Splitting a nation is not the worst thing that can happen

 

I remember being in elementary school and one day being told that we ought not to say Czechoslovakia anymore -not that we ever could say that name properly. But they split up, like Brad Pitt and [Insert Name], and became the Czech Republic and Slovakia. What impact did this have on my life? Well, it weakened their hockey team(s) for international tournaments, so that was good. Otherwise, that's about it. But I don't speak for the people of the two nations.

I came across a recent article (thanks John Paul Meenan for the referral) on the subject of splitting up America, penned by someone you may know. Guess Who?

Really, Guess Who. Or at least, the son of The Guess Who.

The article is by Tal Bachman, over at Mark Steyn's website. Tal Bachman is the son of legendary The Guess Who (and BTO) guitarist Randy Bachman. Tal has a mega rock hit to his credit also. 

It turns out that Mr. Tal Bachman can write as well. I mean write very well. Like, he's so high above me with writing. A snippet:

"The truth is, there's nothing particularly "united" about the United States these days. Even basic perceptions now differ. After watching the same video of 17 year old Kyle Rittenhouse, half the country thinks he committed pre-meditated murder, while the other half thinks he justifiably defended himself against weapon-wielding attackers. Same with the McCloskeys over in St. Louis: half the country saw them illegally threaten peaceful passersby; the other half saw them legally deter a mob of trespassers threatening their safety.

Half the country can't glance at Trump without envisioning him in a Nazi uniform shouting from the Luitpoldarena podium in Nuremberg; the other half just sees a pragmatic, commonsense guy, albeit of eccentric appearance, who just wants to make America great—hell, even just functional—again after decades of mismanagement.

Half the country sees Joe Biden as a mentally sound, principled, independent man who'll "calm everything down"; the other half sees him as the increasingly senile, corrupt, amoral puppet of cunning corporatistas and violent leftists. And we could spend another three hours thinking of examples just of the perceptual differences."

Bachman proposes three possible solutions to this great American divide. The final proposition is just that, a divide. No longer the ironic United States of America. What a pleasant thought... New York... California... Oregon...? Have at 'er with your "enlightened" policies of violent non-violence and non-Communist Communism. Wyoming... Montana... Texas...? Choose the higher road, and do so without fear and trembling of not being "woke" enough.

Alas, I understand that I am not qualified to speak on American politics, though I imagine dabbling at Mark Levin on Patriot radio makes more qualified to speak than most American university professors. But there is truth to the idea that countries can be too, how shall we say, Brobdingnagian (aka big). One only has to look at Europe versus North America. Seriously? Three countries for all that land? It would seem the natural tendency is to split into smaller groupings. The map of Europe is anything but dull. 

The truth is that I am all for smaller nations, or at least not the current North American model. I see no benefit in forcing Western Canada, where I live, to send billions of dollars to Eastern Canada every year, and then every four years having a Prime Minister of ill repute elected by the more populous East. Prime Minister Trudeau is the most hated person in my home province. None of this makes sense. There is no subsidiarity in a tyrant reigning over a portion of land he despises. A country that is not divided to be manageable will be end up divided morally, economically, and socially. 

But I rant. Check out Bachman's piece. All I know is this, the status quo for America is not sustainable. 

Soon the same will be said for Canada.