More on Alberta Separatism

Could it possibly be that the sudden emergence of "separatist" movements in Alberta (goodness, that sounds awfully close to bowel movement - doesn't it?) might just signal that the Conservative party is in fact shedding its radical factions?

Think about it for a moment - the radical wingnut cases in the province gravitated towards Preston Manning's "Reform" party like flies to a rotting carcass. Now, as the Conservative Party focuses its efforts on winning the pending federal election, we start seeing some signs of discipline in the party ranks. Like ragweed in a wheatfield, we spontaneously start seeing separatist parties emerging in Alberta. Makes one wonder, doesn't it?

The second bit about separatists that has always irritated me is the fact that they only seem to surface when times are boomingly good for Alberta. Where were these "separatists" agitating for change during the mid-1980s when our economy was struggling? Where were they during the 1990s, when our infrastructure was crumbling under Ralph's cutbacks? It seems to me that these are largely fairweather movements with no substantial roots to work from. (Like swamp grasses - very shallow roots, and they only come to life when the water table is high enough - a rare thing in the dryness of Alberta)