Great article. Well worth hitting the link and reading the whole thing.
There were these funny post-election maps going around the Net, which got me thinking about redesigning the layout of our continent, which is currently pretty sub-optimal. So, instead of sleeping, I did this…
…which seems to solve a bunch of problems at once.
We get three new nations: the Republic of American States (“the Republic”), the North American Federation (the “Federation”), and Québec.
[…]
Arrangements and Advantages
The three countries in North America should probably share a common currency, a free-trade zone, and European “Schengen” style border arrangements, as in almost no barriers.
The advantages of this redesign are numerous:
- Canadians get rid of the monarchy.
- No more fluctuating exchange rates, one currency is plenty on this continent.
- The Republic could pass lots of satisfying anti-sodomy and anti-flag-burning and pro-decency amendments, and make the Ten Commandments not just allowed but compulsory.
- We’d get to have three major constitutional conventions, with immense scope for newsworthy wrangling and creativity.
- People in the Federation won’t have to listen to politicians talk about God, while in the Republic they won’t have to put up with politicians who aren’t comfortable talking about God.
- There’d be a chance to junk the lame US greenback, adopting Canadian innovations: bills that are different sizes and colors, and coins for $1 and $2 denominations.
- At a stroke you create a major new Olympic-games power, and lots of satisfying rivalries.
- In particular, the Edmonton-Calgary and Montréal-Toronto hockey rivalries get added spice.
- While we’re doing sports, we can re-align all the major leagues into “Republic” and “Federation” divisions, except baseball, which is above issues of mere nationhood.
