Nationalist or Federalist?

Am I a Nationalist or a Federalist?
According to the Gage Canadian Dictionary, a federalist is "a person who favours the federal principle of government." Gage goes on to define federal as "formed by an agreement between groups establishing a central organization to handle their common affairs while the parties to the agreement keep control of local affairs" Yes, by these definitions, I am a federalist. The grey is in what constitutes "local affairs".

The same Gage Canadian Dictionary defines a nationalist as "an upholder of nationalism; a person who believes in nationalism." Nationalism is defined as "1 patriotic feelings or efforts. 2 the desire and plans for national independence." If that isn't confusing enough, a second definition of nationalist reads: "a member of a political party supporting national independence or a strong national government." If you define nation the way Prime Minister Harper does, then being a Nationalist could mean either Quebec independence or a strong Canadian Federal Government.

Well, which is it? It's all in how nation is defined. I'm tired of reading the dictionary. The English language is so ambiguous. I feel that I could define words for hours and never convey my meaning. My meaning is simply this: I believe Alberta needs Canada and is stronger with Canada than on her own. The same is more obviously true for Quebec.

Or, if we must have a dictionary definition, I will say that I am NOT a Separatist. A Separatist is clearly defined by Gage as, "an advocate or supporter of the withdrawal of a province from Conderation."

This all becomes even more interesting when you ask why I'm not a Separatist. Especially given that I hail from the small, individualistic nation of Scotland, which has been at times reluctant to be a part of the Union of Great Britain. Although Scotland could fit inside Alberta several times over, Scotland has nearly twice the population of Alberta. Still, neither "nation" could be considered large. On the global scale, I have to wonder about the sense in either being an independent nation.

Consider that Canadians are always whining about Canada's lack of power and influence in the world. Then think about dividing Canada into three countries: Quebec, Alberta, and RestofCanada. Are three really small, insignificant countries any more powerful than one small nation with powerful allies? It's not like the UN would give us three seats at the security council. So let's keep it together, eh?