Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

[jackd]

There is some major misconceptions and deep misunderstandings in English Canada (and China) as most would think the language issue is THE most important issue between Quebec and the rest of Canada.
Since 1755 Quebec has never felt comfortable and never accepted being part of a British colony/empire and has never fit in the mold. And don't look only at the language. Look at the culture, at the visceral misfit between the 2 groups. Quebec never accepted to be ruled by the british conquerors and, as a continuation of the same disdain for being ruled by others, we have a major problem accepting to be ruled by Ottawa. What Quebec want is to rule and govern itself without outside interference. This is not a new idea...the idea was born on the day the brits. invaded Quebec City, 3 years after having done all they could to break the back of Acadians (without much success).

 

[jackd]

There is some major misconceptions and deep misunderstandings in English Canada (and China) as most would think the language issue is THE most important issue between Quebec and the rest of Canada.
Since 1755 Quebec has never felt comfortable and never accepted being part of a British colony/empire and has never fit in the mold. And don't look only at the language. Look at the culture, at the visceral misfit between the 2 groups. Quebec never accepted to be ruled by the british conquerors and, as a continuation of the same disdain for being ruled by others, we have a major problem accepting to be ruled by Ottawa. What Quebec want is to rule and govern itself without outside interference. This is not a new idea...the idea was born on the day the brits. invaded Quebec City, 3 years after having done all they could to break the back of Acadians (without much success).

 

[jackd]

There is some major misconceptions and deep misunderstandings in English Canada (and China) as most would think the language issue is THE most important issue between Quebec and the rest of Canada.
Since 1755 Quebec has never felt comfortable and never accepted being part of a British colony/empire and has never fit in the mold. And don't look only at the language. Look at the culture, at the visceral misfit between the 2 groups. Quebec never accepted to be ruled by the british conquerors and, as a continuation of the same disdain for being ruled by others, we have a major problem accepting to be ruled by Ottawa. What Quebec want is to rule and govern itself without outside interference. This is not a new idea...the idea was born on the day the brits. invaded Quebec City, 3 years after having done all they could to break the back of Acadians (without much success).

 

[Canadian Observer]

Quebecers claim they are a distinct society. Distinct as in having a tail or a third eye?

I dont see such distinction in Belgium or switzerland.

If ever Quebec gains independence , English Speakers or others discriminated by the French will fight for their own country within Quebec . I'll bet my head on that.

 

[Canadian Observer]

Quebecers claim they are a distinct society. Distinct as in having a tail or a third eye?

I dont see such distinction in Belgium or switzerland.

If ever Quebec gains independence , English Speakers or others discriminated by the French will fight for their own country within Quebec . I'll bet my head on that.

 

[Canadian Observer]

Quebecers claim they are a distinct society. Distinct as in having a tail or a third eye?

I dont see such distinction in Belgium or switzerland.

If ever Quebec gains independence , English Speakers or others discriminated by the French will fight for their own country within Quebec . I'll bet my head on that.

 

[CrEsPo]

Re: RE: Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

French is forced upon you?

I'm from Ontario and of French desent, but raised an Anglo. I could only wish someone would force French on me so I could learn the language.

I'm also from Ontario and French is manditory from grade 1 through 9. If I remember correctly, even in Junior Kinegarden and Senior Kinegarden they "taught" you French.

I think if Quebec separated it would be bad for them. They definately won't have good relations with Canada, there goes one trading partner. They would have to create a new dollar which would definately not start out as a high worth dollar. Another thing is resources; what would they trade? Quebec alone wouldn't have sufficient resources to sell to make a profit.

 

[CrEsPo]

Re: RE: Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

French is forced upon you?

I'm from Ontario and of French desent, but raised an Anglo. I could only wish someone would force French on me so I could learn the language.

I'm also from Ontario and French is manditory from grade 1 through 9. If I remember correctly, even in Junior Kinegarden and Senior Kinegarden they "taught" you French.

I think if Quebec separated it would be bad for them. They definately won't have good relations with Canada, there goes one trading partner. They would have to create a new dollar which would definately not start out as a high worth dollar. Another thing is resources; what would they trade? Quebec alone wouldn't have sufficient resources to sell to make a profit.

 

[CrEsPo]

Re: RE: Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

French is forced upon you?

I'm from Ontario and of French desent, but raised an Anglo. I could only wish someone would force French on me so I could learn the language.

I'm also from Ontario and French is manditory from grade 1 through 9. If I remember correctly, even in Junior Kinegarden and Senior Kinegarden they "taught" you French.

