Monday, September 5, 2011

OQLF Sign Initiative Nothing less than Bigotry

On Friday, I wrote about the legal situation vis-a-vis the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) and its announcement that it will pursue Big Box retailers like Best Buy or Future Shop for having the audacity to trade under their own corporate name or trademark, because it is English.
The argument put forward by the OQLF and language militants who support this position is based on the notion that an English name, in and of itself, is somehow offensive and shows contempt for the Francophone majority.

This notion is odious and nothing short of bigotry.

All of these retailers offer impeccable service in French and do an outstanding job in translation and signage which is generally unilingually French. They make sure to offer no products in English versions, without the equivalent product in French (Buzz Lightyear?) All costs related to translation are spread among all stores across Canada, so that prices remain the same as in stores in other provinces. As far as corporate citizens go, they are outstanding examples of companies that respect their Francophone clientele.

But that's not enough for the OQLF, which believes that operating under an English name is somehow disrespectful and offensive to francophones.

I reminded readers about a demonstration that occurred last April in front of a Repentigny, Quebec, "The UPS Store" by French language bigots who demanded that the company Frenchify its name. The whole episode was barely newsworthy, because, well,...err....this isn't big news in Quebec!

Could you imagine a similar demonstration in Calgary, with idiots picketing a Big Top demanding that Cirque de Soleil change its name to something more appropriately English, like Sun Circus or failing that, add a modifier to become Cirque de Soleil 'CIRCUS' while performing in Alberta?
The story would make the National news in English Canada and be the subject of every newspaper and talk show in Quebec, where Westerners would be mocked for their stupidity and called out for Franco-bashing.

Such is the politics of language in Quebec.
There comes a point when defence of the French language crosses over into intolerance and bigotry.
And that's the territory that the OQLF has invaded. It is, without a doubt, a hateful and intolerant bureaucratic monstrosity, run by a coterie of bigots, who pretend self-righteously, that they aren't persecuting Anglophones, just promoting the well-being of Francophones. 

Bestowed with the gravitas of officiality by the Quebec government, the OQLF encourages a minority of hateful separatists, who detest Canada and Anglophones, to come out of the woodwork, anointed with an official cachet of legitimacy.
Bah!.....
For those of you who defend the OQLF by saying that it's not a big deal to demand that a French modifier be added to make the English name more palatable, you are one and the same as the bigoted OQLF.
The modifier is just a device to make the point that English, all by itself, in any form, is not acceptable in public.
Can anyone honestly believe that francophone consumers are so thick that they need the word Electronique added to Best Buy in order to realize not to go inside if they are looking for groceries?

Canadian Tire has been operating in Quebec for almost 75 years.  Is the OQLF telling us with a straight face that the masthead now needs a French modifier to describe what's going on inside the store?
By the way, a good deal of Francophones still pronounce the store name as "Can-a-dienne Teer," a cherished tradition!


The argument that store names should reflect the French reality of Quebec is so convoluted that if taken to the logical extreme we'd have to remove Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima from the store shelves and replace them with those more culturally acceptable and representative of Quebec society.

The truth is, that for French language militants, any public display of English, in whatever form, is utterly offensive. The OQLF empowers them and gives legitimacy to these haters. Shame.

What is also telling, is that in the OQLF's pursuit of the defence of the French language, the target of its regulatory zeal is always aimed at anglophones, ethnics and English businesses.

While companies like Best Buy and Future Shop are singled out, the pillars of the Quebec Francophone business community are always given a free pass.

How can the OQLF complain about Best Buy and not complain about French television shows that have English names? 

If eyeglass store New Look needs to become "LUNETTERIE" New Look, why didn't the OQLF demand that Loft Story add a modifier as well, to become 'COMPTES DE' Loft Story?

The entire French media, is replete with English, something  the OQLF seems to have no concerns over.
And before I get a slew of comments reminding me that the OQLF doesn't have jurisdiction, when has that ever stopped them from sticking their nose in before?

And so the OQLF remains silent in the face of television shows like Shopping TVA, which should, by OQLF logic, be required to add the word "MAGASINAGE"

What does the OQLF have to say about the obsession with English words on French TV show names?

Rock'n'bull  - Room Raiders - Clip Dub - Cliptoman - Le Playlist - Drag Queen - Miss Personnalité - Shopping TV - Chatterbox - Spécial bloopers - Les Gags - Call TV.

