Friday, March 30, 2012

Curzi's Proposed Bill 101 an Orwellian Nightmare

With  his political career winding down, (not by his choice) Pierre Curzi decided to go out in a blaze of glory, offering his unadulterated vision of Quebec society to the National Assembly, a separatist wet dream if you will, free from the constraints of real world politics.

Mr. Curzi presented his version of an updated Bill 101 (Bill 593) to the Quebec National Assembly, a bill that has no chance of passing, but a document that represents what language militants, obsessed with tilting at the windmill of anglicization, view as ultimate response to a culture and language 'under siege.'

Mr. Curzi shares with us his vision of the linguistic question that holds that not only is English a threat to the French language but bilingualism as well, and as such should be removed from public life.
And so to support this view, the OQLF shall be imbued with enhanced powers worthy of the Thought Police, interfering in everyday life so as to order society in the image of the majority, based on the tenet that diversity is a cancerous lesion that will inevitably spread and kill its most generous host.

And to those reading this last sentence and who are shaking their heads, telling themselves that the editor is on a hyperbolic flight of fancy at the idea that Mr. Curzi and friends are trying to moderate not only how we speak, but also how we think, I ask you to consider the L'Acualité's primary complaint, which is that Anglos do speak French, but are disinterested in joining or promoting the majority culture.
As pointed out in our comment section in regards to Wednesday's post, Curzi's friendly cohort, Benoît Dutrizac, complained exactly of this fact, that Anglos don't embrace French culture.
"Evidently you aren't interested in Quebec culture. An Anglo is a second rate American."
("Évidemment, tu ne t'intéresses pas à la culture francophone du Québec. Un anglo simili américain de 2ème ordre.")
And so Anglos are chastised for not embracing poutine or the sugar shack and the myriad of second and third rate talents like Julie Snyder, Les Cowboys Fringants or Ginette Reno or insipid television snorefests like Tout le Monde en Parle.
We Anglo Quebecers are branded as culturally insensitive because only 10% of us can name the mayor of Quebec City, while there is not one Francophone in 50,000 who can name the mayor of Vancouver.

To French language militants, it remains a holy tenet that Anglos who wish to maintain their own separate culture within Quebec are evil pariahs, while Francophones who cultivate and maintain a separate culture from the majority of Canadians are heroes.

Deux poids deux mesures, a double standard extraordinaire.

And so language militants are lining up to applaud a document proposing changes to the law restricting English, a vision that is nothing less than an Orwellian nightmare, where the state controls not only how citizens act in public, but how they think in private.
 
"le Mouvement national des Québécoises et Québécois (MNQ) welcomes this initiative with great enthusiasm........"

"The Mouvement Québec français  congratulates Pierre Curzi for his immense contribution to the political debate on the French language..."

The initiative of the Member for Borduas, Pierre Curzi, is significant. It is a difficult job and this is a useful approach. We share the same concerns and same objectives. We must take much more daring actions than those put forward by the Liberal government which is negligent and complicit in the anglicization of Quebec..." Parti Quebecois

The Anglo Press, so freaked out by the article in L'Acualité that characterized Anglophones as not only unsympathetic to the French cause, but purposely engaged in its destruction, issued a slew of articles defending the community and labeling the article alarmist and misinformed.
In their zeal to counter the conclusions, all failed to realize that the article said more about the attitudes of the francophones authors, than anglophones.

It reminds me of the old major league baseball story (I can't remember the characters) wherein a batter hits a tiny infield pop fly and the catcher, as is his role, hollers an instruction at the top of his lungs to the infielders, to allow the third baseman to catch the ball.
The pitcher ignores him, attempts a catch and promptly drops the ball. As the fuming catcher walks back to home plate and passes the opposing team's bench, a player in the dugout gives him a nasty dig;  "Hey, he had to consider the source!"

Yup, all these Anglos journalists reacted in a knee-jerk fashion defensive manner to a skewed story written by a quintessential Anglophobe fanatic, instead of pointing out the obvious fact that anything prepared by Pierre Curzi has zero journalistic credibility.
"Curzi was forced to apologize and retract a statement he made in October 2007 during a radio interview that appeared to suggest that a sovereign Quebec would have "more teeth" and could potentially remove the voting rights of Quebec's English-speaking community living on Montreal's West Island.  He faced some criticism in 2008 as one of two MNAs, along with Daniel Turp, who endorsed a controversial petition opposing Paul McCartney's performance at Quebec City's 400th anniversary celebrations. In September 2010, Curzi expressed on the television interview show Les Francs-tireurs his theory that there was a shortage of Francophone players on the National Hockey League team the Montreal Canadiens and that this was "damned well political" and the result of a federalist plot." Wikipedia
On Monday, the headline to my  blog piece read  L'Actualité  Poll on Anglophones Says More about Francophone Perceptions

It seems that I was alone in decrying the fact that the article was more an indictment of French attitudes, than English.
Well, I was almost alone.
In an Op-Ed piece in the Montreal Gazette, Jean-François Lisée responded to those detractors and in doing so, let this slip in.

"We at L’Actualité are totally aware that the questions asked reveal just as much about the questioner as the respondents. The questions reflect exactly what we, bilingual French-speaking journalists, wanted to know" Link{Fr}

Either Mr.  Lisée reads this blog or my observation is obvious to all, obvious to all except those Anglo defenders in the Press who completely missed the point that the article was nothing more than Anglo-bashing dressed up as journalism.

There's a lot of this journalistic fraud going around the French Quebec Press and I'll have more to say on the subject next week.

At any rate, let me help enlighten readers as to what changes Mr. Curzi and his supporters would like to see in Bill 101.
I'm sure a detailed analysis will be made available soon in the Anglo Press, but let me give you the highlights lowlights.

Now I'm not going to make direct translations, it would take too long. What I am going to do is to set out what Mr. Curzi attempts to do with his new interpretation of Bill 101 and my interpretation of the impact of these changes.

Chapter 1 Article 1
French is not only the  official language of Quebec it is the common denominator among its citizens.
(An Anglo walks into the license bureau in a predominantly English town and is served, not surprisingly, by an English (albeit bilingual) employee. They both are obliged to speak to each other in French unless a special written request is made beforehand. The same goes for an Anglo employee of the town Huntingdon answering a phone call from a fellow Anglophone resident.)

Chapter 1 Article 11
French is the language of the courts and the legislature, subject to rights already in force in Quebec.
(Pure nonsense, a clause that contradicts itself. The BNA forbids this and the clause actually admits it.)

Chapter 1 Article 17
The government will use French only in writing to immigrants.
 (POW!)

Chapter 1 Article 25
English school commissions must expressly offer their services to the public in French.
(Teachers in English schools must be prepared to have parent/teacher conferences in French )

Chapter 4 Article 32
Someone making a renewal or new demand that the  Health board communicate with him/her in English must prove that they are eligible.
 (English is no longer an option for ethnics and immigrants)

Chapter 5 Article 44
Speaking French for all professionals is an obligation. Temporary permits  may be authorized until the professional passes a French test. Flunk three times and you must stop practicing 
(An English speaking doctor who serves a 100% Anglophone clientele, cannot practice if he/she cannot pass a French test, which by the way is not that easy to pass)

Chapter 7 Article 57-58
The OQLF will impose French rules on companies with less than 50 employees. 
(Massively complicated rules including the establishment of internal French committees will bring a mess of bureaucratic pain to companies without the ability or the financial resources to comply. )

Chapter 7 Article 62
Companies with 25 or more employees must register with the OQLF and furnish all sorts of information and must obtain a certificate of conformity
(Was my reference to BIG BROTHER really out of line?)

Chapter 7 Article 86
All companies must use a French name or in the case of a legal trademark, a French descriptor must be added
(A complete and TOTAL admission that the present act has no requirement for descriptors.) 

Some other highlights

Pertaining to education, the new Bill 101 will apply from kindergarten to university and eligibility to Dawson college or McGill University will no longer be an option to ineligible Francophone or Allophones.

Businesses would no longer be able to make bilingualism a condition of employment unless approved by the OQLF. It would remain to be seen if it were to be legal to ask that a clerk in a downtown Montreal speak English as a condition of employment. (probably not).

As to Bill 103, a law passed in response to a Supreme Court decision allowing students who had some private English education entry into the public education system in English, Mr Curzi suggests that the Draconian Notwithstanding Clause be implemented to deny about 150 students a year an English education.

On and on it goes, but perhaps the most telling nightmarish clause of all, is the frightening Article 43, which authorizes the OQLF to monitor the behavior and mindset of its citizens.
Do not be fooled with it's reference to linguistic groups, it targets Anglos and ethnics only.



Article 43.
The Office shall monitor the linguistic situation in Québec and shall report thereon to the Minister at least every three years, especially as regards the use and status of the French language and the behaviour and attitudes of the various linguistic groups.
WOW! Welcome to our Brave New world. 


 If you speak French you can do your own clause by clause comparison of the the new Bill 101 compared to the old law by downloading a PDF HERE.

You can download  an English PDF of this proposed bill (without a comparision to the old Bill 101) Here  (Thanks Tony for the link) 

 **************************************

I'd like to share a chart with you which I lifted from antagoniste.net where DAVID writes some blistering pieces in his famous series "Arguing with idiots"
I gave out all sorts of links in Monday's post

Not all of you speak French, so I'd like to share this chart which will put paid to the arguments made in the comments section about Ontario also receiving Equalization payments.


The charts shows how much each citizen in Ontario versus Quebec receives in Equalization.



Finally here's a laugh to send you off.

It's a video wherein the interviewer stops people in a Toronto street and asks them what they think of bilingualism.
I didn't embed the video because it is definitely NSFW.
You've been warned......... WATCH IT HERE

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

219 comments:

  1. Editor: So? Where's the video?

    Re Chapter 1, Article 11: This appeared in the exact same article in the original Bill 101. It was ruled unconstitutional, and it only pertained to corporations. Pleading in English was only allowed if AND ONLY IF all parties to the action agreed to their pleading in English.

    Article 43? Good luck implementing it and not looking like the Nazis in doing so. That sonofabitch curse Curzi would have made an ideal Nazi and so would have his minions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HA! HA!
      You're the only one to point out I forgot to include the link! I guess most were too shy to ask.
      At any rate, watch it at your own peril, it's a bit gross!!!!

      Delete
    2. MY word!!!! Something to do with equalibrium :)

      Delete
    3. Editor: It wasn't just gross, it was totally stupid.

      Delete
    4. Mr. Sauga: "Editor: It wasn't just gross, it was totally stupid."

      If I mentioned that it was stupid as well, even more people would have clicked on the link.

      I bet if I put up a link the said;
      "Do not click on this link under any circumstances!" everybody would click on it......

      Delete
    5. Editor: Ya bested me on that one! Well done!

      Delete
    6. Editor,

      Fucking hell!! My eyes! My eyes!

      Delete
  2. Yeah, Yannick, and...? You forgot the part about the fact Ontario is STILL the biggest net contributor to the equalization program. How much is taken out of Quebec's share of federal revenues to distribute to Manitoba and the Atlantic Provinces? Answer: ZEEEE-RO!

