The United States is struggling. Increasingly bitter cultural and racial divides hobble the country. The political system is all but rigged with gerrymandering and unlimited special interest money. The health care system is broken, and even modest reforms risk repeal. A good education can mean a lifetime of debt. With no hope of any gun control on the horizon, there is now on average one mass shooting a day. Climate change is already wreaking havoc, but decision makers pretend it doesn’t exist. And, overseas, America’s international reputation has never been worse, even among traditional allies.

Canada has its problems too. Our falling birth rates and insufficient immigration numbers are putting significant limits on our potential long-term growth and prosperity. Our economy lags behind other OECD countries in terms of innovation and our entrepreneurs tend to be very risk-averse. We remain a resource economy. And then there is the weather. Our winters are simply hell.

Now, what if I told you we could solve all of these problems, both Yankee and Canuck, with one simple step? Interested? Well, it’s true. I propose that we formally offer certain American states the opportunity to join Confederation and become Canada’s next provinces.