Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Back to the Future..."No Klingon in Quebec"

Readers I'm out of town and still loafing around, enjoying family, especially my grandkids in Brooklyn.
In such a happy frame of mind, it hard to turn attention to the dismal affairs of state back home.
Instead of a blank, I'd like to reprint some pieces that I wrote early in the history of this blog, pieces that most of you haven't read and those that I am most proud of.
This one was written almost four years ago and it is a personal favourite.

Not many of you read it, as the blog was new back then and had few followers.
Enjoy..
Imagine that scientists discover a 'wormhole' in space, one that allows humans unlimited access to the universe. The United Nations sends an exploratory team through this portal that finds thousands upon thousands of inhabited planets, most of them teeming with intelligent and sophisticated life.

As one would expect, each of these societies use their own unique and particular manner of communication. Some use telepathy, some speak orally and others use touch. All have their own unique language.
It's also discovered, that when planetary societies interact with each other across the universe, one common second language is employed.
That language is determined to be 'KLINGON.'

The explorers return to Earth and report their findings. Contact with the Universe promises unparallelled advancement. The world is moved to action.

If Earth is to communicate with the universe, Klingon needs to be adopted as the secondary common language of Earth.
The nations of the world react. Comprehensive programs in Klingon language instruction are initiated in all the nations of the world.

Everybody is excited to embrace the new language, nobody wants to be left behind..... well almost nobody....

In the obscure and sparsely populated province of Quebec, in Canada, the common consensus amongst intellectuals, educators and political leaders is that speaking Klingon is unnecessary. In fact, they hold that learning Klingon represents a threat to the preservation of the indigenous French language.

"While it's nice to speak other languages, it's certainly not necessary" they say.

'A Quebecker doesn't need to speak Klingon to work in Tim Hortons or to be mayor of Montreal, or even Premier of Quebec for that matter! We can live quite nicely in French alone!"

But there's a minority who object, they remind the French language zealots that the whole world has embraced Klingon.

The naysayers are dumbfounded."Doesn't it make sense to do the same?"

"Non! Non!" answer the zealots" Those who want to interact with us, can learn French as easily as we can learn Klingon."

"But that makes no sense! What if we want to travel around the universe? What if we want to sell our products to other planets? How will we communicate?" French is a small language and Klingon is universal, do you really believe that the onus is on them to learn French, rather than on us learning Klingon?"

"MAIS OUI, BEN SUR!!!"

Argghhh.........

Louis Prefontaine is a Quebec blogger who typifies Quebec French language radicalism, those who share a common and dangerous philosophy- "Better to be mediocre in French, than successful bilingually."

Mr. Prefontaine complains in his blog about the students of a French language university in Montreal, the Université du Québec à Montréal(UQAM), who created a video sensation on YouTube.
The students produced a humorous and catchy one-take tribute video that has recently gone viral. The video is a takeoff of the Black-Eyed Peas song "I Got a Feeling

I first became aware of the video when I saw it touted on CNN, where commentators raved. To date close to a million people have viewed it on YouTube. Not bad.





You'd think that Mr. Prefontaine would be happy for the Quebec students' international success, but if you thought that, you'd be wrong.
Here's what Mr. Prefontaine had to say about the video;
"Even our university bred elite of the future are infatuated with English, as proven by this video created by students of UQAM with it's bilingual presentation, English song and text in English. We need to restore a French complexion to the city."

"Même notre future élite universitaire s’entiche de l’anglais; à preuve cette vidéo de l’UQAM, avec présentation bilingue, chanson anglophone, textes anglophones… Il faut redonner un visage francophone à la ville."
Grrrrrr.!!!!......The students of UQAM appear to be more realistic and worldly than Mr. Prefontaine. They wanted to make an successful video and chose a catchy tune by a popular music group for maximum impact. Judging by the results, it seems that their decision was right, notwithstanding the annoying braying of French language militants.

The students understood intuitively what Mr Prefontaine and other French language militants fail to understand or accept, that artistic success on a word-wide level, means singing, dancing or writing in English.
That's the way it is. Tough luck.
Ask Celine Dion.

I imagine that Mr. Prefontaine would have preferred that the students sang 'Allouette, gentile Alloutte' I'm not sure that it would have gone over quite as big......