    Nice try, crétin!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yannick,

    I fail to understand the importance of 2012 - 2013 data as you presented. Quebec still receives much more equalization than Ontario, in absolute number and in per capita number. So what is your point? Quebec is just worse than Ontario instead of much worse?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I want to point out that the claim of the separatist groups that French is the only official language in Quebec is false.

    Title I, chapter I of the Charter of the French Language (official version in English) says:

    1. French is the official language of Quebec.

    Note, however, the lack of the word 'only'. To do so would be a direct violation of BNA Act and would certainly be shot down by the Supreme Court.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yannick,

      But no other provinces beside Quebec and New Brunswick have such law that defines their official language(s). By doing so, they are not in violation of the BNA Act.

      Delete
    2. But no other provinces beside Quebec and New Brunswick have such law that defines their official language(s).


      Most of them don't have any draconion laws with regards to signs. I note that there are some municipalities who have done this in Ontario (Russel) and Dieppe in NB, but these are not provincial initiatives. The Russel bylaw is being contested by good old Howard Galganov and Co. If the Conservatives wanted to save some real money they would have reduced the OLA in areas where there is no significant French (like all of the ROC outside of Quebec and NB) population. 2.4 Billion a year for what ? Makes absolutely no sense to have CBC French transmitters anywhere east or west of Quebec and NB. Hell, they (THE CBC) could recover their 100 million dollar cut today by just cancelling the French programming outside of Quebec and NB where, in fact, no one is listening or watching.

      Delete
    3. Then why would we have a federal language commissioner if we didn't have two official languages? Please inform yourself before spouting off.

      Delete
    4. "Makes absolutely no sense to have CBC French transmitters anywhere east or west of Quebec and NB."

      There are actually more people who declared speaking French at home in Ontario than in New Brunswick on the census.

      "outside of Quebec and NB where, in fact, no one is listening or watching."

      That's not true, there are more people there watching than people practicing Judaism so it's as false as saying there are no Jews in Canada. Sure, they are a minority but then again so are Quebec Anglophones so would you have no problem at all with the English CBC being unavailable in Quebec? Most Anglophones are in or around Montreal so what about those living elsewhere in Quebec? They probably find it useful that the CBC is available in their homes.

      Delete
    5. *the English CBC being unavailable in Quebec or at least outside of Montreal?

      And the reason why French is official in New Brunswick whereas it is not in Ontario is because they are a bigger percentage of the population of the province but in actual numbers Franco-Ontarians are more numerous. Ontario is not officially bilingual but they seem to offer some services in French and some papers are written in both languages.

      Delete
    6. And French is not banned on outdoor signs whereas Quebec bans English on outdoor signs

      Delete
    7. Anonymous Mar 31, 2012 12:02AM: The Government of Ontario, like EVERY province and territory in Canada, MUSTprint every bill and statute in French, official language law or no official language law; EVERY province and territory in Canada, MUST enable anyone wanting a court trial in French either an actual trial in French, or interpreters to translate the proceedings. Ontario has attended Francophonie summits wherever held to sell Ontario as a good place to set up shop in French. Contracts may legally be drawn up in French, if there is mutual consent and ALL government documentation for business is available in French.


      Anonymous Mar 31, 2012 10:06AM: In some Eastern Ontario communities, local bylaws have been passed where bilingual signs are mandatory. Where there are no such ordinances, no language restrictions apply. Go along Highway 7 in Markham, a Toronto suburb and you'll see plenty of signs, packaging, etc. in Chinese alone! I've seen packaging in the GTA in Russian, Polish and other Eastern and Central European languages. I'll only see English (and French) on superimposed tickets where ingredients and nutritional disclosure is required by FEDERAL law.

      Delete
  5. Yannick,

    I understand what you mean. The numbers lately are not on Ontario's side. But you do understand that it happens because of unexpected changes in Ontario's industries, do you not? On the other hand Quebec has been 'poor' for decades.

    On a related note, some members of the separatist groups argue up and down that Quebec is actually a wealthy and productive province. They argue that Quebec's contributions to federal revenue far exceed the funds the province receives back - direct transfer, equalization or otherwise. The argument is that by gaining independence Quebec will be more prosperous since it will be able to receive all of its own revenue.

    I think that argument is dangerous as it hides the reality that Quebec welfare and economic livelihood is interdependent with other Canadian jurisdictions.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "S'il était Albertain (ou Sask/C-B), je pourrais beaucoup plus accepter son discours. Comme ce l'est, je ne peux pas respecter ça."

    There has been some rather interesting statistics coming out of Alberta at this time. If the next election were today, the Wildrose Party (ultra conservative) would actually win the election, according to polls.

    Should this actually happen, it will not be good for either Ottawa or provinces receiving equalization payments. She has already put Quebec on notice to " get off the dole".

    She is about sharing wealth..the question shes asks is how much and for what purpose. To allow another province to have more social programs at the expense of the donor provinces.

    Ottawa can also expect a tougher line from Alberta should Danielle Smith be elected. Will be interesting to see what happens.

    It would appear the the equalation (prequatione pour les quebecois) is likely going to be significantly reduced after 2014.

    The fiscal irresponsibility in Quebec has not gone unnoticed in the West.

    ReplyDelete
  7. For shits and giggles, here is Louis Prefontaine's praise to his hero, Pierre Curzi.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a big flaw this guy's thought process, same as with all septards in general. He says:

      "Si ses propositions ne s’attaquent pas encore au cœur des prérogatives léonines de notre minorité, elles jettent les bases d’un débat non plus basé sur la protection d’acquis insuffisants, mais sur la conquête de nouveaux pouvoirs permettant d’assurer le futur de notre langue."

      He brings up the minority issue and then moves to the issue of power, more power, and projection of power. He underscores that francophones can step up the power they hold and held for decades in QC (in fact 100% of power with not even 1% shared with the 20% of non-francophones), thereby confirming that not so precarious situation of francophones in QC, since we can rationally assume that groups that hold power cannot be worse off to those that don't. (although Quebec nationalists claim exactly that, that even with 100% of power consolidated around them, they are still "oppressed").

      Prefontaine's argument rests on the minority status, but with a twist: minority relative to the outside. I reject this kind of "logic". With this kind of rationalization, every power center (jurisdiction) in the world can attack its minorities. There may be only a few Germans in Poland, but in Germany they are the majority. There may be a few Spaniards in France, but they are the majority in Spain. There may be a few Italians in Greece, but they are the majority in Italy. Should Greece move to suppress Italian? Should Poland move to suppress German? Should France move to suppress Spanish?

      If you posses power, then it's irrelevant what your situation is relative the outside of your administrative jurisdiction. Because you have all the power in the place in question. You make the rules. You, not the Anglos in the US, RoC, Britain, or Australia.

      Bringing this closer to home, should the Anglo majority of New Brunswick move to suppress all the French and attack Université de Moncton because the neighboring Quebec is predominantly French, or because France is predominately French, or because half of Belgium is, or Switzerland?

      I know there are some ready answers in the pequiste handbook:

      -France is further from NDG than the Unites States and Canada are from Quebec - a very arbitrary argument of distance

      - English is massively predominant around us - an arbitrary argument of ratios, plus
      failing to note the key word "around", which is not "inside", and failing to note that English is not a sole language there, it coexists with Spanish in Florida, Texas, California, and all over the south, it coexists with Mandarin and Punjabi all over the RoC (Vancouver for example), etc...

      - The French have suffered in North America and deserve a slack - a historically revisionist argument, and rejected by all those who think that history shouldn't be used to justify excesses of the present

      - the Louisiana precedent - failing to note that the US government was pursuing an active policy of assimilation of everyone, while there never was (not even after the "conquest") nor is a policy to attack the French in QC.


      Are there any real arguments to justify language fascism of QC? I haven't heard one to date.

      Delete
    2. "There may be a few Italians in Greece, but they are the majority in Italy. Should Greece move to suppress Italian? Should Poland move to suppress German? Should France move to suppress Spanish?"

      Si la France représentait une population de 7 M au sein d'une Espagne de 350 000 000 occupant toute l'Europe...Oui!

      Delete
    3. Si la France représentait une population de 7 M C d'une Espagne de 350 000 000 occupant toute l'Europe...Oui!

      I know that this is your argument. What you are not refusing to accept is that I reject both the argument of ratios and the argument of relative positioning. What supersedes these two are ethics and the exercise of power. Irrespective of ratio and location, Quebec 1. is a power center and 2. it acts unethically.

      The use of the word "au sein" is also misleading. Quebec's 7M is next to the 350M, not in the middle of the 350M. Quebec is not in the place of Kansas or Nebraska, but again that's irrelevant, because even if it were, the 2 rules would still override everything else:

      1. does the jurisdiction have autonomy and power?
      2. is it acting ethically?

      Delete
    4. Le Québec n'est pas au sein du continent Nord américain?Ou sommes-nous alors?La Floride ne serait donc pas au sein des É.U selon vos interprétations géographiques.

      1. does the jurisdiction have autonomy and power?

      Après combien d'efforts et de temps?

      2. is it acting ethically?

      Très relatif (subjectif) à celui à qui vous poserez la question.

      Delete
    5. "La Floride ne serait donc pas au sein des É.U selon vos interprétations géographiques."

      Non,seulement le Kansas :D

      Delete
    6. Au sein ne veut pas dire "au centre" ou "au milieu" mais bien: À l'intérieur,inclus,dans,confiné(dans le cas du Québec) ou "within" si vous préférez.

      Delete
    7. @Yannick

      Il faut que tu jettes un coup d'oeil sur ce film (si tu ne l'a pas déjà visionné)

      La lutte étudiante pour le français dans les années 60 (quels looks) au Nouveau-Brunswick

      http://www.nfb.ca/film/acadie_acadie

      Delete
    8. Yannick,

      I would had to your list 1791. Canada is splitted in Lower and Upper Canada, both provinces have the same number of member of the assembly despite the fact that the population of Lower Canada is the largest.

      Later, during the Union, when the population of Upper Canada outgrows Lower Canada's (probably because of separatism...), representation by population is suddenly the way to go. (And the debts of Lower and Upper Canada are combined into one common debt despite the fact that Upper Canada's debt is much larger than Lower Canada's.)

      These are not policies of assimilation, they are policies aiming at the marginalization of a people.

      Delete
    9. Et vous devriez voir Éloge du Chiac de Michel Brault (Site de l'ONF aussi).

      Delete
    10. Michel

      Je "check" ça.

      Celui que j'ai conseillé à Yannick est pour les amateurs de "speak white".

      Delete
    11. Glad to see you boys have decided to join the 21st century and oppose assimilation and marginalisation of minorities. It's good to have your support in opposition to Bill 101 and the future 593.

      Delete
    12. Yannick 2:37, all your examples are covered in my third bullet of ready answers from the pequsite handbook in the 7:25am post. I wrote:

      - The French have suffered in North America and deserve a slack - a historically revisionist argument, and rejected by all those who think that history shouldn't be used to justify excesses of the present

      Does the fact that French was at one point suppressed in Manitoba change the fact that Quebec is a power center? No. Is revanchism a justifiable position? No.

      What would you say if ON moved to suppress French citing the 1977 Quebec precedent, when the English language was thrown out of public space. Imagine an Ontario premier citing the 1977 sign law while proposing a law banning French from public space in ON. Would you accept it?

