• UnderpantsWeevil
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    1 day ago

    There’s a broad compelling argument that a hard border between the US and Canada serves no practical purpose and a merging of the two would make sense.

    Of course, you could say the same of the US and Mexico. Or the US and any of the Caribbean islands. Really, the whole hemisphere.

    The problem is in the reconciliation of systems. Given their relative quality of life and function of governance, the US should really be joining Canada.

    • IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      So, I’ll put things this way; at no point in my life will I be an American citizen. I am willing to resort to violence to ensure this. And if the Internet has taught me anything, it’s that I’ve never had an original thought in my life. Do what you will that information.

      • kreskin
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        7 hours ago

        Would you let your country take over the US to save us from our broken government? We have a coupe things going for us… like… a lot of land. So theres ample parking.

      • UnderpantsWeevil
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        14 hours ago

        at no point in my life will I be an American citizen. I am willing to resort to violence to ensure this

        I’ll believe it when I see it.

        The number of armchair revolutionaries dwarfs any actual militancy.

          • UnderpantsWeevil
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            9 hours ago

            Quite a few. That’s the story of Colonialism, at least in the early era.

            American Natives, African kingdoms, and East Asian archipelagos fell like dominos when a colonial power promised a local faction opportunity to oppress their neighbors with foreign support. The English did it. The Romans did it. The Egyptians did it.

            Nationalism, in the modern sense, is relatively novel and largely a consequence of language uniformity, mass transit, and mass media. Even then, it’s relatively easy to get - say - a Russian enclave in a Ukrainian state to form a breakaway region at foreign prompting. Or an American political faction to elect a corporate puppet under the guise of “sticking it” to the last person in charge.

              • UnderpantsWeevil
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                9 hours ago

                I never said it was peaceful. But the colonized have fought for colonizers more often than against them.

                Not only were the colonized accepting of conquest. They were enthusiastic participants.

                • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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                  8 hours ago

                  That’s only when their current government sucked. People being oppressed might welcome a foreign invader.

                  People don’t welcome foreign oppressors. There may be some small number of collaborators, but things don’t end well for them.

                  • UnderpantsWeevil
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                    8 hours ago

                    That’s only when their current government sucked.

                    Far more common than you’d guess.

                    People don’t welcome foreign oppressors.

                    They regionally welcome foreign collaborators. Alberta is a great modern example of Canadians embracing Trumpism on their own terms.

      • BrokenToY
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        1 day ago

        Is there anyone out there gaming the best response?

    • Talcosis@lemmy.zip
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      1 day ago

      That’s just an argument the borders serve no useful purpose and should not exist.

      Which I 100% agree with, borders are useless wastes of effort for the sole purpose of massaging the egos of people with not enough going on.

      • UnderpantsWeevil
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        14 hours ago

        /r/UnpopularOpinion

        Clearly, the silent majority actually loves a stiff boot on the neck.

        • Talcosis@lemmy.zip
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          14 hours ago

          Eh, some do, but not a majority. I think only about 30% really do. (Check out theauthoritarians.org for a dude that dedicated 60 years of psychology career to that)

          I think it more illustrates the lack of imagination. People would fiercely defend the existence of their national borders, but for some reason they don’t much like the idea of being fenced into their house, for example. I guess there’s an arbitrary level of border that makes people feel nice.

          • UnderpantsWeevil
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            14 hours ago

            I think only about 30% really do.

            Your downvote margin suggests otherwise.

            People would fiercely defend the existence of their national borders, but for some reason they don’t much like the idea of being fenced into their house, for example.

            People talk a lot of shit. The overwhelming majority will be grumpy if their borders change, but have no interest in bleeding over it.