By Robert Huish
“We take nothing by conquest…Thank God,” wrote the National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser, an influential Washington newspaper, in February 1847.
The United States had just purchased 55 per cent of Mexico for US$15 million as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The pact concluded the bloody Mexican-American War, which claimed thousands of lives.
Despite the loss of life, and American ambitions to take all of Mexico, the treaty painted the whole experience as a rightful “cession” of land rather than a conquest.
Not impossible, not unthinkable
Every Canadian needs to pay attention to this bit of American history. In one treaty, the U.S. annexed the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming. It subsequently illegally invaded Indigenous territory in the west.
Canada could be next — perhaps not immediately as the 51st state, but quite possibly as a U.S. territory that would deny Canadians any voting rights for Congress or the presidency, allow only some autonomy and make questions of citizenship ambiguous. The constitutional architecture exists in the U.S. to make it happen.
Impossible? Unthinkable? Many pundits dismiss Trump’s bellicose rhetoric as hot-headed bargaining. It’s just tough talk, they say. Some have argued his bluster is simply part of his favoured “art of the deal” negotiating tactics.
That’s the wrong reading. How Trump could make good on the threat can be found in the U.S. Constitution. There is both potential and precedent for the U.S. to acquire territory through cession or subjugation.
Invading Canada
The War Plan Red of 1930 was also drummed up by the U.S. Department of War on how to invade Canada if ever needed.
It included shocking details about kicking off the attack in Halifax with poison gas, quickly invading New Brunswick and then occupying Québec City and Montréal before claiming Niagara Falls.
Historically, America has made many Canadian leaders nervous. Queen Victoria felt that Ottawa, as a capital, would be sheltered from U.S. invasions. John A. Macdonald worried about Union forces attacks on Canada, as U.S. Confederacy spies and raiders were permitted to hole up in Montréal during the civil war.
In the 1911 election, when the Liberal party pushed for free trade with the U.S., they were shown the door by a wave of anti-American sentiment that backed Robert Borden’s Conservatives.
Treaties and congressional green lights
Hypothetical paranoia aside, the ability of the U.S. to acquire territories is ingrained in the U.S. Constitution. It is straightforward. First, start with Article II, Section 2 of the constitution:
“He [The President] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur…”.
Treaties are the tools the U.S. uses to take “nothing by conquest” after the Senate ratifies those treaties by a two-thirds majority.
In 1848, President Zachary Taylor proposed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to Congress to annex Mexican lands. Even though some wanted to take all of Mexico, Congress ratified the treaty.
In 1898, Congress passed House Joint Resolution 259. It ratified President William McKinley’s treaty of the annexation of Hawaii. Due to protest, petition and dissent, it took 60 years for Hawaii to become an official state in 1957.
The American origin story of a country born in revolution only applies to a small piece of the country. The rest of the place came to exist through annexation. The U.S. expanded to 50 states and 14 overseas territories through a mix of cession, occupation and purchase.
The role of dissent
From the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 — which saw 827,987 square miles pass from France to the United States — to the cession of the Marshall Islands from Japan in 1947, Manifest Destiny, the belief that the expansion of the U.S. throughout the Americas was both justified and inevitable, is built into the spine of the U.S. Constitution.
But so, too, is dissent.
Once the U.S. legally acquires territories, Article IV, Section 2 of the constitution grants Congress the authority to manage them or dispose of them:
“The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting Territory and other Property belonging to the United States.”
If a territory was unjustly acquired through a treaty, through unlawful means or if it challenges American interests, then it can be disposed of. The Marshall Islands is case in point.
After serving as a U.S. nuclear testing ground, the country ratified a constitution in 1979 and is now in a compact of free association with the U.S.
President Ulysses S. Grant proposed the annexation of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic in 1870, thinking it would be a good place for freed Black slaves to establish themselves to escape discrimination in southern States while protecting the Dominican Republic from invasion by Haiti. Congress had none of it, and failed to ratify the treaty.
Cuba’s exclusion — over sugar
In 1898, the U.S. declared war on Spain by invading Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam. Within six months, Spain surrendered and treaties of annexation by cession were drawn for each territory. The U.S. gained sovereignty over all except Cuba, although the Philippines won back its independence in 1946.
Cuba’s exclusion was thanks to Sen. Henry Teller of Colorado, who worried about Cuban sugar flooding the American market. He painted his ambitions in flowery rhetoric about the importance of autonomy, self-governance and the rights of man.