Should the mayor of Montreal speak English? Perhaps not, but Klingon, ah, that would be nice....

112 comments:

  1. Not surprised about Préfontaine chastising his students for their success.

    Sad how the separatist mindset demands that francophones remain marginal in the name of cultural integrity.

    But no matter where you go (and this is not exclusive to Quebec), you'll find people who can't accomplish anything in life and project their frustration on those who can.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Sad how the separatist mindset demands that francophones remain marginal..."

      this can only come from a weird anglo supremacist. as if someone has to do his thing in your language in order not to be "marginal". in a society that is more than 90% francophone! can you confirm you're only an anglo supremacist, mate?

      Delete
    2. "...in a society that is more than 90% francophone..." and yet you claim with a straight face that French is endangered in Quebec. Whatever you say, Student.

      Delete
    3. of course it is. stats show its use is declining. welcome to 2013, mate.

      Delete
    4. Statistics Canada indicates 79% of Quebec has French as a mother tongue and 94% speak it well. Coincidentally, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 80% of U.S. residents have English as a mother tongue and 95% speak it well. I guess that means French in Quebec is about as threatened as English is in the U.S., right mate?

      Delete
    5. Same old lame excuses for their ignorance towards the anglophones Plateau - Ignore the troll - if you don't respond like the rest of us he just goes on and on and we laugh behind our screens because he wastes so much of his time thinking we give a shit what he says. No one on here gives a damn about the little freak.

      Delete
    6. 95% in the USA ≠ 95% in Québec
      US population is almost 50 times bigger than Québec population. You clearly aren't very strong in Math, PlateauAnglo

      Delete
    7. @Cutie003 : We could say the same thing about you. ;)

      Delete
  2. IMHO, post. Humorous at best.
    This is why Canada is a free country, so that the trolls can live in french is they choose to.
    The trolls can also come here and criticize their quebec compatriots that choose to live in english.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mate you're abusing the word troll. it won't mean a thing anymore if you keep using it frivolously. please stop cause we need it for ed, cutie003 and other firecrackers.

      Delete
  3. something is wrong, can't comment from my personnal computer, i think i was banned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure the editor would have let you know if you were banned. There are at least two trolls here that would have been banned long before you unless you did something to REALLY upset him; to the best of my knowledge no one has ever been banned.

      Delete
    2. i wish i could reply but i'm banned

      Delete
    3. I think this could be caused by your navigator blocking cookies

      Delete
    4. He's not banned because his BS comments are showing up.

      Delete
    5. Durham you see very pissed for no reason. Take a chill pill man!

      Delete
  4. LD

    Just got back from a holiday in Italy, Greece and Turkey. Almost everyone we dealt with spoke English, not French. It's become the World's defacto second language. Quebec politicians have a vested interest in making sure les Québécois remain Unilingual. They don't want them to hightail it out of here and plant roots (and pay taxes) elsewhere. After all, a captive tax base is a good tax base.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Omg LD, we may have been there at the same time, minus Turkey. We went to France instead and yes the French are still rude god help them, (Paris was a tad dirty we found, mm). The Italians still love to eat & love, god loves them! And the Greeks still have the best sunsets, see Santorini for breathtaking scenery at least once during your lifetime.

      I haven’t posted for a while but I keep reading the blog, for those of you who missed me, I’m…backkkkk lol.

      Finally, to comment on this by LD:

      “Quebec politicians have a vested interest in making sure les Québécois remain Unilingual. They don't want them to hightail it out of here and plant roots (and pay taxes) elsewhere. After all, a captive tax base is a good tax base.”

      Right on! I think I’ve said the same thing once or twice, thanks for re-iterating. Let’s keep the masses ignorant and unilingual so that they can’t go anyplace and have to stay put, that way they can pay for L’Age d’Or in this province LOL

      True story:

      Our last stop was Florida. On our way to the airport for our return flight we stopped at a Denny’s for breakfast, across from us was a family of 4 from La belle province. They were given a menu but couldn’t understand it…lord almighty it was in English of all things. The waitress came by a few times to take their order but obviously there was a lapse in communication so she kept stepping away. Finally, when I noticed it got super uncomfortable for them I was about to step in and help when my husband grabbed my wrist and stopped me. “This is what you call a learning moment” he said. Naturally I corrected him, “You mean a teaching moment”. He replied, “No, a learning moment, this is when they learn what a bitch it is to travel and not speak anything but French.”

