The European Union is not at all like the USA, but it grows steadily.

Do you suppose the USA will get a fiftyfirst State in the foreseeable future - and perhaps more States? What areas can become new States?

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

Well its kinda different. I dont think american states are sovereign, so they cant chose to leave the US, while this is one of the building blocks of the EU.

Another difference is that, although there are lots of EU-wide standardized laws made in brussels, some policies which identify something as a "nation" are still in the hands of the member states. Although people like me would like things defense and foreign policy to be determined only on a european level, this is not the case yet.

What is recently in the news is the formation of an "american union" with mexico and canada. I dont really know anything about it but if this is another step towards greater equality in the world I can only applaud it.

We're working on Iraq and Afghanistan right now.




Just kidding, I just wanted to throw it in there before someone else.

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Anyone who thinks freedom comes cheap, please put the blindfold on and stand against the wall.

Many times I believe Americans will have to take back the country and start a new government.

I cant really imagine any state who would want to join the USA at the moment anyway. Perhaps Albania?

Interesting, I can't imagine any state that is worthy to join the USA.

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One day, I will sneak across the border into Canada and be an illegal alien. It will be fun.

Few things here:

1) American should be capitalized - no, this isnt a case of the grammar or spelling police. Not capitalizing it is disrespectful.

2) Yes, American states most certainly ARE sovereign, and yes, they can choose to leave. That question has not legally been settled.

3) This isnt a discussion about the differences between the US and EU.
So?
Im curious; how do you figure an American union with Mexico and Canada is a step towards greater equality? Were such a thing to happen, we would be absorbing Canada and Mexico and making them part of the United States.

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In case you were wondering, yes, there really ARE more idiots these days....technology has made natural selection obsolete.

Thank you once again for your uninformed anti-American comments.

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In case you were wondering, yes, there really ARE more idiots these days....technology has made natural selection obsolete.

I'd love to see Texas and California broken up into the 3 and 2 states (respectively) their Constitutions allow for. They bear far more political power than they deserve.

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

We have 14 territories. I guess at some point these could become states. Alaska and Hawaii were both territories prior to gaining statehood in 1959.

Our current territories include:

• Guam
• Northern Mariana Islands (commonwealth)
• Puerto Rico (commonwealth)
• United States Virgin Islands
• American Samoa, technically unorganized, but self-governing under a
• constitution last revised in 1967
• Baker Island, uninhabited
• Howland Island, uninhabited
• Jarvis Island, uninhabited
• Johnston Atoll, no indigenous inhabitants, only military personnel and contractors
• Kingman Reef, uninhabited
• Midway Islands, no indigenous inhabitants, currently included in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
• Navassa Island, uninhabited (claimed by Haiti)
• Wake Island, no indigenous inhabitants, only contractor personnel (claimed by the Marshall Islands)

Territory of Hawaii - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Territories of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Thems fightin' words! Too many illegals, huh? However, I would like it if you would explain your opinion. BTW, did you know Texas is the state to gain statehood via treaty. We were not bought nor won. We were a country who said, "Hey, we wanna be a state"

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Oh, believe me. We Coloradans have a special place in our hearts for Texas.









The problem with both California and Texas is that they wield way too much power in the political process (Florida is getting that way, too). And, since they both have provisions in their constitutions for divisions, IMHO it's time to divide them up to reduce their disproportionate power.

Of course, it may just be bitterness on my part. I'm willing to admit that.

__________________
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

So the comparison is not that good because we are comparing an international organization to a nation. Its like comparing the amount of new people who donated to unicef to the amount of new recruits for the army.

Well if mexico would join the united states there would probably be a reasonable transfer of money from north to south to bring their infrastructure, education, health care etc. to the level required by the governement. It would also give better chances for many mexicans in the 'old' US areas and improve the mexican economy. It would make north america as a whole more equal. Compare it to the merging of the BRD and the DDR.

I was partly serious. Who, do you think, would want to join the US?

Do you want me to tell you the secret? The secret really is the illegal immigrants. The US Census is not allowed to ask if a person is legal or illegal therefore illegals are counted in the census. The census is what is used to determine the number of electoral votes and members of the house a state recieves. So, you may be on to something, although it may not be more power then we deserve, but more power then we are actually entitled to.

Is Colorado one of the states that can divide up their electoral votes? I'm thinking it is, if so, what are the pros and cons of that?

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Now we've gotten our pissing matches out of the way...

It seems like the area most likely to become a state would be Puerto Rico. However, there are a lot of Puerto Ricans who would rather be the Country of Puerto Rico rather than the fifty-first state. I also think that there is some economic issue that would change if they became a state? Something about tax revenue compared to tax use? I can't remember, and may be off base, but for some reason I thought that Puerto Rico (despite not being represented) is in a rather cushy posish.

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I'm telling! I'm horrible at keeping secrets!



As far as dividing electoral votes, we actually turned down that referendum (amendment?) in '04. Honestly, I don't know that we'd have seen much impact either way; nobody pays much attention to us here.

Unless they want to go skiing of course.

__________________
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears