Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Ain't Gonna Happen

    Donald Trump has suggested he wants to integrate Canada into the United States. Why he wants to do that was not indicated. But the Prime Minister of Canada felt it was significant enough for him to visit Trump and persuade him that it was not a good idea.
   However, a spokesman for the Canadian government said it was only a joke. Even so, Justin Trudeau was on a visit to the incoming president when the suggestion was made.
   Couple this "joke" with an earlier suggestion that the U.S. somehow acquire Greenland and one wonders what kind of humor the incoming U.S. president has.
   In any case, from Canada's view, such a union would mean a loss of independence and loss of connection to the UK. And if Canada became a U.S. state, that would mean a loss of influence by present states, since the House of Representatives limits its membership to the national population of  1912, when the House established its total as 412 members.
   That means if Canada joins the union of American states, it would send two members for the Senate plus an untold number of House members, depending on its population. That would mean some existing states would lose some of its delegates.
   Or, if Canada splits into several states as it joins the union, each of its provinces would get several House members as well as two senators and a similar number of U.S. states would lose representatives.
   Already, this happens every ten years, when the national census determines the total population of the American states.
   Trump has already suggested acquiring Greenland to be part of the U.S., but that too was dismissed.
   But these questions remain: Was the incoming president only joking, or is he ignorant?
   Neither is appropriate.

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