      The End.

      Delete
    2. Welcome back ANCEtote: Yes, I did miss your comments. Sounds like you had a great time and didn't miss all the BS. Too bad you had to come back to the same old shit, different day! We're still fighting though just to get you caught up! Couple of new trolls also; ignore as usual.

      Delete
    3. And you're husband was right:) - time these people learned that the whole of North America is not going to change because they happen to be travel out of their ghetto once in awhile!

      Delete
    4. @anectote

      "I was about to step in and help when my husband grabbed my wrist and stopped me."

      by jove your husband is worse than you! preventing someone from helping others is the deed of a sick mind.

      Delete
    5. ToTo est évidemment une femme libre de s'exprimer :)

      Italie,Grèce...Denny's ?

      Err

      Delete
    6. @ student

      "I was about to step in and help when my husband grabbed my wrist and stopped me."

      by jove your husband is worse than you! preventing someone from helping others is the deed of a sick mind."


      Like say...the ambulance technician who refused to speak English to a Vaudreuil couple, when their two-year old daughter was convulsing, unresponsive and experiencing a life threatening febrile seizure?

      By your own admission, Quebec is full of sick minds. Thank you for making a point!

      Delete
    7. @student

      I strongly suspect that AnecTOTE's husband would have been more than happy to help that Quebecois couple if he had not seen examples of other Quebecois treating fellow Canadians as well as others badly simply for not speaking French.

      @AnecTOTE

      If this is not the case, please forgive me.

      Delete
    8. @Edward

      Mostly, he wanted them to feel how uncomfortable, poor and hungry.. Ignorance will make you.

      I omitted to mention that the waitress never went back to that table. Somehow she managed to ignore them as she kept seating other customers and serving them instead. The French couple and their kids ended up just leaving. Such is Life when you live in a bubble..n'est ce pas? Truth be told, we did them a huge favor. Maybe next time, they'll go around with a French-English dictionary ..at the very least.

      Delete
    9. Denny's : 5 étoiles pour leur service aux touristes et pour la qualité de leurs produits...Err

      Mdr!

      Delete
    10. "Denny's : 5 étoiles pour leur service aux touristes et pour la qualité de leurs produits...Err"

      Yes ...just like....

      Quebec: 5***** for service and treatment of its own citizens: ride the subway, get beat up !

      Err ...is right !!

      LOL

      Delete
    11. Nous savons faire la différence entre les anryphones (canadiens-anglais de Montréal) et les touristes : Ces derniers ont de la classe et semblent heureux tandis que les autres affichent une frustration constante sur leur visage.

      Delete
  5. As the topic is about Klingon language, this is my comment from 4 years ago, on the original post, this time in Klingon.

    tlhegh, "Dunmo' 'e' mediocre french, qaStaHvIS puS successful bilingually," qar Sep yab Hol zealots separatists qoj underlines. cha' cases qaStaHvIS yab: bmo 'ej rbc. DaH oldest 'ej beyIl'e' qa'naDa' biggest. actual headquarters ('ej jobs wa'vatlh tu'lu') relocated batlhchaj vo' montreal T.O. direct ghot'e', neb 101 je. 'ach potlh'e' neH shrug separatists.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Speaking of Klingon, that reminds me. I'm pretty sure that around the time of Star Trek: First Contact the English (or Terran) language was only spoken on one planet in the galaxy. Some other language--if not Klingon, then perhaps Vulcan---must have been used as an intergalactic lingua franca until the humans started colonizing different star systems and then English became important. Until then, the shoe would have been on the other foot and it would have been ridiculous to expect extraterrestrials who travelled to different stars for centuries to perfectly speak your language without trying to speak theirs.

      In the new Star Trek, I notice that Uhura isn't important because she knows how to work a radio but because she can speak other languages, and her ability to speak Klingon (indeed, several dialects) was crucial in the recent film Star Trek: Into Darkness.

