A reminder to myself

[dewline]

I refuse to become an American on any terms set forth by Donald Trump and his enablers and accomplices. I refuse to be coerced into American citizenship.

I am a Canadian by birth and by choice.

Should I decide to change this position, it will be in a time and place and for reasons of my choosing.

This is not meant as disrespect to the American nation and those who choose to be part of it, whether they are so recognized or not. In nationality, as in religion, there must be no coercion. I am convinced that most who see themselves as American agree with me on this point.

Those who demand the right to coerce any and all of us in such things...they have earned our shared disrespect and contempt.

I recognize and remember that such coercion has been committed by past and current governments of both Canada and the States. Such coercion must cease, and reparations made to whatever degree possible to those who've suffered as a result.

There are others things that need saying, and I hope to determine what those things should be. In the meantime, let's carry on with all our business matters and personal amusements to whatever degree we can.

Comments

[sabotabby]

It's funny because Canada's a fake country and I have not a speck of nationalism in me but if they try to annex us I'll pick up a gun because the only thing worse would be to be an American.

[dewline]

Noted. May we become a real country in an honourable way by your lights.

[sabotabby]

I am not sure there's such a thing as an honourable country.

[dewline]

I look at you, em_h, armiphlage and others like the people at my mother's care home, writer Linda McQauig, Charlie Angus and so on, and I think that with such people, we are building one. Intended as praise and encouragement.

[sabotabby]

You can have honourable communities, honourable people, but nation-states are predicated on extreme violence and exploitation.

[armiphlage]

On a totally unrelated historical note:

In 1939, Poland picking up guns was not able to halt the Nazis, as the Nazis had far more guns.

In 1939, Germany had access to less than 20 oil refineries. If the flow of refined petroleum was disrupted, the Nazis would not have been able to achieve air superiority or have armoured columns advance as rapidly.

With the benefit of hindsight, an effective action would have been to have a few people with clipboards and high-viz clothing sneak into refineries, read the clearly-posted signs saying what not to do, and then disobey the signs.

[dewline]

*looks at Alberta and Saskatchewan*

[armiphlage]

*looks at Louisiana and Texas*

[ndrosen]

As a statesider, I fully endorse your first five paragraphs.

[cmcmck]

Trunp misses a point that the Canadian head of state is a certain monarch- I know it isn't popular with everyone in Canada any more than it is here, but it could have its uses! It's well known that a certain king loathes Trump!

[dewline]

I think he's deliberately ignoring that point.

[cmcmck]

And ignoring royalty is never a good idea.

[extraarcha]

Actually, ignoring (so-called) "royalty" whenever and where ever possible is a total requirement.
The pretense of "royalty" is exactly the same BAD as "country" as is being talked about in other comments here. It's a SCAM and a SHAM that has gotten many, many people killed.
If some clown wants to be "royalty" they need to stay in their own country or on a stage in the obvious pretend story. If they come here, they'll be met with scorn and they'd need to be kicked out just like we did a few years back.

I hope Canada is too wise to let the felon in DC make you kowtow. A childhood friend was Canadian.
Peace.

[cmcmck]

Don't get me wrong- I may be a Brit but I'm a lifelong republican- it's just that the likes of Trump would think twice over offending one of that ilk.

Trump is being compared to the 20th century dictators but he's way more like the 18th century absolute monarchs.

[extraarcha]

You're giving tRump waaay to much credit for being able to think. He's all crazy emotional disconnected from reality and has been for much of his life. Baby of privilege and daddy issues, if not also mommy issues. Check Mary Trump's posts.
Now he's got a huge military and he thinks he can back down anyone, anyone at all, and he's a Mafia Don which trumps (sorry, had to use that) any "royalty".
Expect him to get even more stupid as his dementia progresses. Even a non-shrink is able to see him going down hill.

Now if i can just find someone to explain "royalty" to me which will not cause me to burst into uncontrolled laughter, it would be nice.
Seriously - why would anyone want some clown to claim to be better than you/we are and expect to suck up our money so they can pretend they're someone special?

[cmcmck]

I'm a 17th century military historian specialising in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (aka the 'English' civil war) and I'm sure you know what happened to Charles I Stuart!

[extraarcha]

Closest i can claim to being a Historian is that i was married to a Gov & History teacher for years. I've a kinda passing acquaintance with those times but had to do alookup for Charles for a memory refresh. I had heard of it but it isn't SciFi so not stored in active memory! (that's a joke, i hope you'll like?)
After rereading the thread, i think i've understood your comment. We can hope?
Peace.

[spiralsheep]

The US invaded Grenada, which was a commonwealth country, without apology.

(They also killed a lot of local people, but that's warfare and irrelevant to your point about diplomacy. Please excuse my aside for remembrance.)

[dewline]

I remember that one.

[spiralsheep]

Good, because a US military propaganda unit seems to have written the wikipedia page (and the locals keep putting up remembrance websites that don't always last long).

[thewayne]

Dude, refuse to become an American PERIOD. Our country sucks, and was betrayed by duped voters and a greedy old felon running the joint who only wants your country to strip mine it.

Ours is a terribly flawed country. Now, every country has its flaws, but ours are covered only by a very thin coat of very cheap paint. And in many places, that paint wore off a long time ago.

The USA should not be classed as a first-tier nation, I don't know that it should ever have been.

[pilottttt]

I think he just needed some of his constituents to say: "Look at him! That's our guy! Now he will restore his order all over the world!" But in fact, I think that nothing like this will happen. He just likes to say big words without being responsible for the consequences.