But in fact, Teller wanted to keep Cuba out to protect domestic sugar beet growers. The Senate passed the amendment excluding Cuba. Four years later, however, another amendment by Connecticut Sen. Orville Platt established Guantanamo Bay as a permanent U.S. military base on the island and gave the U.S. the right to invade Cuba whenever it saw fit.
Opening lines of communication
It seems hard to fathom that discussions about U.S. annexation efforts against Canada are actually unfolding. Alarming indeed, but it would be a mistake to ignore history, overlook the U.S. Constitution and try to outwit the art of the deal.
Trump’s calls for Canada to join the U.S. could only happen by drafting a treaty demonstrating that a process of cession, purchase or occupation is legal. Only then could Congress approve it, and only with a two-thirds majority of the Senate. Trump does not have two-thirds of the Senate.
The correct move is to get Canadian voices to Congress. The strength of Canada–U.S. relations has always been through person-to-person relations in a deeply intertwined stew of familial and business relations.
Trump does not see the value in that. Congress, however, might, especially if annexing Canada proves expensive.
This is why Canadian politicians at federal, provincial and even municipal levels need to open lines of communication with Congress, especially in economically strategic states.
Congressional representatives need to view annexing Canada as a ridiculous burden, both politically and financially, rather than as a prize.
Robert Huish is Associate Professor in International Development Studies at Dalhousie University.
JimboXYZ says
This isn’t happening, Canada would want statehood status perhaps for several states as divided up and be oil & timber resources. They’d have to overthrow their own government. If Puerto Rico isn’t a state by now, we all see how they get treated for being a territory. There’s really no percentage for Canada to even become a state/several states.
Luis Arroyo says
As an American of Puerto Rican background I will tell you one major reason Puerto Rico is not a state and the street with their treated it’s because they don’t speak English as the primary language. I am dismayed when I read Spanish media from Puerto Rico and I see all the lies and Bs that they are fed everyday concerning the United States. The media of Puerto Rico treat the island like a nation. The local media despite being run by the FCC is almost 99% Spanish networks there’s no English media in Puerto Rico whatsoever outside of cable TV , internet and satellite radio.
As a result of any decades Puerto Ricans thought they were the umbilical cord of the planet the center of the Earth. It’s not their fault it’s the media of the island they ever go to Puerto Rico on vacation you will quickly notice everything is Puerto Rico Centric. The majority of the media or leftists and treat Mainland US News “foreign or international news”.
Puerto Ricans are sold in Spanish by anti statehood politicians that Commonwealth status guarantees the same rights as statehood and that it’s the evil GOP that won’t grant them these rights. This is an absolute lie to anyone who can read English and knows what the US Constitution says.
Even when Puerto Rico loses US Supreme Court cases where the island claims to have sovereignty via a bilateral Pact under Commonwealth status, the Commonwealth party continues to insist that Commonwealth is an actual status (Not in tbe US, since Virginia Kentucky Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are commonwealth as well as States) and the US is simply being Imperial and going back on its deal with Puerto Rico in 1952 when the Commonwealth status was created. The so-called mythical bilateral Pact where the US and Puerto Rico enter into agreement as Mutual Nations. Such utter nonsense they are fed in Spanish. But thanks for the internet Puerto Rican Americans are waking up to the big lie they’ve been fed for the last 50 years and that is why ever since 2000 statehood has consistently won the local referendums. The opponents of statehood have gone from wanting referendums before 2010 when they knew they would win, to opposing all referendums on status and challenging those when Statehood wins. Because the left does not respect any election result they don’t win. And the left only approves referendums they know they’ll win. So this is why the Puerto Rico Independence party and the Puerto Rico Commonwealth party is always running to Congress trying to kill any federal legislation to offer Puerto Rico a referendum on statehood. If the opponents of Puerto Rico statehood really believe America was too racist to Grant statehood then why are they in DC trying to convince congress not to offer it?
As Puerto Rico becomes more bilingual, statehood increases.
But I digress.
Unlike Puerto Rico which is already a territory at the complete mercy of Congress , Canada is independent nation and has all sovereignty in the world to negotiate statehood with the United States on its own terms. Including entering the Union as 10 Canadian States or a Consolidated group of Canadian States or as one single Canada state the same way Texas entered the Union as a single country without being partitioned into four, as was originally the plan.