      So yes, French people have suffered, but they also imposed suffering. Everybody people in history has suffered at one point or another. Should this be the guiding force to our present day behavior?

      Delete
  8. Curzi is a nimrod.

    Yeah lets all get rid of English ( 1 million words)
    and speak French ( 85 000 words) yeah and we'll all watch Price is Right in French so we can see a seppie win a grand prize of 300 $

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The one million english words figure comes from the Oxford English Dictionnary. Le Grand Robert dictionnary lists and defines 100,000 words.

      So there would be 9 out of 10 words that you know in english that would have no french equivalent. (I can think of "shallow" and of some verbs such as "to sail", but not 9 english words out of 10...) Something might be wrong with your figures..

      The English Oxford Dictionnary is an inventory of all english words, past and present, common or specialized, normative or slang, regionalism and so on.. French dictionnaries lists words of what is considered standard french and older words are regularly droped out of the dictionnary, they don't include all french words.

      For instance, I can easily find three words that are not in my Larousse 2000 : enculer, folklorisation and infaisabilité. These words are very common words and are understood by most french speakers, yet they are not in my dictionnary. How many words that are not in the Oxf.E.D. can you think of?

      You also find, in english, pairs of words that have the same meaning : liberty/freedom, blindness/cecity, etc. French speakers tend to think that these duplications uselessly increase the number of english words, but it is just something with french purists : according a great importance to precision of definitions, they just hate to have two words meaning the same thing.

      These kinds of duplications are something that you rarely find in french. (Interestingly, in english dictionnaries, cecity is defined as blindness, and such a tautological definition is another thing that you will rarely find in french dictionnaries.)

      I am of course not arguing that french is better, I am arguing that you don't know what you are talking about.

      Delete
    2. Les fans de "The price is right" sont rarement des érudits.Ils sont souvent impressionnés par la quantité et rarement par la qualité.

      Delete
    3. This discussion about the number of words in English and French is rather infantile. If you ever read Marcel Proust you'd know that it isn't the quantity of words, but rather the quality of its usage.
      The average person only uses about 5,000-9,000 words, while a college professor no more than 15,000.
      Shakespeare, in all his works used but 17,000 words.
      French remains a beautiful language, it's only deficiency is keeping up with the breakneck speed at which English words are added each year to the common lexicon.

      Delete
    4. Editor,

      There are things on which we agree.

      Delete
    5. Merci Monsieur l'Éditeur

      Delete
    6. Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We can say any language is beautiful. If a beautiful Italian women speaks to me, I will think Italian is beautiful. If a beautiful Russian woman speaks English with an accent, I will say Russian is beautiful. If an nice, open minded French Canadian girl speaks to me in French, I will think French is wonderful, whereas if an intolerant separatist speaks French to me, I will think it is a vile language.

      So really, all languages can be said to be beautiful. The beautiful aspect about Shakespeare's language is not only does it grow by leaps and bounds because of its
      great usage but also that is the common language of the global economy.

      Delete
    7. @Roger : Même l'allemand?

      Achtung Roger!

      Delete
    8. À vos souhaits...

      Delete
    9. @ Yannick

      As I mentioned, any language can be beautiful. I am not anti any language, unlike many separatists.

      Delete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. "And so Anglos are chastised for not embracing poutine or the sugar shack and the myriad of second and third rate talents like Julie Snyder, Les Cowboys Fringants or Ginette Reno or insipid television snorefests like Tout le Monde en Parle."

    Le problème est que vous confondez CULTURE et culture populaire (de masse).

    Parlons donc un peu de cinéma canadien,par exemple.C'est quand la dernière fois qu'un film anglo a représenté le canada aux Oscars?Parlant Oscars,avez-vous remarqué le Cirque du soleil?Vous pouvez attaquer la poutine (très appréciée chez les anglos semble-t-il) mais nous allons rétorquer avec les Donuts.

    Ignorez-vous réellement ce que sont les Arts de la scène,les arts visuels et la littérature?

    La culture du Québec n'est pas Julie Snyder ou Guy A Lepage.Sans oublier que nous sommes 7 millions pas 350 millions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cirque du Soleil is about as French as Celine Dion, they embraced English culture years ago. Artistically they remain as French as Leonard Cohen.

      English films cannot be entered in the 'foreign film' category at the Oscars, they must compete with the big boys.
      When you speak of 'real' Quebecois culture as opposed to pop culture what are you talking about?
      And please don't mention VLB, a pretentious hero-in-his-own mind and disgusting anglophobe.

      Delete
    2. English films cannot be entered in the 'foreign film' category at the Oscars, they must compete with the big boys.

      Vraiment pas impressionné par les prouesses culturelles des 25 000 000 de canadians,d'autant plus, qu'ils n'ont aucune barrière linguistique avec le reste du continent :(

      Delete
    3. "English films cannot be entered in the 'foreign film' category at the Oscars, they must compete with the big boys."

      Alors commencez par en réaliser un qui se démarque et nous verrons pour les "big boys' par la suite.

      Delete
    4. En matière culturelle les Canadiens-Anglais ont deux possibilités : faire un produit américain ou faire comme les américains, mais en moins bien.

      Delete
    5. Et je crois qu'ils le savent très bien.

      Delete
    6. English Canadians have a great culture that also includes North American culture. That's what so great about us. It is much better than being part of a french ghetto culture that is very insular in nature.

      Delete
    7. "English Canadians have a great culture..."

      Quand allons-nous la voir ou l'entendre ? (Les mauvaises copies américaine ne comptent pas)

      Delete
    8. "English Canadians have a great culture..."

      Allons donc demander aux américains ce qu'ils en pensent...MDR!!!

      Delete
    9. I'd take Randy Bachman over any Quebecouille any day! What about Quebec culture? Is there even one when all you have to offer is Celine Dion and William Shatner? Ooops, I forgot Shatner is an Anglo... and Dion speaks English at her home in Las Vegas... As Richard Burton said of Wales: the Land of my Fathers... my Fathers can keep it! Sounds like any successful Quebecker agrees with the sentiment.

      Delete
    10. Note that it's only unsuccessful Quebeckers that are separatists.

      Delete
    11. "Randy Bachman"

      C'est quoi ça?

      Delete
    12. Une copie canadienne du Batman américain!!!Hahahahahaha!

      Delete
    13. Pas plus tard que le mois dernier j'étais à Boston pour un contrat et le client qui est propriétaire d'un commerce dans la petite Italie (Little Italy) m'a dit que les canadians représentaient une grande source d'inspiration pour pour leurs "sitcoms".Je lui ai demandé pourquoi et il a répondu quelque chose en italien que je n'ai pas très bien compris mais tout le monde dans le restaurant se sont mis à rire.
      Je ne savais pas que les canadians étaient si drôles.

      Delete
    14. Stop making up stories Seppie, who poses as Abrasif 404, Anonymous, and then Apu likes globish.

      Delete
    15. 'Is there even one when all you have to offer is Celine Dion'

      She wasn't popular until she started singing in English. Prompted by here manager/husband Rene the pervert. Anyone remember about the issues in the Las Vegas elevator. I supect it cost them quite a bit of cash to put out this issue.

      And she has the arrogance, that when in Canada, to illustrate to all she is Quebecois. I note that she doesn't use the same rhetoric to those who are paying the tab.


      Just another sellout.

      Delete
    16. "Randy Bachman"

      C'est quoi ça?

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkqfpkTTy2w
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNfpPKoTHZs&feature=related
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA05cULpFmk&feature=related

      Of course, I could have easily mentioned Neil Young, but that would be like shooting on the Red Cross...

      Delete
    17. Ha ok,ces vieux poteux-là,je pensais que c'était des americans.Rien de plus moderne?

      Amarrrican woman...

      Delete
    18. This article from the CBC should demonstrate that English Canada does consume much of its own culture. Here is an excerpt:

      "[CBC] Radio is enjoying the highest ratings in its 75-year history. The great shows – Quirks and Quarks, The Sunday Edition, As It Happens, The Current and the local shows – have never been more popular. The 10 a.m. national morning slot, once hosted by Peter Gzowski, is now home to Gian Gomeshi and Q. The audiences are larger than they were for Gzowski.

      Television is in some ways doing even better. For the first time in history, the CBC has proven that Canadians can make entertainment shows that can compete with the programs made in the United States. For the last four years, CBC’s overwhelmingly Canadian prime-time schedule has beaten Global’s overwhelmingly American one.

      And the shows are not pale copies of U.S. fare. They are completely and unapologetically Canadian in their stories, style and sensibility. The Rick Mercer Report, Heartland, Dragon’s Den, Arctic Air, Republic of Doyle, The Border, Little Mosque on the Prairie and Battle of the Blades were watched by millions of Canadians.

      News and Current Affairs are also stronger. Marketplace often reaches a million viewers, as does The Fifth Estate. The News Network clobbers CNN and every other all-day news channel in Canada.

      The full article for your reference:

      http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/federal-budget-poses-threat-to-cbc-stursberg-argues/article2387386/

      Delete
    19. 'Is there even one when all you have to offer is Celine Dion'

      Plus de 250 000 000 de disques vendus à travers la planète.C'est plus que tous les artistes anglo-canadiens réunis.

      Delete
    20. Celine is an Anglophone artist.
      Out of 250,000,000 million albums sold, probably 230,000,000 are in English.
      She came over to our Dark Side years ago when she got rid of the accent egu on her name. She is no longer Say-leen, she is now known as See-lin.

      Sorry friends, she is now ours.
      Canada's most successful English artist ever. Hooray. Thank you....
      Keep Marie-Mai.

      Delete
    21. "Celine is an Anglophone artist."

      "I am not an anglophone artist and the public understands that. Everywhere I go in the world, I say that I'm proud to be Québécoise" - Céline Dion
      http://www.cjc-online.ca/index.php/journal/article/viewArticle/1124/1031
      She's even implying being from Quebec means not being an Anglophone, so much for being an Anglophone. Not my words, it's hers.

      "Sorry friends, she is now ours."
      Stealing French Canadian symbols again? Like the maple leaf a long time ago, the beaver again a long time ago, poutine, the music to O Canada... but of course you had to replace the lyrics.
      What next? A hockey player you like and you start claiming him as an Anglophone because he must speak English in some American team in which he plays?
      You have an odd definition of Anglophone. Somehow Francophones can become "Anglophones" but only if they are famous and speak English even though it is not the language in which they think and dream. A normal person who becomes fluent in English for work doesn't become an Anglophone because, well, you don't want to appropriate them for yourself as a symbol of pride because they're not famous. They're just second-class Canadians, not "true" Canadians.

      "Canada's most successful English artist ever."
      Funny how a French Canadian outsells any English Canadian. Should you really be proud of that?
      She's not a federalist, by the way. She doesn't care about Canada and if Quebec ever leaves Canada, technically you won't be able to claim her anymore. Just goes to show how she has nothing to do with you whereas Quebec will always be identified with her and she will always be identified with Quebec.
      You remind me of the Soviet Union. Famous Ukrainian? No, famous Soviet! And that's perfect for Russians (think English Canadians) because people usually think of Russia when they think of the Soviet Union (think Canada). But then Ukraine became independent and famous people from there can't really be called famous Russians nowadays can they?

