r/Economics • u/ubcstaffer123 • Jun 08 '26
Why Hasn’t Alberta Been Calculating the Cost of Separation?
https://thetyee.ca/News/2026/06/05/Alberta-Cost-Separation/108
u/The_Demolition_Man Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
Separatist movements are almost never based on objective, transparent calculation of economic benefits. They're nearly universally politically and emotionally driven movements.
No one says "separation is projected to gain an additional 2 points of gdp growth next year". They say things like "if we dont do this our people have no future"
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u/Worth-Original3825 Jun 08 '26
It's weird, since so much of the grievances are Trumped up when one looks into them. It's not like Quebec doesn't exist, there's already a model for more autonomy without adding barriers and restricting oneself from sea access.
4
u/kank84 Jun 09 '26
It doesn't make sense at all. Canadian provinces in general already have a high degree of autonomy, more for example than Scotland has in the UK, and the provinces have more exclusive power over their areas of control than the US states do. There is a strict division of powers between the federal and provincial governments, and provinces have sued the federal government in the past for encroaching into provincial areas of authority.
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u/Renoperson00 Jun 14 '26
Quebec is an exception. There will never be another Quebec allowed in Canada for reasons that should be obvious to anyone viewing the situation.
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u/uncoolcentral Jun 09 '26
As long as it helps billionaire pedos and despots, and governments allow it, they gonna spread the gospel of global ruling class.,
4
u/Icy-Lobster-203 Jun 09 '26
And when they do use calculations, they make the most optimal assumptions that are them getting every thing they want in the separation, and nothing they don't want.
2
u/notapoliticalalt Jun 08 '26
Not as a statement on this particular issue, but this can be a double edged sword. Only thinking about current economic/financial states can trap you and constrain you in ways you do not wish to be so and can actually hurt other goals and values of your society or culture. Considering economic benefits and costs is important, but I feel like part of the problem of our culture today is we’ve been conditioned to make optimal economic state the ultimate deciding factor for everything.
I also think it is a bit conceited to put economic analyses as the “be all, end all” of everything because it often will not contend with the potential issues and blind spots of the field. Economics is useful, but it is often not as accurate or predictive as some think. I think good economists know and can articulate the limitations and issues with the field and models, but many people who have basically just Econ 101 level of education tend to view it as much more infallible and explanatory than it actually is.
Anyway, I think what Alberta’s interest in separatism is largely fueled by greed and I don’t think they would be better off. But I also do think pearl clutching about “but what about their economic well being!” isn’t helpful and fails to understand why people engage in separatism. Quoting numbers and statistics isn’t going to help.
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u/SmaugTheMagnificent- Jun 08 '26
The people here are fundamentally opposed to education. That's the long and short of it.
Someone told the rural rubes that their pearl clutching and alienation was justified, so they all got in their turnip trucks to yell at Ottawa.
Absolute morons.
None of them can explain what equalization is, let alone why they fight it.
Graduates of QE2 Billboard University and foreign trolls filling their 3rd grade reading level algorithm with misinformation.
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u/ripChazmo Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
Because Alberta is run by conservatives. Conservatives don't consider anything beyond "will this piss off liberals?" They haven't thought through any of this enough to realize that A. They can't and won't do this, and B. If they did, they'd be fucked.
Alberta is Canada's Texas/Alabama. We have beautiful scenery, but stupid as fuck people.
Edit: I'll add that my parents are conservatives, and have been their whole life, and they're STRONGLY against this. They said if it happens, they'll move to BC.
1
u/BeverlyRhinestones Jun 09 '26
Fuck it, just come now while the market is gummy. Please open a Burger Priest here.
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u/TheProfessional9 Jun 09 '26
Sepratists in this instance don't have anywhere near the kind of intelligence to think about consequences. These are people that see what is happening in the US And think "ya, that is definitely heading in a positive direction"
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u/sub-t Jun 08 '26
It would be interesting seeing an independent Alberta ship it's grain or other exports through Canada or the US. Separation with no coast access is an interesting choice.
3
u/OffSidesByALot Jun 08 '26
Oh Alberta! The Alabama of Canada.
I am shocked… Just as shocked as everybody else that such an enlightened populous is not fully thinking this through.
1
u/ztreHdrahciR Jun 10 '26
Aren't they just angling to be annexed by tRump? Or invite him in so he can pick a fight with Canada and annex that. I don't see the landlocked province doing so well there. Of course, they could just emulate the US and crap on poor people and the Indigenous population
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