      Delete
    2. Mr. Cunningham,

      You know that a fiction universe as long and as big as Star Trek bounds to contradict itself. There was no lingua franca before First Contact. Communication is done through universal translator. Even then, in the early years of human space travel a linguist is needed as in the case of LCDR Hoshi Sato (ST:ENT). In the ST: TOS prime, Uhura is not a linguist. She is a radio and communication operator and there is no indication of her speaking other language. Now that they reboot the story and make an alternate universe, suddenly Uhura is also language expert.

      Question. In ST: TNG CAPT Jean-Luc Picard is a Frenchman who was born in La Barre in 2305. Yet he speaks with distinct British accent and he does not speak French even to his brother. Does that mean that the French language will be completely gone and assimilated in the 24th century?

      Delete
  6. There are more English-Klingon dictionaries in existence than there are for numerous actual Earth languages.

    ReplyDelete
  7. A Troy & Tony

    When I wrote this piece four years ago, I had no idea that Klingon had somehow become 'real.' I though it akin to the mythical but popular 'widget'
    Running Troy's comment through a Klingon translator on BING actually worked!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I know this is somewhat off-topic, but I'm a huge F'N nerd and if you're anything like me, I'm sure you'll trip out on this: http://www.300themovie.com/videos.html

    I only found out today that they made a sequel to 300, and it's coming out next year.

    Aaaaarrrggghhhhh!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. awesome! please keep our community posted on next year's movies. hey you just found youself a use. way to go!

      Delete
    2. @student

      Actually, I think everyone here would rather hear about the new 300 than hearing you speak.

      Besides, the 300 movies have done more for Quebec's economy than you ever will I'm your life.

      Delete
    3. Oui,peut-être mais un blogue de cinéma serait un endroit plus approprié...Une idée comme ça.

      Delete
    4. "...than you ever will I'm your life."

      C'est quoi ça? ... Mdr!

      Delete
  9. Me too off topic - video of how Couillard sees quebec and the language issue. First time I've run across it so perhaps the first time you will see it also. By the sounds of it nothing will change except he wants us to have better access to french.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg5KYIM-cX8&feature=youtu.be

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FROM ED,
      Thanks for the limk, Cutie. Dr. Couillard is a brilliant politico. He said exactly what the French voters want to hear. That's why the Libs are at 38%. His promise that Anglos would have equal rights is good enough for me. We will see what he says when heb debates bill 14. Ed

      Delete
  10. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTTuesday, August 6, 2013 at 4:19:00 PM EDT

    There is very little hope for anglos in quebec, the way things are going there nowadays.
    At least 40% of the population must be unilingual french anyway so...
    As of 2006 there were 78% francos and 8% anglos within quebec. Fast fwd 7 years and it must now stand at 79% and 7% (560 000 anglos)?
    On top of those it leaves 11% immigrants that may also speak either languages.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_demographics_of_Quebec

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "560 000 anglos"

      Avec un tel nombre,il est assez suprenant qu'ils soient incapables de réunir plus de 50 anglos à la fois pour faire valloir "leurs droits".

      Hmm...

      Delete
    2. You don't know why S.R? Because we all work, unlike the welfare rats (90% of them do NOT speak klington)

      Delete
    3. Une journée de travail serait plus importante pour vous que vos droits et ceux de vos enfants?

      Tant pis pour vous alors...Chacun ses choix.

      Delete
  11. What a dishonest comparaison! Sure a lipdub featuring a francophone song wouldn't have gotten as many views, but next time try to come up with something better than "Allouette", especially since you've pretended knowing much about Quebec's culture in many of your blog posts.

    Also, it's Alouette, not allouette...you know, it's not Alouette is the name of the 2nd or 3rd best sport team in town...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are only three professional sports teams in town, being 2nd or 3rd best is hardly a thing to write about.

      Delete
    2. Okay...doesn't mean he shouldn't know to write Alouette(s).

      Delete
    3. ... know *how to write...

      Delete
    4. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTWednesday, August 7, 2013 at 6:01:00 AM EDT

      What's wrong with the Als?
      They are a professional football franchise...
      Behind the Habs (1st), the Impact must be contending for Montreal's 2nd team closely competing to the Alouettes...
      There is no room in Montreal for NBA, NFL or MLB teams.