      "Hooray. Thank you...."
      Are you saying we Francophones must thank Anglophones for Céline Dion? You had nothing to do with her upbringing. We made her popular here first and this was a crucial step because she needed to go through this and be discovered before becoming popular in the United States... and then English Canada discovered she existed. She would still be insanely rich without ever selling one record in English Canada. She sold more French-language records in France (a more populous country) than English-language records in English Canada.

      Delete
    22. (continued)

      "Keep Marie-Mai."
      Until she becomes famous worldwide with her planned English album(s) and you start acting like she's one of yours? "Oh, we'll just take what we like and you can have what's left."

      How would you feel if you were an Anglophone using French at work and people claimed you as a Francophone? You would say no, this is not what I am.

      What about a band like Simple Plan? They are Francophones, they compose their music, they write their lyrics. The lyrics are in English but who wrote those English lyrics? Not Anglophones. Their success is due to their musical talent and their talent has nothing to do with Anglophones. A huge part of their fans worldwide aren't Anglophones either. You don't even need to understand English to like their songs. You have nothing to do with them, they are not a part of your people just because they sing in a language that is your mother tongue. It doesn't even have anything to do with your country, English is widely known because of the US, not English Canada.

      I am now reminded of how English Canadians dislike it when Neil Young or James Cameron are claimed as Americans... yet they are way closer to Americans than "Celine" will ever be.

      Maybe I'm wrong but this is the impression I get when I read your comment: "No see, this isn't yours, it's ours now, you are Francophones, they are Anglophones now, hahaha we are successful and you're not! Bow before us!"
      I never expected such cockiness from the editor. I am disappointed. Why not let Quebec Francophones have their symbols of pride?
      Very disappointed.

      Delete
    23. "Note that it's only unsuccessful Quebeckers that are separatists."

      Not really.
      In the 1990s, Céline was basically told not to speak about her (pro-independence) political views because it could hurt her sales in English Canada. She's probably the most famous person worldwide to ever come out of Quebec.

      And then there's Pierre Karl Péladeau of Quebecor, a separatist and he owns Sun Media. Anglo editorialists were mad when a separatist took over.

      Guy Laliberté, who started le Cirque du Soleil, is, like the great majority of Francophone artists, a separatist.

      Those are among the richest people in Canada (they have made the list) and they are separatists.

      Delete
    24. @Anonymous Mar 31, 2012 10:32 PM

      Excellent commentaire.Vous frappez fort,l'Éditeur vient de recevoir un uppercut en pleine gueule.

      Delete
    25. @ Seppie: Michel Patrice didn't make any good points of course. Twisted things again. Speaking of boxing, Trudeau beat Brazeau by TKO on Saturday. Way to go Trudeau! He is a true Québécois to be proud of!

      @ Anonymous: Wow, what are you smoking? I agree with you that Céline Dion...oops...
      Celine Dion is not anglophone because English is not her first language but I am not as interested in classifying people in different groups as you are. You classifying her as a separatist, though? Ahahaha! Have you even read the article that you quoted? (http://www.cjc-online.ca/index.php/journal/article/viewArticle/1124/1031) Yes, there was a controversy at ADISQ over her refusing the anglophone award in 1990.

      Read further down and guess what? There was a controversy at the same awards in 1993. In the article, it was reported by the Gazette: "They gave her two Félix Awards for her international success in English, but Céline Dion was not allowed to sing in English last night at the ADISQ Awards gala. . . . "Don't ask me why; ask ADISQ," Dion, 25, told reporters after collecting the second of her trophies, which raised her career total to 20. "I would have loved to sing for Quebecers tonight."

      From my memory, I rememeber at one point, her saying that she would sing with Bryan Adams for Canadian unity.

      And funny thing, later in the article from McLean's:

      Last week, at Canada's Expo 92 pavilion in Seville, Spain, 24-year-old Dion said, "I'm against any form of separation, and if there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it." ("A Vocal Appeal for Unity," 1992, p. 23)

      Probably because of all the problems separatists caused her, she had to do shows in Las Vegas for a long time.

      Now, as for Guy Laliberté, look at this article at your famous resource Vigile from Nov 2011
      http://www.vigile.net/Le-Quebec-ne-deviendra-pas-un-pays
      One paragraph I quote:

      "Que d’énergie perdue que l’on pourrait utiliser à travailler ensemble, au lieu de chercher à avoir raison, en attisant de vieilles querelles, dont seulement quelques initiés se rappellent les origines ! Est-ce là notre héritage ? L’image projetée est-elle une juste représentation de notre identité ? Quelquefois, j’ai honte de l’ignorance et du manque de savoir-vivre de certaines personnes qui prétendent parler en notre nom." - Guy Laliberte


      As for Pierre Karl Peladeau, he has never declared whether he is for or against separatism.

      So out of the twenty richest Quebeckers, you can't even name 2 who support separatism for sure. WoW! I would trust in their judgement more than that of an anonymous poster! lol

      Delete
  11. Whats the french word for PICKPOCKET ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Voleur à la tire.

      Oddly, the Google translation is "tire-laine". Go figure...

      Delete
  12. Whats the french word for PICKPOCKET ?

    Jean Charest

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Roger is right. Duceppe single handingly created the fisacl imbalance that the feds bought into to garner votes they never got.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  13. Anon @ Mar 29, 2012 10:53PM: If I understand correctly, Alberta is currently in the throes of an election campaign, so Albertans may be sowing their wild roses mighty soon! Can't wait to see how THAT plays out. Why Ontario is still being forced to contribute to the Equalization program is way beyond me.

    For its lack of loyalty to our confederation and abuse of everything English, even by the so-called Quebec federalists, I think Quebec should totally be removed from the Equalization Program--NOT ONE RED CENT TO QUEBEC (while red cents are still being minted!!!)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I knew it! I was waiting for someone to propose something restricting access to McGill to pave the way for it to either become a third-rate "English school for English Quebecers" or a slightly less third-rate French clone of U de M and UQAM.

    Anyway, I can't see a bill like this passing at the moment, but if it had been proposed right after the "Money and the ethnic vote" crisis it would have stood a chance. I can see the PQ trying to drum up a separatist frenzy again like in the mid-90s and trying to get this bill to pass.

    BTW Editor, the link to your comparison chart isn't working... I'd also like to read the bill (if it's available) to see if there are any restrictions on English movies, English books, English video games, general non-French products, speaking English in public, learning other languages in general, etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also, a link to Graeme Hamilton's deliciously snarky opinion on the matter:

      http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/03/28/quebec-sovereigntists-sound-language-alarm-again-over-poll/

      Delete
  15. Attention Mike.
    The link does seem to work.
    However I failed to mention that it is a PDF file that will be downloaded.
    Check your desktop for a file called "charte-fr-comparaison.pdf"

    ReplyDelete
  16. Charest ..........yeeeeeeah good one.

    i was told there isnt a french word for pickpocket .. so why dont we just use all the English words ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Probablement que les "pickpockets" sont très populaires dans vos pays d'origine.Ce n'est pas un mot très utilisé ici.Avez vous des mots de remplacement pour les grades des officiers dans l'armée canadienne ou américaine ou vous continuerez à utiliser les nom Français?Allez fumer une "cigarette" et revenez me répondre ensuite.

      Delete
    2. Well, well, well. If it isn't the ethnocentric Seppie again. Pickpocket is used alot here in Quebec. Duceppe is Quebec's famous pickpocket. Another popular word in Quebec is corruption, as in the construction industry. Again, the problem is separatists and separatist unions. I'm sick of Quackbeckers like you.

      Delete
    3. "I'm sick of Quackbeckers like you."

      Prenez l'autoroute 401 vers l'Ouest et roulez,roulez et roulez...Lorseque vous arriverez dans un village avec 12 Tim Hortons sur la rue principale,vous serez enfin chez vous,au canaya.

      Bonne route!

      Delete
    4. Oh, no, I'm not going anywhere, Seppie. If you don't like hearing English and other languages, go to the regions of Quebec, maybe Herouxville, where you're people are.

      Language hardliners have been ruining Montreal. It's time for them to leave and let everyone live in peace in the bilingual and multicultural city that Montreal is.

      Delete
    5. "Oh, no, I'm not going anywhere, Seppie."

      Vous ne voulez pas retourner en ontario?...Je vous comprend.

      Delete
    6. "Prenez l'autoroute 401 vers l'Ouest et roulez,roulez et roulez..."

      Why dont you return to a French nation...Comme France ou Haiti, Senegal et Algiers.

      Then you could live in "votre francais " tout le jours de votre vie.

      Get out. leave. F'k off if you will.

      After that we will deal with the making Canada a great country without your negative influence.

      Delete
    7. "Why dont you return to a French nation..."

      Parce que nous sommes une Nation...Distincte en plus.De plus nous ne pourrions plus nous amuser avec les anglouilles.

      Delete
    8. I was born here in Quebec, Seppie, and I'm going to stay here just to laugh at the separatists try not to lose a 3rd referendum!! LOL! MDR!

      Delete
    9. "After that we will deal with the making Canada a great country without your negative influence."

      Pourquoi ne pas commencer par vous débarasser d'Harper,ce serait un très bon début.

      Delete
    10. "...and I'm going to stay here..."

      Même quand vous n'aurez vraiment plus le droit de vous afficher en anglais?

      Delete
    11. I'm posting English signs everywhere.

      Delete
    12. Ne soyez pas surpris lorsque vous receverez une "petite" contravention : Mille plaintes de plus que l'an dernier au bureau de l'OQLF concernant l'affichage soit 3661 plaintes.Celà se traduit par une augmentation des agents sur le terrains qui ont l'intention de "claquer" un peu plus fermement sur les doigts des délinquants.Je vous conseille d'être plus discret,à moins que vous n'ayez un bon budget publicitaire.

      Delete
    13. You really think one needs to live in France (those other countries are creole, wolof and arabic nations, French isn't their native language and don't get me started on successful "anglo-saxon" Zimbabwe, they're not poor because they have French as an official language) to live their everyday life in French? You don't know anything about Quebec, do you? I mean, normal Quebec, where most people live. It's anglos who have a hard time living there just speaking English. Do you want to see census data, how few anglos there are across Quebec? I am not anti-anglo (but I am anti-people-like-that-hateful-anti-French-guy) I am just pointing this out to show how ridiculous the whole idea of having to move to France to live in French is.

      "Get out. leave. F'k off if you will."
      But, I don't understand, you want people to leave yet you are not a pro-ethnic-cleansing evil separatist. By the way, if anybody's leaving, it's anglophones and allophones when looking at the numbers of emigration for the last half-century (again, not being glad of that, just stating facts) and the francophones that do move elsewhere are far more likely to move to English Canada (that's not helping you) than France, which is not a very popular destination. In any case, not a single person has ever left or will ever leave because of you so all I can say is: are you gonna make me?

      We are Canadian citizens and as long as we are citizens we have as much of a right as anglos to stay here and there is nothing you and other hateful people can do about it. If we ever become something else than Canadian citizens, it will be Quebec citizens but in that case, we'll still be right here so either way your great country of Canada where everyone speaks English and English only will never become a reality.

