Will Canada Become The 51st St

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Is Canada going to be swallowed up by the United States? A political cartoon based on Pierre Trudeau's famous quote, 'Living next to you (the United States) is like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even tempered is the beast, one is affected by every twist and grunt.'; was made. This means when something occurs in the United States, we too are affected. If the United States goes to war, because we belong to N.A.T.O., Canada would support their position. If McDonalds, an American based company, were to close down, then many Canadian workers would lose their jobs since McDonalds is well established in Canada. Many Canadian businesses are American owned, such as Ford, Burger King, Chevrolet, Wendy's, and Walmart to name a few. Also, many more sports teams are owned in America than in Canada. For example, only 5 hockey teams exist in Canada, while the United States has at least 5 times more teams. Our players must be payed in American funds, and one American dollar is worth $1.50 in Canada. Those are some ways Canada is being swallowed by the United States.

However, Canada is a valued trade partner for the Americans. For example, the United States has a dire need for our natural resources, such as water. Having polluted their own water supply, the now looks to Canada for the solution to their problem. If Canada were to become a part of the United States, our water would become polluted, forcing the United States government to buy even more clean water from another country for even more people. Also, the differences in our political systems would mean change for both the United States and Canada, which would doubtlessly upset millions of people. Would we have a President or a Prime Minister? Indeed, our 'assimilation' would be difficult. However, youth would have little trouble fitting in, since we wear the same clothes, listen to the same music, watch the same television shows, and play the same games.

But how would the assimilation begin? The answer is simple. If Quebec were to win a referendum and leave Canada, we would lose much of our industry. After Quebec, the maritime provinces would also leave, which would cripple us further. In desperate need of a stable economy, we would begin negotiations with the United States. The House of Commons would become a meaningless symbol, along with many of our historical buildings and monuments.

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