      Delete
    5. Right now? Everything is wrong with the Als. From the wrong coach to aging quarterback to injuries. While it is early, I have not much hope for its playoff prospects.

      Delete

    6. "What a dishonest comparaison! Sure a lipdub featuring a francophone song wouldn't have gotten as many views,.."

      Ya think??

      "...but next time try to come up with something better than "Allouette", especially since you've pretended knowing much about Quebec's culture in many of your blog posts..." "Okay...doesn't mean he shouldn't know to write Alouette(s)"

      It's quite hilarious...all the arrogance and bravado of "maîtres chez nous" deminished by this kind of silliness, knowing how to write Alouette, I mean really...what has the world come to?? LOL... errr...Insecure much??

      Someone...please give him a poutine, maybe it will shut him up.


      Delete
    7. "Ya think??"

      Yes! I could make an argument that Franco music is better than Anglo by comparing Avril Lavigne or Justin Bieber with Karkwa or Malajube...

      Also, what's the point of using Poutine as an insult. I've seen hundreds of people eating poutine and speaking English while enjoying it...

      Delete
    8. "Yes! I could make an argument that Franco music is better than Anglo by comparing Avril Lavigne or Justin Bieber with Karkwa or Malajube..."

      You can make any kind of argument you like, in your world, you can even imagine that you are the king of England or France, take your pick. The mind IS a subjective thing after all, so if you feel that franco music is better than Anglo music, g'head, knock yourself out! Think it to the end of time, who gives a sh*t. The world is full of pimples ..errr..people like you. Some (on this blog) even imagine the sky is green, lol, LOL....

      "Also, what's the point of using Poutine as an insult..."

      Wow..even that comment made you insecure?? It was only intended as: eat some and it will make you forget your troubles (AND shut you up), ...since ...buddy...you seem to be plagued, anxious and apprehensive and did I mention ...Insecure?? LOL

      But here's a thought, you should go around with a warning sign: "No glancing, spontaneous human combustion"

      LOL

      Delete
    9. ToTo écoute Justin Bieber en mangeant chez Denny's...

      Très raffinée...Une vraie canayenne :)

      Delete
    10. All this CEGEP poetry is really cute, but it has nothing to do with my original post.

      The Editor's comparison was dishonest and he made a blatant mistake in the word Alouette. You can come up with all the insults you want but in the end none of you were able to argue against that.

      Delete
    11. Also I don't get this whole thing toward poutine. I only said that poutine was a meal enjoyed by everyone in Québec, not just Francophones. I think that your attitude toward poutine transpires insecurity. You seem like the kind of person who enjoys poutine but who doesn't want to be seen eating it in public.

      Delete
    12. Hahahahah..someone is bumbed and hurt cause we ragged on his precious lil' quebec again.....(S)ad (R)eject...lololol...oh nooooo.... he's fragile and feeble too...look away .....look awayyyy !!!

      Sucks to be so weak and frail of character, mind and heart....mmm......must really reallly suck...

      People please... handle with care ...since...it appears that this is a ....spontaneous human combustion zone !!!! We wouldn't want him to go around blowing himself up.... like the other moron........hhhahhahahahah.

      On second thought.....what am I saying??? LOL...!!!! (quick... grab the warning sign) LOL

      Delete
    13. Vous semblez agitée ToTo.

      Delete
    14. Stop projecting your insecurities on me don't be fooled thinking that it actually affects me. Someone frustrated by life, looking for a space goat on a blog comes telling I'm fragile. LOL How cute!

      You people come here fearing that English isn't protected enough in Quebec while were living in a world where basically everybody speaks English...Quick grab that "Anglo a specie in danger" sign!

      Delete
    15. "Vous semblez agitée ToTo."

      Went right over your head, didn't it?? .....Get a freakin' ...dic....tionary...already...LOL.....

      "You people come here fearing that English isn't protected enough in Quebec while were living in a world where basically everybody speaks English...Quick grab that "Anglo a specie in danger" sign!"

      And there you have it Folks.......Exhibit A...

