Quote:
Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
If Alberta ever does decide to separate, count me first in line to claim refugee status... 
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Years ago I went to a meeting of the then nascent Reform Party to hear a quiet, unassuming man talk about how, "The West wants in!" During his talk he told a little joke, asking if anyone knew the difference between a Catfish and a politician. For those of you who unfamiliar with this joke, the punchline is," one of them is a bottom-feeding slime sucker, the other is a fish!" Well, Preston Manning won me over and I voted and worked for the Reform Party at every opportunity. For once I had hope that maybe, just maybe the Central Canada stranglehold on our nations policies could be broken, that Canada wouldn't be ruled by the likes of Alan Rock and Jean Chretien. We all know the result. The Reform Party along with my hope for a truly equal Canada died a slow death. The Reform Party platform of a Triple "E" Senate (Elected, Equal, and Effective) slipped into oblivion. During my years living in western Canada I participated in many discussions on what path the West should take. There was talk of "Cascadia", having economic and political links with the West coast states, from Alaska to California. There were many who proposed that the West should separate and go our own way. None of these ideas ever came to fruition and it saddens me to hear from this thread that not only have things not gotten better in Canada, it appears they've gotten much worse in the four years since I left. Love or hate the U.S., you've got to admire American's devotion to equality and individual freedom. politicians here in the U.S. know all too well that their livelihood depends upon satisfying the wishes of the voters. Canadians have spoiled their politicians by tolerating the nonsense they propose from Ottawa, by accepting the notion that, "we know whats best for Canada" That kind of claptrap just wouldn't fly down here!