Even California briefly became a republic and seceded from Mexico. Unfortunately the battle between the California and the Mexicans took place days after the US and Mexico had already signed the Treaty of Guadalupe. So the battle was for nothing because they were already annexed and didn’t know it.
I’ll finish by saying the only way Canada comes into the Union as if it were promised to be a red state and Puerto Rico as a blue state or vice versa Puerto Rico as a red state it currently has a Republican / GOP governor and territorial legislature and Canada will come in as a blue state. As I’ve commented before many US Congress members will complain that Canada is too big and not a proper balance for Puerto Rico. Even though historically one blue State comes in with a red state the sizes difference between Puerto Rico and Canada so large that such a pairing might not be accepted. Why would Democrats accept a blue state of Puerto Rico with a delegation of seven if they thought the GOP will get Canada with at least 17 GOP Congress members? And vice versa Republicans will never accept a blue Canada that might bring in as many as 20 democrat congress members in return for seven red Puerto Rican Congress members they will be drowned out by the Canadian delegation. So there’s no hope for either Puerto Rico or Canada to come into the Union. I’ll leave it at that.
Steve Robinson says
OK, let’s stop sane-washing Trump as the MSM has been doing for the last several years, and is continuing to do with this whole nonsense of acquiring Canada, Greenland and wherever else Trump thinks he’d like to play golf. This very serious dissection of the issue–as with similar MSM pieces of the last few days–should be boiled down to two sentences: Trump is a lunatic who is thoroughly divorced from reality, except when it comes to his musing about locking up Jack Smith, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger and others who had the balls to stand up to him. Over and out.
Sherry says
Thanks so much Steve! You are always the voice of reason!
Laurel says
Okay, so Trump is going to send the military into the streets, pack his cabinets with mostly incompetent loyalists, destabilize the market and our allies, fill civil jobs with zero expertise loyalists, and tariff the world, and when it starts going to shit, in about 18 months, or less, he will blame Biden and/or come up with other wack-a-doo ideas to distract us like non-Christian, non-white, people eating dogs and cats.
That, at least, is predictable about Trump.
Atwp says
He is unstable as the oceans during a hurricane. Good ambitions but wrong targets.
Jackson says
Dear Canada
Please just ignore the embarrassing, dementia ridden clown. And do not worry. We have this thing called the 25th amendment to our constitution that allows the President’s cabinet to declare him unfit and have him removed. Vance being the opportunist he is and Trump showing obvious dementia will lead to this being used within 90 days maximum.
Luis Arroyo says
Then why is Joe Biden still there? Oh I see. The 20th Amendment is only to be used against Republicans. That’s why we Americans beat the crap out of Democrats in the last election. That’s why “QueMalaEres” – that’s Spanish for “how awful you are”… which Rhymes perfectly with “Kamala Harris”.
Laurel says
Luis Arroyo: You use “rhymes” to state your case? You seek understanding with “how awful you are”? You like to “beat the crap” out of your fellow Americans?
You have lost credibility.
Luis Arroyo says
25th Ammendment?
Then why is dementia Joe Biden still there? Oh I see. The 25th amendment does not apply to Democrats. That’s why we made sure Kamala Harris never made it to the presidency!
So tired after hypocrisy of the left.
Laurel says
Luis Arroyo: Hypocrisy?
Show us the official diagnosis of President Joe Biden’s *dementia* (who at the same time, supposedly crafts all sort of dastardly schemes at the same time). Also, acknowledge President Ronald Reagan’s actual diagnosis of Alzheimer’s while still in the Presidential office.
Then, tell me about hypocrisy. By the way, I’m not part of the “left.”
I”m sure, as usual, I’ll hear crickets about Reagan.
BoloMKXXVIII says
“provided two thirds of the Senators present concur…”
There is the reason it will not happen.
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Pretty sure the Canadian citizens as well as the United Kingdom have some say in this. The Convicted Felon should worry about the United States of America citizenry as he starts to try to destroy it.
Deborah Coffey says
Donald Trump and his cabal are already overstepping with their destructive plans. If they try to take Canada, they won’t last a week. The “resistance” is quiet and tired right now but, one spark like this would ignite a national fire.
