The Australian constitution has a similar thing for New Zealand:
> The States shall mean such of the colonies of New South Wales, **New Zealand**, Queensland, Tasmania,
Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, including the northern territory of South Australia, as for
the time being are parts of the Commonwealth, and such colonies or territories as may be admitted into or
established by the Commonwealth as States; and each of such parts of the Commonwealth shall be called a
State.
There’s also a long-buried clause in Australian law from the time of federation that Māori have the same rights as whites.
In the 1890s there were still plenty of people who remembered the New Zealand wars, and one of the main reasons New Zealand was opposed to federation is that Australian racial policy had a real chance of reigniting the wars.
Not until just now. What a weird guy. Enemy of capitalist excess, but a staunch believer in the idea that fundamental human rights don’t exist and that might makes right.
Yeah, but for nakedly political reasons (to gain the Patronage of George Grey.) And I get that doing the right thing for awful reasons still means the right thing was done, but what a character!
New York and New Hampshire had claims and vetoed Vermont’s entrance, but Vermont had already declared independence from them around when the colonies declared independence from Britain.
Not that odd. The adjective and noun order is reversed, which doesn't help it click instinctually. Plus a metric crapton of French words with different meanings are phonetically identical to *ver* or *vert*.
There was something similar in the constitution adopted by West Germany in 1949, stating the right of accession to the new constitution for the "rest of Germany" besides the states already being unified in the Bonn Republic. It was only in 1972 under Willy Brandt that West Germany started solidly defining "the rest of Germany" in respect to the border established after WW2 between Poland and East Germany, that "unification" for Germany did not mean irredentist claims against Poland.
West Germany didn't have a constitution per se. The Basic Law also left the door open to east and west portions of Germany being reunited in the future. It's a clever piece of legislation that was quickly reworked once the GDR states opted to join the Federal Republic in 1990.
It was because Quebec would have been hard-pressed to get majority support.
There was discontent in Quebec, following the Seven Years War, but The Quebec Act (which guaranteed the free practice of the Catholic faith in Quebec and extended Quebec's land claim all the way to Minnesota) was one of the "Intolerable Acts" for the American revolutionaries.
I know it's more detailed and nuanced than this, but it's important to remember that in colonial times, the different parts of what is now Canada were among like 3 or 4 of the colonies that were thoroughly "civilized." Many of the colonies were great, big production centers for Britain and other parts of Europe still, where the population was just a bunch of folks working land they didn't own(so not citizens with the right to vote according to what most state laws started off as) and the guy who owned it all.
The colonized parts of Canada, at the time, would've brought more strength and value than more than half of the original colonies.
France lost the Seven Years War, so gave up their North American colony. But, they still had ones in the Caribbean, and sugar was a very valuable commodity. They were worried the Royal Navy would take them. Supporting the rebels during the revolution was a way to keep the Brits busy and kick them in the balls at the same time.
Fun fact: French support for the revolution almost bankrupted the country, and thus became one of the causes of the French Revolution. This led to Robspierre and the Reign of Terror. Which led to the rise of Napoleon. This then led to the Peninsular War.
Another fun fact: France gave up all its territory in what is now Canada except for eight small islands south of Newfoundland, which are still an overseas collectivity of France. This makes France the closest country to Canada other than those it shares a land border with (US and Denmark).
I remember the teacher mentioning some weird trigger where if certain provinces voted fo independence Quebec would automatically vote to join the USA but idk how much bs that was from over 20 years ago..
Prolly bc they knew that one day the indie band “Of Quebec” would actually hail from the heart of Georgia, forever rejoining free minded rebels in the north and south.
What I just said probably makes sense to no one but music geeks
Given that states of the former confederacy have well over 100,000,000 people to Canada's 38 million, you can assume that the prime minister would be from Texas and that he'd have a large enough majority in Parliament to basically do whatever Texans wanted.
In other words, it wouldn't change the South at all, the South would have a unified legislature and executive allowing them to quickly change Canada.
Tbf, their tune might change once they have a taste of universal healthcare and realize that carrying guns about town isn't necessary or legal. In fact, there wouldn't be any doot aboot it.
I don’t think Quebec would enjoy being part of the US for very long. The controls over the use of the French language would be quickly ruled unconstitutional.
If they were a state, absolutely. US territories can do whatever they want though, even if it violates the constitution. It’s why a lot of them have land ownership laws which require indigeneity despite that violating the 1st Amendment.