These are not American shows dubbed into French, but original programming from Quebec.
Francophone programmers can't even resist using English when translating movie titles and so we get abominations like 'Le Karaté Dog'....ugh!


By the way, Musiquplus, the French music channel, does more to anglicize francophone teenagers than all the English signage and all the English-speaking clerks combined, a hundred times over!

Last week, fifteen of the twenty top videos shown on the MusiquePlus were English.
The rest of the content is dubbed or semi-dubbed American trash teenager shows and video commentators who use about 50% English terms while on air.


I pulled this screen shot from the Musiqueplus website, it's a 'teaser' (apparently a French word??) for the American  show"Jersey Shore," which the French music station broadcasts ENTIRELY IN ENGLISH, complete with English subtitles to make understanding what is being said, a bit  easier for francophones. The only accommodation is a bit of French voice over to explain what's going on. See for yourself, HERE

I can't think of a better tool for anglicizing francophone teenagers. 
But hey, according to the OQLF, it's Best Buy that is insulting Francophones, while Snookie and 'La' Situation are complete innocents!

V telé, another French network broadcasts a version of High Stakes Poker completely in English, with a bit of French voice-over just to pass muster, probably because they are too cheap to pay for proper dubbing, but shouldn't the OQLF be concerned?
By the way, what do you think the name of the show is on French TV?
Yup, it's High Stakes Poker and just like Wipeout, another American show imported onto Quebecois television, there are no modifiers, before or after the name!

Shouldn't the OQLF step in and regulate this insidious infiltration of English on Quebec television? Isn't this situation infinitely more damaging and Anglicizing than a store name?

While Anglos and Ethnics are being scapegoated for the Anglicization of Quebec, the reality is that the biggest perpetrator of this so-called Anglicization is Francophone society itself.

Francophone television, radio, newspapers and magazines use an over-abundance of English in their stories and more importantly their advertisements. Who is to blame?  Not Anglos.

While the names of stores like Canadian Tire or Future Shop have long become embedded in our common consciousness, the fact that they are English names is really of no consequence. It's just a name, like Henry, Angela, Pedro, Pierre, Moishe or Salim.
Talking to a sales clerk with an Arabic, Chinese or English name doesn't really matter to  Francophones when the conversation is in French.
When people shop at Best Buy, what is important is that products are desireable and offered at a fair price and when service is provided in French, the name of the store is irrelevant.

It is sad that our Liberal government chooses to allow the OQLF to run riot because it is afraid of appearing too 'federalist' and too 'accommodating' and so stupidity and bigotry reigns in the name of protection of the French language.

The reality is that the vast majority of Quebeckers recognize zealotry when they see it.

Wednesday,  I'll share their mocking reactions with you.

Until then, I look forward to your comments, in English or en français, or even with a 'Joisy' accent!

51 comments:

  1. Right on the money, Editor.

    It's not contemptible to normal francophones (no matter how much howling of "mépris" is done by likes of the SSJB, RRQ, Impératif Français and similar riffraff) to give a store an English name yet offer service in French.

    I believe that the shit-disturbing self-appointed keepers of ultra-nationalist orthodoxy in this province will eventually discover, much like the Islamist extremists in Algeria over a decade and a half ago, that Quebecers are no longer interested in the wares that they're peddling.

    French is doing quite well, and Quebecers are aware that they no longer need to be cajoled, terrified, or manipulated into supporting any more draconian government interference in our lives. We can get service in French, we can work in French, WE'RE PERFECTLY FINE.

    This zealotry is nothing more than the work of loud-mouthed shit-disturbers hellbent on provoking Quebecers into a panic mode. Fortunately, we've proven smart enough not to buy much into these types of pseudo-"scandals" these days.

    The politics of nationalist hope have failed.
    The politics of nationalist fear have failed.

    Why else are the hardcore seppies so restless?

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  2. I'm gonna have to call Press 9 : "Homme Québéçois séparatiste Press 9".

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  3. ...to Phil: How about just appuyez le 9?

    ...to Editor: The seppies need something to do. I was about to write a whole bit on how it's a supposedly federalist Liberal party that is allowing this B.S. to take place.

    Cirque de Soleil in Vegas is Cirque de Soleil! Americans don't seem to have a problem with that name.

