All over the television and across newspapers were alarmist stories about an English invasion, so shrill and panicky were the reports that they took on the proportions of the reaction to Orson Well's radio broadcast of the "War of the Worlds"
It seems every French newspaper and every television news channel was filled with frightening stories of Anglos invading Quebec like an alien life force determined to suck out the lifeblood of the indigenous population.
The Journal de Montreal devoted a quarter of a page to denounce a French hospital for having the audacity to use a linen basket that was labelled in English only.
So deep was the insult that the paper elicited a reaction from Jean-Paul Perreault, the president of the militant Imperatif Francais, who said that "It's unpardonable! With the tax money we pay our suppliers, they mock us!"
A slight sur-reaction, one would think?
Then there's the story of a Young Turk who went on the radio to rant and rage that an usher asked him to remove his feet from the chair in front of him, in English, notwithstanding that he was in an English language theatre, attending an English movie.
His complaint--He couldn't understand what the usher said in English and so demanded to be served in French.
Anybody see the flaw in this unlikely story?
A report on TVA's curent affairs show J.E, has a story about an ederly patient suffering from Alzheimer's, placed temporarily in an English seniors residence, unable to get service in French.
In Sept-Iles a gateway town to Quebec's northern mining region, it seems there's nobody to take service jobs, because the mining industry is paying so much. There is actually a critical labor shortage here, despite the province's 9% unemployment rate.
The Journal de Montreal devoted a quarter of a page to denounce a French hospital for having the audacity to use a linen basket that was labelled in English only.
So deep was the insult that the paper elicited a reaction from Jean-Paul Perreault, the president of the militant Imperatif Francais, who said that "It's unpardonable! With the tax money we pay our suppliers, they mock us!"
A slight sur-reaction, one would think?
Then there's the story of a Young Turk who went on the radio to rant and rage that an usher asked him to remove his feet from the chair in front of him, in English, notwithstanding that he was in an English language theatre, attending an English movie.
His complaint--He couldn't understand what the usher said in English and so demanded to be served in French.
Anybody see the flaw in this unlikely story?
A report on TVA's curent affairs show J.E, has a story about an ederly patient suffering from Alzheimer's, placed temporarily in an English seniors residence, unable to get service in French.
In Sept-Iles a gateway town to Quebec's northern mining region, it seems there's nobody to take service jobs, because the mining industry is paying so much. There is actually a critical labor shortage here, despite the province's 9% unemployment rate.
"In Sept-Îles on Quebec's North Shore, McDonald's customers are struggling to get service in French. The reason: the restaurant is so short of staff it had to hire immigrants from the Philippines.
The shortage of employees is explained by economic growth of the region and the fact that the locals prefer to work in the mining sector which offers higher hourly rates. To counter this problem, the restaurant was able to get employees in the Philippines through a program of international recruitment.
The contract stipulates that the employee is hired for two years, his ticket is paid, he/she is housed, and that the hourly rate ranges from $ 9.60 to $12 per hour, and the first grocery store order is paid for.
The Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste as well as many clients find this unacceptable.
"I know they take courses in French, except that she was not able to speak French. A youth who is not able to speak French should not be hired, said Manon, a client.It's been 42 years since I live here and there is no question that I won't return to a restaurant where I can not get served in my language. "Mario Beaulieu, president of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montreal this is a very disappointing situation.
"It's disrespectful for Quebecers. I think knowledge of French would be an essential criterion to be engaged. French is seriously threatened right now, especially in Montreal, but it extends throughout all regions. " Link{Fr}
And so outraged clients are fuming that they cannot purchase their 'Beeg Macs' in French.
It's a big problem because, let's face it, there aren't many fast food alternatives in Sept-Iles and 95% of the clients actually don't have enough English to order a glass of water. I'm not kidding.
French language militants from the south were lining up to remind the northerners that now they too finally have a taste of what it is to live under the relentless wave of Anglicization.
But wait.....
Montreal has a large surplus of immigrants who speak French, but supposedly cannot find a job because they speak no English....
Sept-Iles has decent jobs going a begging, where the only skill requirement is speaking French.
Readers, can you think of a solution? Think hard... Tick-Tock ......Tick-Tock.......Tick-Tock.......
I know, here's the perfect Quebec style solution!
Import English only immigrants from the Philippines and send them to Sept-Iles where they will be given French courses.
Give the French speaking immigrants in Montreal English lessons so that they can join the local job market.
No joke....this is Quebec. And who is to blame for all this...
The Anglos who are forcing English down everyone's throat........ Sigh..
At any rate can I offer this much easier solution;
Send the unemployed French-speaking immigrants from Montreal to fill the jobs in Sept-Iles......or this nifty Chinese solution;
If nothing is done to thwart the insidious spread of English it soon may come down to this;
All this hysteria is having a very sad impact on the general francophone public, teaching them through a relentless campaign of hate that English is an evil enemy which will engulf them if not checked.
It's a big problem because, let's face it, there aren't many fast food alternatives in Sept-Iles and 95% of the clients actually don't have enough English to order a glass of water. I'm not kidding.
French language militants from the south were lining up to remind the northerners that now they too finally have a taste of what it is to live under the relentless wave of Anglicization.
But wait.....
"Francophone immigrants are at an impasse as soon as they start looking for a job in Montreal: no English, no job. They understand that they must quickly learn the language which, in their eyes allow them to earn a living in Quebec.Let's see......
That's where Quebec comes to the rescue, devoting millions of dollars of public funds to teaching francophone immigrants English, according to research by The Associated Press.. Link{Fr}
Montreal has a large surplus of immigrants who speak French, but supposedly cannot find a job because they speak no English....
Sept-Iles has decent jobs going a begging, where the only skill requirement is speaking French.
Readers, can you think of a solution? Think hard... Tick-Tock ......Tick-Tock.......Tick-Tock.......
I know, here's the perfect Quebec style solution!
Import English only immigrants from the Philippines and send them to Sept-Iles where they will be given French courses.
Give the French speaking immigrants in Montreal English lessons so that they can join the local job market.
No joke....this is Quebec. And who is to blame for all this...
The Anglos who are forcing English down everyone's throat........ Sigh..
At any rate can I offer this much easier solution;
Send the unemployed French-speaking immigrants from Montreal to fill the jobs in Sept-Iles......or this nifty Chinese solution;
If nothing is done to thwart the insidious spread of English it soon may come down to this;
All this hysteria is having a very sad impact on the general francophone public, teaching them through a relentless campaign of hate that English is an evil enemy which will engulf them if not checked.
In the meantime, Quebec's immigration minister, Kathleen Weil, is preaching tolerance towards minorities, or so it seems;
"Quebec’s immigration minister, and herself the daughter of a doctor who immigrated to Montreal from the United States, has had enough of constant suggestions by Yves-François Blanchet, the Parti Québécois language and immigration critic, that newcomers embracing English threaten Quebec’s French character.“I find it really destructive to constantly target the other, the person that has come here,” LinkBut the minister is getting set to to release a new declaration;
- Promote French as the common language and an instrument of social cohesion.
- Pay constant attention to the quality of the French language.
- Reinforce the use of French as the language of the public administration, work, greetings and service, signs, shopping, business and education.
- Reinforce the knowledge and mastery of French by immigrants and communicate with them in French to favour their integration into Quebec society.
- Facilitate the full participation, by all, in French in the democratic, economic, social and cultural life of Quebec.
- Consolidate the identity of Montreal as a francophone metropolis, cosmopolitan, diversified and inclusive.
- Ensure respect for the Charter of the French Language.
- Build together our future in French. LINK
But not every francophone is drinking the kool-aid.
Read this beautiful piece about being a modern, confident and successful francophone, living in Montreal, by Lise Ravary.
Yes, abusurd, and an excellent Huff Post article someone fed up with the 'everything has to be fed to us, must be pure' BS.
