Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
Let me answer that with a question....
If Texas voted to separate from the U.S., do you think the U.S. would allow it to happen? If Wales voted to separate from Britain, do you think the U.S. would support Wales over Britain?
The west has a way of sticking togething and supporting each other. In the case of Kosovo, you have a population with a different ethnicicity and language than the mother country, and an area that underwent genocide - and even that split the world community of whether or not it was legitimate seccession. With Alberta, you have no history of genocide and a culture homogenous with the mother country. If Kosovo set a dangerous precedent, then Alberta would set an even more dangerous one - one that would have severe implications in every country.
Face it, every country has regions that think the grass is greener on the other side. So I stand by my point that the international community would not recognize it because of the implications it would have on nearly every country,
It's all moot anyway. Quebec, which probably has an even stronger case for independence, has never been able to get more than 50% support in the own province. There was even a question then if the U.S. would support that.
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Well, let me be clear. I think we're getting too lost in could-bes and what-ifs on totally different levels.
For Alberta to even get to the point of International Recognition, one would need:
- A Catalyst to form the basic "Grass is Greener" complaining mentality, to a situation of unreconcilable differences. This could even be something with an Alberta-friendly federal government in office, for instance, another province separating first.
- A Referendum where the "Yes" vote has a Clear Majority, which probably would be more like 55-70% than just 50% + 1.
- Negotiations as per the Clarity Act to successfully figure out debtload, assets, passports, currency, type of separation (sovereignty association, outright secession, etc.), timeframe, military, any means to settle unreconciable differences (namely, a constitutional conference, money, etc.)
If Alberta/BC/Quebec/whoever actually got that far without Canada or the province(s) itself blinking and capitulating... then International recognition would come into play. This recognition would depend greatly on type of separation, amicability, etc.
It would set a collossal precedent, and the western world would be in new territory, and everyone would be looking anxiously at their potential breakaway states. This hasn't really happened before to a liberal democracy. The closest (but not the same) was Czechoslovakia... and the world accepted that unconditionally because it was an act of democracy. Europe didn't descend into chaos.
For a non-Canadian example, if Scotland seceeded from Great Britain democratically, and without any use of force, I think the world would have to recognize it, whether they like it or not. Largely because in executing negotiations and concluding them successfully, the former nation is, in itself, acknowledging the new nation's existence.