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Voters in Scotland have turned down independence for now, but separatist movements continue across Europe, possibly threatening to dismantle Spain, France, and Belgium as well as the UK. The next milestone will be an independence vote on Nov. 9 in Catalonia, the region on the northeast coast of Spain which includes Barcelona; separatists are expected to win handily, but the vote is not binding on the Spanish government. Slate has a neat map showing what a completely redrawn Europe would look like, if accommodations were made for all movements that have joined a loose collective called European Free Alliance; a more complete but visually less satisfying map, including EFA holdouts such as Northern Ireland, appears in Wikipedia. The Washington Post has thumbnail descriptions of eight movements.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by VLM on Tuesday September 23 2014, @01:27PM
"basically exactly the same"
On the up side, better health care system (everywhere but Somalia is better than USA), and more polite.
On the down side, poutine.
I wonder if the UK would trade and let scotland out if they let us back in.
Honestly I think this is the most likely very long term outcome of the whole health care disaster in the USA. Once we totally crash the system and prove we're utterly unable to manage our own healthcare, in comparison to now where we're only mostly obviously unable to civilize ourselves, we'll probably join the canadian system / let them take our stuff over. One state at a time we'll just join the canadian system as if we're provinces. Probably some political BS were we "sell" them some kind of north american union Schengen area scheme in exchange they get monopoly health care rights over the USA, or maybe we'll "trade" timber rights somehow, like we get to cut timber there in exchange they get to administer health care here.
I have to ask myself, as a dude living in a state bordering Canada... if they invaded and took completely over, I really wouldn't mind. Not exactly a "red dawn" scenario, as long as they behave themselves I'd be pretty happy Canadian citizen. I'm not quite waving signs asking them to invade, but I'm getting pretty damn close. All they have to do, is a better job than D.C., which isn't going to be a very high goal to achieve. Mexico invaded and nobody was permitted to complain, so letting Canada do it is only fair.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 23 2014, @06:45PM
Poutine is fucking wonderful, and puts our healthcare system to work. ;)
I hear some of those sentiments from (more liberal) Americans fairly often, but that kinda shows that they don't know the state of Canada. We're probably on our way to an economic collapse that will make the USA circa 2008ish look like a minor market correction. We have record amounts of personal debt which is only increasing, our housing market in urban centers is absurd, and because of the way our unemployment rate is measured, we have more people unable to join the workforce than actually represented.
We may have bounced off the bubble a little lighter than everyone else, thanks to our wonderfully mismanaged resource industries, and some financial regulations that our current government is happy to chip away at, but when this one pops, we're in for a bad time.
(Score: 1) by pkrasimirov on Wednesday September 24 2014, @12:28PM
That would be the most polite invasion ever :)
"Sorry, would you mind me putting this flag over here? I hope it doesn't ruin your view, sorry... And may I recommend you these French lessons we offer! Yes, they are free, of course. Also... OMG is that a beer 6-pack you have over there?! So much beer only for one person? You drink that per week?? Hmm., I see... Well, just so you know you can always get help at that number here, anonymosity is guaranteed. Okay, great! Sorry, I hope you will excuse me now, I have to conquer a few other places around now. Afterwards I'm all yours, we can have BBQ or someth.. HEY, YOU!! YOU LEAVE THAT RABBIT ALONE, NOW!! The poor animal!"
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday September 24 2014, @02:05PM
Also their women are stereotypically beautiful and fit, compared to our own (seriously, are there any ugly canadian women, at all?) so just send the girls over with maple syrup bottles and canadian flags and it'll all be over. Another excellent reason for the USA to submit to domination by Canada.