ReplyDeleteAs regarding the Anglo Civil rights movement, it has already started with several writers such as you, and those of us willing to put our lives on the line for tolerance to diversite and respect - something that Bill 101 does not do, thus it needs to be replaced with Bill 199 for BOTH Official languages (!) :
dbhive.blogspot.ca/2012/04/top-
twenty-reasons-why-bill-101-is.html
Position 6 Je me souviens de la loi discriminatoire 101 – One day, both sides of the linguistic divide shall look back at this and shame the ridiculous Losership of the septards and natchialeux and their legalised discrimination, which has been used as a bureaucratic tool of insurgency for an independent state, while the Feds have used our minority as the sacrificial lamb of Canadian Unity appeasement to the former political factions while failing to protect minorities in Quebec and ensure the rule of law is respected. This has misled QC into severe negative interdependence situation financially and economically - when I looked just now, April 4th, 2012, that Debt Clock number was $248.756BN - divide that up by 8M people and think of solutions - is it not obvious ridding us of Bill 101 would help? If the interests of ALL Quebeckers were a priority by both the Feds and the QC Losership, we would not be now considered the Alabama of Canada (replace racial segregation with linguistic segregation). In this way, inaction by the Feds has destroyed our community – especially the school boards (subject of schools covered thoroughly below).
Here are the findings of the Chaput-Champagne report conducted over two years by Francophones from New Brunswick and Saskatchewan - In short, the English-speaking communities would like to be seen as an asset, not a threat, and would like to be able to take part in the decisions that affect their future and the future of Quebec society.
“The committee hopes that in the future the results of this study and the recommendations set out in it will provide direction for the federal government’s approach to Quebec’s English-speaking communities. It is particularly important that the specific needs of these communities in the various sectors that affect their development be well understood”, stated Senator Maria Chaput, chair of the committee. “In summary, federal institutions must fully respect the rights enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and meet their obligations under Part VII of the Official Languages Act. To do so, they must stay informed of the day-to-day challenges and needs of English-speaking communities across Quebec. For this to happen, consultation must be the watchword for relations between governments and communities in all instances.”
“It is not an issue of winners and losers. It is a reflection of the federal government’s obligations with respect to the promotion of official languages”, added Senator Andrée Champagne, P.C., deputy chair. “A ‘win’ for anglophone minority rights does not necessarily constitute a threat to the aspirations of the francophone majority. The goals of the two communities do not have to be mutually exclusive and must be achieved in an atmosphere of respect for the rights of both.”
ReplyDeleteIn presenting the results of the study, the committee was mindful that the federal government has a duty under the Official Languages Act to support the development of both of the country’s minorities, English-speaking and French-speaking. Furthermore, the committee reminds the government that it needs to recognize that since the realities and challenges experienced by the English-speaking and French-speaking minorities are sometimes similar, sometimes different, each minority must be treated in a way that takes its specific needs into account. Finally, the government must ensure that federal institutions take positive measures to enhance the vitality of the English-speaking minority and support its development, while acting in accordance with the province of Quebec’s jurisdictions and powers.
Il n'y a aucune contradiction entre promotion de la francophonie et diversité. On peut très bien promouvoir simultanément les deux, selon moi. Mais dès que l'on se sent menacé, on a tendance à se refermer. Which leads me to the next of the top twenty points.
7th position: Bill 101 Attacks Multiculturalism by turning its back to the interests of Quebec’s ethnic minorities by attacking the politics of multiculturalism, by asking that Quebec be exempt from the rest of Canada’s open-armed approach to different cultures establishing themselves in their new homeland. As Billly 101 suggests Quebecois values exclude the multi-cultural base (i.e. integrate with the ethnic FR-speaking majority or leave) - notice EN - speakers are required exclusion, of course, by default - 1M people! Many intellectuals have argued that this Inter-Culturalism is good, which really means cede to the dominant culture or get lost.
The QC govt ignores the proven positive effects of the multicultural approach to integration of these minority communities, and especially in the workplace (link to least diverse study). Study after study, the QC govt refused to take into consideration the interests of ethnic communities in Quebec (whether natives, anglo, allo, etc – all these annoying labels used to segregate society here), and francophones those who appreciate multicultural diversity brainwashed into being ‘bad Quebecker’s for thinking outside of the Tribe/u. Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois (I call her la Scélérate) arrogantly states that her party is the party for Quebeckers, and none other, of course (thanks to Mario Dumont for pointing this out) - imagine a U.S. Party calling itself the American Party, and thus declaring voters ‘Bad Americans’ if they did not vote for the American Party? Insisting that this goes against Quebec values to allow immigrants to maintain their respective cultures on Canadian soil, and using the straw-man of survival ofQuebec’s French speaking culture, is absolutely contrary to the reality and interests of modern Quebec.
This combination of xenophobic ideas is directly related to the lack of diversity in the workplace, as mentioned above in point four, since Bill 101 projects that idea that the Master ethnicity must control culture in Quebec, and this leads to the negative effects of tribalism described in the previous paragraph – Bill 101 indirectly promotes a non-competitive government for the ethnic majority of the province who hold 97.5% of Civil Service positions due to the constant demonization of multi-culturalism as a detriment to Quebec Society.
dbhive.blogspot.ca/2012/04/top-twenty-reasons-why-bill-101-is.html
read the rest
Good piece, Hugo, but do keep in mind that these are NOT immigrants to Canada, they are immigrants of this fictitious nation called Quebec. This too was how Reed Scowen succinctly addressed it in his book Time to Say Goodbye.
DeleteBefore he died, Claude Ryan wrote a modernized manifesto for the PLQ entitled Liberal Values in a Contemporary Quebec. In it, he clearly and unequivocally wrote in said manifesto that the rights of the collectivity trump the rights of the individual.
Of course, this is the same Claude Ryan, who as Minister of Education in Bourassa's second iteration as premier, stated that in the case if French speaking children, it is not in the best interests of the development of the child to introduce English too early in the school curriculum (i.e., not until at least grade four). In the meantime, non-French speaking children don't and didn't get that same consideration and had to start learning French right in kindergarten or grade one. I guess Claude Ryan figured English and immigrant kids mother tongued in languages other than French were smarter than French speaking kids. What other conclusion can be drawn from that?
Good one, Editor! I didn't realize it takes Filipinos to be the burger flippers of Sept-Iles! Really cut paradox. Too, I can't help but wonder how many welfare recipients go to that Mickey D's to buy their Grand Mac et poutine. If they don't like having to order in English, or worse, Tagalog, why don't they take the jobs themselves? Does Sept-Iles have a 0% unemployment rate, or are welfare benefits too good to not take the jobs?
ReplyDeleteAs for Kathleen Weil, I just see her as another kabo, a Quisling who, like a little obedient puppy dog, obeys her boss, Premier John James Charest, the man with 100 horseshoes up his ass. That sonofabitch will probably weasel his way through all the fighting over tuitions, his Plan du Nord malarky and the construction corruption crap. If it dies down sufficiently before the obligatory end of his mandate, look for him to call a snap election.
Editor,
ReplyDeleteFirst, the image generator from says-it.com gets me laughing on the floor. Good job.
Second, let me make a little comment about McDonald's employment problem. Filipinos are hardy bunch. They are willing to go to all corner of the world to make good living. They are not afraid of isolation, of adventure, of hardship. That is why for them going to Sept-Iles, without speaking the language, not a problem. That is not the case with the job seekers in Montreal, immigrant or not. As living in Sept-Iles may not be as convenient as it is in Montreal, many people choose to just stay in Montreal with all its creature comfort than living in isolation (albeit with good income) in Sept-Iles.
"Soiled Linen"!!!!
ReplyDeleteWaiting times at hospitals are out of control. But two english words on a cover flip this society out? We've heard of a Dead Man Walking. Quebec is more of a Dead Society Whining.
As for the filipinos that come here half way across the planet for McJobs in f'ing Sept-Iles, I have great respect for. All that way for that type of money. Incredible. And then to have a bunch of numb skulls complain that they can't be served in french is nuts. How hard is it to order at McDo? #1 Trio? Come on. What a bunch of BS. In both sense of the term.
The best thing that can happen to franco-Quecbec is to learn English and stop being under the mind control of the french media that is feeding them crap.
I find that most "de souche" while may disagree with the language zealots, remain quiet and refuse to speak out for fear of causing "chicanes" in the family. As such they become complicit in the pseudo ethnic cleansing....
ReplyDeleteI find that most "de souche" while may disagree with the language zealots, remain quiet and refuse to speak out for fear of causing "chicanes" in the family. As such they become complicit in the pseudo ethnic cleansing....
DeleteI already said that in the other thread, but I agree with this, and I'm a "de souche" francophone. And if the topic comes up in conversation, I have no hesitation to let my opinion be known.
