In the wake of Donald Trump recently suggesting Canadians want Canada to become a US state (they really don’t, but Trump is delusional), I remembered a lengthy discussion on an old message board where someone tried to suggest Britain might benefit as a US state, and it got me thinking. Would there be any conceivable benefit to Britain become part of the USA?
The short answer is no. The longer answer is an interesting exercise.
I am struggling to think of any reason for the UK – and indeed most nations – to become part of the USA. Don’t get me wrong, I do think there are things America actually does pretty well, but the fundamentals, like education, healthcare, and public safety? On these critical aspects, I would always favour British approaches, especially in where healthcare and safety are concerned.
I’ve written in the past about the comparative performance of the US and UK healthcare systems, and they are fairly similar, with similar outcomes, yet crucially, no one in the UK is going bankrupt over medical bills. This is the single biggest reason why I prefer the UK healthcare system, particularly at the moment.
In terms of public safety, I would never, ever want US-style gun laws and policies in the UK. The UK is substantially safer in terms of murder rates, and generally safer in terms of violent crime. The gun problem is the singlest biggest reason why I would oppose US policies governing the UK. There has yet to be any evidence to suggest that guns produce a safer society, and gun culture has overriden common sense, to the point where the right to guns means more than the safety of children in schools.
I could go on, but I am tired, and will have to ponder expanding this post. It might well be worth further exploration.
@Ben Berwick
I seriously doubt that Trump wants either Canada or the UK to become part of the USA. It is a cinch that almost no Republicans would vote for it. Why would Republicans want a minimum of four new Democrat senators?
Trump has a sense of humor, and he wants Canada to contribute more to its own defense. Keep in mind that this issue came up at the same time Trump was making an issue of Greenland’s defense. Therefore, he made the point humorously that if the USA is going to pay for the defense of these areas we may as well take over before the Russians and the Chinese do.
Of course, much of the rest of NATO also doesn’t spend enough on defense. Do you really think Republicans want to add most of the countries in the European Union as states? We want you to save yourselves. We don’t want to go down with you.
Frankly, Republicans in the USA believe we already have more than enough Socialists. We don’t want any more. You, for example, brag about policies that are clearly wrecking your country. Why would we want that?
There is also this irony. Most Liberals are big on globalism. However, if the USA suggests adding Canada as a state or states, you balk without even thinking it through because it was Trump’s idea. Apparently, globalism won’t work unless it is a stalking horse for Socialism.