      LOL

      (yawn)..NEXT

      Delete
    16. Hopefully now that you've stop trolling, I'll get answers to my interrogations.

      Delete
    17. Les space goats sont à l'origine du Klingon.

      Delete
    18. SVP S.R j'aimerais que cette chaine de commentaires reste sérieuse.

      Delete
    19. Pas de problème...Bonne chance!

      Delete
    20. @AnecTOTE

      Over the years, we've heard it all as far as reasons for separation go, but Sebastian's argument Quebec should separate because four shitty music artists is the saddest.

      "Our mundane pop music is better than your mundane pop music."

      The very fact he refers to himself as a "space goat" speaks volumes about how clueless seppies are with regards to English.

      Delete
    21. @ Sebastien,

      So the editor misspelled Alouette. Big deal. You're pathetic.

      Take a look at the "How to Comment on this Blog" section above. It states "No grammar cops or spelling monitors, we are here for ideas." Follow the rules.

      Delete
    22. @Durham : CTRL + F, type Durham, you won't see many ideas...

      @Anonymous Coward : It's scapegoat, I corrected my mistake but it seems like you didn't notice (probably on purpose). Try writing in French without making mistakes and we'll see who is clueless.

      Delete
    23. "Jeannot le pourri" (ne pas confondre avec J.J. Charessst) a écrit ceci:

      "...than you ever will I'm your life."

      Sérieusement,quelqu'un peut m'expliquer ?

      Delete
    24. @Sebastien,

      You're just as much a troll and an idiot as student and S.R. Is someone paying you to post here? If they are, they're wasting their money.

      Delete
  12. If that the case, maybe the population should not complain when no new Federation Space Dock is built in Quebec to refuel Klingon (not Klignon) Birds of Prey that bring many valuables from Qo'noS, as the population does not care about understanding Klingon language and culture.

    As well, the population should not complain then if more and more Quebec youth join the Starfleet not just to explore Qo'noS but also Vulcan, ch'Rihan and ch'Havran, Ferenginar or even the Q Continuum.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, I forget one more thing.

    And please do not complain if a Federation Councillor only has his holo-ID unilingually in Klingon.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Here we go again with abuse to the rights and freedom of choice in this province:
    http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/caught+fight+over+right+English+education/8755089/story.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Yannick August 6, 2013 at 6:52:00 PM EDT

    1. I do not believe that aversion to bilingualism in Quebec is linked to "so many RoCanadians eager to paint bilingual francophones as people who don't need/deserve services in French" as much as it is linked to 3 other things: historical animosity and resentment, being a victim of relentless propaganda of the elites that tell common folks that English is not necessary because the laws are there to assure the sufficiency of uniligualism, and common disinterest and lack of motivation (learning a language is not an easy thing).

    2. I'm not sure if this unilingualism allegedly self-imposed for noble reasons would be "backwards", but it would certainly be self-defeating. If people remain uni-lingual French for noble reasons that you outline, as opposed to less noble reasons that I outlined above, then they would be putting themselves in quite a mess of a contradiction between doing a duty for their language vs. feeling totally aliened in the city, country, continent, and the world where English is spoken ubiquitously. Therefore, I do not want these people around me moaning that they don't feel comfortable in Montreal anymore. They've made their choice, for whatever reasons, so they have to live with that choice. The world will not change the rules just for them.

    3. With Englsih being as important these days as it is, I would consider it parental neglect when parents do not take it seriously in the interest of their kids. Parents preventing their children from learning English (as opposed to just refusing to facilitate) is even worse, it's like child abuse.