Bill 101 and the franco-Nazis put shame on the entire province by making us look like intolerant fascists, and I vehemently dissociate myself from it.
Right now, I'm living abroad, and whenever I identify myself as French Canadian, it makes me feel kinda like I should be making apologies for it. Thankfully though, nobody outside of Canada knows about Quebec's discriminatory laws, so I've never really been given any crap about it.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Delete"Right now, I'm living abroad, and whenever I identify myself as French Canadian, it makes me feel kinda like I should be making apologies for it."
DeleteQuel horreur!vous devriez peut-être vous soucier un peu moins de l'opinion d'autrui,celà seble avoir un effet négatif sur votre identité...Nick.
Nicolas Pelletier,
DeleteThankfully though, nobody outside of Canada knows about Quebec's discriminatory laws, so I've never really been given any crap about it.
That is actually a bad thing, though. It means that the injustice the non-francophone community endures is not heard elsewhere. Outside of Canada, people think that the two languages in Canada live together in harmony and Canada is the promised land of milk and honey. I do hope that the truth come out and the free world sees Quebec as it is.
Troy, well said. Nick P.: Guilt by association is a bitch, isn't it? I know! Like Troy wrote, it's only too bad the goings-on in Quebec aren't more intensely promulgated in the U.S. and elsewhere. That 60-Minutes segment back in 1998 with the late Mordechai Richler drove the French-speakers into a complete frenzy--so much so, a phone-in radio host the day after the airing had to interrupt his program to simmer down the vile vitriolic venom being spewed on his show. The little Adolf Hitler in these people didn't just rise to the surface...it erupted!
DeleteN'ayez crainte,toutes les autres minorités de cette planète comprennent très bien notre situation et le gros oppresseur anglosaxon a plutôt mauvaise presse ces temps-ci.
DeleteAre you speaking figuratively? Because I assure you no minorities anywhere in the world know about the French Canadian "plight". You're small potatoes. If minorities in other countries heard you complaining about soiled linen signs while getting 7$ a day daycare and free healthcare paid for by other provinces they would laugh at you and bring you to the nearest mass grave to show you what a real plight is.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteGuilt by association is a bitch, isn't it? I know!
DeleteI know, right! But hey, at least now I live in a civilized country, where people don't throw shit at people for not speaking the local language perfectly. And if they did, the police wouldn't be on the side of the abusers, like in the fascist province of Quebec.
toutes les autres minorités de cette planète comprennent très bien notre situation et le gros oppresseur anglosaxon a plutôt mauvaise presse ces temps-ci
Well since you've never left your little racist hole, you wouldn't know this, but actually, barely anyone knows what "Quebec" even is. When I tell people that my native language is French because I'm from Quebec, most of the time they go "oh, is that a part of France?"
Yes, like BWR said, small potatoes. Travelling sure does open the mind by putting a different perspective on things.
"Well since you've never left your little racist hole, you wouldn't know this, but actually, barely anyone knows what "Quebec" even is."
DeleteJe vois,de grands voyageurs cultivés tel que vous j'imagine?
Calmez-vous un peu,vous me semblez fort agité...Le stress du globe-trotter? :)
Elvis Gratton vient de découvrir le monde.....Whouuuuu!!!
DeleteThe situations described in this latest installment go beyond the absurd. They are so surreal and farcical that if I weren’t living here myself, I would never believe for a moment that they could possibly be true!
DeleteAs if being small-minded weren’t enough, to further embarrass themselves, there are even people who mock and put down people like Nicolas Pelletier who do make the effort to broaden their horizons beyond Quebec-France-France Quebec (repeat ad nauseum).
I mentioned to my franco family members over the weekend about the reactions from certain francos on this blog. They were not surprised, saying that’s how many francos are and how they find it appalling and shameful themselves, that none of their friends are like that… then proceeded to rant about these people with the “perpetually-colonized” mentality, how they have a “bibitte dans leurs têtes » and all the rest of it. LOL!
C'est ce que Nick est,un pur colonisé.
Delete"Le colonisé est toujours contre son peuple et il choisi toujours l'intérêt de son maître, même contre ses frères."
"Well since you've never left your little racist hole..."
Nous voyons bien par qui ce colon a été "brainwashé".
Des problèmes de vision hors du commun pour un chat.
@ The Cat
DeleteOh my, the anonymous separatist troll, is now attacking you, in addition to every federalist, minority, and religion on this blog other than it's own! lol
These language hardliners don't understand that people laugh at them behind their back for their utter stupidity.
Tant mieux petit lapin,tu dois te sentir moins seul.
DeleteOui, petit anonymous. Merci.
Delete@Roger Rabbit
DeleteI know! It makes me snicker. Perpetual grievances are toxic.
@ The Cat
DeleteYou know, there are 2 kind of people in Quebec. There are happy people.
And then there are separatists! LOL
Est-ce que M.le chat et M.le lapin sont des fédérastes heureux dans le climat actuel au Québec?
DeleteOui, merci.
DeleteAs if being small-minded weren’t enough, to further embarrass themselves, there are even people who mock and put down people like Nicolas Pelletier who do make the effort to broaden their horizons beyond Quebec-France-France Quebec (repeat ad nauseum).
DeleteI suppose spewing crap on the internet is less tiring than actually going out and throwing literal poop at convenience stores.
"I suppose spewing crap on the internet is less tiring than actually going out and throwing literal poop at convenience stores."
DeleteVous semblez devenir un expert en la "matière".Avez-vous entendu la merde jetée sur les ondes de la radio par cet immigrant qui vit au Québec depuis plus de vingt ans et toujours incapable de dire simplement "bonjour" et "merci" à sa fidèle clientèle?Vous trouvez ça normal?Nous,non!
That's not what happened, you're twisting facts and lying like all Frenchy-bullies do. What actually happened was that a man was provoked and gave that woman the answer she deserved.
DeleteIf she doesn't like it, she can shop elsewhere. That's what civilized people do. Not try to rile up a mob to throw poop at a poor innocent man's store just because he rightfully defended himself and his freedom of expression.
When I return to Canada, I'll make it a point to go shop at that guy's store and try to spend at least a 100$ there. He earned it and he deserves it. I feel that it's my duty to show him that not all French Canadians are xenophobic inbred cowards who like to pick on innocent minorities.
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DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Delete"you're twisting facts and lying like all Frenchy-bullies do"
DeleteBen oui,encore un montage sonore.
"cet immigrant qui vit au Québec depuis plus de vingt ans et toujours incapable de dire simplement "bonjour" et "merci" à sa fidèle clientèle?È
DeleteActually, he seemed to understand the questions the woman was asking him, and when an anglo reporter tested him, to me he sounded better in French than the tester himself.
I'm sure he picked up enough French over the years to carry a basic conversation but didn't feel like speaking it when he realized he was talking to a shit disturber who crank called him.
And actually this is the kind of effect you militants have on many people. By politicization of your language, by turning it into an instrument of power and politics, you created a situation where most non-francos speak French, but they don't want to be anywhere near it. They're physically able but unwilling essentially, not because they don't like the language, but because they're not too keen on the speakers of the language.
@TroyApr 23, 2012 07:32 AM
DeleteWhile I quite agree with you, as Nicolas pointed out (and which I can corroborate, having lived and travelled to about 40 countries), the vast majority of the world has no idea that a place called “Quebec” even exists, never mind being able to point to it on a globe or map. In fact, there is very little news at all about Canada as a whole in the rest of the world. Consequently, knowledge about the injustice the non-francophone community here is infinitesimal at best.
Heck, you think many of our neighbours in U.S. know about it? Mexicans? Brits? Aussies? I’m not even sure whether people in Saskatchewan know about it. I certainly don’t think Nicolas is personally responsible for that situation. It’s up to all of us to speak up. And even if we all did, the truth is no one is all that familiar with local politics in other countries. For example, are you knowledgeable about, say, Maori relations in New Zealand or how Catalonia treats its Spanish minority? Hint: Spanish is not half the size of Catalan; in fact, it is one of three official languages. (Hmm, I just found out that unlike in Spain, where virtually all Catalans are bilingual, in the Roussillon, the French are assimilating the French Catalans… )
@Nicolas PelletierApr 24, 2012 05:16 AM
How much more pleasant life in Quebec would be if *more* people had the same level-headed common sense and confidence in one’s language and culture as you seem to possess. If *everyone* did, Quebec could be paradise on Earth.
