter Stoneman, Public Area).
The referendum query ought to be posed similtaneously the subsequent federal normal election.
That might assure an historic turnout and focus Canadian minds splendidly on the worth of our citizenship, to not point out the dangers of electing a authorities led by the Conservative Social gathering of Canada, which may very well be simply as simply known as the American Social gathering of Canada. (Yo! Andrew Scheer!)
Talking of Conservatives, what’s grow to be of their favorite historic punching bag, poor previous Neville Chamberlain, whose reminiscence will get trotted out each time our American Cousins need to invade some unfortunate nation and begin by calling their chief the subsequent Hitler?
Now that Mr. Trump’s trying north for Lebensraum all we hear about Chamberlain and appeasement and Munich is the sound of crickets chirping! In the meantime, our courageous leaders are shufflin’ off to Washington to kiss the Imperial Ass at Mr. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 – I imply you, Danielle Smith – or lining as much as style the well-known chocolate deal with at Mar-a-Lago.
By the way in which, if the referendum vote unexpectedly goes south, à la Brexit, what the hell? In that case, we’re all going to hell in a handbasket anyway.
Bear in mind, if they arrive, Canadians shall be carrying flags like this one (Illustration: AlbertaPolitics.ca).
Alternatively, if we so determine and enter the Perpetual Union on the phrases set out within the Articles of Confederation, we’d be part of with our heads held excessive, not like whipped canines, as Mr. Trump would certainly describe us.
As for our American Cousins, they should do not forget that if we do determine to hitch up, we’ll be bringing F🍁CK TRUMP flags, bagpipes, poutine, Idea of a Deadman, and a few of the worst espresso on earth.
They usually’ll positive as hell know we’re there each time they pledge allegiance to the flag, as a result of as soon as we’re a part of the Perpetual Union, they’ll not solely have so as to add a brand new star to Outdated Glory, however, as per the Articles, a 14th stripe as properly.
In different phrases, they need to watch out what they want for in case they get it.
And it’s time for us to give up whining and play a rougher sport of geopolitical hockey!
