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by 52-6F-62 22 days ago
By that framing you are saying that Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver should also all seek secession.

Likewise, you could say that NYC and LA should singularly secede from America by that same logic.

It doesn't track. There is no legal precedent. Alberta as an entity did not exist beyond Canada.
2 comments
petcat 22 days ago
> There is no legal precedent.

Legal precedent doesn't really matter here. If Alberta wants to leave and they're willing to fight a war over it, then that's up to them. USA already went through this once.

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cf100clunk 22 days ago
Since you are comparing Canada and the U.S.A., let's look at some popular phrasing from each's Constitutions:

U.S.A. ''life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness''

Canada ''peace, order, and good government''

Those are fundamental to the identity of each nation's people. Are they core beliefs of the majority of their citizens? Probably. Are Canadians ready to fight a civil war over Alberta separatism? Not at this point, even slightly.

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chaostheory 22 days ago
Canada is a confederation/confederacy. Ie your central government is weak and your provinces are strong. They can leave just like Quebec. Quebec has to be bribed to stay.
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52-6F-62 22 days ago
It's more complex than that. I know tech workers are fond of reductionism, but it is not workable here.

In order to draw the statement and comparison you just have, you have to throw out ALL legal and historical fact. And also decide that the rights of the Aboriginal land owners in Alberta mean absolutely nothing.

I don't know what it's like to be American, but I presume that not even they would be on board with wholesale land confiscations on such a massive scale. Sets a bad precedent, doesn't it?

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chaostheory 22 days ago
Sure it’s more complicated, but we can’t deny that just like the EU, it’s way easier for a Canadian province to leave vs a state or province of federal governments. Otherwise, secessionist movements wouldn’t be so serious. You can’t pretend that Canadian provinces are weak. Otherwise, why bribe Quebec instead of forcing them to stay? Canada doesn’t even have a unified healcare system for the same reason
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