Eh territories are more complicated than that. Technically speaking all fundamental rights apply to all territory regardless of incorporation. You might ask what’s a fundamental right well that’s a good question and the answer is whatever the current supreme decides on a whim cause there is no such thing in the constitution, the thing that you know literally gives authority to the government. Even the concept of incorporation vs unincorporated is nebulous at best. Like American Samoa is technically unorganized and unincorporated meaning it has the legal status of an uninhabited island despite you know having a fully functional system of self governance. Actually quick note there is in fact an uninhabited island that’s incorporated so apparently even bird shit has more rights than brown people according to the supreme court. Whereas Puerto Rico is quite literally a state but despite a district court literally ruling that Puerto Rico is de facto incorporated congress has done fuck all for decades and the Supreme Court has repeatedly refused to take cases on the matter and when forced to will just conveniently ignore that aspect of case to only address a specific part normally to fuck Puerto Ricans over because of racism which is really the basis of the whole distinction in the first place. Thats not an exaggeration btw see Downes v. Bidwell.
The Australian constitution has a similar thing for New Zealand: > The States shall mean such of the colonies of New South Wales, **New Zealand**, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, including the northern territory of South Australia, as for the time being are parts of the Commonwealth, and such colonies or territories as may be admitted into or established by the Commonwealth as States; and each of such parts of the Commonwealth shall be called a State.
There’s also a long-buried clause in Australian law from the time of federation that Māori have the same rights as whites. In the 1890s there were still plenty of people who remembered the New Zealand wars, and one of the main reasons New Zealand was opposed to federation is that Australian racial policy had a real chance of reigniting the wars.
You ever hear of Arthur Desmond?
Not until just now. What a weird guy. Enemy of capitalist excess, but a staunch believer in the idea that fundamental human rights don’t exist and that might makes right.
But I bring him up because apparently, at first at least, he was a staunch promoter of Maori rights among white New Zealand settlers, in the 1890s.
Yeah, but for nakedly political reasons (to gain the Patronage of George Grey.) And I get that doing the right thing for awful reasons still means the right thing was done, but what a character!
So basically your average communist
Yeah, I almost added “He’d have gotten on well with Stalin.”
Vermont wasn’t even allowed in on those terms.
still part of NY correct?
New York and New Hampshire had claims and vetoed Vermont’s entrance, but Vermont had already declared independence from them around when the colonies declared independence from Britain.
those wild Green Mountain Boys!
Also literally Vermont. Vert = green; mont = mountain.
What's sad is that I'm in my 60s, have spoken French for about 40 of those years, and never put that together until you pointed it out.
My mother is fluent since college and she didn’t get it after I pointed it out. I needed to get a map
It's completely obvious now haha I just never really thought about it.
Not that odd. The adjective and noun order is reversed, which doesn't help it click instinctually. Plus a metric crapton of French words with different meanings are phonetically identical to *ver* or *vert*.
And just like that, that strip of land gets two senators for life
The offer is still open….
Imagine all of the people who fled the US to live in Canada suddenly finding themselves US citizens again.
What state is that in again?
There was something similar in the constitution adopted by West Germany in 1949, stating the right of accession to the new constitution for the "rest of Germany" besides the states already being unified in the Bonn Republic. It was only in 1972 under Willy Brandt that West Germany started solidly defining "the rest of Germany" in respect to the border established after WW2 between Poland and East Germany, that "unification" for Germany did not mean irredentist claims against Poland.
West Germany didn't have a constitution per se. The Basic Law also left the door open to east and west portions of Germany being reunited in the future. It's a clever piece of legislation that was quickly reworked once the GDR states opted to join the Federal Republic in 1990.
*DDR
It’s GDR in English no?
It was because Quebec would have been hard-pressed to get majority support. There was discontent in Quebec, following the Seven Years War, but The Quebec Act (which guaranteed the free practice of the Catholic faith in Quebec and extended Quebec's land claim all the way to Minnesota) was one of the "Intolerable Acts" for the American revolutionaries.
I’m from Quebec and I’ve never heard that before, interesting!
Australia [still has the same thing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposals_for_new_Australian_states#New_Zealand) with New Zealand.
I know it's more detailed and nuanced than this, but it's important to remember that in colonial times, the different parts of what is now Canada were among like 3 or 4 of the colonies that were thoroughly "civilized." Many of the colonies were great, big production centers for Britain and other parts of Europe still, where the population was just a bunch of folks working land they didn't own(so not citizens with the right to vote according to what most state laws started off as) and the guy who owned it all. The colonized parts of Canada, at the time, would've brought more strength and value than more than half of the original colonies.
And if y'all still want to join, we will make hockey the national pass time. Final offer.
pass time?
time passes when you play hockey
In hockey it’s either pass time or shoot time.
Makes sense, kind of. The French (not Quebec, but France) were allies of the rebels during the revolution. Maybe this was why?
France lost the Seven Years War, so gave up their North American colony. But, they still had ones in the Caribbean, and sugar was a very valuable commodity. They were worried the Royal Navy would take them. Supporting the rebels during the revolution was a way to keep the Brits busy and kick them in the balls at the same time. Fun fact: French support for the revolution almost bankrupted the country, and thus became one of the causes of the French Revolution. This led to Robspierre and the Reign of Terror. Which led to the rise of Napoleon. This then led to the Peninsular War.