I think if Quebec separated it would be bad for them. They definately won't have good relations with Canada, there goes one trading partner. They would have to create a new dollar which would definately not start out as a high worth dollar. Another thing is resources; what would they trade? Quebec alone wouldn't have sufficient resources to sell to make a profit.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

A thorny question, that I've been thinking about for years without finding a solution, or even an attitude, that satisfies me. I've been resisting posting anything in this thread for a long time, just because I'm so uncertain about what to say. I know I'd be deeply distressed if Quebec separated itself from Canada. The week before the last referendum I happened to find myself in Ottawa on business, and I made a point of going to Parliament Hill and standing behind the Centre Block of Parliament to look across the river at Quebec. The complex of feelings that overwhelmed me as I stood there defies accurate description, but I'll take a stab at it.

I remember thinking, with my eyes burning, "You dumb bastards, what are you doing to my country?" I wasn't quite sure whether that thought was directed just across the river at Quebec, or at the people in the building behind me, or both. I wanted to walk across the bridge to Quebec, but I was afraid to, because I felt I'd be unwelcome, and I furiously resented being made to feel unwelcome in part of my own country. But then I thought, is that any different from how the average Quebecois feels outside of Quebec? Probably not. I think that's the key.

This country, like any other, is not a country because of political arrangements, business deals, economic considerations, geography, or anything obvious like that. It's a state of mind, really an emotional state, of the people who live in it. Canada exists only as long as there are enough people who call themselves Canadian and believe that means something important and distinctively different from the rest of the world. I happen to be such a person.

I believe that for our own sake, and the sake of the world, we as Canadians have to work this out and keep ourselves together. The issue is fundamentally emotional, for me. Look around the planet, at the ethnic conflicts tearing people apart all over the globe. If a peaceable and civilized people like Canadians can't work this out, what possible hope is there for anyone else to ever resolve their differences?

None at all. If anyone can prove it can be done, we can. I think we have to. If we fail, Canada as I know it will cease to exist, and the world will be a poorer place for that.

Dex

 

[Dexter Sinister]

A thorny question, that I've been thinking about for years without finding a solution, or even an attitude, that satisfies me. I've been resisting posting anything in this thread for a long time, just because I'm so uncertain about what to say. I know I'd be deeply distressed if Quebec separated itself from Canada. The week before the last referendum I happened to find myself in Ottawa on business, and I made a point of going to Parliament Hill and standing behind the Centre Block of Parliament to look across the river at Quebec. The complex of feelings that overwhelmed me as I stood there defies accurate description, but I'll take a stab at it.

I remember thinking, with my eyes burning, "You dumb bastards, what are you doing to my country?" I wasn't quite sure whether that thought was directed just across the river at Quebec, or at the people in the building behind me, or both. I wanted to walk across the bridge to Quebec, but I was afraid to, because I felt I'd be unwelcome, and I furiously resented being made to feel unwelcome in part of my own country. But then I thought, is that any different from how the average Quebecois feels outside of Quebec? Probably not. I think that's the key.

This country, like any other, is not a country because of political arrangements, business deals, economic considerations, geography, or anything obvious like that. It's a state of mind, really an emotional state, of the people who live in it. Canada exists only as long as there are enough people who call themselves Canadian and believe that means something important and distinctively different from the rest of the world. I happen to be such a person.

I believe that for our own sake, and the sake of the world, we as Canadians have to work this out and keep ourselves together. The issue is fundamentally emotional, for me. Look around the planet, at the ethnic conflicts tearing people apart all over the globe. If a peaceable and civilized people like Canadians can't work this out, what possible hope is there for anyone else to ever resolve their differences?

None at all. If anyone can prove it can be done, we can. I think we have to. If we fail, Canada as I know it will cease to exist, and the world will be a poorer place for that.

Dex

 

[Dexter Sinister]

A thorny question, that I've been thinking about for years without finding a solution, or even an attitude, that satisfies me. I've been resisting posting anything in this thread for a long time, just because I'm so uncertain about what to say. I know I'd be deeply distressed if Quebec separated itself from Canada. The week before the last referendum I happened to find myself in Ottawa on business, and I made a point of going to Parliament Hill and standing behind the Centre Block of Parliament to look across the river at Quebec. The complex of feelings that overwhelmed me as I stood there defies accurate description, but I'll take a stab at it.

I remember thinking, with my eyes burning, "You dumb bastards, what are you doing to my country?" I wasn't quite sure whether that thought was directed just across the river at Quebec, or at the people in the building behind me, or both. I wanted to walk across the bridge to Quebec, but I was afraid to, because I felt I'd be unwelcome, and I furiously resented being made to feel unwelcome in part of my own country. But then I thought, is that any different from how the average Quebecois feels outside of Quebec? Probably not. I think that's the key.