      Oh and if you hate the "negative" French influence so much, why don't you stop singing along to O Canada, which is a symbol of Canadian pride? Because in case you didn't know it was composed by a French-Canadian.

      Delete
    14. They have to catch me first.

      Delete
    15. I hope I did not offend people when I wrote "normal" Quebec above. It has nothing to do with right or wrong, it's just in the sense of "usual" because when looking at it statistically, Montreal is "abnormal" linguistically.

      I am not Seppie or people like him. I find it disgusting when they also speak of ethnic cleansing. My own brother-in-law is an anglophone and I guess according to Seppie he should move.
      I have separatist relatives and they are people too.
      At first that jerk seemed to be speaking of only that guy moving.
      Then "only" separatists.
      Then he seems to speak of all French-Canadians.

      Delete
    16. to anonymous 9:20

      How selective you are. You say nothing when the poster originally said to take the 401 to an anglo/allo.

      And it seems you whole message has been posted from before.

      A tactic, it seems.

      We are all living together in Quebec. There is not enough votes for separation and there is not enough votes for partition. So, we're all just going to have to get along.

      Delete
    17. "You say nothing when the poster originally said to take the 401 to an anglo/allo."
      Well I'm back and yes I did say something about it, see my second post, the one above yours. It appears you posted yours just a minute after my second post though.

      "And it seems you whole message has been posted from before."
      What? Where? Find it elsewhere because I can't. I read sometimes but I promised myself I wouldn't waste time posting and I still can't believe I've wasted time replying to that guy.

      "We are all living together in Quebec. There is not enough votes for separation and there is not enough votes for partition. So, we're all just going to have to get along."
      I don't even think he is from Quebec. Where I live there is an anglo minority and we do get along.

      Anyway, that's all I had to say, that's post 3 out of 3 for me, I'm not going to come back this weekend to see any of his replies because I shouldn't have given him attention in the first place and I have more constructive things to do. Seppie should find something to do too. Wish a good weekend to all peaceful people.

      Delete
    18. I am not anti-anglo (but I am anti-people-like-that-hateful-anti-French-guy)

      Yes, like saying: it's not me who's racist, it's them who aren't like me! You sound like the bully that kicks the small guy's head in and when the small guy finally reacts you go on to say: see, you have no sense of humor!

      Delete
    19. Bien oui, c'est lui le bully, c'est surtout pas le crotté qui dit aux francophones de déménager en France. Le gars a dit qu'il détestait juste les anglophones qui détestent les francophones, ça veut pas dire anti-anglo ça, pourquoi vous vous en prenez pas aux anti-francos à la place. Vous voyez pas le racisme où il est vraiment, vous vous en prenez à ceux qui sont choqués par l'intolérance et les traiter d'intolérants, c'est vraiment absurde mais dans votre tête il ne peut qu'il y avoir de la haine dans un sens et elle vient apparemment toujours vers vous.

      Delete
    20. I have read the whole stupid thread starting from Mar 30, 2012 10:37 AM and I don't find anything against francophones, rather just remarks against this guy who goes by the alias "Seppie" and several other alias's on this website. Seppie (aka Abrasif 404, OQLF, sometimes hiding under anonymous and probably anti-anti) post numerous racist things again jewish people, muslims, people from Singapore, blacks when it comes to Yolande James, Canadians, anglophones, allophones, and federalist francophones. Basically, if Seppie doesn't like dealing with different ethnicities and religions, Montreal really isn't for him. He should go to the regions of Quebec, like Herouxville or something, where he can hide out.

      Delete
    21. "post numerous racist things again jewish people, muslims, people from Singapore, blacks when it comes to Yolande James, Canadians, anglophones, allophones, and federalist francophones."

      FAUX.Ce n'est pas permis sur ce blogue :)

      Delete
  17. Pickpocket ..in Spanish its carterista

    in German its Taschendieb

    in russian its вор-карманник

    ReplyDelete
  18. http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htm

    ReplyDelete
  19. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmi4ee_english-the-language-of-money_news

    For all the seppies ...stay poor!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WoW! People in Singapore are much more open-minded and intelligent about language. There should be a Speak Good English movement in Quebec. We have to ignore the stupid language ayatollahs in Quebec if we are to advance our economy. Separatists are such dummies.

      Delete
    2. "Singapore"

      Je dirais plutôt Singapoor :)

      Delete
    3. You are part of the small-minded separatists who know nothing of the world. Ethnocentric to the core, Seppie. Don't even know which countries do well in the world. Honestly, they should call it Singarich compared to Quebec. It is only when you become open-minded toward others and to the world that you will become successful.

      Delete
    4. Wow, what an incredibly stupid comment, Seppie. Singapore has the world's 3rd highest GDP PPP per capita of US$59,936, making Singapore one of the world's wealthiest countries and it is being attributed to the wealth that has been created by the learning of English by its citizens. Your ignorance in mind blowing. LMFAO

      Delete
    5. Pourquoi ont ils l'ais si pauvres et pourquoi les enfants te courent après pour de la monnaie lorsque tu es un touriste?La prochaine fois je leur lance des bananes.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous at 11:23,

      Why do Singaporeans or anybody else should care what you call them? According to their own languages, it is Singapore, Singapura, 共和国 or குடியரசு.

      Delete
    7. To anon "3:16pm

      ``La prochaine fois je leur lance des bananes``

      What a dispicable, disgusting, racist and ignorant comment. You are most certainly unhappy in your life.

      Delete
    8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    9. @ Laurie

      When I write that many separatists are ethnocentric, Seppie proves my point. I know the Editor allow him to post here because, I would guess, he wants to allow different perspectives, which is admirable, but it's not really what he brings. He just trolls here all day, posting under different names, posting one-liners against anglos, the English language, Canadians, any ethnicity other than his own and any religion other than his own, and when he attacks people personally, he does it under anonymous.

      @ Seppie who posts as Anonymous at 7:03PM

      I think it is dispicable that you would use that kind of language in regards to a woman on this blog. You should take your words back if you are any kind of man.

      Delete
    10. Ok,je retire ma banane...Content?

      Delete
    11. @Roger Rabbit

      Avez-vous regardé la vidéo "Éloge à la femme" que votre Éiteur préféré a posté aujourd'hui?
      Voici le lien :

      http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/196/

      Enjoy!

      Delete
    12. Je l'ai deja vu. I'm going to have nightmares. Thanks alot.

      Delete
    13. Thanks Roger. You are correct. As for the other guy, whoever he wants to be, it`s probably not even worth my effort to respond, like you said, it proves your point. I cannot believe he is an adult either, just an adolescent who thinks he`s clever.

      Delete
    14. Sometimes I feed the troll but you're right, it's not worth it.

      Delete
  20. http://bigthink.com/series/42967/series_item/4923

    seperate

    speak French

    ban English completely

    STAY POOR

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pretty much what they're aiming for. Language/culture/sovereignty/CLEVERLY DISGUISED POWER-GRABBING PLOY first, economy a distant second.

      Once Quebec does separate and ban English, they'll then whine about other countries not wanting to learn French as the reason for their economy being so degenerate instead of actually doing something about it.

      Delete
  21. The Editor writes:

    Now I'm not going to make direct translations (of Bill 593), it would take too long.

    You don't have to.

    The National Assembly web site has it in English:

    English Version of Bill 593

    ReplyDelete
  22. The official English translation of article 1 of Bill 593 is actually worse than the editor's translation.

    Here is the official, legal translation, from the link I provide above:

    French is the official language of Québec and the common language of
    all Quebecers.


    Does anyone realize how dangerous this is?

    It's one thing to make a language(s) an "official language" of a country or province; that's a necessary evil because it applies to government services and without an officially designated official language(s), the door would be open to all sorts of challenges from those speaking any of the 300 plus languages spoken within the borders of a country, creating a legal quagmire.

    And, yes, we can certainly argue whether English in addition to French should be Quebec's second official language (this is, in fact, an argument I would make).

    But the part about French being the "common language" is pretty much bordering on fascism and totalitarianism.

    Common language is what we speak in our everyday interpersonal relations: at home between family members; at work between co-workers; at school with friends, co-students, and teachers, and on the street with strangers or at commercial establishments.

    What governs "common language" is (1) freedom of speech; and (2) freedom of association, as guaranteed in Quebec's and Canada's charters of rights. That Curzi deems to control and subjugate through codified law what the common language is doesn't border on fascism, racism, and totalitarianism, it is fascism, racism, and totalitarianism.

    Yes, the current version of Bill 101 alludes to French "as the normal and everyday language of work, instruction, communication, commerce and business" but this appears in the Preamble, not in the actual body of the law.

    It is bad enough that such language is in the Preamble...but to put it as part of the actual law? Once it is in there like that, this little bit of social engineering is meant to create that reality.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Articles 9 and 10 of Bill 593 constitute a "notwithstanding" clause. The official translation of these two articles read (from the link I provide, above):

    9. No provision of an Act, even subsequent to this Charter, may override
    sections 2 to 8.

    10. Any amendment to sections 2 to 9 of this Charter must be adopted by
    a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the Members of the National Assembly,
    provided the majority of the Members are present.


    Check out what "hierarchy of rights" are created by the inclusion of this "notwithstanding" clause.

    Check out which "rights" Bill 593 entrench (articles 2 through 8) by including this "notwithstanding" clause. Note that unlike the "notwithstanding" clause of the Canadian and Quebec charters of rights which allows a government to override fundamental rights and freedoms, this "notwithstanding" clause exists to protect so-called "rights" of one ethnic and linguistic group over all others. In other words, any other legislation passed in Quebec would have to invoke this "notwithstanding" clause if there was any possibility that that new law would infringe on these racist and fascist rights for French-speaking people -- and French-speaking people only! -- found in articles 2 through 8.

    Oh...and, curiously, the "notwithstanding" clause does not cover article 1 and the "common language" provision.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tony, Tony, TONY!

      SSHHhhh..

      You are upsetting UncleTom and his NDPQ, along with the "national assEmbly" with your two-thirds majority of the votes thing!!
      Don't you know these kinds of double standards are the jurisdiction of the traders?

      SVP, Her Majesty's Official Opposition can only kowtow to his powerless masters if the rest of us are kept in the dark about his 50%+1 project..

      So please be a good Québécois, and stop thinking!

      Delete
  24. "Evidently you aren't interested in Quebec culture. An Anglo is a second rate American."

    Actually I AM an American living in Quebec so I don't know what all this "Anglo" crap is about. I'm American, 100% and nothing less. Nice of this guy to stereotype, though. That really shows how enlightened Canada is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually, it shows how enlightened separatists are. Canadians consider themselves part of the North American culture.

      Delete
    2. So you judge all of Canada on the basis of what one idiot writes? I guess that really shows how enlightened you are, Mo.

      Delete
    3. "Canadians consider themselves part of the North American culture."

      And that's why Quebec separatism is perfectly logical and (English) Canadian independence is illogical, you said it yourself, you have the same culture (including the same language) so why not join them? Doesn't that make you separatists yourselves even though you aren't trying to separate because the countries are already separate but still, insisting on staying separate when you are so much alike.

      Why be America Jr. when you can be America period? Why be beta when you can be alpha?

      Delete
    4. "Why be America Jr. when you can be America period? Why be beta when you can be alpha?"

