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Actually the U.S. economy alone is slightly bigger than the E.U. in 2013 at Purchasing Power Parity according to the IMF. But as you can see, China is catching up very hastily.
As for Canada, its GDP will be superseded by Indonesia in like 5 years and by Turkey after that if it stands alone.
Canada is losing its position at the international stage.
1. United States - US$16.7 trillion
European Union - US$16.2 trillion
2. China - US$13.4 trillion
3. India - US$5.0 trillion
4. Japan - US$4.7 trillion
5. Germany - US$3.2 trillion
6. Russia - US$2.6 trillion
7. Brazil - US$2.4 trillion
8. United Kingdom - US$2.4 trillion
9. France - US$2.3 trillion
10. Mexico - US$1.8 trillion
11. Italy - US$1.8 trillion
12. South Korea - US$1.7 trillion
13. Canada - US$1.5 trillion
14. Spain - US$1.4 trillion
15. Indonesia - US$1.3 trillion
16. Turkey - US$1.2 trillion
17. Australia - US$1.0 trillion
18. Iran - US$1.0 trillion
19. Saudi Arabia - US$927.8 billion
20. Taiwan - US$926.4 billion
For all those hell-bent on the idea of a MERGER - I have a great idea.
For years now, the United States has been experiencing political warfare due to huge divides in ideology:
- Red States vs Blue States
- Left vs Right
- Gay Rights vs Christian Right
- Women Rights vs Christian Right
- Democrat vs Republican
- Guns vs No-Guns
- Healthcare vs Each man/woman for themselves
.... this list can go on.
And it seems that these differences can never be resolved in the near future. However, 99% of these problems could be resolved if the power were solely in the hand of the progressive/ blueish states.
So instead of adding Canada to the US, why don't we subtract progressive states from the US and add them to Canada.
Canada would willing absorb states like California, NE States like NY, MA ... etc. Get my drift? The new Canada would have healthcare for all, gun laws for all, etc.
The New American can have Dallas, TX as their new capital city. Citizens can get guns at birth. And healthcare will be optional.
For all those hell-bent on the idea of a MERGER - I have a great idea.
For years now, the United States has been experiencing political warfare due to huge divides in ideology:
- Red States vs Blue States
- Left vs Right
- Gay Rights vs Christian Right
- Women Rights vs Christian Right
- Democrat vs Republican
- Guns vs No-Guns
- Healthcare vs Each man/woman for themselves
.... this list can go on.
And it seems that these differences can never be resolved in the near future. However, 99% of these problems could be resolved if the power were solely in the hand of the progressive/ blueish states.
So instead of adding Canada to the US, why don't we subtract progressive states from the US and add them to Canada.
Canada would willing absorb states like California, NE States like NY, MA ... etc. Get my drift? The new Canada would have healthcare for all, gun laws for all, etc.
The New American can have Dallas, TX as their new capital city. Citizens can get guns at birth. And healthcare will be optional.
.. ?
you forgot California alone is larger than Canada. So it will be more like US blue states absorbing Canada, not the other way around. Even blue states like Vermont, Maine etc have no interest of becoming part of Canada to deal with the high tax and gas price. It is completely impossible for the US blue states to adopt a Canadian system.
you forgot California alone is larger than Canada. So it will be more like US blue states absorbing Canada, not the other way around. Even blue states like Vermont, Maine etc have no interest of becoming part of Canada to deal with the high tax and gas price. It is completely impossible for the US blue states to adopt a Canadian system.
It's not about size, it is about political ideology. California is trying to get it's own "universal healthcare" but has a hard time doing that ..
MA is trying to pass gun reform laws .... and cannot.
What is a nation ... if not a collection of people that share the same ideas and values. And I wouldn't worry about size too much. I am sure many people would like to relocate to less populous areas.
Actually the U.S. economy alone is slightly bigger than the E.U. in 2013 at Purchasing Power Parity according to the IMF. But as you can see, China is catching up very hastily.
As for Canada, its GDP will be superseded by Indonesia in like 5 years and by Turkey after that if it stands alone.
According to that stupid logic we should merge with China since it'll be #1 soon and will remain there forever, for all we know.
