At the risk of looking like a simpleton, isn’t Alberta separatism basically just a US psyop to colonize oil rich land by gaslighting Albertans into voting to leave Canada and ultimately join the US?

I see the Albertans the same way as I see any defined group of human beings. Some are assholes but most are good people who would help you out if you needed it.

I’ve been treated fairly so far here when I mention I’m from Alberta.

People referring to Alberta as a whole I think the majority are cognisant that there’s not 100% maple MAGA living here. It just doesn’t need to be said every time for the sake of efficiency.

I suspect those dumb enough to write off everyone like that to be in the minority and they’re most certainly clowns.

Ontario elected Doug Ford twice. That doesn’t mean I hate everyone in Ontario.

Quebec copied our embarrassing malicious decision to charge for covid vaccine shots. I don’t hate everyone in Quebec.

So you’re hating on all of us because one person generalized? Curious.

I’m a middle-aged hard-left Albertan, and I don’t exactly know where to stand on this point.

On the one hand, I’ve been fighting against the UCP (and fucking Klein before that) for my entire life. I’ve marched with my gay friends in the '80s, stood against racists and transphobes on the streets of Calgary, demanded meaningful responses from my conservative MP/MLA/Councillor, tried to affect elections with information, and more - and I’m not fucking done yet! Better yet, there are MILLIONS of us in this province!

At the same time, I look at the US and think “OK, you tried and weren’t successful. Time to quarantine the entire fucking country until it grows up.”

So do I apply the same logic to my own province?

Look, we don’t deserve the support of the rest of Canada after an almost unbroken streak of shithead conservatives, but neither does Ontario or Saskatchewan or Nova Scotia. What we NEED is for people to remember the rest of us fighting, and to help us so we can help N.S. and fight against fascists EVERYWHERE!

I’m not looking for sympathy, I’m looking for someone to have my back so I can have theirs.

We’re better together. As a progressive nation. As a world leader. As a line in the sand against fascists.

The AB gov’t effectively just told Albertans that they have no rights, just privileges subject to the UCP’s whims by using the not withstanding clause twice. Where’s the pushback beyond talk? Smith is trying to normalize its use, and contribute to stripping our rights federally, straight from the playbook down south. Poilievre literally just said he’d use it.

We’re in an uncertain time and suffering at the whims of an American madman, and AB has sided with him. I think it’s safe to say YOU haven’t, and honestly most Albertans haven’t, but your gov’t has.

We live in a democracy, and like it or not, we’re defined by our gov’ts. The majority may not have voted for Danielle Smith’s UCP, but the majority absolutely did not vote to stop it.

Ya gotta understand, you live in the most American province in a time when America just started a trade war with us and threatened annexation.

For fuck’s sake you guys are up for a referendum next year to separate which could lead to the destruction of both AB and Canada. Honestly, I think there’s a good chance it’ll pass simply due to voter apathy. We’re in a threatened country, and even within our country, Alberta is threatening it.

Alberta has made it clear, maybe not you or yours, but Alberta has made it clear it doesn’t want Canada. I lived in AB for over a decade, and it’s full of good people. But good people mean nothing when they do nothing.

OP, I took a look at your post history to see what you’re referring to. I found one thread where, indeed, some people are hating on Albertans. Others aren’t. I also found other posts, including in the Canada community, with people celebrating the Albertans going on strike.

I’m not saying you’re misrepresenting the situation, and I’m not saying there’s not a problem. But I do think there is a selection bias going on here, and if we were to instead strive to interpret comments charitably and as obviously rhetorical in many cases, I think we’d find that there’s a lot less hatred against every single Albertan (and by sole virtue of being Albertan) than this post makes out.

Don’t have much to add but sorry people were dicks to you and Albertans as a whole.

Left, Right, I think everyone is just so used to demonizing those with whom we disagree that folks lose sight that nowhere is a monolith and even the most Conservative province still has a huge number of Progressives (and vice versa.)

Thanks for pointing it out though. I definitely will casually drop a “fucking Alberta” when Smith starts shit and forget how that sounds to the million(s?) who don’t support her.

I was born in Calgary. I lived in Alberta for 27 years of my 49.

In my lived experience: a lot of this disdain is earned. Albertans are entitled as fuck.

I’m in an Albertan union. WTF is taking so long with this general strike? Our union voted in favour, I don’t know the percentage, and a friend of mine told me their union voted 93% in favour of it.

What do you mean by “this place”? I see more hate towards anyone conservative leaning than I do towards Alberta. I say this as a Liberal at heart too.

some commentators here are hating on Albertans. Not all are. I understand it’s a sensitive issue, but try not to generalize large populations.

Some of the commenters here suck. Some are amazing. And there’s everything in between.

I am sorry you’ve had a bad experience, but I can tell you that I do not judge Albertans or reduce them to a single group. Hell, I have family in Alberta, and almost half of them are pretty OK.

Well, you’re not alone my friend. I have voted NDP at one point but Im definitely a small c conservative and generally vote Conservative. But good god, try presenting ANY kind of conservative viewpoint on social media and prepare to not only be called various insulting or downright evil names, but to be downvoted to oblivion. The hard fact is that social media leans left and sometimes FAR left. Im done with reddit, its turned into a cesspool and those who aren’t leaning left are just hundreds of bots and shills. Im not spending time debating with a bot. At least the fediverse isn’t popular enough or monetized to attract the platform destroying companies that have made reddit useless.

I’m at the same time terribly sorry that you get so much flack for things you’re not responsible for. But you also you’re the one responsible for growing a patience bone and understanding that this is just how stereotypes work, and almost literally everyone in this world carries a few of these on their backs. Hope you can use this experience to empathize with how other communities struggle with their own stereotypes, and incorporate that in your activism.

But the contrary seems to be happening, you seem to be missing the opportunity to self reflect. You’re not respectfully asking for respect, so you won’t get much. I understand you might have some emotions running high right now, but then again you don’t seem to be giving others any leeway either.

I AM an Albertan, and I have a hate boner for Albertans. The hate is 100% brought on by ourselves, and 100% deserved. The absolute manure that spills out of our legislature on a daily basis is embarrassing, and what is even more embarrassing is that a majority of Albertans keep voting for it, over and over. Don’t want the world to see you as inbred Maple MAGA hillbillies? Maybe quit acting like inbred Maple MAGA hillbillies then. Simple as.