    What bothers me most of all is this supposedly federalist party puts on a façade (yikes! that's a French word, especially with the cedilla under the c) that bends over backwards to appease the fanatical separatist element. Isn't it about time the supposedly federalist party tells these chimpanzees that enough is enough? NO! Instead they encourage this stupidity just as much as the PQ did when they rose to power in 1976, so in effect they are perpetuating the problem. We'll never hear the end of it.

    Nice touch, though, on your comments re those English TV shows not properly translated or dubbed into French. TOUCHÉ! (yikes, another French word thrown into my English!) Ohhhh...maybe these Francobuggers are getting into my mind...I better stop, hey, what's that sound, everybody look what's going down...for what it's worth!

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  4. Montreal is a bilingual Lion. For 40 years these Separatists and the Liberal separatist appeasers have been trying their best to dress her up as a French poodle but as anyone who actually lives here knows, the city functions in both of Canada's official languages. I have noticed a generational shift among francophones when it comes to language laws. My group of francophone friends (all under 40) are all bilingual and could hardly be described as language zealots. They don't buy into the alarmist "the sky is falling" on the French language school of thought and I suspect most in their cohort don't either. As time marches on and these language purists die off, the city will revert back to normalcy and once again become a truly bilingual metropolis.

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  5. L'O.Q.L.F n'a aucun pouvoir sur la télé.C'est le C.R.T.C qui a ce mandat...Un organisme canadien.

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  6. Editor: "Could you imagine a similar demonstration in Calgary, with idiots picketing a Big Top demanding that Cirque de Soleil change its name to something more appropriately English, like Sun Circus or failing that, add a modifier to become Cirque de Soleil 'CIRCUS' while performing in Alberta?
    The story would make the National news in English Canada and be the subject of every newspaper and talk show in Quebec, where Westerners would be mocked for their stupidity and called out for Franco-bashing."

    But, as Press 9 would say, it's not English that is surrounded by the sea of French, so...bla bla bla...

    Apparently, if you're surrounded by a "sea" of something, you get exempted form the rules of ethical conduct. Hounding American (and international) chains that use corporate names in English (as per the worldly standard, and NOT even in violation of 101), or suing Air Canada over a can of 7up are acceptable, if you're surrounded by some sort of a "sea". Or better yet, an "ocean".

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  7. Great piece, Editor.

    The obvious question that comes to mind is why doesn't the OQLF just make a rule that forces trademark names to be converted to French? Why have a rule that allows trademark names in their original, and then exert pressure on businesses to have the names modified even though they are are compliant with the law that the OQLF is there to uphold and promote? I.e., why does the OQLF act in violation of its own law?

    Is the point of this just petty bullying, a way for small people to show how big they are? And just maybe there is also an element of trying to justify one's job and paycheck, because if you're a language cop, your job is so absurd and surreal that you have to be really creative.

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  8. ...to appuyez le 9: I'm shocked the CRTC is is censuring the OQLF, but if so, I loudly and heartily applaud them for doing so. Racist propaganda should have died with the Nazis, and has NO place in this part of the world.

    ...to Editor: You never mentioned Newtown, a restaurant and bar opened by Gilles Villeneuve!

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  9. @Anonymous

    > My group of francophone friends (all under 40) are all bilingual and could hardly be described as language zealots. They don't buy into the alarmist "the sky is falling" on the French language school of thought and I suspect most in their cohort don't either.

    That IS the tendency. That cohort never having grown up as supposedly second class citizens in their own province doesn't share the trauma/complex (real or apprehended) that their ideological dinosaur elders attempt to impart on them. Further proof, I guess, that the Quiet revolution went off its rails once it stopped being about genuinely emancipating a downtrodden people and started being about childish language supremacy.

    > As time marches on and these language purists die off, the city will revert back to normalcy and once again become a truly bilingual metropolis.

    That would truly be beautiful. And knowing many Montrealers, bilingualism won't have to spell anybody's assimilation three generations down the line. We know how to belong to each other's groups while remaining true to our origins. I genuinely hope the ultra-nationalist dinosaurs (and their ideological descendants) realize that one day.

    > Apparently, if you're surrounded by a "sea" of something, you get exempted form the rules of ethical conduct.

    That argument has always bothered me too. One person's rights shouldn't be denied by the fact that those same rights are being enjoyed by "enough" people in a neighboring jurisdiction.

    Imagine for a minute about extending that argument to freedom of religion, of the press, or peaceful assembly:

    "There's enough free press around us; no need for it to be that way here; it could threaten our way of life." (maybe you should have thought about that when you chose to become a dictatorship...)

    "There are enough Muslims in the Middle East; if we allow Muslim immigrants to practice in Europe, it'll be a Sharia-governed Sharia state in a decade." (weed out the Islamist fanatics and I'm sure you'll find the rest just wanna make a living...)...

    or alternatively....

    "If anybody changes his religion, kill him." (so much for freedom of conscience!)

    and finally

    "Enough people can meet to freely discuss ideas; we don't need these useless discussions here: we've been told what we need to think and shouldn't stand for people who hold our regime's ideology in contempt" (I'm looking at you, Louis Préfontaine).

    Unlike the sensationalist and deliberately polemical stories on occasionally finds in the French, my personal experience has shown that a good number of "Rhodesians" have children and grandchildren who speak french (and many of them extremely well). None of these people is necessarily less "anglo".

    Similarly, many young francophones have smelled the coffee and realized they can be personally true to their language culture while giving the other room to play.

    Perhaps we might look back on this time a century from now as the end of our language troubles and as the beginning of a mature and enlightened era of sustainable bilingualism.

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  10. (apologies, adski; I meant to put "@adski" just before that last quote, which I meant to attribute to you.)

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  11. "...the city will revert back to normalcy and once again become a truly bilingual metropolis."

    Hmmmm...

    Pas si certain.Les médias ont commencé a faire leur travail et exposent a la majorité, l'anglicisation croissante de notre métropole.Soyez assuré que plusieurs,a tous les niveaux politiques observent de très près ce dossier TRÈS sensible.

    Le prochain parti provincial n'aura d'autres choix que d'utiliser tous les outils légaux a sa disposition afin de rétablir le visage français de notre ville.Un petit ménage s'impose et les Québécois commencent a être irités par cette fâcheuse situation.

    Augmentation du budget de l'O.Q.L.F ?

    J'adore l'action surtout en période de morosité et merci a M.Harper d'avoir engagé un "Québec basher" aux commandes de ses communications.

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  12. Press 9,

    It can only be your "metropole" if you stay the majority. On the Island your not the majority based on the last census. Just watch the next one. Now if we only can do the same with the Montreal to Ontario border corridor.

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  13. > Les médias ont commencé a faire leur travail et exposent a la majorité, l'anglicisation croissante de notre métropole.

    Il s'agit plus d'une fascination de la SSJB, de MMF et d'Impératif Français. En autant que le monde puisse être servi en français, yen a pas, problème. Et les francophones le savent. Votre discours dépassé ne les fait plus peur.

    > [...]afin de rétablir le visage français de notre ville.

    Notre ville est dans le fond plus bilingue qu'unilingue. S'il y a de quoi à rétablir, c'est le visage BILINGUE à l'image de ce qu'est véritablement Montréal. Inutile de renier notre identité. Il faut cesser vouloir nous imposer une politique malvenue, malfoutue et qui ne répond pas à nos vrais besoins.

    Que le mouvement séparatiste connaisse enfin l'implosion qu'il mérite depuis longtemps afin que le bon peuple Québécois puisse enfin vivre en paix.

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  14. > J'adore l'action surtout en période de morosité

    le NMQ, les états généraux, ralliments ici et là... ça se voit que le mouvement est en plein effritement. Est-ce qu'on peut finalement se concentrer sur ce qui est important pour TOUS les Québécois et pas juste ce qui en (pré)occupe certains?

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  15. "Il s'agit plus d'une fascination de la SSJB, de MMF et d'Impératif Français. En autant que le monde puisse être servi en français..."

    Pourriez-vous nous servir en français svp monsieur?

    No way !Speak white moron!

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  16. "...a restaurant and bar opened by Gilles Villeneuve!"

    Jacques,Jacques Villeneuve,plus connu sous le noms de loser.

    Gilles était un champion et était le fils spirituel de Enzo Ferrari.

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  17. Even in the most English part of Greater Montreal you can get served in French. Separatists should visit Westmount, Pointe Claire, Dorval ... they'll quickly realize Francophones have no trouble interacting with store clerks, bank tellers, etc ...

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  18. I wonder what the language militants will have to say about this:

    http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/todays-paper/McGill+ranked+tops+university+Canada/5353659/story.html

    McGill University, ranked 1st in Canada, and 17th in the world.

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  19. - McGill University, ranked 1st in Canada, and 17th in the world.-

    Normal,c'est une Université Québécoise.