Actually, I gave you the benefit of the doubt and assumed that’s what you meant. I was going to mention that the Archie Bunker reference made me chuckle, then I discovered it has a more contemporary meaning too.
DeletePS: Do you think I should make “dingleberry” into my trademark? ;-) I thought it was funny but now I’m not sure if everyone appreciated the humour.
>Yannick: "French Canada has about as much affinity with France as English Canada with the UK."
DeleteDon't tell Steven Harper that!
Fermeture prochaine de plusieurs PFK et de shop à Donuts (voir merde) au Québec :
ReplyDeletehttp://www.blogues.ulaval.ca/paul-boisvert/pfk-dunkin/
"I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do, and it's still not good enough for them" - The CJAD caller.
ReplyDeleteSimply put, the woman is a vile, rabid racist. There are no shortages of that ilk in Quebec. How can there be? The so-called federalists in Quebec, whom I don't think exist, cater to the lowest common denominator (a.k.a., that vile old cretin of a customer). If there a small minority, why would these mythical federalists so run to kiss their asses? I lived in Quebec for the years of my life and I still don't understand it. It's the raison d'être for my departure long, long ago.
DeleteI can't help but think if the Adolf Hitler in these people isn't stroked in the way government does, the Adlof Hitler in the collective society will rise to the surface. If people like that old biddy hen don't like the sound of English, go to the Lac-St-Jean/Saguenay region, St-Pierre and Miquelon, or France. Better still, she and her kind can go to hell!
MGuy, go easy. The woman is like some anglos and allos in QC who haven't figured out yet (or maybe now she did) that they're in a game of appeasement that can't be won. You can't appease people who, not unlike the Pavlov's dogs, are trained to feel angry, slighted and insulted. You can only get out of this trap when you finally realize that the problem is not with you. That it's not you who's "not doing enough", that it's not you who's lacking in "bonne foi", lacking in "respect" for others, lacking in "interest" for other cultures, lacking in "openness". When you figure finally figure it out, you move on. And that woman will too someday, or maybe even today.
DeleteWhen you say: "If there a small minority, why would these mythical federalists so run to kiss their asses?", you're absolutely right.
Adski: Dogs have a lower I.Q. than human beings, don't they? I would expect human beings to act far more rationally than dogs, save those who have severe mental challenges. If that woman has no more sense than Pavlov's dogs, send her to Verdun! Heaven knows, in the former Soviet Union, political dissidents were either looked upon as either emotionally disturbed or traitors.
DeleteThen again, there are too many sheep in society in general, and Pavlov's dogs were hungry, not angry, but I get the analogy!
Finally, only in Quebec, the tail still wags the dog after all these decades. That's my remark to your last paragraph above.
Along the lines of this topic, it just kills me that at least for the time being, the Habs, of whom I've been a fan for decades, are going to fail because where politics has always been a part of the team, it's now the team period. Never before has the reaction over an English speaking coach been so vile! How many coaches prior to Claude Ruel, who took over the team in the 1968-69 season, spoke French? I can't think of any, from Toe Blake down to Dick Irvin Sr., to George Kennedy!!!
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DeleteC'est quoi ton problème avec Marie-Mai le chat?
Delete@adskiApr 23, 2012 07:54 AM
DeleteYou know, I always thought I was in favour of dialogue but since I started visiting this blog, I’ve begun to realize that, as you so aptly put it, the game of appeasement can’t be won.
As soon as a franco says anything remotely untoward about the uniformity of the everybody-white-bread, everybody-Catholic, everybody-franco world untouched by any foreign taint, too often the same response immediately follows in lock-step and is as predictable as night following day: “colonisé… colonisé… vendu… colonisé… colonisé… vendu… colonisé…” ad nauseum.
You know what? They can have their perpetual grievances and colonized mentality. They want to wallow in self-pity. I’m not interested.
And I’m not interested in clapping along to Marie-Mai either.
"Ils [non-francos] ne connaissent pas Marie-Mai ? Je ne saurais la reconnaître si elle débarquait dans mon salon ce soir en chantant son plus grand succès." - Lise Ravary
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis was my favourite line in the whole article... guffaw!
DeleteAdski,est-ce que vous avez lu les commentaires des lecteurs de la l'article de Mme ravary?
DeleteGlobalement plus intéressant que la bafouille elle-même.Comme si le Québec était le seul pays avec des quartiers sans immigrants...Misère.
"Comme si le Québec était le seul pays avec des quartiers sans immigrants"
DeleteI don't think she's implying that. You're twisting her words. Nowhere in her piece did I get an impression that she was suggesting that other cities in the world are a total mix, and Montreal is the only city in the world where immigrant-free enclaves still exist.
She's saying that her neighborhood is such an enclave and she proceeds to write about it.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteInteresting one from Chateauguay by Rosenburg: tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/infos/regional/montreal/archives/2012/03/20120326-163203.html#.T3EYE6E_DVc.facebook
ReplyDeletePar Dan Rosenburg | Agence QMI
L'obligation d'imposer l'unilinguisme français dans les messages de la Ville de Châteauguay pour respecter la loi 101 suscite de vives réactions chez des résidants anglophones de la municipalité.
«Ce serait comme une claque au visage si l'anglais était supprimé dans Châteauguay», a réagi Tom Kelleher. «Je suis totalement contre. La mairesse (Nathalie Simon) et l'ancien maire Pavone ont toujours soutenu à 100 % la population anglophone. Il y avait beaucoup de problèmes il y a 35 ans et plusieurs anglophones ont quitté le Québec. Est-ce ce que le gouvernement veut qu'on fasse ?»
M. Kelleher affirme qu'il «parle un peu français, mais personne, dit-il, ne veut se faire enfoncer le français dans la gorge. Il va y avoir toute une réaction si ça se produit ici». M. Kelleher est au courant que les anglophones peuvent obtenir les informations dans leur langue à demande, mais, pour lui, ce ne change rien à son opinion.
«Je ne suis pas très contente non plus», a indiqué June MacGregor. «Pourquoi font-ils autant de problèmes maintenant ? De toute évidence, beaucoup d'anglophones vivent à Châteauguay. Je pensais que nous étions censés être bilingues. Qu'est-ce qui arrive avec ça ?» La citoyenne soutient que «la situation empire. C'est rendu que les vendeurs dans les magasins ne parlent plus anglais».
Tony Sherbo dit trouver «terrible ce qui arrive à Huntingdon et maintenant Châteauguay». «C'est dégoûtant. Je suis né dans Griffintown et tout le monde s'entendait. C'est stupide. Les gens devraient apprendre à être bilingues plutôt qu'unilingues.»
Paul Duffey habite Châteauguay depuis 1938. «Je suis allé à l'école française, mais ma femme ne comprend pas le français. C'est ridicule. Mes amis francophones ne seraient pas d'accord avec cette politique non plus. Nous (le Québec) avons perdu 400 000 personnes en 1976 et il y aura encore plus de problèmes maintenant.»
«J'aimerais que Nathalie Simon ait autant de courage que Stéphane Gendron, a dit Bob Cyr. M. Gendron se bat pour ses citoyens, qu'ils soient francophones ou anglophones. Je ne crois pas que nous devrions faire une demande spéciale pour obtenir de l'information. Nous devrions avoir les mêmes droits dans les deux langues.»
«Pour moi, l'Office de la langue française est un non-sens», dit un homme qui préfère garder l'anonymat. «Le Québec fait toujours partie du Canada alors l'information devrait être bilingue, peu importe le pourcentage (de la population anglophone d'une ville).»
«C'est une situation désastreuse», a opiné Maureen Meguerian. «Je crois au bilinguisme. Le médecin à la Gare Centrale près de mon travail ne parle pas un mot d'anglais. Que va-t-il arriver si un anglophone gravement malade le consulte ? Personnellement, j'ai de la misère en français. C'est frustrant !»
Sandy Drake applaudit aussi le maire de Huntingdon.
«C'est affreux, a commenté Syd Hill. Je suis totalement en faveur que ça reste bilingue.»
«Je ne parle pas français alors nous envoyer de l'information en français est ridicule», renchérit Rena Brewster. «Si les francophones veulent être comme l'Église catholique, ils ne pourront travailler dans n'importe quelle partie du monde», a dit Gordie Kaye. Norm Robichaud affirme «qu'il n'y a rien de mal à ce qu'une ville témoigne du respect envers la langue de ses citoyens».