Christopher Goodfellow says
With the exception of the Mexican acquisition for $15 million and Alaska all the other land acquisitions quoted by Huish are minuscule compared to the prospect of integrating Canada into the union. It is juvenile to use these as precedents. First, Canada’s land mass exceeds that of the continental USA. That presents an enormous challenge if the union is anything less than a mutually friendly one. A hostile invasion/annexation to grab and control territory and resources would be very difficult as America just does not have the military manpower to do so because it would require enormous occupying forces to suppress what would likely be Canadian resistance over such a huge territory.
It is also simply preposterous to speculate on any hostile invasion/take over of Canada against its will because it would bring down the rest of the world on America. It would likely sever so many commercial ties and other treaties (NATO) as to render America a pariah among nations. No American would be safe anywhere on the globe. Even now because of Trump’s unnecessary meddling into a long term peaceful partnership with his provocations towards Greenland, Canada and Mexico, I am beginning to have thoughts about when traveling to Canada that I should take my American plated car across the border as it may be vandalized now. Trump has ignited a firestorm as can be seen in yesterday’s Globe and Mail response by former PM Jean Chretien.
Let’s be clear Trump offends everyone unnecessarily and by doing so endangers every American around the globe. He is the pariah who should be isolated.
We are not in the 1800’s. Canada is a fully developed nation and first world member of the G7. The only way Manifest Destiny as it was once called could be attained is through more commercial ties that eventually make it attractive for Canada to become part of the U.S. and it’s citizens see an actual benefit as there is none presently. Enormous modifications to American domestic policy in the areas of health care, education and gun control would be required because Canadians would never freely accept the apparent American reluctance to join the the vast majority of developed nations with more progressive policies in these areas.
Trump, single handedly with his juvenile and whimsical jingoistic musings should not be allowed to destroy this relationship and whip up anti Canada sentiment in the US. Trump is correct Canada benefits from a trade surplus with the US and he uses this as a justification for his annexation arguments but if one removes the oil and gas component which is of enormous benefit to America, we actually enjoy a surplus of trade in goods and services with Canada. As usual the man does not do his homework. Canada could easily find other customers for its oil and gas and all its other resources. When it comes down to it America needs a friendly Canada.
Sherry says
LONG LIVE CANADA!
Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien takes the pen to respond to Donald Trump’s “totally unacceptable insults and unprecedented threats”
CHRISTIAN JEAN
Prime minister of Canada 1993 to 2003
Today is my 91st birthday.
It’s an occasion to celebrate with my family and friends. Looking back on the life I was privileged to lead. And to think how this country we all love has grown and changed so much in the nine decades I’ve been on this earth.
This year I also decided to give myself a birthday present. I’m going to do something in this text that I don’t do very often anymore: speak on a major issue that affects the state of the nation and worries me deeply like so many other Canadians. Of course, these are totally unacceptable insults and unprecedented threats to our sovereignty from Donald Trump.
I have two messages very clear and simple.
To Donald Trump, from one old bloke to another, wake up! What makes you think Canadians would one day give up the greatest country in the world – and make no mistake, that’s who we are – to join the United States?
I can tell you, Canadians are about their independence. We love our country. We’ve built something here that the world craves for — compassion, understanding, tolerance, and the search for ways for people of different backgrounds and beliefs to live together in harmony.
We’ve also built a strong social safety net – especially when it comes to public health care – that we are very proud of. He is not perfect, but he is based on the principle that the most vulnerable among us must be protected.
This may not be the “American way” or the “Trump way.” But it’s the reality that I have witnessed and experienced all my long life.
If you think threatening and insulting us will change our minds, you really don’t know us. Don’t you know that when it came to fighting in two world wars for freedom, we engaged ourselves – both times – years before your country. We fought and we made great sacrifices.
We also had the courage to say no to your country when it tried to drag us into a totally unjustified and destabilizing war in Iraq.
We have built a nation on the most damaged and difficult territory imaginable. And we did it against all odds. We can look easy going and gentle. But make no mistake, we are determined and courageous.
A message to our leaders
And this brings me to my second message, to all our leaders, federal and provincial — and to those aspiring to lead our country:
Start showing that determination and tenacity. This is what Canadians want to see — this is what they need to see. This is what i call leadership. The Canadians are ready to move on. You need to clear the way.
I know the spirit is there. Since the Trump attacks, every political party has spoken in favour of Canada. In fact, to my great satisfaction, even the Québécois Bloc defends Canada!
But you don’t win a hockey game by just playing defensive. We all know that even if we grant one request, President Trump will come back with another, more important one. This is not diplomacy, this is blackmail.
We need a different approach. An approach that will break the cycle.
