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Date Posted: 19:21:21 12/26/01 Wed
Author: shawn meades
Subject: manifest destiny

While I'm not opposed to Canadian expandion, I am wrather opposed to imperialism. Naturally, I don't think you are proposing that we force ourselves upon the territories mentioned below:

Alaska, Point Roberts and the San Juan Islands, the North West Angle of Lake of the Woods ***(This is known as Angle Inlet, BTW)***, Isle Royale of Lake Superior, Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islands, Greenland, and Iceland.

But I'm not keen on the idea of our country admitting to expantionist tendencies. If these areas take the initiative on their own to join Canada, GREAT! We'll welcome them with open arms! but I just don't think we should coax any people with "land of milk and honey" delusions. We're in quite a fix as it is trying to figure out the position of our existing provinces in Confederation- is expantion necesarily good?

While politically, I'd like nothing more than for Kalaalit Nunaat to join confederation- think about it- the three main established parties consiste of Social Democrats, Liberals, and communists! It's about time a few more leftists were sent to the House of Commons (though Kalaalit Nunaat would get at the most two seats- same as they've got with Denmark. It wouldn't be all that much of an advantage for them)! But what about the extra equalization payments? The maintenance of yet more northern infrastructure? Trying to keep prices down in isolated areas? It would cost the federal government TONNES (that's how metric tonnes are spelt) of money! Money that our current government would rather use to "reward" those who vote for them. Personally, I'd be afraid that Kalaalit Nunaat and others would be completely ignored.

Also, if Iceland, Alaska, and Kalaalit Nunaat were to join confederation- wouldn't it only be fair to make Icelandic and various Inuit languages OFFICIAL languages? This isn't TOO expensive, but it's certainly not cheap!

Another can of worms we open up is how much sovereignty would certain areas such as Kalaalit Nunaat and Iceland have? Alaska stands to gain sovereignty, so it's practically a non-issue in that sense, but Iceland and Kalaalit Nunaat stand to lose quite a bit! Wouldn't sovereignty association or something similar be better in those cases? If we go down that road, then what's to stop the future Premier of Québec (or even Alberta for crissakes!) from saying they are deserving of such a position in confederation? It seams that the policies of Imperial Canada wouldn't ease things with Québec, but complicate them to degrees we haven't seen since the 1995 referendum! :o

And St. Pierre & Miquelon is quite complicated. France's constitution forbids the disolution of the Republic- and if France wanted to hold on to the North American territories against the wishes of the residents (being theoretical here- I haven't seen any evidence that the People of SP&M would either desire union with Canada, nor that it would be favourable) then it wouldn't be hard for France to encorporate the Islands into full French departments, I believe. Even if they did join- would they be a province? Would they join Québec? Would they join Newfoundland & Labrador? Would an alternative and unique arrangement be necessary?

One last point- claiming sovereignty over a territory is one thing, but over an independant nation (Iceland, and to a certain lesser degree, Kalaalit Nunaat [it being a self-governing territory]) I find to be utterly immoral, and offensive.

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