      Je crois que c'est une question de Q.I.Je ne crois pas que les américains acceptent une bande de complexés qui les copient depuis des décennies car incapables de produire eux-même.Une question de Q.I simplement.

      Delete
    5. "Why be America Jr. when you can be America period? Why be beta when you can be alpha?"

      Just another seppie wet dream: Maybe English Canada will join the U.S. Maybe it will just suddenly disappear off the face of the planet. Anything will do. Then Quebec will miraculously be its own country.

      Not going to happen.

      Delete
    6. "So you judge all of Canada on the basis of what one idiot writes?"

      Non,les 20 anglos qui lui répondent.

      Delete
    7. So you prefer paying more for the same stuff? Because that's the cost of not being American states and being Canadian provinces instead.

      It doesn't make sense linguistically, culturally, economically, etc.

      Loyalty to the Queen above financial concerns?
      And you accuse separatists of caring more about language than the economy? Is the monarchy really more important? Because that's pretty much the main historical reason why Anglo-America isn't united as one country.

      Delete
    8. Polls have shown that many don't care about the monarchy and even a significant minority would want to be annexed to the United States.

      I guess that makes them traitors?.

      Delete
    9. The Quebecois are just like everyone else in North America. The only difference is that they speak Joual.

      Delete
    10. Nous préférons le Joual au globish :)

      Delete
    11. La différence entre le Joual et le globish est que il y a plus d'individus qui parlent globish.

      Delete
  25. I could go on and on in analyzing this horrible bill.

    I hesitate to do so because (1) it will just serve to make us forget that it is the government of the day -- the Liberal Party of Quebec -- that is the real enemy because they support the already horrible current version of Bill 101; (2) dwelling on this First Reading version of a bill introduced by an independent member which, thankfully, has a snowball's chance of becoming law would be dwelling on negativity; and (3) I would much prefer to bring everyone's attention to a positive bill as it pertains to language legislation in Quebec.

    I am referring, of course, to Neil Cameron's Bill 199, the Charter of the English and French Languages which, unlike Bill 101 or the 44-page Bill 593, is a rather thin document and, also, is rights giving and not rights restricting.

    You can read it here.

    ReplyDelete
  26. The Editor writes:

    Chapter 1 Article 17
    The government will use French only in writing to immigrants.
    (POW!)


    Actually, it doesn't say that.

    Please read it; it says:

    17. The civil administration shall use the official language in its written
    communications with immigrants. It shall offer services to assist immigrants
    in reading and understanding such documents.


    It does not use the word "only", as in "only use the official language". This is not a defense of Bill 593 but a request to be very exacting in our criticism of the bill.

    We should be very careful when we try and translate...we gotta get it right if we want to have credibility.

    The bill is bad enough as it is written; we don't have to make it worse to show what a piece of sh*t it is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You make a good point about trying to translate properly. However I would make the point that the government of Quebec doesn't seem to follow the law as it is written. It pretends to say that we must follow the "spirit of the law" and sometimes it doesn't even mention that qualifier.

      For example, nowhere in the law is it written that French must be twice as large as English for indoor signs. How many cases have we heard in the media where the OQLF or the media itself says that this is the law and that stores are breaking this law?

      As well, they (the OQLF and other radicals) pretend that for large chains, in the spirit of the law, there must be a French qualifier, something like "Magasin Electronique" Future Shop.

      So, yes, while we should pay attention to translating something as carefully as possible, we should know that the government does not pay as much attention to the proper application of that said law.

      Delete
  27. Pierre Curzi should be stripped of his Canadian citizenship and deported from the country asap!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To be consistent, you'd then have to deport 100% of the members of the National Assembly and all Bloc and NDP MPs from Quebec who sit in the House of Commons.

      Delete
    2. I sure agree with Tony on that thought. Get rid of the treasonous bastards.

      Delete
    3. "Get rid of the treasonous bastards."

      Good luck!You'll need it

      Delete
    4. They were not born elsewhere and therefore cannot be deported. Deal with it.

      There are still a few desert islands left...

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    6. @ Anon. at 12:58 AM,

      You obviously are not familiar with the October Crisis and the imposition of Martial Law by Prime Minister Trudeau. Many separatists were locked up. Stripping these traitors of their citizenship would just be taking it one logical step further.

      Delete
    7. "Stripping these traitors of their citizenship would just be taking it one logical step further."

      Ho boy!Un autre militaire à la retraite et résidant surmédicamenté de la maison "du dernier repos" Le jardin des mimosas.

      Delete
    8. "And learn to accept reality and forget about your fascist fantasies of deporting people with political opinions you don't like."

      I don't have a problem with most people who have differing political opinions...just those who want to destroy my country and who want to strip away my rights. And the separatists don't behave very democratically once elected. They did their best to disenfranchise federalist voters and they fraudulently rejected valid 'NO' ballots during the 1995 referendum. They also asked very vague and misleading questions in both referendums. It is the QC separatists who are the true fascists.

      Delete
    9. "just those who want to destroy my country and who want to strip away my rights."

      Are you the same person who said "Many separatists were locked up. Stripping these traitors of their citizenship would just be taking it one logical step further."?

      Because separatists have rights too. If the majority says Yes to independence, people against just have to accept it because in such a situation they would be the minority. This is democracy.
      You can't always get what you want.
      What we call Quebec wasn't always a part of a federation we call Canada. Why should it stay like this forever if there are more people who want to leave the federation than stay?
      Sounds fascist to me. Is Canada a prison?
      So even if there were only 1% of federalists, they would still be the ones choosing for everybody? Of course I'm using an extreme example. But what could justify this other than the fact that Canada has been like this since before we were all born so it should just stay that way?

      Notice how Canada recognizes plenty of countries that were born out of separatism by "traitors" including one of the youngest independent republics in the world, Montenegro, which won its referendum with about 56% of Yes votes. Yes I know they needed at least 55% (which is absurd but that's another debate) but is 56% really a clear majority like the one the Canadian Clarity Act vaguely speaks of?

      Say the Yes side wins with 57%, the Canadian government would look like major hypocrites if they didn't recognize it. Not that their recognition is needed, what is really needed is UN membership and being recognized by at least most UN members.

      Delete
    10. The French side of my family arrived around 1648 in Charlevoix. The native side (Innu) have been here ever since the retreat of the Champlain Sea (make that 10 000 years) according to most historians.

      I'm no fascist, no racist, no xenophobe. My only tare is to have no attachment to Canada. I am not Canadian. My passport could tell I'm Mexican or Russian It'd be grosso modo same same for me.

      My goal isn't to "destroy" your country. I want my people to rule for my people. That's it. As my parents did. As my grandparents did.

      Why should I be deported anonymous 3:23PM?

      Delete
    11. Le secessionniste,

      My goal isn't to "destroy" your country. I want my people to rule for my people. That's it. As my parents did. As my grandparents did.

      Are these the people you are talking about from the era of your grandparents? John Jones Ross, Edmund James Flynn, Antonio Barrette, Daniel Johnson Sr., Daniel Johnson Jr.

      Delete
    12. Troy,

      I was actually talking about my own grandparents. I could talk to you about Bourgault, Falardeau, Lévesque, Miron. What's your point?

      Delete
    13. @ Le Secessionniste,

      If you have Aboriginal blood, then I suppose you will support the desire of many Native groups to have their ancestral territories remain part of Canada in the event of Quebec separation, i.e. the James Bay Cree.

      You state that you are "no fascist, no racist, no xenophobe" and then bring up someone like Pierre Falardeau in the very next comment....very ironic.

      Delete
  28. Yann: «Sauga prôner l'excellence financière...» No, Yann, NO! I'm not advocating any such thing. My beef with Quebec getting equalization is the constant bitching and fed bashing, and lack of loyalty to the Confederation; furthermore, Quebec has these social programs it simply cannot afford with the expection the rest of us should pay for them. FAGGEDABOUDIT Scrap the maudit programs! The coup-de-gras was when Charest asked Harper for $700 million for certain programs and then turned the whole amount into a $700 million tax break and labelled himself the hero. I hope Harper takes back every damn red cent and THEN some for that little trick.

    Waaaaaaaait-a-minute, Yann...Did I read correctly you're an Acadian? Why are you advocating so hard for Quebec? You're NOT one of them! You're an étrangère! ...just like I am!

    Troy: You wrote "...Quebec welfare and economic livelihood is interdependent with other Canadian jurisdictions..." No, Troy...Quebec is DEPENDENT on these jurisdictions.

    ReplyDelete
  29. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Mississauga,

    No, Troy...Quebec is DEPENDENT on these jurisdictions.

    Interdependent ≠ independent. Interdependent means that there is a degree of dependency among the members of the group. Granted that today Quebec seems to rely more to other provinces than the other way around. But to dismiss Quebec outright in Canadian economic system is rather imprudent. The easiest example is the St. Lawrence Seaway.


    Yannick,

    I think that the animosity towards Quebec receiving equalisation is not because the the fund an sich. It is because:

    1. There are dominant voices in Quebec that rejects Canada, yet never say no to equalisation.
    2. The lavish and lucrative benefits Quebec government gives the population, funded by equalisation. Such benefits are not available in the provinces that contribute to the fund.
    3. Quebec by itself creates the atmosphere that impedes economic growth in its territory.

    ReplyDelete
  31. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  32. 3 things

    1) That video was gross!

    2) Has anyone noticed that the ignoramuses on this board never acknowledge the facts presented to them, preferring to dance around and vomit propaganda fed to them by the media and separatist teachers? They are like children who have been reprimanded and make excuses for their behavior.
    Adult: You hurt someone.

    Child: But he hurt me first...he hurt me more...once, he hurt me and he didn`t get in trouble...his mommy hurt my mommy when they were kids...once, a fat lady at Eaton`s hurt my grandma...in Ontario, they hurt each other more but not quite as much as they hurt each other in New Brunswick...etc. etc.

    They cannot admit to Quebec`s dire economic situation: Well, Ontario has this much debt, the US has that much debt, they, they, they. How about admitting that we have problems instead of spitting out useless fling flang comparisons? It looks like you are afraid to admit to the reality of what is going on in this province. Cannot think for yourselves, a real mob mentality.

    They CANNOT understand, that hating separatists DOES NOT mean we hate the French language and people.

    3) Unlikely scenario, but something to think about: In 50 years, the English majority in Montreal elect Quebec`s Anglo Party (QAP lol). We are angry and about 100 years of French supremacist laws, PQ, Bill 101, OQLF, and the oppression and persecution of anything and everything English. So what do we do? We start ``getting back`` at them. Pass laws to make sure they understand who is in charge, make sure they are treated as second class citizens, and create a legal system to beat down anything French. We`ll give you a number you can call and make anonymous complaints and fine them for using their language. You get the picture -- a real tit for tat situation. Well somehow, I don`t think we would be so petty.

    That`s it for tonight, back to Antichambre.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you, Laurie.

      I was born and bred in Quebec and it doesn't bring me joy to say that Quebec is in bad economic shape, with a crazy amount of debt. I just think that it should be acknowledged so that we can go ahead and tackle the problem. Many separatists, however, as you mentioned just try to evade or bring something up, not wanting to deal with the problem.

