Kosovo has declared itself independent and most right-thinking nations have recognized its independence. Except it seems Russia and Canada. Both are scared to recognize the right of peoples (small nations) within their borders to be independent. I have been a Canadian for over twenty-five years and all that time lots of people in Quebec have been saying they want to be independent and lots of people in BC have been saying “let ‘em go if they want to.”
In that this is a mining blog, I restrict myself to a single question: Can anybody tell me why mining would be any different if Quebec went the way it wants to?
I know the United States fought a bloody civil war to prevent the southern States going independent. But the South wanted to perpetuate slavery. While I have heard many say the rest of Canada cannot let Quebec be independent because of how badly they will treat the First Nations groups in their borders, I cannot see this as analogous to the US situation. Or maybe only the southern part of Quebec should be allowed to become a separate French-speaking nation and the north part could become two other independent nations, one speaking Cree and the other their own tongue.
Maybe it would be good for mining if Quebec went independent. They have some great ore bodies, and without the subsidies they get from the rest of Canada, they would have to develop their own mines to pay their own way. (For non-Canadian readers, I am told Quebec gets more money from the rest of Canada as a kind of stay-bribe, than they put into the rest of Canada.) And without the Ottawa department of fisheries to interfere, they would be able to open and develop their mines a whole lot faster than at present. So generally Canadian and Quebec mining companies would benefit from Quebec independence.
Here is to the success of Kosovo and Quebec. Vive liberte. Who cares about equality and fraternity? Let ‘em have life, liberty, and freedom to pursue happiness.
