# Would the US accept a smallish European country as the 51st State? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 7, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157 "2009-09-07T13:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/41 "2009-09-08T13:25:39Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > If there were some upheaval - such as Quebec becoming a completely independent country - I could see some chance of the Atlantic Provinces becoming a state. Very unlikely, but I agree it is the least unlikely scenario for a number of new states. The most likely single state would be Puerto Rico of course. Cuba I could also imagine. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/42 "2009-09-08T14:06:03Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Very unlikely, but I agree it is the least unlikely scenario for a number of new states. The most likely single state would be Puerto Rico of course. > > Cuba I could also imagine. You can imagine CUBA??? You have a very vivid imagination. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/43 "2009-09-08T14:19:02Z")
Cuba should become part of Florida, not a brand spankin new state. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/44 "2009-09-08T14:26:38Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > I appreciate what you’re saying, but the US having as our 2nd most populous state a landmass rather larger than the other 50 states combined isn’t all that comparable to Canada having an 11th province which contained, as far as I can calculate, about 90% of the population of the combined country. > > Sure, they’re both stupid ideas, but I don’t think it’s at all fair to claim that they’re _equally_ stupid ideas. Probably a good thing that the comparison in the post where I first posited the concept said “…nearly as offensive as…”, then, no? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/45 "2009-09-08T21:52:56Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > That’s awfully kind of you old chap :dubious: > > A better idea would be if you colonials just tore up the DoI and asked _us_ if there was any chance you could return to the fold. > > Not that we’d let you but you could always ask, nicely Come on think of the improvement in your food. ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/46 "2009-09-08T23:34:28Z")
How about this: it is said that in 1946 the Sicilian separatist [Salvatore Giuliano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvatore_Giuliano) sent a letter to President Truman urging the annexion of Sicily by the USA. I don’t think there’s a chance in hell this would go through, but suppose this happened through some magic; Sicily is much more populous than many existing US states, and is quite conservative leaning. There you go, 51st state, a spanking place for holidays to visit, a great naval base in the middle of the Mediterranean (very useful to keep an eye on those Russkies 🙂 ) and probably the balance tipping towards conservativism in national votes. And I’d have an American passport. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/47 "2009-09-09T00:19:00Z")
Europe Conservative or American Conservative? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/48 "2009-09-09T00:44:17Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Cuba should become part of Florida, not a brand spankin new state. Why? It’s certainly got enough territory and population to fit right in. Cuba would be 34th in area, beating out Ohio; and eighth in population, ahead of Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/49 "2009-09-09T01:01:53Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > i wonder how many years it’ll be before America makes any sort of major annexation? Mexico? Canada? Taiwan?. Already been done , Orbital and Digital, Hollywood it aint just land anymore. Declan ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/50 "2009-09-09T02:20:28Z")
I’d trade Texas for Iceland. Texas is out of oil, right? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/51 "2009-09-09T02:27:29Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Why? It’s certainly got enough territory and population to fit right in. > > Cuba would be 34th in area, beating out Ohio; and eighth in population, ahead of Michigan. They could do a Dakota and have North Florida and South Florida. Like most southern states they could have a dictator. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/52 "2009-09-09T07:01:20Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > Come on think of the improvement in your food. Listen sonny 😛 We already have the finest Toad in the Hole, Spotted Dick. Steak and Kidney pudds,liver and onions, Fish 'n Chips etc. etc… in the world. Plus we do have one or two McDs and KFC dotted around our green and pleasant land. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157/53 "2009-09-09T12:35:20Z")
> [@Lars\_Aruns](#): > > How about this: it is said that in 1946 the Sicilian separatist [Salvatore Giuliano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvatore_Giuliano) sent a letter to President Truman urging the annexion of Sicily by the USA. I don’t think there’s a chance in hell this would go through, but suppose this happened through some magic; Sicily is much more populous than many existing US states, and is quite conservative leaning. There you go, 51st state, a spanking place for holidays to visit, a great naval base in the middle of the Mediterranean (very useful to keep an eye on those Russkies 🙂 ) and probably the balance tipping towards conservativism in national votes. Thanks, but our own Sicilians have only recently quieted down and we don’t need to rock that boat again. Tuscany would make more sense. Practically every new product sold in the U.S. these days is marketed as “Tuscan” - Tuscan chicken, Tuscan dinner rolls, Tuscan shaving cream and toilet paper. A Tuscan Senator or two would fit right in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-us-accept-a-smallish-european-country-as-the-51st-state/509157.md?page=2)