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Detroit is about to go bankrupt. The repercussions for other American municipalities, and other American levels of government, could be disastrous. Who will then want to put their money in municipal bonds?
But I have a simple and obvious solution.
Sell Detroit to Canada.
Granted, the Detroit debt is bad enough that you will probably also have to throw in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to sweeten the deal. But Canada has shown interest in the past: during the War of 1812, she occupied both Detroit and Michilimackinac. True, the fur trade was a bigger deal then than now, but it's not as if the Hudson's Bay Company is not still in operation. Maybe Canada could recoup by charging tolls on ships passing between Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, or between Lake Huron and Lake Superior.
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| New Detroit Via Rail Station. |
And, while Detroit might look like a frozen rust belt city to America, too cold to keep elephants in their zoo, to Canada it would be the southernmost and almost the warmest city; a desirable retirement destination, almost a Canadian Florida. Unlike Americans, Canadians might even be persuaded to actually live in the Upper Peninsula.
Of course, Canada would not want the actual population of Detroit. Detroit's problems are due to corrupt government. One might think that transfer to another country would fix this, but the problem is that both the US and Canada are democracies. The population of Detroit has voted in those corrupt governments, and they would presumably do the same under the Canadian flag. So the deal would be for sovereignty over the land, not a transfer of any citizenships.
Nor need this mean that anyone loses their property. No—foreigners have full rights to own property in Canada. Titles would not pass, unless voluntarily at fair market value, which is almost zero in any case. Canada, magnanimously, might even choose to allow permanent residence to US citizens owning and residing in real estate in Detroit at time of transfer, as a good will gesture.
So what would change? Simple: all the present residents, as foreign nationals, would lose the right to vote. Any new government would be voted on only by any Canadians who chose to take up residence.
Within a few years, Detroit should look just like Windsor: low crime rate, orderly traffic, tidy lawns, and decent beer. And financially solvent. And nobody loses.
Good Lord, I almost think I'm serious.
Of course, Canada would not want the actual population of Detroit. Detroit's problems are due to corrupt government. One might think that transfer to another country would fix this, but the problem is that both the US and Canada are democracies. The population of Detroit has voted in those corrupt governments, and they would presumably do the same under the Canadian flag. So the deal would be for sovereignty over the land, not a transfer of any citizenships.
Nor need this mean that anyone loses their property. No—foreigners have full rights to own property in Canada. Titles would not pass, unless voluntarily at fair market value, which is almost zero in any case. Canada, magnanimously, might even choose to allow permanent residence to US citizens owning and residing in real estate in Detroit at time of transfer, as a good will gesture.
So what would change? Simple: all the present residents, as foreign nationals, would lose the right to vote. Any new government would be voted on only by any Canadians who chose to take up residence.
Within a few years, Detroit should look just like Windsor: low crime rate, orderly traffic, tidy lawns, and decent beer. And financially solvent. And nobody loses.
Good Lord, I almost think I'm serious.
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