It is ridiculous that the OQLF is trying to enforce French UNILINGUALISM. I understand that French speaking citizens should be able to get their municipal information in their language in Quebec but preventing a mayor of a city from providing information in English as well is mean-spirited. Shame, once again, on the OQLF!
DeleteDes anglophones de la jeune génération partagent le même avis que leurs aînés. «Les francophones protègent leur culture, mais à quel prix ?», mentionne Ryan Holowaty, un adolescent. «Le Canada est un pays bilingue et tout le monde a droit à sa langue et ses croyances. Les chiens de garde de la langue au Québec empiètent sur ces droits, forçant les anglophones du Québec à être moins que les francophones. Nous payons tous des taxes alors pourquoi ne sommes-nous pas tous traités avec respect ? Ils prennent notre argent sans nous protéger - c'est injuste !»
ReplyDelete«C'est une situation semblable aux Afro-américains dans les années 1960. Ils font de la ségrégation à notre endroit, nous offrent moins de services et nous traitent comme des sous-humains. Nous avons droit à notre langue. Après tout, on vit au Canada, pas dans une dictature. Ils essaient de nous assimiler. Je crois que c'est important de préserver la culture, mais la culture passe après les droits humains et l'égalité.»
Caroline Brunet, âgée de 20 ans, partage son point de vue. «Ce qui arrive à Huntingdon et maintenant Châteauguay est ridicule et déplorable. Ça ressemble à l'époque de l'esclavage aux États-Unis dans les années 1800. Québec doit être plus ouvert. D'une certaine façon, c'est du racisme.»
"C'est une situation semblable aux Afro-américains dans les années 1960"
ReplyDeleteHahahahahahahahaha!
Ben oui,les Afro-américains avaient leurs propres hôpitaux et leurs propres universités.Une chance pour vous que le ridicule ne tue pas.En tous cas,pas pour l'instant.
DeleteTo me, being forced to post in half size is like being relegated to the back of the bus.
DeleteWas being relegated to the back of the bus so terrible? Back then, the apologists for racial segregation would say no. After all, you're still on the bus, you still get to your stop, you pay the same fare as the whites...what's the big deal? a southern M.Patrice would cynically ask... "It's the same thing in other countries. The majority reserves the right to impose certain rules on the minority, and the duty of the minority is to adapt. Normalite mondiale, nothing more", he'd say.
The big deal was in the statement about the blacks that was inherent in the relegation to the back of the bus. The statement was obvious to anyone who had to sit in the back.
Those Filipino McDonald workers are probably the only immigrants to move to Sept Iles in a long while. Quebec's hinterland communities are facing a demographic time bomb that only immigration can fix. A lot of these graying small towns will become ghost towns unless more immigrants choose to settle down there. High unemployment and racist attitudes are definitely not the way to woo prospective immigrants. A lot of these small towns offer a good quality of life and much more affordable housing, all factors that need to be played up.
ReplyDeleteSept-îles,Philippins,anglos,McDonald...Hmmm...Non merci,j'pense que je vais aller luncher à Baie-comeau.
ReplyDeleteI hear there are immigrants in Baie-Comeau too! MDR!
DeleteImmigrants are going to be in all regions of Quebec.
Just hide under your bed, close your eyes, and cover you ears!
"Just hide under your bed, close your eyes, and cover you ears!"
DeleteDésolé mon lapin mais je ne suis pas le genre d'individu à agir de la sorte.J'aime bien savoir ce qui se passe dans mon pays.
Tu parle probablement de ton pays imaginaire du Québec qui na jamais exister! MDR!
DeleteEt, comme toujours, qui ne va jamais exister! MDR!
Ah, la vie est belle!
Je vais aller au McDo. Je sais qu'ils vont être capable de me servir en anglais, au moins!
:)
De la nourriture à la hauteur de vos capacités intellectuelles,c'est bien.Vous devriez jeter un coup d'oeil sur le film "Supersize me".Comme on dit par chez-nous : On engraisse pas les cochons à l'eau claire.
DeleteAu moins, j'ai une certaine capacité intellectuelle. Je suis sûr que personne ne vous a jamais confondu pour avoir cette capacité.
DeleteHonestly, I don't really eat at McDonald's. I was just making a point.
Not being an ethnocentric separatist such as yourself, I don't need to search throughout Quebec to find a McDonald's with no Phillipinos/Phillipinas.
I guess you're just going to have to starve...
Je fréquente des restaurants qui sont en mesure de comprendre la commande du client dans la langue officielle du Québec.
DeleteDon't leave Quebec!
DeletePetit lapin,je voyage régulièrement aux É.U et je m'adresse aux gens in English.Chez moi c'est en Français...Difficile à comprendre?
Delete« Les lettres anonymes ont le grand avantage qu'on n'est pas forcé d'y répondre. »
Deletede Alexandre Dumas, fils
Yes, it's difficult to understand that even though you say you speak English, you won't speak it here, even if someone doesn't speak French. How very noble of you.
DeleteAren't you such a good little mentally conquered child of Quebec, the kind that separatists like to breed. Obedient people who must only speak French in Quebec no matter what (even if they can speak English). Bravo!
@ The Cat: I know, it's true. Sometimes people who post here regularly (like Michel Patrice), also post here anonymously but do that in order to be more inflammatory. I troll the troll from time to time even though I tell others (and others tell me) not to. I've been a bad rabbit.
DeleteBad Bunny! (NSFW)
DeleteLMAO! I can't believe they got me on camera! ;-)
Delete(Glad I got my carrot back from that woman!)
So we can expect that the next time anon is in the US and sneaks onto this blog, he will, in the interests of consistency, address everyone in English. I don't mind the French, though. My friends think it's hilarious that I'm improving my French by reading vitriolic anti-English comments in French on the internet ;-)
DeleteCath,je suis un mauvais séparatiste mais en revanche je suis très habile avec la langue.Si jamais vous avez besoin de cours privés...Je suis votre homme :)
Delete@ Cath
DeleteWhether or not he sneaks onto this blog from the US, just because he writes it in English, does not it is going to make any more sense, lol.
And nevermind his stupid comment to you, he has made anti-woman and racist comments in the past. That's what happens when someone stays in their mother's basement all day with no lights on, worrying when Quebec will acheive sovereignty.
Being on this blog is an interesting way to improve your French, though, lol. ( Bonne chance! Je fais la même chose! :) )
What's wrong with my comment honey bunny?Do you really think I hate women?
DeleteI have some good news for you 3:13PM Anonymous:
DeleteSupport for separation is up to 36% now!!! (Wow! So much!)
In a CROP poll 51% support the NDP to 18% for the Bloq-Quebec federally.
And provincially 30% Liberals 28% PQ 25% CAQ
Dame de beton is crumbling again! lol
"Support for separation is up to 36% now!!!"
DeleteQuels sont les stats reliées aux fédérastes maintenant?
J'aime bien l'expression : Décanadianisation du Québec...Héhé!
http://tinyurl.com/7au84oy
"Support for separation is up to 36% now!!! (Wow! So much!)"
Delete> Quels sont les stats reliées aux fédéralistes maintenant?
Pas très fort, Seppie. I'll give you a hint. 36% means 36 out of 100.
I got a chuckle from the madame that brought to light this McD story. On TVA, she mentions at the end that she'll never go back to the restaurant. First thing that came to mind was that her "boycott" would actually do her some good seeing her size.
ReplyDeleteThem pesky unilingual Filipinos i tell ya...voleurs de jobs!
What can you do when so many of the french here are enjoying the conflict?
ReplyDelete"I know, here's the perfect Quebec style solution!"
ReplyDeleteRecruting overseas when we have plenty of jobless here is a perfect illustration everything that is wrong with Québec. Or is it?
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is a federal program. Every year, the federal government recruits foreign temporary workers to work in every part of Canada.
So, every year, the federal government imports foreign temporary workers to work in every province, while there are people on welfare in every province. And this, of course, illustrates how Québec is wrong...
I don't know if you're trolling again Michel but clearly the French Quebecker owner had to apply for the program, probably because it benefits him/her. If the people in the area are too hooked on their BS, what can be done? The Quebec government should force the unemployed to work there but of course the Quebec government likes to allow French Quebeckers to believe they are entitled to sit on their asses all day and watch French TV.