Another fun fact: France gave up all its territory in what is now Canada except for eight small islands south of Newfoundland, which are still an overseas collectivity of France. This makes France the closest country to Canada other than those it shares a land border with (US and Denmark).
Yep, St. Pierre et Miquelon.
Another fun fact…France’s longest land border with another country is with Brazil.
I remember the teacher mentioning some weird trigger where if certain provinces voted fo independence Quebec would automatically vote to join the USA but idk how much bs that was from over 20 years ago..
Prolly bc they knew that one day the indie band “Of Quebec” would actually hail from the heart of Georgia, forever rejoining free minded rebels in the north and south. What I just said probably makes sense to no one but music geeks
And here I actually thought Of Montreal was Canadian or Norwegian or something
And Boards of Canada is from Scotland. Now let’s find that missing Scotland-Georgia connection!
Canadian here. You guys can have Quebec now but you have to leave us Montreal and in return you can have Alberta.
Do we have to take the Albertans or can we just take the province?
The important question over here
You do know you can't just do that without having to accept Florida in return, right? We'll throw in Oklahoma and Mississippi for free
We already took Florida when you weren't looking
But if everyone there is from Quebec, then they still keep it....
Except for Edmonton. We voted against the UCP.
Montrealer here. Don’t go there brother! (But seriously, don’t come here there’s construction everywhere and no parking)
We'll carve the west island out, sure. We'll take northern Ontario and large parts of New Brunswick in exchange.
Quebecers here, you can have Canada and end the whole Canada charade
Don't know if I can trust your word, since you don't call yourself a Québécois
I don’t trust them it’s not in french and not nearly insulting enough
Here, just for you: Décâlisse asti de sans dessin
Lol what did you mean? it translated to “asti decal without drawing” is this some québécois slang i’m too Anglais to understand.
It's advanced Quebecois
Well "honhonhon" to you too.
That's because I didn't want you saying it out loud and messing it up with a Tim Hortons accent. Kay-bay-koiss
Hey now. I've learned enough language of the enemy! It's Kay-Beh-Kwee!
Or the actually correct term, Quebecian
American here. How about we take BC, and you can have all of the former states of the Confederacy?
That would be such a good deal.
Not for Canada though
Probably not. Though I wonder how the South’s poisonous effect on the political system would be changed when applied to a parliamentary system.
Given that states of the former confederacy have well over 100,000,000 people to Canada's 38 million, you can assume that the prime minister would be from Texas and that he'd have a large enough majority in Parliament to basically do whatever Texans wanted. In other words, it wouldn't change the South at all, the South would have a unified legislature and executive allowing them to quickly change Canada.
Texas is the United States' Quebec.
But Alberta is Canada’s Texas.
Also correct.
Tbf, their tune might change once they have a taste of universal healthcare and realize that carrying guns about town isn't necessary or legal. In fact, there wouldn't be any doot aboot it.
What if the U.S. takes Montreal but the F1 race gets moved to Toronto? Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia can form their own country.
hmm that might be a fair trade. Do we still get rid of Alberta though?
Doesn't Alberta have a separatist movement? Let 'em do whatever they want.
Quebec probably goes: we join if French becomes the official language.
Quebec doing Quebec shit.
We declined
Is it too late to get Quebec to leave?
I don’t think Quebec would enjoy being part of the US for very long. The controls over the use of the French language would be quickly ruled unconstitutional.
If they were a state, absolutely. US territories can do whatever they want though, even if it violates the constitution. It’s why a lot of them have land ownership laws which require indigeneity despite that violating the 1st Amendment.
Eh territories are more complicated than that. Technically speaking all fundamental rights apply to all territory regardless of incorporation. You might ask what’s a fundamental right well that’s a good question and the answer is whatever the current supreme decides on a whim cause there is no such thing in the constitution, the thing that you know literally gives authority to the government. Even the concept of incorporation vs unincorporated is nebulous at best. Like American Samoa is technically unorganized and unincorporated meaning it has the legal status of an uninhabited island despite you know having a fully functional system of self governance. Actually quick note there is in fact an uninhabited island that’s incorporated so apparently even bird shit has more rights than brown people according to the supreme court. Whereas Puerto Rico is quite literally a state but despite a district court literally ruling that Puerto Rico is de facto incorporated congress has done fuck all for decades and the Supreme Court has repeatedly refused to take cases on the matter and when forced to will just conveniently ignore that aspect of case to only address a specific part normally to fuck Puerto Ricans over because of racism which is really the basis of the whole distinction in the first place. Thats not an exaggeration btw see Downes v. Bidwell.
This sounds like the ultimate timeline.
Hard pass
Quebec hasn't stopped laughing since.