President Trump accomplished one thing: he united Canadians more than ever before! All the leaders across our country are united in the determination to defend Canadian interests.
When I became Prime Minister, Canada was facing a crisis of national unity. The threat of a separation from Quebec was very real. We have acted to address this existential threat to make Canadians, including Quebecers, stronger, more united, and even more proud of Canadian values.
There is now another existential threat. And we must once again reduce our vulnerability. This is the challenge of this generation of political leaders.
And you won’t succeed using the same old approaches. Yes, telling Americans we are their best friends and closest business partner is a good thing. The same goes for intense lobbying in Washington and state capitals, stressing that customs duties will also hurt their economy. Regarding retaliation rates: when attacked, you have to defend yourself.
Reducing our vulnerability
But we also need to play attack. Let’s tell Trump that we too have border problems with the United States. Canada has strict gun control laws, but illegal guns are flowing from the U.S.
We need to tell him that we expect the U.S. to act to reduce the number of guns coming into Canada. We also want to protect the Arctic. But the United States refuses to recognize the Northwest Passage across the Canadian Arctic as Canadian waters and insists that it is an international waterway. We need the U.S. to recognize the Northwest Passage as Canadian Waters.
We also need to reduce our vulnerability in the first place. We need to be stronger. There are more provincial trade barriers than Canada and the U.S.
Let’s make a national project to remove these barriers! Let’s strengthen the ties that unite this vast nation — for example, by creating a real energy network across the country.
We must also understand that Donald Trump is not just threatening us, he is also targeting an increasing number of other countries as well as the European Union itself. It’s only just begun.
Canada should quickly organize a meeting with the leaders of Denmark, Panama, Mexico and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to formulate a plan to combat these threats. Every time M. Trump opens his mouth, he’s creating new allies for us all. Let’s get organized! To fight raw and unreasonable power, we need strength in numbers.
Respecting Our Opponents
The problem is not to wait afraid for Donald Trump’s next blow, but to build a country and an international community capable of resisting him.
Canadian people know me. They know I’m optimistic That I’m being practical. And that I always speak my mind. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes over my long career, but I’ve never doubted for a moment the decency of my fellow Canadians — or my political opponents.
The current – and future – generation of political leaders should remember that they are not each other’s enemies, but opponents. No one has ever loved the harshness of the political arena as much as I do. But I’ve always understood that each of us is trying to make a positive contribution to make our community and our country a better place.
This spirit is more important than ever as we face this new challenge. They should keep that in mind.
91 years old today and going strong. And I stand on the sidelines to help defend our country’s independence as I have all my life.
Long live Canada !
Laurel says
Thank you Sherry for this! My husband and I often discuss how Trump is going to turn our allies, and friends, against us. Fox Entertainment has its viewers believing other nations will look up to us. No, they won’t. They will band together against us, both in trade and support.
Our national anger is not with the rest of world, it is internal, and we will suffer the effects of this unstable man.
Sherry says
Dear Laurel, Skibum, Jim, Tony Mac and all the others who still live in “fact based” reality. . . Here we are in wonderful Ajijic, Mexico. Our amazing hosts are a couple of fellows from Canada who simply cannot get their heads around the insanity that is happening in the US.
I was actually interviewed for television by street journalists who wanted to know what I thought about trump and his immigration policies. Well, you can just imagine the ear full I gave them and their audience. I told them that in my opinion trump is the worst thing that has happen to the world in my lifetime. That trump is a criminal who is dividing US citizens against one another. When asked about immigration, I said that the US is a nation of immigrants and that the Mexicans and native American were living in what is now the US territories “FIRST”! I’m not even sure my interview was aired, but at least I had a chance to speak out publicly about the dangerous and embarrassing situation that is going on in the US.
Laurel says
Sherry: Enjoy! Also, while you are there, thank the Mexicans and Canadians for helping California to fight the fires, and that many of us do not want our allies to turn their backs on us for this unfortunate turn of political events.
I am concerned that when Trump sends the military into the streets, against those who do not align with him, that our allies will not be there to help us as we helped them during WWII. Maybe that’s a part of his plan. So far, Mexico and Canada are showing us they are rejecting his *policies.*
Mexico, Canada and Greenland are the future, as independent or sovereign nations. Insulting them is of no help to anyone.
