OK, the lets think about how it might be structured.
Would there be a continental administration, a constitution, big buildings, and the trappings of sovereignty?
No! The new system would be based on electronic communication and which favors de-centralization so it would seem simpler, cheaper, and more effective to have it based on regional councils. These might be made up of delegates from existing state and provincial legislatures, who would, in turn, send delegates to a central body.
Would there be a continental administration, a constitution, big buildings, and the trappings of sovereignty?
No! The new system would be based on electronic communication and which favors de-centralization so it would seem simpler, cheaper, and more effective to have it based on regional councils. These might be made up of delegates from existing state and provincial legislatures, who would, in turn, send delegates to a central body.
I suggest that the central body, for historic reasons, might be called the Continental Congress. Some Canadians might object to that name as too ‘American’ but it would be appropriate.
The Continental Congress could be a ‘moveable Feast,’ traveling the continent rather than being established in one place inside a gigantic building with a huge staff. By meeting in various centers, like the original Congress of the United States and the first Parliament of Canada, the delegates would come to know the continent and dialogue with its people. By keeping numbers small, they would be able to use existing facilities in national, state and provincial capitals.
When not in session, electronic communication would permit them to keep in touch and attend day-today work.
National legislators, bureaucrats, and media people, of course, will fear loss of power and I can see negative stories coming out of Washington and Ottawa. Regional counterparts, however, will see a whole new chariot ride.
The Continental Congress could be a ‘moveable Feast,’ traveling the continent rather than being established in one place inside a gigantic building with a huge staff. By meeting in various centers, like the original Congress of the United States and the first Parliament of Canada, the delegates would come to know the continent and dialogue with its people. By keeping numbers small, they would be able to use existing facilities in national, state and provincial capitals.
When not in session, electronic communication would permit them to keep in touch and attend day-today work.
National legislators, bureaucrats, and media people, of course, will fear loss of power and I can see negative stories coming out of Washington and Ottawa. Regional counterparts, however, will see a whole new chariot ride.
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