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  20. > Pourriez-vous nous servir en français svp monsieur?
    > No way !Speak white moron!

    JE N'AI JAMAIS DIT CELA! Je suis archi-fédéraliste et pro-bilinguisme à fond la caisse, mais jamais n'ai-je dit ça à quelque préposé que ce soit de toute ma vie. Ça va à l'encontre de ma vision du Québec et du Canada.

    Ne m'attribuez JAMAIS de telles citations et attitudes dédaigneuses et méprisantes. Je vous demande de retirer votre commentaire immédiatement.

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  21. "...mais jamais n'ai-je dit ça à quelque préposé que ce soit de toute ma vie."

    Je vous crois et je ne vous ai jamais accusé personnellement de quoi que se soit.Ce n'était qu'une mise en situation fictive mais parfois pas si loin de la réalité.

    Plusieurs le pense mais ne le disent pas pour des raisons commerciales évidentes.Certains lutins de M.Harper l'affichent même dans les journaux a mots a peine couverts : "Trop de Québécois...".Quelle sera la prochaine étape du mépris?

    Imaginez maintenant monsieur tout-le-monde.

    Je suis parano?

    Pas du tout,je n'ai qu'a lire ce blogue régulièrement.

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  22. Désolé... la façon dont vous avez cité ce que je venais de dire suivi de votre mise en situation fictive semblait suggérer que ma dénonciation des pratiques que je trouve obsessives, exagérées et démesurées de la SSJB/MMF/IF et cie. était de sorte à encourager (même officieusement) la philosophie haineuse "speak white", ce que je n'ai jamais cautionné et que je ne cautionnerai jamais. Je pète une coche lorsqu'on m'accuse de mépris alors que je me bats pour vivre l'idéal linguistique qui est pourtant si facilement réalisable (et réalisé) pour plusieurs.

    Oui il y a une certaine résistance chez certains à l'idée de s'ouvrir à l'autre solitude, mais il y a aussi d'autres qui, prétextant la disparition imminente du français, justifient une politique d'unilinguisme français (alias la suppression de toute autre langue dans l'espace public) par escouades d'auto-justice appuyés par des organes étatiques souvent alertés par des groupes de pression citoyenne dont la puissance et les objectifs politiques sont bien connus.

    Je déplore ceux qui pensent à dire "speak white" mais qui n'osent pas le dire pour des raisons de rectitude politique tout comme ceux qui tiennent des propos semblables. Mais étant moi-même triculturel et ayant cultivé des repères tant à Hochelaga que dans le West Island que partout ailleurs à Montréal, je peux vous dire que le "danger" dont veulent nous faire croire les Beaulieu/Préfontaine/Beaudoin/Curzi et al est GRANDEMENT exagéré. Oui, il y a des cas isolés où ça devrait travailler plus fort, et il faut définitivement que ceux-là changent d'attitude.

    Mais franchement, il n'y en a pas plus aujourd'hui qu'il n'y en a déjà eu d'unilingues qui refusent de servir des clients en français, et la tendance globale est très positive. Je considère que les groupes de pression pourraient jouer un rôle beaucoup plus constructif avec les cas d'exception, sans constamment faire croire aux francophones qu'une extinction horrible nous guette. Vigilance, oui. Entraide, oui. Bâtir des ponts, oui. Confrontation, non. Dépossession, non.

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  23. Bien que je ne partage pas certains commentaires à l'égard de la présence de "trop" de francophones à Ottawa, je me demande si M. Persichilli, lui-même un immigrant et minoritaire, aurait été enclin à voir d'un meilleur oeil certaines nos craintes si notre politique linguistique (surtout à Montréal et en Outaouais) se serait montrée moins dogmatiste et plus ouverte à des compromis et au partage de l'espace public.

    Je ne vois aucune différence entre ces anglos qui se plaignent de voir du français sur leur boite de céréales le matin et ces francos qui essaient de me faire croire qu'avoir une affiche bilingue pour faire la promotion de ces mêmes céréales au supermarché ou au bord de l'autoroute équivaudrait à un génocide culturel duquel le saint-peuple Québécois ne pourra jamais se remettre. Répétez après moi: "Absurde. Ludicrous."

