# Should The United States Join the Commonwealth **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712 "2010-09-05T21:13:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/21 "2010-09-06T02:21:32Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > We fought TWO wars over being a colony of Britain - one to become former (revolution in 1776) and one to _remain_ a FORMER colony of Britian (1812). Why in the hell would we want to backpedal on that? The War of 1812 wasn’t an attempt by the British to reconquer the colonies. > [@](#): > > BRITAIN is the leader of the Commonwealth. No they aren’t. The current Queen has a vague symbolic role as the “symbol of the members free association”, but Britain doesn’t have any unique standing in the organization. Agree there isn’t any reason for the US to join (and given certain political parties suspicion of international organizations, doing so would probably be politically impossible even if it was a good idea). But doing so wouldn’t be making the US subserviant to Britain in even a symbolic sense. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/22 "2010-09-06T02:24:59Z")
What’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/23 "2010-09-06T02:46:27Z")
You need to start small; why not ask someone in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, or Massachusetts what it feels like to be in one? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/24 "2010-09-06T02:46:38Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > These words have been driven to the verge of extinction in Great Britian: Diaper. Lawyer. Faucet. Fall (the season). Candy. Crib. The list goes on… > > Over the past millenia the British have conducted a systematic genecide of many of **their own words** , while we’ve taken them in, nurtured and sheltered them, and kept them alive in the world. That’s a good point. Maybe we should just change our moto to include “America - Cradle of the English language” instead of joining anything new. As an American, I am generally opposed to genocide and will buy any bumper sticker I can to help stop one somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/25 "2010-09-06T03:02:32Z")
As the world’s third largest oil producer, I think the U.S. should join OPEC. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/26 "2010-09-06T03:28:12Z")
Didn’t Standard Oil fall foul of US anti-trust provisions in 1911? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/27 "2010-09-06T03:47:09Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > We would have more symbolic significance as one of the leaders of the Anglophonic World by actually being in the Commonwealth. No, you wouldn’t. Joining the Commonwealth would give _the UK_ more symbolic significance as a leader of the Anglophonic world, not the US. A ridiculous idea that you haven’t thought through, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/28 "2010-09-06T06:47:31Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > We fought TWO wars over being a colony of Britain - one to become former (revolution in 1776) and one to _remain_ a FORMER colony of Britian (1812). Why in the hell would we want to backpedal on that? Point of order! In 1812 America declared war on Britain, not vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/29 "2010-09-06T11:28:34Z")
In all seriousness the Commonwealth is a nostalgia club for an empire, an empire that existed after the US left. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/30 "2010-09-06T13:35:03Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > As an American, I am generally opposed to genocide and will buy any bumper sticker I can to help stop one somewhere. Thanks for a good laugh! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/31 "2010-09-06T20:54:09Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > [@msmith537](#): > > > > Didn’t we fight a war a few hundred years ago to tell Britain that we didn’t want to be part of their little club? > > So did quite a few other current members of the Commonwealth. Yes, but none of those other members became the greatest nation on Earth. > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > We would have more symbolic significance as one of the leaders of the Anglophonic World by actually being in the Commonwealth. I would think the leader of the Commonwealth kissing our President’s ass would have more symbolic significance. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/32 "2010-09-06T20:58:17Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Yes, but none of those other members became the greatest nation on Earth. I think you mean fattest. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/33 "2010-09-06T21:15:42Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Apart from mangling **it’s** language, what other connection do you want with the remnant British Empire? Gaudere Strikes Again!! ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/34 "2010-09-06T21:27:27Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > That said, I don’t really see any advantage to the US joining, other then I imagine it would drive the LaRocheans totally insane. How would we be able to tell? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/35 "2010-09-06T21:30:37Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Yes, but none of those other members became the greatest nation on Earth. The American seaman says to the British seaman “How’s the second biggest Navy on Earth?”, to which the British seaman replies “Just fine, thanks. How’s the second best?” ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/36 "2010-09-06T21:41:57Z")
(Emphasis added.) > [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Apart from mangling **it’s** language, what other connection do you want with the remnant British Empire? Tee hee! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/37 "2010-09-06T21:48:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@msmith537](#): > > > > Yes, but none of those other members became the greatest nation on Earth. > > I think you mean fattest. Hey, we’re very sensitive about the distance from one coastline to the other! Not every country can be as narrow as England! 😃 And yeah, as far as I know, joining the Commonwealth wouldn’t really make a huge difference in any concrete way, as we already seem to be on pretty favorable terms with many of the commonwealth nations. The US and the UK are friends as only guys who have been in a bar fight can be. And yeah, the US declared war on the British Empire during the War of 1812 because the Brits were attacking our shipping (as were the French, but we kicked their asses back in 1800). Also, something about liberating the oppressed peoples of Canada. We may have hindered our goals of liberating Canada by kinda-sorta torching and destroying the first major city we freed from the British Terrour. Also, we may have neglected to ask the Canadians if they felt oppressed. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/38 "2010-09-06T23:08:56Z")
You mean recognize the queen as sovereign, get a governor general with a right to veto acts that have passed congress and signed by the president? No thanks. Now I know that no act of the Canadian parliament has been vetoed by the GG in about 85 years, but in theory it could be. And Canada had to go hat in hand to the British parliament about 30 years ago to get a constitution. What a crock. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/39 "2010-09-06T23:17:47Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > You mean recognize the queen as sovereign, get a governor general with a right to veto acts that have passed congress and signed by the president? No thanks. > > Now I know that no act of the Canadian parliament has been vetoed by the GG in about 85 years, but in theory it could be. And Canada had to go hat in hand to the British parliament about 30 years ago to get a constitution. What a crock. I’m against the idea, but wouldn’t our GG essentially just be our president? Have some deal in there where all GG duties are assigned to whomever holds office as President? We’d be like “Aye, we’re in the Common wealth, but fuck you guys – we’re doin’ it our way!” as we light a cigarette and ride our horse off into the sunset with our gun slung over our back. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712/40 "2010-09-06T23:39:09Z")
Or, we could be like India, Pakistan, South Africa, and most of the others, and have our own government without any reference to Her Majesty, or any representative thereof. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-united-states-join-the-commonwealth/552712.md?page=3)