DeleteI believe Mike Harris the former Primier in Ontario tried to institute a "Work-fare" program to get Well-fare recipients to kick start their lives by actually getting up in the morning and going to a job in order to receive their well fare checks. This was back in the mid 90's. Not sure what became of it but it seems like a good idea. Importing fruit pickers from Mexico to work on Quebec farms is idiotic.
DeleteM. Patrice,
DeleteI know that you like debate, particularly in this blog. But, why must you lie to support your argument? You said:
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is a federal program. Every year, the federal government recruits foreign temporary workers to work in every part of Canada.
That is simply not true for Quebec. Quebec has the autonomy to process Temporary Workers coming to Quebec.
There goes you reputation for me. Too bad. Or maybe you do not care.
Anonymous4:07,
Delete"Importing fruit pickers from Mexico to work on Quebec farms is idiotic."
Here is a quote from the government of Canada website about the foreign temporary worker program :
"The Program currently operates in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island."
(Source : http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/ei_tfw/saw_tfw.shtml )
Troy,
DeleteFrom Citizenship and Immigration Canada :
"If you intend to work in the province of Quebec, you must obtain a certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) before a work permit can be issued."
My understanding is that Québec does not have an autonomous process, my understanding is that workers must have a certificate from Québec in addition from the federal work permit. Québec picks candidates among candidates recruited by the federal government overseas. (A few years ago, it was my sister's job to recruit those workers in Latin America. She works for the federal gvt.)
Nevetheless, my point is that saying that this "stupid" program is an illustration of what is wrong in Québec is wrong since this "stupid" program is not unique to Québec, it is a coast to coast program.
Also, these workers are hired in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island because, as everybody knows, during the summer, there is "a temporary seasonal needs of agricultural producers during peak harvesting and planting periods, when there are traditionally shortages of qualified Canadian workers." (Citizenship and Immigration Canada again) But in Québec, it is different : we have to hire those workers because "government likes to allow French Quebeckers to believe they are entitled to sit on their asses all day and watch French TV."
Si ce ne sont pas des préjugés épais, qu'est-ce que ça prend?
"Si ce ne sont pas des préjugés épais, qu'est-ce que ça prend?"
DeleteOh Michel, always playing the victim card. You know when people criticize Quebec, it's because they want it to be better than it is. Why couldn't the owner find any local workers to work there? It is because the government does not force people on welfare to work there. They prefer to have French Quebeckers sit on their asses all day. Those people on BS should get up and work and stop complaining all the time about their entitlements.
M. Patrice,
DeleteLet us go back to the main issue. Workers in Sept-Iles are unilingual Filipinos. How do you think they came here? Who gave them permission? CIC? No. Because Quebec is autonomous, Quebec and only Quebec (through MICC) has the say. CIC only does the procedural and background check. Should Quebec says, "Hey you Filipino fvckers who only speak English and Tagalog, you ain't no entering this hallowed French land," then they can not work in Quebec, now can they?
Now reading what you wrote:
So, every year, the federal government imports foreign temporary workers to work in every province, while there are people on welfare in every province. And this, of course, illustrates how Québec is wrong..
In fact yes, Quebec is wrong. If all other provinces are wrong too that does not make Quebec is right. Other provinces have no authority Quebec does. Quebec could have rejected their application if it is serious the unemployment and French issues.
Clarification... the Filipinos are already bilingual (Tagalog and English) and are working on becoming trilingual (unlike 2/3 of Quebec francophones, who insist on remaining unilingual).
DeleteUne chose est certaine est que ce "restaurant" vient de perdre des clients.Déjà qu'on y sert de la merde,imaginez maintenant.Allez jeter un coup d'oeil sur le film "superize me"
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C61_AhA6x6A
Même si le staff est polyglotte,il n'auront pas ma clientèle.
If the government Quebec objected to these workers, they wouldn't have been sent there up north. It's as simple as that.
DeleteThe workers were placed there because of the shortage. The posts had to be filled, but were not up to the standards of the very distinguished population of sept iles, so people from outside had to be brought in.
Now let's see if the boycott will work. I bet it won't.
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ReplyDeleteLe Québec deviendra « à terme » un pays indépendant, selon Michael Ignatieff
ReplyDeletehttp://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/04/23/ignatieff-quebec-pays-independant_n_1447520.html?ref=topbar
I don't care what he has to say. After all, he is just visiting...
DeleteYawn. This is actually what he said:
DeleteIl ne croit pas pour autant que la séparation du Québec soit inévitable. « Rien n’est inévitable dans la vie politique et j’ai le fervent espoir que les séparatistes seront vaincus et que le Canada survivra et prospérera entant que pays uni, parlant en français et en anglais », a affirmé Michael Ignatieff.
C'est mal parti avec la grosse Smith de l'Ouest et son parti d'extrême droite.Qu'en pensez-vous Kitty?Déjà qu'on a de la difficulté à supporter Harper(Qui semble à gauche à coté du wildrose)...Imaginez.
Delete@ The Cat
DeleteI saw part of an interview he did with the BBC on Radio-Canada's newscast and he basically said that the separation of the Scottish people from the UK and Quebec from Canada would eventually be inevitable. Maybe he's clarified what he's said since. You know, I have been a Liberal supporter for a long time but I think as an intellectual outside of the country for a long time, Ignatieff doesn't always have the best feel for this country. Maybe that's one of the reasons that he had the worst results ever for the Liberals in the last election.
The thing is that I don't ever substitute what one individual says at one point in time for my own judgement. I think it is more important to think for myself.
The entire interview is here. Around the 7:30 minute mark, the interviewer's question is whether further transfers of power will eventually result in independence and it seems quite logical that in the long run, if you transfer all of the powers over, this is what would result.
DeleteK. Thanks.
DeleteRoger, let's face it. Michael Ignatieff lived in the Halls of Ivy for three decades, called America HIS country, and then thinks writing a few dozen texts makes him an expert.
DeleteStephen P. Robbins PhD, probably the most authored text writer of management theory in North America if not the world, was my professor back in the day at Concordia U. The first day of class, he handed us his syllibus for his course. At the top, he wrote:
Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach.
Those who can't teach, teach teachers.
Those who can't teach teachers, write books.
The simple fact of the matter is, Ignatieff, like most professors and academic intellectuals, made good money and had the summers off. He had zero people skills. The election result under his tutelage is proof enough, don't you think? I like to think people have learned a few things about pseudointellectuals since the Trudeau days. Then again when (not if, WHEN) Justin Trudeau runs for the Liberal leadership and probably wins, the grand mistakes of history may repeat themselves. Justin Trudeau is a cocky bastard just like his old man was - a carbon copy! He's attractive to woman just like his daddy was. Vote for him, and he'll finish the job his father couldn't, i.e., give Quebec everything its little heart desires and bankrupt Canada.
I've been putting off responding to you, Mr. Sauga, because I know that if I get started, I could write pages and pages of what I think (in other words I was lazy).
DeleteI'll try to keep this succinct.
First of all, while it may be true that Michael Ignatieff is an academic that lives in an ivory tower, alot of what he says is not without substance. When he says that, in effect, Quebec and Canada are living as two different entities because of a devolution of powers, I believe he is correct.
Now, unlike you, I don't think it is Pierre Trudeau's fault. I think it is the fault of Conservatives and Liberals throughout time, working on the principle of appeasement of nationalists. After Brian Mulroney and his almost destroying the country with the Meech Lake debacle and him tearing up a piece of paper and calling the Constitution of 1982 worthless, after he told all Quebecker's that they were being rejected, he basically gave Quebec most of what was in the Meech Lake accord: power over immigration, etc.
Then, what does Steven Harper do when he gets in office? He rights an imaginary wrong of the fiscal balance and he recognizes that the Québécois form a nation. I guess he meant Quebecois to mean French Quebecois. (Now, he's at what, 10% support in Quebec)
Liberals were appeasers as well. However, I do not believe as you do that Trudeau gave Quebec too much. I think the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a document to be proud of. It is good that the Consitution was repatriated in 1982. Before that we had to ask the Queen for permission to change the constitution. Isn't that ridiculous?