A country's total GDP has nothing to do with the quality of life of its inhabitants, as evidenced by the fact that China, India, Mexico, Indonesia, Iran and Saudi Arabia are on that list, while the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand... are not.
I haven't read the book so I don't know if Diane Francis is out to stir the pot, or whether she just doesn't understand what the European Union actually is. Europe did not "merge".
What about British Colombia and Alberta leaving to join the U.S.?
B.C. cooperates well with Washington state, and they are quite dissatisfied with Ontario and Quebec taking away all their surplus but remain much more powerful politically.
Well let's not forget that Britain is also the mother country of the US too. The same people from Europe came over to North America and some settled on this side of the border and some on the other side. The people of the south (USA) fought for their independence first but Canada slowly gained it over time but there were lots of populations movements between the two countries over time. But let's face it, the UK and the US are probably closer allies today with each other than Canada is with either country. Many leaders from Winston Churchill to George Bush have always declared their special bond publically and the UK has gone along with the US in every major war over the past century. They are very tied geopolitically, Canada is tied to the US economically and somewhat socially too. Surveys also show that people from the UK see the US as their closest ally over anyone in continental Europe. Many people from France and Germany don't even consider UK to be part of Europe.
Consider survey results too (from wiki) which consistent come out the similar results:“In January 2010 a Leflein poll conducted for Atlantic Bridge found that 57% of Americans considered the special relationship with Britain to be the world's most important bilateral partnership, with 2% disagreeing. 60% of Americans regarded Britain as the country most likely to support the United States in a crisis, while Canada came second on 24%, and Australia third on 4%.In May 2010, another poll conducted in the UK by YouGov revealed that 66% of those surveyed held a favourable view of the USA and 62% agreed with the assertion that the USA is Britain's most important ally. However, the survey also revealed that 85% of British citizens believe that the UK has little or no influence on American policies, and that 62% think that America does not consider British interests.”
This is probably the post I agree with the most. While the relationship with the UK as the mother country of Canada is a historical fact, it has been greatly overplayed by a few posters here - at least when it comes to modern reality. Of course, there are some things that remain from this era, especially politically and institutionally.But modern Canada is firmly in the orbit of the US, not the UK. There is no doubt about that. If you want to go to a place that is more closely related to the UK as a mother country, go to Australia and NZ, and then come back to Canada. You will see there is no comparison.Also, while feelings in the UK towards Canada are generally positive as has been said here, there is nothing really "special" about Canada-UK for the average person. The UK's focus on almost all levels is on the US, and if there is any interest for the Commonwealth brethren at all, well that space has been taken up by Australia over the past couple of decades. Having lived in several Canadian provinces in my lifetime (including Ontario for many years), I can't say that I find the average person very in tune with things British, and if anything both the chattering classes and the average person in Quebec is as much if not more in tune with things from France as their equivalents in Ontario are with the UK.This is not a better or worse thing, but simply an observation. But it's still astonishing when you consider how much more remote the linkages with France are for francophone Canadians, and how institutionally and politically (except for the civil code of law perhaps), the commonalities are basically non-existent.
It's not about size, it is about political ideology. California is trying to get it's own "universal healthcare" but has a hard time doing that ..
MA is trying to pass gun reform laws .... and cannot.
What is a nation ... if not a collection of people that share the same ideas and values.
when talking about merging, it is all about economic size. Sharing the same idea and value? I don't Canadian do either. I don't even think Torontonians do. However, I agree with you that US west Coast and Northeast has more common with Canada in many aspects than with the red states. However, it will be too risky to exaggerate the similarity and interpret it as they would opt to be in the same country as Canada. Whether we get universal healthcare and whether gun ownership is allowed are probably not the deciding factor. The sheer gas price alone will deter 90% of blue states Americans from having anything to do with Canada.
What about British Colombia and Alberta leaving to join the U.S.?
B.C. cooperates well with Washington state, and they are quite dissatisfied with Ontario and Quebec taking away all their surplus but remain much more powerful politically.
Washington State is the most liberal state in the country! They even legalized marijuana. You cannot leave it behind with the likes of Mississippi and Texas. After the main merger, I would probably merge BC and Washington.
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