    Je pense que la plupart des anglos "têtus" dont quelques-uns qui partagent certains commentaires ici même (qui parfois me donnent malaise et frissons) réagissent mal à ce qu'ils perçoivent comme de la petitesse (exemple, chaines de magasins anglo où l'on peut néanmoins se faire servir en français) dans des cas réellement non-problématique. Je crois qu'ils sont réactionnaires pas parce qu'on ait mal articulé la FIN (soit de protéger le français) mais qu'on emprunte quelques très mauvais MOYENS.

    C'est à ce niveau là que je crois qu'il y a des ponts à bâtir SURTOUT lorsque plusieurs des deux solitudes désespèrent. Je pense d'ailleurs que si vous et moi réussissions à faire valoir nos points de vue respectifs sur ce blogue avec un respect relatif mutuel ces temps-ci que j'apprécie énormément, je gagerais que les interventions de nos lecteurs anglos seraient probablement à même de porter à réflexion plus profonde et nécessaire qu'à antagonisme infantile et inutile. On pourrait même le faire en anglais, de grâce, pour ces pauvres âmes pour qui les traducteurs en ligne embrouillent et magouillent nos échanges encore plus que nos références parfois obscures et nos opinions parfois très tranchées.

    What do you think, faites-le-neuf? I'm willing if you are.

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  24. "What do you think, faites-le-neuf? I'm willing if you are"

    OK,aucun problème.

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  25. Great article editor, I couldn't agree more, especially with the Musique Plus details..

    The biggest threat to Quebec french is the Quebec francophones. They have no respect for their own language and culture, but they'd rather blame everyone else.

    If they showed the least bit of respect for their own language, they wouldn't feel like they need laws to protect it.

    "Bestowed with the gravitas of officiality by the Quebec government, the OQLF encourages a minority of hateful separatists, who detest Canada and Anglophones, to come out of the woodwork, anointed with an official cachet of legitimacy."

    Institutionalized racism is normal in this province. I wonder if "protecting our culture" was one of the arguments used to justify segregation in the US. They had Jim Crow laws, we could have Parizeau laws!

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  26. @ Anonymous aka Press 9:

    "- McGill University, ranked 1st in Canada, and 17th in the world.-"

    "Normal,c'est une Université Québécoise."

    Hardly. Mcgill is an Anglophone university. It is administered in English, not in Quebecois Joual. Your level of dishonesty is striking.

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  27. The claim by Quebec nationalists that the French language is threatened by bilingual signs is entirely bogus. The restriction of other languages on signs has nothing to do with protecting the French language, but with power. As Apparatchik mentioned in another thread, virtually all commercial products - food, electronics, etc. - have bilingual packaging. This hasn't resulted in the assimilation of Francophones.

    In Quebec, French language zealots say that bilingual signs threaten their language, while in eastern Ontario, some Francophones say that their language is threatened WITHOUT forced bilingual signage. These are two conflicting arguments.

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  28. God, no the church, no the government, no Rene Levesque, no the OQLF, no the SSJB, no Imperitif Francais, no le Movement Montreal Francais will save the french language, right? Wrong! Sorry to break this to the language zealots in Quebec, but that Philippino or Bangladeshi kid that you coerced into going to sub-standard french schools aren't going to save the french language in Quebec either. They could give a rat's ass if it survives or withers away. Unjust government laws aren't going to fix things. Language and culture are taught in the home and passed down. Quebecois people having more kids is the key. Have a thriving economy with good jobs that pay a decent wage and I guarantee a spike in the birth rate of Quebec. These language laws are merely more red tape for a company to grapple when doing business in Quebec (along with high taxes). They simply look elsewhere to invest. I want companies to invest in Quebec, we have top notch French and English universities and many many other positive attributes other cities would kill for. Stop this language non-sense. Haven't we learned our lesson in the past 40 years? As nationalistic fervor and talk of language laws goes up, private investment and job creation goes down. Simple economics. I'm ready to move forward, are you?

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  29. "Hardly. Mcgill is an Anglophone university. It is administered in English..."

    Et subventionnée par L'État Québécois donc par tous les Québécois.

    "Québec n'y songe pas pour l'instant, mais a déjà avisé l'Université McGill qu'il lui couperait les vivres si elle mettait son projet à exécution, soit 10 000 $ en subvention par étudiant au MBA." -Le Devoir

    http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/education/281492/mcgill-defie-quebec

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  30. "Have a thriving economy with good jobs that pay a decent wage and I guarantee a spike in the birth rate of Quebec."

    Haha, are you kidding?