As for bankrupting Canada, the Trudeau Liberals and the Mulroney Conservatives added a roughly equal amount to the debt. The Chretien/Martin "spendthrift" Liberals shaved off roughly 100 billion dollars from the debt in their years of operation while the "fiscally responsable" Harper conservatives have added more than 100 billion to the debt in their few years of operation. Remember when Flaherty, who was such a good minister in Ontario was mocking the Liberals for saying that the country was going into recession? And how he mocked them when they said that he was going to be running defecits?
I'm more worried about what Harper is doing to this country morally and fiscally that what Justin Trudeau could ever do.
* fiscal imbalance
DeleteThe "Soiled Linen" story is quite amazing, up there with the unilingual English speaking parrot. I wonder how many francophones or others truly share the horror of seeing words in English in Quebec and consider this to be a threat to their language and culture. Do those who drive cars with dashboard controls in English get upset? Do those who use electronic appliances, TVs, Hi-fi systems etc get hot under the collar about seeing English only names on the controls. What about T shirts with English words on them, or Levi Jeans? Is it horrendous to see English on food packaging or other projects? What about hardware stores, lots of stuff there with English on the tools or on other building materials. Is this a grand Canadian conspiracy to anglicise Quebec. listening to some, one would think so.
ReplyDeleteAt some point the discourse needs to rise about this type of absurdity. Also, is living in a francophone bubble within North America, where no English is permitted to exist, really the goal of the majority of people in Quebec? I would like to believe that most francophones are tired of this kind of thinking, of treating any visible English in the province as if it was toxic, but perhaps not. There is nothing odder than going into a downtown Irish pub such as the new Vieux Dublin, and seeing that all the English language memorabilia that used to hang in the Old Dublin is now replaced with mostly French language Irish memorabilia - so authentic? - NOT, but typical of Quebec's intolerence of the English language. I visited this new pub once and frankly cannot be bothered with this place anymore.
You've got to keep in mind that we are talking about readers of "Le Journal de Montréal" here... I don't know anybody in real life who would actually be fussed about "Soiled Linen".
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I do miss the old Old Dublin!
"I don't know anybody in real life who would actually be fussed about "Soiled Linen"."
DeleteSi ce n'était que ça.Et si ce linge souillé représentait l'anglicisation du Québec,un peu à la manière d'un drapeau?
Le CHUM est la système francophone (Centre Hospitalier de l'Universitè de Montréal) de Montréal.
DeleteLe MUHC est la systéme anglophone (McGill University Health Centre) de Montréal.
Meme si on est dans la system anglophone (qui n'est pas vraiment anglophone - il est bilingue), on peut trouver beaucoup de monde qui ne peut pas parler anglais, mais dans les deux systèmes, c'est presque impossible de trouver quelqu'un qui ne parle pas français. Il faut passer un examen en français pour être capable de travailler comme docteur ou infirmier au Québec.
Alors, tout passe en français au CHUM mais apparament les docteurs et infirmiers francophones au CHUM anglicise leur patients francophones avec un panier de linge anglais!
Scandale!
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ReplyDelete"La menace qui pèse sur le français n'est pas locale, elle est d'origine planétaire. C'est le rouleau compresseur de la culture américaine, c'est Internet, c'est le cable, c'est l'avion, le IPhone, le Huffington Post, que sais-je ? Pas les anglos de Montréal, de souche ou de l'immigration, ça j'en suis certaine. " - Lise Ravary
ReplyDeleteI think Mdme.Ravary is correct, and I think I know why the militant francos repress that fact. It's because la menace d'origine planétaire is something they can't go after. They can't go after Hollywood, or the Anglo-American music industry, or the Apple products, or the Internet, or the American culture. These things are beyond their reach. But a dep owner issu de l'immigration, why not. He's an easy target. So let's bait him with an audiotaped phone call, get the response we know he's going to give, then on to the radio where an allied thug in a suit and a tie will play it for all to hear and top it off with incendiary comments, and then we're ready to go on a field trip to Verdun.
But what does that achieve in the end? They feed off their anger on a hapless chap, but what does it achieve, other than giving French a bad name?
"...other than giving French a bad name?"
ReplyDeleteJe ne crois pas,nous avons un peu plus de jugement que vous ne semblez le croire.Je suis certain que le peuple polonais a une certaine dignité et un minimum de fierté de leur culture et pourtant,si l'on prenait le raccourci de les juger selon vos propos,ils seraient tous de faux américains parlant globish.Nous ne pouvons peut-être rien faire contre la mondialisation mais avons le pouvoir sur notre environnement immédiat et ça c'est magnifique.
I don't see pride in the behavior of the militants. I see something else.
DeleteI also don't see why you couldn't be proud of your background and be able to coexist with people of other backgrounds at the same time. Although there is a saying that a patriot is someone who loves his people, a nationalist is someone who hates all others. I guess that would make you a nationalist.
Aucun problème adski mais peut-on s'entendre sur une langue de communication commune?
DeleteI don't see pride in the behavior of the militants. I see something else.
DeleteInsecurity and inferiority.
I don't see pride in the behavior of the militants. I see something else.
DeleteIntolerance, hatred, and bigotry.
Nicolas est très intelligent et il doté d'un sens de l'observation hors du commun.Comment expliquer ce phénomène d'insécurité avec notre gros 2% de représentation en amérique?
DeleteLe tout accompagné du rouleau compresseur de la mondialisation.Les Québécois sont vraiment paranos...Aucune raison de s'inquiéter surtout avec des Québécois comme Nicolas qui viennent nous insulter en globish.
Yannick, puisque tu sembles t'y connaître en matière de complexe d'infériorité, j'aimerais savoir si tu vois des similitudes, ou des différences, entre le complexe d'infériorité des Québécois à l'égard des Canadiens-Anglais et celui de ces derniers à l'égard des Américains. Crois-tu par ailleurs que les Canadiens-Anglais pourront un jour s'affranchir de leur complexe d'infériorité vis-à-vis des Américains ?
DeleteI have no inferiority complex regarding the Americans, this is news to me. I much prefer being Canadian and could not imagine trading places with them. I`m sure most Canadians feel as I do.
DeleteAre you perhaps just projecting the inferiority of the French Canadians to the English Canadians? I think you just hope and imagine that we have the same fears and inferiority you have.
Pour ma part, nonobstant les similitudes et les différences, je crois que ce qui distingue fondamentalement le complexe d'infériorité des Québécois, qui par ailleurs est moins notable qu'il y a cinquante ans, est qu'ils ont une chance de pouvoir définitivement s'en affranchir en se donnant un pays. Tandis que les Canadiens-Anglais resteront vraisemblablement prisonniers de leur complexe d'infériorité, puisque condamnés à n'être que la pâle copie d'un autre peuple.
DeleteEn terminant j'en ai une bonne pour toi Yannick.
Do you know the difference between a person with a French Canadian parent and one American and a person with a French Canadian parent and one English-Canadian?
The first one has to deal with only one inferiority complex while the second has to deal with two. MDR!
That’s odd… Switzerland has only 1% of Europe’s population (not to mention 4 official languages) and is a confident and secure nation, unlike Quebec.
DeleteDenmark has only 0.76% of Europe’s population and virtually everyone is fluent in English (and sometimes German, Swedish or Norwegian too) yet they too are confident in their culture and don’t seem to fear the steamroller of globalisation. There are plenty of other examples as well:
List of European countries by population
@Jean-Paul: I for one don’t feel any inferiority complex towards the Americans in the least. In fact, I don’t even know what you’re talking about (I had to Google it and didn’t find a whole lot). If anything, I know many progressive Americans who are indeed envious of Canada.
I do know that many Japanese have an inferiority complex towards Americans (and a superiority complex towards other Asians) despite having one of the highest standards of living in the world, but that’s the only example I can think of right now.
@Jean-PaulApr 24, 2012 05:34 PM
DeleteThat's the worst joke I've heard all day. I have one French-Canadian parent and one English-Canadian and zero inferiority complexes, sorry.
"I have no inferiority complex regarding the Americans, this is news to me."
DeleteVous devriez purtant!
Sans les amerlocs,quelle culture consommeriez-vous...La canadienne? :)
Tandis que nous les Québécois sommes autonomes en la matière.
"Tandis que les Canadiens-Anglais resteront vraisemblablement prisonniers de leur complexe d'infériorité, puisque condamnés à n'être que la pâle copie d'un autre peuple."
