A sovereign nation wants to be annexed by another country. So much for nationalism.

Wonder what would happen if Afghanistan and/or Iraq decide the only way to keep the Americans there was by petitioning to be annexed by the U.S.?

I mean, why is Imam Sistani working so hard to keep us from going?:)

"Ottawa", not "Ottowa".

This was considered in the seventies, then shelved. I doubt that it'll happen this time. But I have a relative buying some vacation property in the Turks & Caicos, so it'll be cool if it does become a Canadian territory.

And what do you mean, "decent suntanning territory?" Vancouver has one of the best and most popular nude beaches in the world. Fifteen minutes from downtown.

Stu, I doubt many people want to suntan in Vancouver in winter. I think that is what Dean meant.

Well Dean, we already get tons of refugees in Canada, and we seem to handle it fine. What's a few Cubans more?

And the crappy worth of our loonie actually helps our economy, because it causes Americans to come and spend their Almighty dollar more.

Alan - Its not the first time a soveriegn nation has voluntarily joined another. The Republic of Texas joined the USA in 1846.

Your comment about the Cuban refugees reminds me of a trip to British Columbia in the mid 90s. We were taking a car trip and listening to talk radio to get a flavor of the politics in the area. The current topic at the time (along with the problem of doctors fleeing to the U.S. to escape their nationalized healthcare system) was the problem of Chinese refugees. The callers were outraged the U.S. had recently cracked down on smugglers from China and, as a result, these refugees were flooding into Canada. How dare the U.S. do such a thing?! Have they no compassion? And, by the way, who's going to pay the bills for these refugees?

We, not being Canadian, found it all very amusing considering how sanctimonious some Canadians are toward the U.S.

In Civilization 3, if the culture of your city is really powerful, close by cities sometimes voluntarily join your nation. Canada must have uber awesome culture to accomplish this all the way across the world. Maybe Quebec will finally separate, and we can kick them all out and replace them with Turks & Caicos.

Its not the first time a soveriegn nation has voluntarily joined another. The Republic of Texas joined the USA in 1846.

And Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949.

"Stu, I doubt many people want to suntan in Vancouver in winter. I think that is what Dean meant."

What, you haven't heard of the Vancouver "rain tan?" :-) Yeah, okay, good point.

Dowingba: "Maybe Quebec will finally separate, ..."

Quebec seperatism is finally dead, at least for a few more decades. Good thing too, Canada wouldn't be Canada without Quebec, a really great place, and a really cool culture, IMO.

Yeah I know, Stu. I was just joking. I love Quebec. But I hear those Turks & Caicos dudes play a mean steel drum...

Dowingba: "But I hear those Turks & Caicos dudes play a mean steel drum..."

Dude, it's called "pan". Tourists call it steel drum. And that's T&T (Trinidad), not T&C (Turks & Caicos).

This a great idea! Get Canada into the imperialist spirit as well!

Dowingba, do you know what you are saying! You would lose your best looking women if you did that! Just send them down here. I have a few people I would like to replace.

Libertarian, I doubt you could handle it. I had a PQuist seperatist girlfriend for a year in Hull,and I was married to a Quebecois Marxist for ten years. Either one would have smothered a libertarian in his sleep.

I wonder if this annexation will have any effect on the amount of Canadian tourists traveling to Cuba every year. Should it provide some kind of monetary advantage for Canadians to go to the Turks and Caicos instead of the island prison, then Castro's tourism dollars would plummet.

Im all for it. Go Canada!

What do you mean, people like to sunbathe in Vancouver? I was up there in August and it was *freezing*! It was nice enough out in the sun, I'll admit, but the water couldn't have been warmer than 50 degrees. I turned purple.

Yeah, the water's chilly.

I'll have to remember that 'chilly' is Canadian for "What do you mean, you needed those fingers?"

Two points.

Texas was settled and founded by Americans. It was the same sort of deal that got us West Florida.

Newfoundland also had a lot in common with the country they joined.

The Turkos and Caicos islands is really the first case of a sovereign nation seeking to be annexed by what is, for all intents and purposes, an alien culture. They must like the way Canuckistanis spend, and want to make it easy for Canucks to visit.

"The Turkos and Caicos islands is really the first case of a sovereign nation seeking to be annexed by what is, for all intents and purposes, an alien culture."

As a Canuck who grew up in the British West Indies, I have to say that it's not that alien. Besides, they have an enormous amount of Canadian and American tourism right now. And Canada (especially Toronto) has a huge West Indian community, big enough to have a carnival.

Sorry, I don't buy this story. Could you say that this is a premature April Fools Day joke? I't hard to believe that I'm the first one to catch it.

If Canada was able to add these islands, it would rob Canada of its only real claim to fame: Leading the world in being slightly north of the United States of America.

NO NO....they got the wrong island. The Canucks should overtake Jamaica, and then they can have Aristide all to themselves. Anyway, since few Americans will now vacation in Jamaica, they will have to discount prices so Canadians will vacation there, and get to shake hands with a truly EVIL former dictator....that would sell to the helplessly crazy frozen brained Canucks.

You can't remain independent with a name like Turks & Caicos. They're probably tired of people snickering at international venues.
Anyway, what's the name of their nationality?

The Turkos and Caicos islands is really the first case of a sovereign nation seeking to be annexed by what is, for all intents and purposes, an alien culture.

What about Hawaii?

Here's an interesting found object: the 1864 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

DickD: "Canucks should overtake Jamaica, and then they can have Aristide all to themselves."

Jamaica? Aristide?

I'm guessing geography and current events aren't your strong subjects, Dick.

Aristide left Haiti to exile in Africa. He left Africa this month to stay temporarily in Jamaica. Jamaica, apparently is allowing him to stay no more than 3 months. The last time I hear, Condiments errr Condi Rice (in short for "fried rice") has threatened the Jamaican government that her government will make them pay if Aristide is not expelled from the island. Oooohhhh, don't make a Republican angry because they will shoot!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Sounds of reloading. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wow. I guess you're right!

Yours,
Wince

See what I mean? It didn't take long.

By the way, Wince. What kind of gun are you using that takes 9 bullets at a time?

There are some pretty nice semi-automatics you can buy which hold 8 in the clip and one in the chamber...

I was thinking of my Makarov, which indeed holds eight in the magazine plus one in the chanmber, but it occurs to me that I should have only shot eight times after reloading. (Pop the magazine in, chamber a round, eject the magazine, add a ninth round to the magazine, pop the magazine back in. That's an awfully slow tactical reload.)

I also have a nine shot .22 revolver, for which my previous comment would work exactly, although I don't have a speed loader for it.

Yours,
Wince