    4. If Quebec wants "a society where people would learn English to interact with the world at large, without needing to use it in Quebec.", then they can build it with better reproduction rates and less immigration.One way not to build it is pontificate to immigrants about a necessity to save a white failed colonizer culture with resorationist and irredentist ambitions to which most of immigrants feel no loyalty nor affinity.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Language Bills = more trouble
    http://cornwallfreenews.com/2013/08/bilingual-rouse-government-ineffectiveness-in-new-brunswick-lte-by-barry-irvine-campbellton/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cutie, do you really not see that these rabidly francophobic English-only hotheads in New Brunswick and Ontario that you support are doing the exact same thing that you decry in Quebec? "Everyone must speak the majority language, no mandatory bilingualism for jobs, they all speak our language anyway (or should) so why should we have to make an effort?" and so on and so on. If you switch the languages around, these guys are basically saying the exact same thing as Impératif français or the SSJB. I have about as much sympathy for an anglophone who lives in Ottawa, Cornwall or Campbellton and never bothers to pick up any French when it's all around them and then whines about 'discrimination' as I do for the Louis Préfontaines with their "au Québec, c'est en français que ça se passe." Like it or not, tolerance is a two-way street. You want rights for anglos in Quebec,particularly in areas where they are the majority or a substantial minority? Fine, so do I. But you can't honestly demand English everywhere here while whining that it's unfair that any anglos in NB or ON have to learn (or even hear) French in areas that have been 40%+ francophone for more than a century.

      Delete
    2. What I'm pointing out is that the attitude towards the francophones elsewhere is changing because of the separatist movement in quebec. Other areas used to be behind learning each other's languages but because of the hateful attitude of the separatists, things are turning against bilingualism.

      Delete
    3. "Everyone must speak the majority language, no mandatory bilingualism for jobs, they all speak our language anyway (or should) so why should we have to make an effort?"

      It is actually reasonable to demand this. People are protecting their turf, and it makes perfect sense that people employed in public service speak the language of the numerical majority. So anglos and allos should know French before applying for work in QC's civil service, just as the RoC francos should learn to speak English before applying to RoC provincial services.

      The problem begins when we discover that despite knowing French anglos and allos are still underrepresented in all kinds of civil service jobs, where the selection seems to be based on your ethnicity not on language skill. Do English-speaking francos face the same predicament in NB? Or in Ottawa, where in fact they are over-represented?

      Another problem is the reliance on the "official" status. Pro-French discrimination in Quebec is often explained away with the majority-minority argument. Try this argument in the RoC against a franco and see how fast you'll hear: Canada is "officially" a bilingual country. You'll hear it even parts of Canada with 1% franco population. All of a sudden, the majority-minority argument does not apply. But that begs an important question: if the majority-minority argument can be overridden that way, then it is by no means cast in stone and can therefore be overridden in QC too. All one needs is "bonne foi", a phrase we often hear in Quebec but only in the context of accommodating Quebec.


      "these guys are basically saying the exact same thing as Impératif français or the SSJB."

      No, they are not. Until these guys run a picket in front of a store with an French name demanding that it be re-named in English (as with Sleep Country in Gatineau), they will be nothing like the SSJB or the IF. Also, SSJB/IF are watchdogs of an anti-English legislation which doesn't exist in NB. Opposing official bilingualism does not cut too close to 101's provisions on language in QC.


      "But you can't honestly demand English everywhere here while whining that it's unfair that any anglos in NB or ON have to learn (or even hear) French in areas that have been 40%+ francophone for more than a century. "

      I don't think anyone demands "English everywhere" in QC. That would be a preposterous demand. What I demand is something I've spelled out yesterday: live in French if you like, but don't come around moaning that you find yourself in uncomfortable situations on that account. This by no means implies that I want English everywhere, but only wherever people want to use it. Wherever is not everywhere.


      "Like it or not, tolerance is a two-way street"

      It is, but it doesn't justify inaccurate comparisons and being a self-flagellating apologist.

      Delete
  17. http://fr.princearthurherald.com/news/detail/ditorial-le-mythe-du-d-clin-du-fran-ais-au-qu-bec/?language_id=3
    More proof that french is not on the decline in quebec.

    ReplyDelete
  18. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTWednesday, August 7, 2013 at 5:26:00 PM EDT

    FYI

    MMA filed for bankruptcy...
    Lac Megantic will be made to suffer even more now.

    Sad.

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/08/07/business-megantic-mma.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. Editor, thanks for the archive piece. The UQAM video is outstanding.

    And Louis Prefontaine - so predictable. If you ever say to yourself...self? what language should I speak today? Louis has the answer. He will tell you how to behave, and how to think, and the language required. But Louis is gone. Disparu! His moribund blog "Le Dernier Quebecois" has not been active since October 2012. Not surprising given the high gibberish content. Is revenge best served cold ?

