In the year ahead, Albertans will make dark threats about separating from Canada. They will not separate. Everything is going to be just fine.
In Ottawa, the Prime Minister will describe in great detail how he will rebuild the military, balance the budget and develop the North. He will do none of those things. Politicians across the aisle will express their shock and outrage at this. They will, in fact, be neither shocked, nor outraged. Members of the Green party will stand up in the House and make many speeches. No one will be listening. The Bloc MPs will also make dark threats about separating from Canada. They will not separate. There will be much thumping of desks, shouting of insults and heckling of speeches. There will be exaggerations, obfuscations, deflections and dishonesty. Pundits will wonder why voter turnout is so low.
Journalists will break breathless stories about secret meetings (which were not secret), explosive revelations (which do not explode), and troubling findings (that trouble no one).
Next year American newspapers will write stories about Canada. We will all point this out and widely discuss the fact that an American newspaper wrote a story about Canada.
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