DeleteEffectivement et les amerlocs ne cessent de leur rappeler.C'est pour cette raison d'ailleurs que je regarde certains sitcoms américains,ils ont bien saisi le coté ridicule des canayens.
@Nicolas 02:56 PM
DeleteI was actually thinking and was going to write: insecurity and immaturity. I left it unwritten thinking that it was obvious to everyone, and I see I was correct. ;)
@YannickApr 24, 2012 04:08 PM
DeleteI happen to have a few Kiwi friends and I know that they don't suffer from an inferiority complex towards their Aussie neighbours. Just in case, I Googled that too and found pretty slim pickings.
Some other possible examples I could think of were Belgium compared to France as well as Austria compared to Germany. Nope, I don't see any inferiority complexes there either.
I did think of the possible Chinese and Korean inferiority complexes towards Japan. In the former case, I’m certain that is on the wane with their growing economic power. In the latter case, I think so too but I did find this article about it by a Canadian living in Korea, so we can kill two birds with one stone, based on one individual’s opinion, of course. (Note: I haven’t read the whole thing yet so I’m not actually sure whether I agree with him or not yet.)
"I don't see any inferiority complexes there either"
DeleteJe crois que je vais inventer des lunettes (double-foyers) pour chats.Les suisses et les Belges ont un IMMENSE complexe d'infériorité face aux Français.
@Roger Rabbit 03:49 PM
DeleteThese come from insecurity, I think.
@YannickApr 24, 2012 03:37 PM and 04:08 PM
DeleteI must admit that you are confusing me when it comes to comparisons with other countries. On the one hand, you call people who do it meatheads and on the other, you are seeking your own comparisons…
Oh, how I do love completely unsubstantiated opinions presented as fact! This is all I could come up with regarding the supposed Swiss and Belgian complexes…
Delete@ Laurie:
DeleteIt's just a projection, like you said, or wishful thinking. Have you ever heard anyone say: "Oh! No! We Canadians only make up 10% of North America. What are we going to do to preserve our culture?" and start running around like their head is cut off. On the other hand, some francophones...
"What are we going to do to preserve our culture?"
DeleteDe quelle culture parlez-vous exactement?Pourriez-vous être un peu plus descriptif?
C'est la quatrième fois que je pose la question sur ce blogue et je n'ai jamais eu de réponse.Le cinéma?La littérature?La cuisine?...Mystère.
À votre place je commencerais à avoir quelques complexes.À moins que la dépendance à la culture américaine soit tellement forte que vous ne voyez plus les distinctions,pourtant si évidentes.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI don't know what The Cat wrote but since it has been removed, I probably agree with it! :)
DeleteI already posted the same link blog post link above.
DeleteSans les amerlocs,quelle culture consommeriez-vous...La canadienne? :)
DeleteTandis que nous les Québécois sommes autonomes en la matière.
L
O
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@ Anon 24, 2012 05:58 PM
Delete"Vous devriez purtant!
Sans les amerlocs,quelle culture consommeriez-vous...La canadienne? :)
Tandis que nous les Québécois sommes autonomes en la matière."
Because I like to watch National Geographic I should have an inferiority complex? I did not grow up worrying about my identity or fretting about who is superior to me. This is YOUR problem! You just want me to feel inferior to someone to make you feel better, and I don't.
"Because I like to watch National Geographic I should have an inferiority complex?"
DeleteLe problème est que vous (las canadiens)ne consommez presque exclusivement du contenu étrangé.C'est la que se situe votre problème,la dépendance culturelle.Les Québécois consomme de la culture extérieure mais pas exclusivement.Nous consommons énormément de nos productions culturelles comparativement à vous.Pourquoi croyez-vous que le monde considère que vous êtes des américains passifs?
"C'est la que se situe votre problème"
DeleteNope, I don't have a problem, as much as you insist that I do, I DO NOT. Obviously YOU have a problem with it.
What do I care what others think when I know the truth? Really, you need to get stop worrying about what everyone else thinks.
"Pourquoi croyez-vous que le monde considère que vous êtes des américains passifs?"
DeleteHi. I am a multilingual immigrant from Turkey. I have been living in Montréal for the last 5 years and I am yet to discover something essentially different than the rest of North America in Quebec's culture. When you travel in Europe, for example, when you cross the border from France to Spain or even from Turkey to Bulgaria (which were actually under the rule of the same emperor for a looong time) you immediately feel that you are in a totally different place and it is not just the language that makes these places so different from each other. When I leave Quebec to go to other cities in Canada I really don't see that big of a difference.
We consume a lot of foreign products and media in Turkey as well as our own productions and even though we are very far away from north America I cannot deny the influence of "western" culture in our own productions. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think that your "production culturelles" are that different in content from the rest of what Canada consumes. Having your own local celebrities and programs in french does not necessarily mean that you have a very distinct or superior "culture". It sounds petty when you accuse Canadians to be imitations of Americans when all I could see that is different in Quebec is a limited imitation of France with ridiculously expensive baguettes and fromages. I am sorry to burst your bubble but most foreigners are not so impressed by the french Quebecois culture and don't really see the big difference. If I understood correctly, you have been claiming that the rest of Canada has no culture of it's own, I am wondering what culture does Quebec really have that is so unique and so different from the rest of Canada? I am not saying that it is %100 same, but to a stanger's eyes it essentialy is.
There is enough difference between Canada and the US to make me chose one over the other and I would never leave Canada for the US (except for the occasional fantasy of living in California - but that happens only during winter)and I would never have an inferiority complex if I was Canadian.
@ Anonymous 4:13PM
DeleteLike you say, there is no real difference in "Quebec" culture and the rest of North America other than they have their own francophone stars and that is because there is not the same variety of channels available to someone who is unilingually French (over 70% of francophones in Quebec only speak French). Thats's why the 3 francophone networks have higher ratings.
@ Yannick
Your projecting a bit too much. We English Canadians watch what we want to watch and listen to what we want to watch. We don't feel any obligations to consume culture just because it's Canadian and we couldn't care less if Friends, Desperate Housewives, etc are American shows. We watch it because we like it, just like francophones do. These shows are available dubbed for francophone TV. When we watch Canadian TV, it's because we like it: eg sports such as hockey, local news, dramas, etc.
Anyways, I am wasting too much time responding to this crap but you did a search of "Canada Inferiority Complex" and came up with 212 000 results, which really is infinitely small. I did a search of "quebecois inferiority complex" on google and came up with 5 170 000 results. So, by your logic, considering that quebeckers make up roughly 8 million people and Canada roughly 35million-8million=27 million, each Quebecois feels approx 7 times inferior to Canadians.
"Nope, I don't have a problem"
DeleteProblème d'inconscience alors.
I made a mistake. 8 millions Quebeckers: 5.17 million inferior results
Delete27 million Canadians : 212 000 inferior results
Therefore, it would reason that a Quebecois has an inferior complex 82 times that of a Canadian. Sounds about right.
@anon 7:57
ReplyDelete"Nous ne pouvons peut-être rien faire contre la mondialisation mais avons le pouvoir sur notre environnement immédiat et ça c'est magnifique."
Is that why you are imposing your bill 101 in areas where the majority are not francophones? If Canada did the inverse all over Canada you would be boiling with impotent rage as well.
"Is that why you are imposing your bill 101 in areas where the majority are not francophones? If Canada did the inverse all over Canada you would be boiling with impotent rage as well."
ReplyDeleteJe crois que tôt ou tard c'est ce qui va arriver.Les Québécois sont de moins en moins canadiens et les canadiens toléreront de moins en moins la présence francophone dans le RoC.
http://tinyurl.com/7au84oy
So why don't you vote yes and leave taking what is left of Quebc after partition with you? What is stopping you?
DeletePartition is the only answer....... by vote or by force....
ReplyDeleteSo Anon goes on and on about the French Language, et il sort un mot comme "brainwashe"???? Oh that is sweet. LOL. He can't even respect the authenticity of the language he rants and raves about. Laughable. No credibility, None.
ReplyDeleteanon
ReplyDelete"Right now, I'm living abroad, and whenever I identify myself as French Canadian, it makes me feel kinda like I should be making apologies for it."
thats your problem. what evidence do you have that you were treated differently and poorly becuase you were quebecois? methinks you are an anglo in disguise, anonymous
thanks kiu
ReplyDelete