    First of all, companies have to change the way they do business entirely in order to respect the requirements of the nazi language police. And even then, rules can change at anytime! Be ready to invest!
    Employees, training, packaging, documentation, communication, etc.. everything has to be changed, for a tiny group of people. As time goes by, these costs are going to keep rising. And you can expect to see less and less companies and businesses in this province.

    Secondly, unions (which are run by french people) will do anything to get their hands in your pockets. I mean, they've tried unionizing part time convenience store clerk jobs.. Do you think they are doing this with the employees in mind? No, they're thinking about their profits. The CSN and FTQ don't care about you, they care about their (huge and confidential) yearly profits.

    And finally, anyone who makes money in this province is made out to be the most evil corrupt person in our society. Even when it's a french person! Just look at Péladeau.
    This is a welfare province, and people don't understand that certain individuals have more than others because they worked hard - that makes no sense in this province, and it's unacceptable.

    After all, Jean-Guy has a grade 5 education and says "crisse" every 2 words, why shouldn't he make 200k$ per year???

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  31. @anon 2:09

    Anglophones and Allophone citizens subsidise the province of Quebec by paying more taxes then their % of the population. Mcgill itself probably generates a huge spin off effect in the montreal area, through foreign students (rich foreign students) compared to the even heavier subidized French universities, the university itself has a huge endowment. UQAM was 100% built by the state while MCgill, Concordia and Bishop were started by the anglophone community.

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  32. In all seriousness, the OQLF has no moral, democratic or legal right to exist.

    Charest and his Liberal government have no intention of disbanding this adhorrid and embarrassing organization. What to do? Well I'll tell you...it's up to WE, the PEOPLE, to forceably shut them down.

    Do what was done in the middle east to over throw regime governments. The OQLF is no different. Disrupt their operations, block them from getting into their building on Sherbrooke Street. Get in the face of each and every member (no violence please, but make their lives miserable). Do whatever it takes to get the message across we will not tolerate their existence any longer. Enough is enough.

    ...or we can sit around and do nothing, essentially saying we accept and approve this.

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  33. "subventionnée par L'État Québécois"
    There is a State when there is a country or a nation and since Québec is neither a country nor a State, you should have written 'government'. Moron.

    "Québec n'y songe pas pour l'instant, mais a déjà avisé l'Université McGill qu'il lui couperait les vivres si elle mettait son projet à exécution, soit 10 000 $ en subvention par étudiant au MBA." -Le Devoir"
    Le Pourboir: the most reliable and honest source of DISinformation for DISinformed québékuo' in a DISinformed province. You should be reading more reliable sources. Moron. Moron.

    WESTALLOPHONE++

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  34. It's quite clear that english services in quebec are usually of a higher quality than equivalent services in french.

    - Education. The french have to make laws to prevent them from going to an english school. They say they must do it, or else all french people will end up in english schools. Why? Because english schools obviously offer a better education.
    Graduates from McGill can work anywhere in the world. Where can graduates from Université du Québec à St-Sacrement-Du-Fond-Du-Rang work? You guessed it...

    - Health Care. Jacques Parizeau clearly stated in 1995 that ethnic people or anyone with money were not welcome in this province. He obviously dislikes anyone who's not white, french, catholic and born in quebec. And yet, as soon as he has a health problem, where does he go? Montreal Jewish General Hospital, a hospital that represents the english and the more fortunate.
    Would this man who HATES english people visit this hospital if the services offered there weren't greatly superior to a "francais de souche" hospital?

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  35. "And yet, as soon as he has a health problem, where does he go? Montreal Jewish General Hospital, a hospital that represents the english and the more fortunate".

    Of course: he knows how to manipulate an uneducated flock of unilingual sheep (see Press9, the best example). In his hate speeches he berates 'les autres', but then goes to the best hospitals while the others go to the crappy ones. He is highly educated while the moronic flock of unilingual separatists are low educated. Constant manipulation by taking advantage of people's ignorance, fears and HUGE lack of knowledge.
    Déjà vu, déjà su, déjà compris.

    WESTALLOPHONE++

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  36. @Apparatchik

    You define yourself as "ultra-fédéraliste" which is, to say the least, quite uncommon for a young Quebecer. I have to admit that I'm curious about your reasons (supposing it is out of reasoning) to define yourself such a way and at the same time of your vision of Canada. Answer me if you wish and as you wish as I am conscious it is a pretty vague and open question.

