Our happy little one party state

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin is planting the idea of something noxious that might rebound to Canada's disadvantage twenty ot thirty years down the road.

As expected, Mr. Martin rhetorically wrapped himself in the Canadian flag this morning as he called a federal election. His main criticism of Conservative leader Stephen Harper was that he wants a "more American system" of governance, etc. Only the Liberals are "Canadian" in their political agenda.

Aside from being an ideal to one-party thinking, does Mr. Martin want to plant the idea that being a conservative is being an "American" in the minds of Canadians?

Imagine this...several of Canada's more conservative regions or provinces deciding that they will secede from Canada and become U.S. states. I can imagine, after decades years of Liberal appeals to avoid the "American" boogeyman, rash and poorly thinking Canadians deciding that they should ensure that their parts of Canada renounce the federal Liberal party forever by joining the United States.

If Mr. Martin keeps saying that Canadians can't "become American" by adopting conservative social policies and tax rates, then he has to consider what will happen if Canadians begin to say to themselves "What's so bad about that?" and decide to actually move or work for merger with the United States. It makes sense in a twisted sort of way. "Okay, if we can't be Canadians and have private medicare, then let's be Americans instead!" Just ask all the frustrated Canadians who have moved to the United States in recent because Canada just will not change [thanks to the Liberals] to become the kind of country that they would like to have.

In order to keep Canada as a viable country, we need both conservative and liberal Canadians to recognize that advocating policy choices and alternatives is not the equivalent of treason to one's country.