In actual fact if Quebec were to leave Canada it wouldn't be some clear cut oh look now there are 3 countries north of mexico. For starters if Quebec were to separate approximatly 3/4 of the province would go right back to Canada. Why? Because it isn't French, its Native. Quebec would have no money for them as much as they would love to have Canada's helping hand in sovereignty they would get the cold shoulder, and the United States is terrified by teh whole language thing. Quebec would probably end up violently left wing borderline communism in order to pay for everything. If Quebec left there would be a ripple effect through the rest of Canada and you can sure as hell bet Alberta would be as good as gone too. The rest of Canada would probably be next to a third world country, with only one pronvince left still making money, and barely at that.
Keeping Quebec is simple, keep paying them, but in doing so you alienate the province with the real money. I hear rumblings from out east about mayors and government officials calling for the Renstatement of the NEP, if anyhing like that were to ever happen again you can say hello to the independant nation of Alberta we know how much it hurt the first time around and it won't be allowed to happen again.
Quebec thinks it contributes far more than it takes, the truth is there is no economy in Quebec. Without Canada quebec is finished, with Quebec Canada is finished (in a fiscal sense). It is a loose loose situation in Canada right now, and the corrupt liberal bastards are only dumping gas on the fire.
There is probably only 1 solution and it would be a gruling long term process, if the transfer money wasn't used to prop up failing businesses and instead was used to develope more viable ones. The money would be treated more like an investement than a cash grab. For example oil money from Alberta goes into developing a Hydrodam in manitoba which could then pay back some to alberta some to other projects in BC or Saskachewan and most to the province there is the same about going out of Alberta but some coming back in as opposed to none and as a result Manitoba secures a stable reliable long lasting income source for itself so that less must be taken from out of province. At least that way you wouldn't have to worry about Alberta becomeing as separate from Canada as Quebec is. I am sure if you look hard enough you can find a far more elloquent and more well defined version of this thinking from the Canada West Foundation. I am just doing as well as I can parroting an article of thiers in the globe and mail.
The arguement that Quebec has to get off its high horse is absolutly correct if they want to be a part of this country they can't be so isolationist, if they were more open sure more english would get in but more french would get out and a more homogenious state of affaires would come about. The real road black to any reform is the Liberal Party of Canada, it is a corrupt power hungry machine whose only goal is to rule Canada and if the only way to do it is rob from the rich and give it to only the superficial needs of the poor without attacking the underlying problems they'll do it. It is time for them to take the back bench and let a more compotent party take the reigns. Don't even think about the NDP they would be worse than the Liberals ever where, wanna know where are debt comes from, the Liberal-NDP collition under Trudeau.
I know this little talk on Canadian politics has been violently off topic so I'll get back to the Civilization related issue.
Should Canada be in? I don't really think it matters. Does Canada deserve to be in? As much as any other. Any one who says Canada is unworthy has to really reevaluate what it means to deserve it and what exactly Canada has going for it.
The real reason Canada will never play a prominant part in Civilization is simple because of where Canada is geographically. If Canada's wealth, size, natural resourses, population, history and policies were anywhere else in the world other than being over shadowed by it's neighbour to the south it would be one of the most powerful countries in the world, and not the oft ignored counter part of the US. Canada and the US are Similar, defenetly not the same but similar, and so long as the US is as big powerful and boistrus as it is and Canada remains as meek and overly compromising as it is in comparison to the US. Canada will remain ignored and over shadowed essentially no matter what happens. The only reason Canada remains meeks is Canadians who don't think Canada deserves it, some times a little National Pride is called for.
I've known a few from Alberta, and the rehtoric there is always the same - Liberals bad, PC/Alliance good. Despite the fact they've come out and alienated the rest of the country with terms like "Lazy newfoundlanders", and how all cape bretoners are on welfare *lol*
