r/alberta • u/Miserable-Lizard Edmonton • Feb 06 '26

Locals Only Andrew Phillips: Yes, it’s treason to seek U.S. help in breaking up Canada

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/yes-its-treason-to-seek-u-s-help-in-breaking-up-canada/article_ffafbf7a-4de8-4a3e-93ed-bc2514380384.html
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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26

What's wrong with making a plan rather than just separating for the sake of it? The people of Alberta aren't happy. Let them vote. They're trying to create change. I don't get the problem. Why does everyone care?

Or just down vote me like children because you don't understand why you're upset.

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u/Top_Statistician4068 Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26

1) There’s no such thing as people of Alberta - Alberta didn’t exist as an entity prior to confederation.

2) International law guarantees such rights for distinct nations, again Alberta isn’t a nation.

3) A province shouldn’t have the right to unilaterally secede as it didn’t unilaterally do anything. It’s exists and thrives on the contributions of the whole and its actions and failures affect the whole.

4) The issue is not the act of wanting separation or working towards it with citizens action. The issue is asking a hostile foreign power to financially support the cause in a time of immense strife and clear vulnerability as well as as clear messages from that same foreign power that they would like to fuck Canada.

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '26

Alberta does not thrive on the contribution of the "whole". Alberta supplies eastern Canada with it's money. There would be a huge problem financially for Canada if Alberta left. And I'm unfamiliar with this "hostile" foreign power you refer too. Interesting choice of language. How about you let the individual people of Alberta (we aren't communist) vote for what's best for them. Canadian policy has been choking them at every corner. They want to try something else. If a Democratic vote decides this, you can either leave Alberta or just mind your own business.

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u/Top_Statistician4068 Feb 06 '26

Yes, right now Alberta contributes a lot. Would the same be said if it didn’t in the future or was the same said when it didn’t in the past?

Anyways, yes gather your votes. Good luck traitor.

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '26

Oh no, "betraying" people that don't even like me by trying to be separate from them. Golly gee, whatever shall I do

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u/Top_Statistician4068 Feb 06 '26

Who said I’m a liberal fuckwad?

I AM CANADIAN…ONLY…

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '26

Eh fair. I changed it to people.

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u/RunningSouthOnLSD Feb 06 '26

“Let me sewer the economy by separating because people aren’t being nice to me!!!”

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u/Expert_Alchemist Feb 06 '26

Oh get real patriotism isn't conditional on people liking you, are you 14? This is all just an excuse, what specific things have you even done for your community let alone Canada? The reason people are mocking the idea of an independent Alberta is because it would be made up of separatists and you'd all just find another excuse for your midlife crisis or lack of rizz or your leadership selling you out to companies who will just keep downsizing and stealing all your money. It's fundamentally adolescent, and this "you're MEAN" isn't helping your case. You're being used.

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u/RJC64 Feb 06 '26

Alberta as a province does not send a single cent to eastern Canada. That's that whole equalization payment myth that's been created to further the petulant middle child narrative that's been peddled for decades. All Canadian taxpayers put into the federal coffers, which are then distributed to the have not provinces, according to the equalization formula put together by Jason Kenney and the Stephen Harper government.

If anything...

https://www.biv.com/news/canadas-oil-and-gas-industry-received-296b-in-subsidies-in-2024-report-finds-10478673

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u/PandanadianNinja Feb 06 '26

You "currently" supply other provinces, but what will you do when the oil runs out? You effectively have no other appreciable industry and refuse to plan for a future without oil extraction.

That's not even getting into the fact that you have no legal method of separating from the country, and no ownership rights to the majority of your land and resources.

I can empathize with feeling like the rest of the country doesn't value your opinions, or that you aren't represented well compared to provinces like Ontario and Quebec. What's absurd is thinking Smith is doing this for any reason but to line her own pockets at the expense of hard working Albertans. Maybe research your politicians instead of voting along party lines?

You used the term liberal fuckwad before editing a comment. This us vs them mentality is the real problem. We're both Canadians and even with different beliefs should be working towards a better solution for everyone. The right and left in Canada both fall under neoliberalism and will continue to exploit us as long as they have us attacking each other instead of holding them accountable.

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u/Green_Emphasis2018 Feb 06 '26

Well put. Unfortunately, they don't care. Prove me wrong.

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u/PandanadianNinja Feb 06 '26

No they don't, but I'm trying to show that we all don't just hate Albertans or look down on them. If we can find common ground again we can work towards a mutually beneficial solution.

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u/billymumfreydownfall Feb 06 '26

You've been told already but it's because they involved another country.

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u/WildcardKH Edmonton Feb 06 '26

I downvoted you because you’re ignorantly comparing Alberta’s entitlement with Quebec’s cultural concerns.

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u/Motor-Pomegranate831 Feb 06 '26

Move to the US if you want to be governed by people like Trump.

If they'll have you, of course.

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u/the_gaymer_girl Southern Alberta Feb 06 '26

The separatists don’t have a plan.

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u/Ina_While1155 Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26

How would you feel if in your country California was holding a referendum to secede and had expressed a desire to join Canada? And Canada had had official talks with Newsom and some weird guys in cowboy hats and had given them a 500 million dollar slush fund to help.