This country, like any other, is not a country because of political arrangements, business deals, economic considerations, geography, or anything obvious like that. It's a state of mind, really an emotional state, of the people who live in it. Canada exists only as long as there are enough people who call themselves Canadian and believe that means something important and distinctively different from the rest of the world. I happen to be such a person.

I believe that for our own sake, and the sake of the world, we as Canadians have to work this out and keep ourselves together. The issue is fundamentally emotional, for me. Look around the planet, at the ethnic conflicts tearing people apart all over the globe. If a peaceable and civilized people like Canadians can't work this out, what possible hope is there for anyone else to ever resolve their differences?

None at all. If anyone can prove it can be done, we can. I think we have to. If we fail, Canada as I know it will cease to exist, and the world will be a poorer place for that.

Dex

 

[Machjo]

Sorry to break this to you, Dexter, but Canadians are just as human as anyone else on this planet, and ethnic relations are no better, or worse, in Canada as anywhere else on the face of this planet. I'm both a French and English Canadian, have lived in French Canada, English Canada and China, and have visited the USA and Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The tension is everywhere and getting worse. If we want to solve this problem, it's got to be solved on a worldwide scale.

 

[Machjo]

Sorry to break this to you, Dexter, but Canadians are just as human as anyone else on this planet, and ethnic relations are no better, or worse, in Canada as anywhere else on the face of this planet. I'm both a French and English Canadian, have lived in French Canada, English Canada and China, and have visited the USA and Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The tension is everywhere and getting worse. If we want to solve this problem, it's got to be solved on a worldwide scale.

 

[Machjo]

Sorry to break this to you, Dexter, but Canadians are just as human as anyone else on this planet, and ethnic relations are no better, or worse, in Canada as anywhere else on the face of this planet. I'm both a French and English Canadian, have lived in French Canada, English Canada and China, and have visited the USA and Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The tension is everywhere and getting worse. If we want to solve this problem, it's got to be solved on a worldwide scale.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Re: RE: Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

...ethnic relations are no better, or worse, in Canada as anywhere else on the face of this planet.

Nope, can't agree with that one. We're not shooting each other. Yet.

I agree it's a global problem, but I strongly doubt it can be attacked globally. There's no global solution, there are only local solutions, because each situation has local origins. What might work to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, for instance, probably won't work in Chechnya, or Darfur, or Indonesia, or East Timor, or Sri Lanka...

Who was it said all politics is local? Whoever it was, he was right.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Re: RE: Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

...ethnic relations are no better, or worse, in Canada as anywhere else on the face of this planet.

Nope, can't agree with that one. We're not shooting each other. Yet.

I agree it's a global problem, but I strongly doubt it can be attacked globally. There's no global solution, there are only local solutions, because each situation has local origins. What might work to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, for instance, probably won't work in Chechnya, or Darfur, or Indonesia, or East Timor, or Sri Lanka...

Who was it said all politics is local? Whoever it was, he was right.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Re: RE: Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

...ethnic relations are no better, or worse, in Canada as anywhere else on the face of this planet.

Nope, can't agree with that one. We're not shooting each other. Yet.

I agree it's a global problem, but I strongly doubt it can be attacked globally. There's no global solution, there are only local solutions, because each situation has local origins. What might work to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, for instance, probably won't work in Chechnya, or Darfur, or Indonesia, or East Timor, or Sri Lanka...

Who was it said all politics is local? Whoever it was, he was right.

 

[Canadian Dragon]

Re: RE: Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

...ethnic relations are no better, or worse, in Canada as anywhere else on the face of this planet.

Nope, can't agree with that one. We're not shooting each other. Yet.

I agree it's a global problem, but I strongly doubt it can be attacked globally. There's no global solution, there are only local solutions, because each situation has local origins. What might work to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, for instance, probably won't work in Chechnya, or Darfur, or Indonesia, or East Timor, or Sri Lanka...

Who was it said all politics is local? Whoever it was, he was right.

 

[Canadian Dragon]

Re: RE: Quebec shouldn't separate from Canada

...ethnic relations are no better, or worse, in Canada as anywhere else on the face of this planet.

Nope, can't agree with that one. We're not shooting each other. Yet.

I agree it's a global problem, but I strongly doubt it can be attacked globally. There's no global solution, there are only local solutions, because each situation has local origins. What might work to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, for instance, probably won't work in Chechnya, or Darfur, or Indonesia, or East Timor, or Sri Lanka...

Who was it said all politics is local? Whoever it was, he was right.