      As for their "project", they don't really deal with all the negotiations that would have to be done and that not everything would be negotiated in their favour. Anyhow, we don't have to worry about that because they will not win a 3rd referendum, part of the Quebec neveredum, as Josh Freed would say.

      In any case, Go Habs Go!

      Oh wait, I mean for next year. This year just lose the next four games, so we can get a high draft pick, lol.

      Delete
    2. In any case, Go Habs Go!

      Avec Patrick Roy?

      Delete
    3. Peut-etre avec lui comme coach mais pas comme dg. Il est un bon competiteur, son chandail est retiree, est il a gagne 2 coupes Stanley avec les Canadiens.

      Delete
    4. "Quebec is in bad economic shape, with a crazy amount of debt."
      "Many separatists, however, as you mentioned just try to evade or bring something up, not wanting to deal with the problem."

      Comme si le très fédéraliste Jean Charest et sa bande se souciait de la dette. Vous avez vu le budget?

      "L'économie d'abord, OUI" - Jean Charest, élection de 2008

      Delete
    5. Laurie,

      You are forgetting that Montréal is already on a path to becoming the 11th Canadian province with French, English, and Other Canadians proving to the RoC and the RoQ that we don't have the hate that The North American English Hating, Separatist French Language Taliban has for everyone who uses the English Language!

      Delete
    6. >Roger Rabbit: I was born and bred in Quebec and it doesn't bring me joy to say that Quebec is in bad economic shape, with a crazy amount of debt. I just think that it should be acknowledged so that we can go ahead and tackle the problem. Many separatists, however, as you mentioned just try to evade or bring something up, not wanting to deal with the problem.

      >Anonymous: Comme si le très fédéraliste Jean Charest et sa bande se souciait de la dette. Vous avez vu le budget?

      I would ask you to please look just above your comment, "Anonymous," to what I had wrote regarding evading dealing with a problem. I don't care about you trying to score meaningless points by saying that it's Jean Charest's fault. It's actually the fault of the PQ and Liberals going back many decades. The thing is that people like JF Lisee say there's no problem and everything is great. Let's deal with facts. The debt is a problem and it has to be dealt with. Point finale.

      Delete
    7. Laurie,

      "They CANNOT understand, that hating separatists DOES NOT mean we hate the French language and people."

      I just can't understand how someone would want to live in a place where they hate on roughly half the population.

      I don't hate you,

      Cheers,

      Delete
  33. I found Barry Wilson had a good take on the Lisee "survey" on his postscript for Friday entitled: Separatist views disguised as news http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120330/mtl_postscript_badanglo_120330/20120330/?hub=MontrealHome

    I find Barry Wilson and Don MacPherson are starting to have some balls when it comes to the anglophone community, although they are still, in my mind, part of the lamb lobby.

    Bill Johnson and Howard Galganov were good leaders and the lawsuits that used to be pursued by the defunct Alliance Quebec worked to our benefit.

    Even though we don't have alot of English leaders anymore, I find that more and more francophones are open to working together, in everyday life, despite all the media noise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is why La Province Canadienne De Montréal will happen within Canada before Quebec separation!

      Delete
  34. En 2010-2011, l'OQLF a reçu 3661 plaintes, soit 1000 de plus que l'année précédente. Le quart de ces plaintes concernaient la langue d'affichage des commerces. En interview avec La Presse, la présidente de l'Office, Louise Marchand, prédisait récemment que le nombre de plaintes serait «dépassé largement» cette année.

    Nous aurons beaucoup d'action dans les prochains mois...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 10% of those complaints were written by two people.
      http://bit.ly/H3hOhz
      http://bit.ly/H8h79J

      I bet not more than 100-200 different people actually complain and that its a case of serial complainers.
      Nothing to see here....move on.

      Delete
    2. @ Editor

      "a case of serial complainers."

      What's wrong with a serial complainer if the complaints are about real infractions? What's the difference between one person filing 1000 complaints about 1000 real infractions or 1000 people filing those 1000 complaints, each for a different infraction? There are still 1000 things to (rightfully) complain about. I don't know about the actual complaints but they should be taken seriously. You anglos and your innocent until proven guilty mentality, it should be guilty until proven innocent when it comes to linguistic crimes.

      "Nothing to see here....move on."

      For all you know the numbers could be much higher than you think and you are afraid of that so you try to calm people by saying move on. You can't hide the truth forever.

      Delete
    3. The difference is that when one person files 1000 complaints, it's only the judgement of ONE persona that sees something wrong in what he complains about, when it's 1000 different people, it's a sample of the general population that's statistically significant enough to demonstrate that there is something wrong going on, rather than someone stirring sh!t just for his own entertainment. When many people are affected, then the legislation becomes justified, when it's only a few, the legislation loses legitimacy. As per your quip:

      "You anglos and your innocent until proven guilty mentality, it should be guilty until proven innocent when it comes to linguistic crimes."

      You're just not fit for membership of the human race.

      Delete
    4. "What's wrong with a serial complainer if the complaints are about real infractions? What's the difference between one person filing 1000 complaints about 1000 real infractions or 1000 people filing those 1000 complaints, each for a different infraction? There are still 1000 things to (rightfully) complain about. I don't know about the actual complaints but they should be taken seriously. You anglos and your innocent until proven guilty mentality, it should be guilty until proven innocent when it comes to linguistic crimes."

      "Linguistic crimes" - are you serious? In the word case scenario, it would be a linguistic 'offence'. Can you see the difference? Jeez, drama queen much?

      ... "linguistic crimes"... it would be funny if not so disturbingly sad. And because you took time from your precious schedule and cared enough to give us anglos advice, here's one from me to you, from one human a to another: get a life!

      Delete
    5. @Tanya S

      Vous prenez la question linguistique du Québec un peu trop légèrement.Le relâchement linguistique (petite pause pour les anglos) du gouvernement Charest des dernières années achève.La conjoncture actuelle (médias/nouveau gouvernement provincial/NPD ottawa) laisse présager des jours plus sombres pour les délinquants de la langue.

      Delete
    6. Like I said earlier... get a life.

      Delete
    7. "Like I said earlier... get a life"

      C'est en plein ce que nous faisons et pour que nos enfants en aient une aussi en français :)

      Et vos "get a life" ne vous mèneront nul part,vos petites vacances achèvent bientôt...

      Delete
    8. Dear Anonymous,

      Could you please stop with the threats? Thank you.

      One thing that you people (and so you won't ask "What do you mean by you people?", I am referring to the insecure paranoia-laden francophone who thinks the entire anglophone world and especially the English Canada is out to get him) fail to see is that the English- and Anglo-bashing of the past 40 years is your worst enemy. WIth the absurd laws, you have created zero sympathy for your cause among your Anglos and Allos, only ridicule. And then you dare playing the offended maiden because in some biased poll set up by PQ to boost its ratings, some non-francophones don't have your level of concern regarding the French language on the island of Montréal??? How dare you???

      Nobody is out to get you. You're waging the wrong war, for the wrong reasons. It might have been a quasi-fitting fight 40 years ago, but not anymore.

      Here's a piece of advice, for free, you're welcome. You want (understandably) French to survive in the sea of English? Don't go by the ethnic cleansing route, don't shun other languages, don't isolate yourself.

      Make it cool. Make French-speaking cool, sophisticated and hip, make it attractive for people to use it. That's how you will keep your language, culture or identity alive. What exactly have you achieved in these past years with all the negativity and mistreatment? More people have a working-knowledge of French, they use the language if they have to but have no incentive or desire to speak it. And guess what, you've actually made speaking English cool for your children. Unfortunately, I believe the irony is lost on you.

      Delete
    9. @ Anon at 12:19 AM,

      "You anglos and your innocent until proven guilty mentality, it should be guilty until proven innocent when it comes to linguistic crimes."

      Linguistic crimes? Aren't you a vile piece of sh*t?! Have you ever heard of the concepts of freedom of speech and freedom of expression? They must be too "Anglo" for you as well.

      You sound like something straight out of a George Orwell novel, but sometimes reality is even more shocking than fiction when it comes to Quebec Nationalism.

      Delete
    10. "Make it cool. Make French-speaking cool, sophisticated and hip"...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

      Commencez-donc par être cool et sympathique vous-même en servant vos clients Québécois dans la langue officielle du Québec.Je vous assure que se sera un excellent début.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous Mar 31, 2012 01:24 PM

      You don't get it, do you? And yet it's so simple.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous at 12:19,

      You anglos and your innocent until proven guilty mentality, it should be guilty until proven innocent when it comes to linguistic crimes.

      The principle of ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat has been around since Roman law and today is one of the fundamental rights of law systems in modern societies all around the world. It is that important that it is explicitly included in the body of those laws. Examples are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedom and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (France 1789).

      By suggesting what you suggested, I have my doubt about your humanity. It is clear that it is difficult for you to accept an idea that is accepted by civilized person everywhere in the world, just because the principle does not fit with what you want. I hope that your mentality is not typical of a separatist. If that is the case, it is what I suspect for a long time that separatist groups are ready to violate the rights of other and to violate internationally recognized norms and conventions to forward their cause.

      Delete
    13. Then there is the right to confront your accuser in a court of law. Scumbags should not be permitted to report so-called language violations anonymously to the OQLF. Their names should be published and they should have to appear in court at the defendant's request.

      Delete
    14. "You sound like something straight out of a George Orwell novel"

      Exactly... which is why it sounds more like a troll to me.

      Troll until proven non-troll I guess?

      Delete
    15. > Tanya: "Make it cool. Make French-speaking cool, sophisticated and hip, make it attractive for people to use it. That's how you will keep your language, culture or identity alive. What exactly have you achieved in these past years with all the negativity and mistreatment? More people have a working-knowledge of French, they use the language if they have to but have no incentive or desire to speak it. And guess what, you've actually made speaking English cool for your children."

      I think most anglophones, allophones, and some francophones think the same way. When people go to a foreign place, they love to pick up new phrases and words if they are there for a short time and when they choose to live there, they normally love picking up another language. I know I would feel that way if I went to Italy or Spain or somewhere else in the world.

      Do you know how wonderful it would feel to pick up the language over here if there were no language laws forbidding English, no language police, and no forcing French on people. It's all a state of mind. You force someone to do something, they will feel resentful. You be helpful and say "I'll help you with a few phrases" and most people will want to go out of their way to pick up the language.

      Something that "defenders" of the French language should think about...

      Delete
  35. The Editor wrote: It reminds me of the old major league baseball story (I can't remember the characters) wherein a batter hits a tiny infield pop fly and the catcher, as is his role, hollers an instruction at the top of his lungs to the infielders, to allow the third baseman to catch the ball.
    The pitcher ignores him, attempts a catch and promptly drops the ball. As the fuming catcher walks back to home plate and passes the opposing team's bench, a player in the dugout gives him a nasty dig; "Hey, he had to consider the source!"


    I believe it is the pitcher's job to tell infielders who should catch an infield pop-up, not the catcher. In the original joke it was probably the pitcher who told the others to let the third baseman catch the ball and the catcher who ignored him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're probably right..... I said I didn't remember the story well, but it still made my point!

      Delete
    2. How about this for a point?
      We post on social media, including youtube and community newspapers North America wide the hate for English the French Language Taliban obviously has for everyone who uses the English Language! We keep it up until French Canadians deal with the French Language terrorist cells that are poisoning the goodness of our French Canadian Brothers!

