I would like to take this brain bleeding completely incongruent missive as a prime example of eastern leftist copium.
In his article We owe Alberta separatists no respect he exemplifies the utter cognitive disconnect the east has towards how it treats the west as a resource colony.
Alberta Deserves Better Than Condescension: A Separatist Response
Abe Oudshoorn's dismissive screed perfectly encapsulates why Alberta separatism continues to grow. When legitimate concerns are met with sneering contempt and labeled "foolishness," you prove our point about Eastern arrogance.
Equalization: Follow the Money
Oudshoorn plays semantic games about equalization not being a "direct transfer" from Alberta to Quebec. Albertans aren't stupid, we understand federal budgeting. The point is simple: Alberta contributes tens of billions more to federal coffers than we receive back, while Quebec takes in billions more than they contribute. Call it whatever you want, but Albertans are funding services in other provinces while our own infrastructure crumbles.
The formula punishes success and rewards underperformance. Quebec deliberately structures its economy to maximize equalization intake while blocking pipelines that would benefit Alberta. That's not equality, it's exploitation with federal complicity.
Oil and Gas: Success Despite Ottawa, Not Because of It
Claiming the Liberals support oil and gas because production grew is like crediting someone for your success after they tried to stop you but failed. Northern Gateway: killed. Energy East: killed by regulatory changes. Trans Mountain: required nationalization after federal delays made it commercially unviable for private investment.
Bill C-69 didn't just add regulations, it created permanent uncertainty that drove billions in investment south. The tanker ban wasn't about safety; tankers already navigate those waters. It was about landlocking Alberta oil to please BC and Quebec voters.
Production grew because of technology, private sector resilience, and global demand, not federal policy. Imagine what we could achieve without Ottawa's boot on our neck.
We Are a Distinct People
Oudshoorn dismisses Alberta's political culture as mere "ideological preference." Tell that to families destroyed by the National Energy Program. Tell that to workers who've watched federal policies systematically disadvantage our core industries while subsidizing Quebec's aerospace and Ontario's auto sector.
We have distinct values: resource development, economic freedom, self-reliance, and Western democratic accountability. Our political movements, from Social Credit to Reform to Wildrose, reflect genuine cultural differences from Central Canada's paternalistic, government-knows-best approach.
Six senators versus Quebec's 24 isn't just "constitutional structure", it's systematic underrepresentation. We're told to accept permanent minority status in a confederation that takes our money while ignoring our interests.
The Path Forward
Oudshoorn claims separation is impossible due to Indigenous rights and federal lands. Yet somehow every other country that achieved independence navigated similar complexities. Treaties can be renegotiated. Borders can be determined. These are technical challenges, not insurmountable barriers.
Many Indigenous communities in Alberta are equally frustrated with federal mismanagement and would welcome negotiating directly with a provincial government that actually understands local conditions.
The Real Issue
Articles like Oudshoorn's reveal the core problem: Ottawa and Eastern intellectuals will never take Alberta seriously. Our concerns are "misinformation." Our grievances are "social media driven." Our political movements are "foolishness."
This contempt is why separatism grows. You can't build a country on mutual respect when one side dismisses the other as too stupid to understand their own interests.
Alberta built this country's prosperity. We deserve either genuine respect within Confederation or the freedom to chart our own course.