Skibum says
Here, here! Long live Canada! I am a canuck at heart, have a number of Canadian close friends, one of which will be traveling from B.C. to Florida in about a week to stay with us once again for the umpteenth time. I had even contemplated moving up to Vancouver Island years ago, but neve followed through with that dream. I firmly believe that Canada is safe from the orange menace. I know for a fact that there is already a line of prospective hopefuls from up north who are just waiting for the day when they can book a flight down to the “states” to stand on his grave, unzip, and wiz away to their heart’s content.
Endless dark money says
We should become Canadians at least they have health care and way more freedom than murica. felons and billionaires don’t run that country.
Endless dark money says
Shows felonious leadership when you threaten your allies to distract the populous from your coming trade war.
Laurel says
And, distract us from Trump going after Medicare.
DaleL says
I followed the link to War Plan Red. There I found that it was Charles Lindbergh who recommended the use of chemical weapons. However, the USA had signed the Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases in 1925.
The annexation of much of Mexico (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo) followed and settled the Mexican American war. That war followed the American annexation of Texas in 1845 and a dispute over the boundary between Texas (USA) and Mexico. Mexico did not effectively control Mexico’s far north and west. Much of territory was Mexico’s in name only. In 1946, Mexico’s government was in shambles. The presidency changed hands four times and the war ministry six times. A British minister in Mexico (California) in 1841 urged the establishment of an English colony by any means in California. Perhaps in response, in 1842, Mexico forcibly replaced California’s native born Governor with one from lower Mexico. Mexico also sent an army, that had largely been recruited from Mexico’s worst jails. Californians were angry over this.
The situation with respect to Canada is entirely different. The USA and Canada do not have a territorial dispute. No province of Canada is separately independent such as was Texas. The US has no pretext for a war with Canada.
Finally, how exactly will Trump and his willing Republicans get enough Democrats in the Senate to have a 2/3rds majority?
Luis Arroyo says
I am surprised the author of the article left out the United States territory of Puerto Rico “Commonwealth”.
Unlike the British Commonwealth of Nations where each member is a Sovereign Nation within a communal Commonwealth based on England with the monarchy as the ceremonial head of state, American version of Commonwealth is just a nickname for statehood. You have the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and I believe the Commonwealth of Virginia. But these are all sovereign states of the Union. In addition there are two more Commonwealth that are absolute farces: the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Both of these are officially considered an incorporated US territories. And yet Puerto Rico through numerous federal court rulings and actions of Congress buttressing American citizenship there and the applications of federal programs and laws pertaining to the Constitution of the United States ,has “evolved” into a “de facto Incorporated” territory.
The tragedy of this is that what Puerto Rico is treated as an incorporated territory for defense, Federal judiciary ( the federal court of Puerto Rico is a statehood/Incorporated US Territory ArticleIII Federal court, while all other unincorporated territories have Federal courts falling under Article IV) and Taxation purposes, it reaffirms Puerto Rico as an unincorporated territory in order to justify the nine equal voting rights to its 3.5 million American citizens.
One can make the argument if Puerto Rico still isn’t a state after over 120 years under the American flag what is to say Canada might not end up in incorporate territory indefinitely?
Maybe the author was wise and not comparing Canada to Puerto Rico because while Puerto Rico has zero self sovereignty, Canada has all the sovereignties of a Nation and unlike Hawaii, Canada would enter the United States the same way Texas did. Texas was a brief Nation between the United States and Mexico last thing only 10 years but in a 10 years it was a very strong country with valuable resources for its time. The nation of Texas was 50/50 Anglo and the other 50% Spaniards & Mexicans who did not identify as Mexicans and Having learned to appreciate Freedom introduced by the American anglo’s wanted nothing to do with Mexico. The rest of the population were Mexicans who identified as Texans first and thus the term Tejano.
When the time came to our next Texas there was no talk of annexing it as a territory. That was unthinkable. Texas would convert from Nation to state at the signing of a presidential pen.
Texas was even given the option to come in as four separate states.
Texas being a Sovereign Nation was able to negotiate on equal terms with United States in skipping territory status.
Puerto Rico has zero sovereignty of its own. It is not equal to the US states because Puerto Rico’s sovereignty resides within Congress.
Canada’s two big and powerful in its own right to come in as a territory. That will never happen. Just like Texas Congress would most likely pass a joint resolution for Canada to pass from nationhood to statehood with the option of coming in is 10 provinces we may know them in the future as the Canadian States or One Singular state of Canada larger than California and eventually more prosperous than California due to its massive size and resources.
But I am sure it will never come in as a territory. Canada will never agreed to that. And with today’s politically charged climate in DC where Republicans and Democrats are always vowing never to allow a state that undermines the political power of the other side, will never be admitted if it’s looking like another California. In this scenario pairing Puerto Rico with Canada as a pair would not work since the popular thought is both will likely come in as Democrat States. It doesn’t matter Puerto Rico has Republican Governor now any major Republican territory legislature. Democrats were not admitted territory unless it has a Democrat counterpart. The Logical partner would be Canada as a blue state but the GOP will never allow Canada in if it promises to be a blue state. Even if Puerto Rico miraculously delivered in all GOP delegation, it will only be a maximum of six or seven well blue cat that will send at least 20 blue representatives to Washington. That is some thinkable in the GOP will never go for that. Even if it was proposed for Canada to come in as 10 provinces with some being GOP , Democrats will not allow a single GOP state to come to the union and that would trigger a retaliatory action from the GOP and kind . So Canada will not be a state for the simple fact us politics were not allow it.
Oliver Thomas says
The bluster and ignorance on full display by the incoming narcissist is both discouraging and nonsensical albeit ‘dramatic’ as only this ‘small hand man’ caricature can be. Canadian policy and ergo their society is built firmly on the principles of compassion, diversity and inclusion with a ‘live and let live’ bravado. Canadians are not intimated by others that are different from them which is reflected in their pluralistic, LGBTQ, women loving, multi cultural society. Ever the good Samaritan Canadians embrace the ‘tired, the poor, and huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ . This ‘care for others’ was on full display for even the USA such as November 1979 when they risked life and limb to save the US embassy personal in Tehran, Iran. (Yes, that was us they saved). We are considered friends, nay, BFFs, by our northern neighbors which makes the current rhetoric hurtful. DT should not mistake humbleness & meekness for weakness either. Canadians abhor a Trumpian world vision and would unleash a can of whoop*ss on the US should Donny truly move to expand his empire to the great white north. Taunting the gentle northern giant would awaken a ‘fire & fury the likes of which the world has never seen’ and it would start with gut punches such as turning off the Canadian oil tap that makes up 50% of US imported oil. So as one of Canada’s past prime ministers said over the weekend, ‘Give your head a shake’ Donny otherwise Canadian’s will do it for you.
Laurel says
Oliver Thomas: Bullseye! Thank you.
Charles says
Trump as usual is making a fool of himself, trying to act like some tough guy to impress his boss Putin, taking other peoples countries that don’t belong to him. Canada is laughing at him every time he opens his mouth.
Trump is as weak as the clowns he is putting into his cabinet, a bunch of con artist criminals all sticking together in a boiling pot of hot water.
Skibum says
The article talked about Cuba, which has been a thorn in America’s side ever since Castro came into power and brought communism to that very near neighbor. Because the U.S. has an established military base there and our U.S. military personnel currently occupy that part of the island on a permanent basis, wouldn’t it be reasonable to conclude that, if the U.S. was hell bent on taking over another country, the entire island nation of Cube would belong to America by now? Forget about Greenland… forget about Panama, and ESPECIALLY forget about Canada because neither the Canadian government nor the UK is ever, ever, ever going to enter into any treaty to give us our northern neighbor no matter how loudly drumph whines! The orange blimp can pout, jump up and down, cuss as loudly as he wants, throw ketchup at the WH dining room walls faster than his subservient minions can bring more to him, hold his breath until his orange bulbous face turns blue with rage, still, AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN!!!
Sherry says
Just a tiny bit from an article published in Macleans in Canada. . . just an idea of how the majority of Canadians feel about trump . . . love the line regarding trump’s threats “they are his attempt to distract the the country from its own suicide” absolutely brilliant:
Trump plans to install loyalist appointees whose stated plans are to gut the national institutions—the FBI, the CIA, the Department of Justice—to give the president-elect more impunity. As I write, Los Angeles is on fire.
And that’s what Trump’s threats are really about. They are his attempt to distract the country from its own suicide. Trump is a rage-attention machine. That’s how he has accumulated power. That’s how he is. But now that he has overtaken the Republican party and the U.S. political system, he must keep the rage machinery pointed outwards. Otherwise it will turn inwards. Civil war within his own base is already waiting in the wings. Eventually, Musk or Bannon will have to fight it out. It can be only one or the other.