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  37. "(see Press9, the best example)"

    Although I don't agree with their opinion at all, I do respect that person for having the courage to come here and actually have a debate, unlike all the little racists who hide behind vigile.net and refuse to post *ANY* comments that don't agree with them entirely.

    Also they obviously speak both french and english, which already puts them one step ahead of most of the little sheep in this province.
    No, more education is NOT a bad thing.

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  38. Right, don't forget Quebec has a large population relative to other provinces. It is still worth the effort for companies to adapt to the Quebec legislation.

    Plus the cost of bilingualism also applies to the "ROC".

    "Employees, training, packaging, documentation, communication, etc.. everything has to be changed, for a tiny group of people. As time goes by, these costs are going to keep rising. And you can expect to see less and less companies and businesses in this province."

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  39. "(see Press9, the best example)"

    "Although I don't agree with their opinion at all, I do respect that person for having the courage to come here and actually have a debate, unlike all the little racists who hide behind vigile.net and refuse to post *ANY* comments that don't agree with them entirely."

    Press 9 is one of the little racists who is a member of vigile.net. He previously said:

    "Le prochain parti provincial n'aura d'autres choix que d'utiliser tous les outils légaux a sa disposition afin de rétablir le visage français de notre ville.Un petit ménage s'impose et les Québécois commencent a être irités par cette fâcheuse situation."

    He's more than just a racist. He's a fascist too.

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  40. "Anglophones and Allophone citizens subsidise the province of Quebec by paying more taxes then their % of the population. Mcgill itself probably generates a huge spin off effect in the montreal area..."

    Anglo and Allophone citizens in other provinces also subsidize Quebec, to the tune of 8.5 to 9 billion dollars every year.

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  41. "He's more than just a racist. He's a fascist too"

    Not only that: he gives a bad reputation to highly educated bilingual (even multilingual) francophones who are fed up with 'la nation québécoise', 'Québec pays libre' or 'nous et les autres'.

    WESTALLOPHONE++

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  42. @WESTOUILLE LA FRIPOUILLE ++


    Que me recommandez-vous?

    The Gachette ou The Moron star?

    Lequel des deux est le plus respectueux de notre Nation?

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  43. "Que me recommandez-vous?

    The Gachette ou The Moron star?

    Lequel des deux est le plus respectueux de notre Nation?"

    Les deux respectent notre nation, soit le Canada. Ils respectent aussi notre province, le Québec.

    Cependant, je te suggère de te limiter au Journal De Montréal, comme ça Québécor peut te protéger des nouvelles des méchants anglais, tout en t'informant sur Star Académie et Loft Story (la culture québécoise).

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  44. "...tout en t'informant sur Star Académie et Loft Story (la culture québécoise)."

    Désolé mais ce sont des concepts d'émission d'origine étrangère (anglo?) qui ont un public cible, comme partout ailleurs.

    Le Québec est une Nation,désolé.Même J.J Charest a travaillé sur le dossier avec son aile jeunesse.

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  45. "...tout en t'informant sur Star Académie et Loft Story (la culture québécoise)."

    Non moi c'est la culture américaine qui m'intéresse,genre Toddlers & Tiaras.

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  46. "Non moi c'est la culture américaine qui m'intéresse,genre Toddlers & Tiaras."

    Je ne serais pas surpris du tout, les québécois peu cultivés sont souvent attirés par toutes les conneries qui proviennent des États-Unis.

    C'est la raison pour laquelle Loft Story et Star Académie et toutes les autres télé-réalités connes sont si populaires ici: un peuple aussi épais (sinon plus) que les américains.

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  47. "les québécois peu cultivés sont souvent attirés par toutes les conneries qui proviennent des États-Unis."

    Et du canada,comme le fédéralisme.

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  48. Le fait de ne pas être raciste et xénophobe (séparatiste, lois sur la langue) n'implique pas automatiquement qu'on est "fédéraliste".

    Nous sommes simplement plus ouvert au reste du monde que vous.

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  49. "...n'implique pas automatiquement qu'on est "fédéraliste"."

    Mais que de points en commun.Seul un spécialiste peut détecter les nuances.

    "Nous sommes simplement plus ouvert au reste du monde que vous."

    Presque aussi prétentieux qu'un canadian.

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  50. "Presque aussi prétentieux qu'un canadian."

    Ça doit être parce que je suis Canadien.

    Vite, sauve toi avant que je t'assimile!

    ReplyDelete