      Delete
  36. Did I read correctly you're an Acadian? Why are you advocating so hard for Quebec? You're NOT one of them! You're an étrangère! ...just like I am!

    Franchement, mettre un peuple frère au même niveau que nos pires ennemis c'est-à-dire les anglo-juifs, faut le faire.

    Le récent gagnant de Star Académie, aimé du public VS le récent vidéo de juifs d'Outremont qui a fait scandale.
    Facile de voir qui on aime et qui on aime pas... parce qu'eux nous aime pas et ne respecte pas nos lois.

    ReplyDelete
  37. C'est drôle de voir que même des anglos trouvent que ces juifs là n'ont pas d'allure:

    http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120314/mtl_forget_120314/20120314/?hub=MontrealHome

    "Every Montrealer is obliged to follow a simple set of rules and if they can be considerate and respectful of their neighbours as well that would be wonderful. Why do these Jews feel they are above the law?"
    dit une anglo.

    Même des juifs sont d'accord:
    "I am Jewish [...] I sympathize with non-Hassidic Montrealers that get ignored or in this case shouted at in the streets"

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  38. Quand je dis nos pires ennemis, je veux dire que les anglo-juifs sont pas mal les plus actifs politiquement contre l'indépendance par rapport à leur population. Ils sont surreprésentés parmi les angryphones. Ce n'est pas de l'anti-sémitisme. C'est juste une constatation. Je ne suis pas contre quelqu'un parce qu'il est juif, je suis contre parce qu'il est contre le Québec et dans le cas de ce groupe, bien qu'ils ne sont pas tous comme ça, ils le sont quasiment tous alors désolé de généraliser.

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  39. Question pour monsieur Sauga: quels peuples sont le plus près à tous les niveaux (origines, langue, culture, histoire, géographie de la Francophonie) des Québécois? Les Franco-Ontariens, les Acadiens, etc. Alors ça n'a aucun sens de quasiment leur dire qu'ils devraient se ranger du côté des anglos, leurs ennemis, alors qu'ils ont tellement en commun avec nous.

    N'essayez pas de nous diviser pour mieux régner.

    La meilleure façon d'empêcher l'assimilation des Acadiens au Nouveau-Brunswick serait d'annexer les régions où ils sont la majorité. Un Québec indépendant agrandi d'une partie de l'Acadie serait la meilleure solution pour eux. Évidemment qu'ils ont tendance à être contre l'indépendance mais avec cette solution ils n'auraient pas à craindre rester au Canada anglophone alors que le Québec serait libre.

    D'ailleurs, une des faiblesses des juifs en Israël est qu'ils sont divisés en différents groupes de juifs de différentes origines qui ne s'entendent pas toujours.

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  40. Net contribution to equalization figures are very difficult to find. I found this a while ago :

    http://michelpatrice.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/pc3a9rc3a9quation-nette.png

    It is unfortunately from 2004-2005. I find interesting that it provides net amount from paying provinces too. Usualy, one can only find amounts for receiving provinces. And it provides net amount instead of gross amount, net amounts are difficult to find.

    My comment related to this graph : http://michelpatrice.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/an-interesting-image/#comment-174

    Mr Sauga,

    If you have figures on net contribution to equalization per province, I am interested along with Yannick.

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  41. Union Québec-Acadie

    ``La meilleure façon d'empêcher l'assimilation...``

    But I thought assimilation with the majority was a good thing? Isn`t that what you keep telling us?

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  42. Laurie: GOOD ONE! XXOO

    Patrice and Yann: I discussed this with the MPP (Ontario) and he went over it with me orally. I take his word for it. Do your own research and prove ME wrong! Betcha can't.

    Union Québec-Acadie: Lordy, but you seem to have some kind of hard-on with Jews. Hassidic Jews live in a closed community by choice. Being Jewish myself, I take a more secular view of Judaism and make myself approachable to the community at large as do MOST Jews. There are Jewish sects who don't see ME as Jewish because I don't follow Judaic law the way they do, possibly with the Hassidic among them. A few years ago on a Montreal newscast, there were problems with vandalism of summer cottages in the Val David area owned by Jews. I saw a local being interviewed on the newscast,one of the majority's ilk (not you, you're Acadian thus, ergo and therefore your not «Québécois pur laine») and he was complaining in French about his perceived anti-social attitude of the religious Jews. The interviewee practically stated they deserved what they got because of their anti-social behaviour.

    Anyway, some very religious Jewish sects don't want to mingle with others in fear of racial impurity--they don't want to risk intermarriage, an intrusion of their community. Please don't confuse my explanation with advocating their social behaviour. I, and many Jews (if not the majority), choose not to live that way and I neither strictly observe the dietary laws nor do I go to synagogue every Friday night, Saturday and holy day...or every morning for that matter. They live their lives the way they choose and I live mine the way I choose.

    That being said, I fully defend and support whatever they do. There are twice the number of Jews living in the GTA vs Montreal, snd these problems don't exist in Toronto. You don't have pissant city counsellors going around harrassing ethnic communities. Oh, and don't tell me about beaches who 60 years ago had signs reading "No Dogs or Jews". Actually the Editor one posted a picture of a sign just like that in Ste-Agathe-des-Monts. Toronto is no longer the WASP nest it once was.

    Anyway Mr. Union Québec-Acadie, to directly answer your question directly, from what I can see, now you want to partition New Brunswick. NB, on a per capita basis, gets more equalization than Quebec. I don't care that NB does, in fact I'm OK with NB getting equalization as my experiences in NB have always been very positive, with Acadians and non-Acadians. I somehow don't see NB partitioning, and if that did happen with Franco NB annexing with Quebec, I'd pity you Acadians for you'd become the "new" second class citizens of this expanded Quebec. Trust me, it WILL happen.

    After graduating from university, I moved to Ottawa for my first job and trained for my job with four Acadians. They had NOTHING nice to say about Quebec, and this actually surprised me. I figured there would be some kind of kindredship that you make out to exist. I never did pursue their disdain for Quebec, but I'm sure if it existed then, it does so now as well. Too, I've dealt with Acadians on the line and have received written letters from NB. The words, like "upgradez" and "bookez" to me were hilarious. Don't tell me slang like that wouldn't be ridiculed in Quebec! Call in the bin!

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  44. "I'd pity you Acadians for you'd become the "new" second class citizens of this expanded Quebec. Trust me, it WILL happen."

    Well I'm not Acadian but if I may speak, I rather trust history and the fact that this didn't happen when the Magdalen Islands (originally a part of Acadia) were joined to Quebec by the Quebec Act in 1774. It's possible to be both Acadian and Québécois at the same time, go there and ask Acadians there if they feel they are considered second class. They even voted Yes back in 1995.

    Why would people who speak French natively would be considered second class citizens in Quebec like Anglophones allegedly are? Because they have a different accent? They still speak French. It doesn't make sense. Various regions of Quebec have various accents, including Gaspésie north of New Brunswick where many sound similar to Acadians to the south because they heavily mixed with Acadians that fled there a long time ago to the point that it created new accents.
    So, why would they be treated as second class citizens?
    It can't be on an ethnic basis.
    So many Francophones have some non-French ancestry (yes, even English, you can have an English name and be considered pure laine but you think it's about purity while it means the same as All-American in the US, it means old stock and native Quebec French speaker so of course it excludes some people but it doesn't include just 100% French people contrary to a persistent myth or else that would mean a huge percentage of people you would yourself refer to as pure laines aren't technically "pure", both my parents are technically impure and have used pure laine themselves) so why would Acadians with their mostly French ancestry be rejected?

    So many have some Acadian ancestry and this all across Quebec. You can find all Acadian names in huge numbers here but I don't expect you to know which French names first appeared in Quebec (or should I say: Canada, New France) and in Acadia or both. Landry that's usually Acadian (think Bernard Landry, separatism premier) and so are Leblanc and Michaud yet those names are as "pure laine" as Tremblay but again, you don't need a French last name to be "pure laine" and a last name doesn't say everything about one's ancestry. Many Acadians moved here before, during and after the deportation (way more Acadian descendents here than in New Brunswick especially when counting all "mixed" people) and assimilated to Quebec French except in some more isolated communities and in the case of parts of New Brunswick joining Quebec, they wouldn't even have to fear losing their distinct accent whereas if they don't join us, they have to fear assimilation to English.

    But above all, how would being a part of Quebec be worse (as if it would bad anyway) than being a part of a mostly English province (New Brunswick) where many Acadians have been exposed to francophobia and people even saying they wish they would be deported again. Francophobic and pro-Acadian-deportation Québécois? Doesn't make much sense, does it?

    You see, some Acadians from New Brunswick are pissed that Quebec independence would mean they would have to assimilate to English because Canada would be English-only officially. Just goes to show they want to keep speaking French (therefore are closer to our side than yours) and about that: for example, they watch our TV shows so I guess they don't hate anything Quebec-related. Don't mix politics and cultural, linguistic and ethnic links.

    "The words, like "upgradez" and "bookez" to me were hilarious. Don't tell me slang like that wouldn't be ridiculed in Quebec!"
    Yet those anglicisms are used here too, although there are French words for that. I don't think it's funny, I think it's sad and it just shows how English really does threaten the French language despite what some say.

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  45. Because people use words like "upgradez" and "bookez," the French language is threatened? WoW. And when Quebecker's use the expression :"That's it. That's all," is French threatened too? How about when they watch a movie in English or listen to music in English, is French in peril? Vraiment, n'importe quoi comme explications! MDR!

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  46. Anonymous Mar 31, 2012 11:35PM: Thank you for your input. Please realize I cannot read the future just like nobody on Earth can. I was hypothesizing, and in my experiences, I worked one summer many, many years ago at Revenu Québec in Complexe Desjardins. One of my Concordia U. colleagues, who is Québécois «pur laine» and fluently bilingual worked with me. We spoke English to each other and his nickname was Anglicized, and some of the staff were ridiculing both his (fluent) English and his Anglicicized nickname. I was within earshot of this. Turns out he lived part of his live in the Northwest Territories where he was able to perfect his English, and damn good for him.

    I'm not saying the majority would be against Acadians, but I can see enough zealots and fanatics making noise just like they do about immigrants. Incidentally, I have a cousin who has an utterly English name. An uncle of mine married a Québécoise, the had a so and my uncle died suddenly when my cousin was just 1½ years old. His mother brought him up in French and parcticing Catholicism, speaking almost no English. I've met many, many Francophones with English names, and vice versa, like Habs player René Bourque. There were politicians like Auld Lang Syne poet namesake Robert ("Ro-BEAR") Burns, Louis O'Neill and several politicians from the Lac St-Jean region named Blackburn.

    Where I think Acadians would be foolhardy to annex with a separated Quebec is because both are so poor, and without the benefit of equalization, the cost and standard of living in a separate Quebec would render this new nation flat broke. Québécois collectively don't like to work too hard, look for union representation too easily and endlessly file grievances.

    Can Quebec succeed? Yes, if people are prepared to work tremendously hard to do so, to be innovative and actually dig into the ground to extract resources. Life is not something-for-nothing, so success in Quebec at this point is a big if.

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