    ReplyDelete
  20. @adski

    you are so articulate, mate. and so often witty. it's surprising you're not a separatist.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Call others "piece of shit"... Hopefully, you don't represent all Federalists because I don't consider you "articulate".

    ReplyDelete
  22. @AnonCoward...

    Dude, I don't know how you resist responding to his little freak, but hats off to you, sir.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops..no idea why that last comment ended up at the bottom, but for
      context, it has to do with Coward's ability to avoid respondingto that
      Troll student.

      Delete
    2. FROM ED
      It doesn't take any ability to not respond, just common sense. All the rest of us do it. Why .don't you ignore them too
      You tell student:- "Call others "piece of shit"... Hopefully, you don't represent all Federalists because I don't consider you "articulate"" Sebastien, student is a separatist troll, he is not at all Federalist. This is the kind of stupid crap we are trying to avoid. Please join us. Ed

      Delete
    3. @Ed :I was writing to First time poster not student

      Delete
    4. @Sebastard

      No one cares who you were addressing. You totally suck as a person.

      Delete
    5. Here comes the kindergarten insults...Actually it's funny for me to picture someone getting really mad after reading such an innocent comment.

      Delete
    6. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTThursday, August 8, 2013 at 12:11:00 PM EDT

      Wow...
      Welcome Sebastien as a new troll. Man, you guys received some subsidy from the PQ thru vigile.net to be here?
      How much are you paid? $10.25 hour?
      You are underpaid for the work you do but.... it's what quebec is all about: after all your taxes to quebec city, your heavy union dues, I mean, man do you have enough left for a caisse of Labatt 50 and a bag of yum yum chips? Deplorable the employment situation in quebekistan.
      As a BAA I work for E500 daily here in Germany. In quebec they would take it all away, and of course would vilify me for being a nasty capitalist!!!!

      Delete
    7. @Johnny Rotten

      It's so easy to cast them aside.

      I mean, take a look at Student and Sebastian.

      They're here telling us we shouldn't speak English in Quebec yet they have some of the poorest English ever. Sebastian presently thinks he's some kind of animal known as a space goat. I looked into this Space Goat business and this is what I got: http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/111/5/9/space_goat_by_satyricart-d3ehrkj.jpg

      Student seems to think he was born in Manchester.

      And S.R has the written grammar of a six-year-old.

      Simple as that.

      Delete
    8. Coward, your attitude is quite hyprotical. On one hand, I see people like you complaining about the fact that aren't viewed as Québécois if they have a slight accent when they speak french but on the other hand you make fun of my English.

      Delete
    9. No one tells what to do, especially not someone who seems to have very poor reading comprehension skills.

      Delete
    10. *No one tells me* what to do, especially not someone who seems to have very poor reading comprehension skills.

      Delete
  23. Editor,

    Tomorrow (08/08) is Eid-ul Fitr, the biggest holiday in Muslim tradition. Would you put a congratulatory note for them on the upper right-hand side of this blog like you do any other holidays?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTThursday, August 8, 2013 at 7:00:00 AM EDT

      @TROY

      Dude you are an idealistic naive person.
      Muslims are responsible for the majority of all terrorist acts, responsible for the worst cases of violence and murders against Christians around the world, collectively wish for the destruction of Israel, and worst of all, their "holy" Q'ran demands that they convert humanity to Islam: by force or by death. Look at Europe and their horrible problems caused by muslim immigration there.
      Open your eyes. Those people come here and will take over.
      They live here so they have to adapt to our western traditions.
      They can eat their candy during their eid without mention from the rest of us. They are against christmas and all of our other traditions and way of life.... I am shocked by your overall naivety, Troy.

      Educate yourself: http://thereligionofpeace.com/

      Delete
    2. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTThursday, August 8, 2013 at 7:30:00 AM EDT

      @TROY

      http://frontpagemag.com/2013/nonie-darwish/the-nice-muslim-family-next-door/

      http://midnightwatcher.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/france-emergency-service-personnel-in-toulouse-attacked-trying-to-render-assistance/

      http://almanac.afpc.org/Canada

      Delete
    3. LD
      Maybe you should talk to a Muslim instead of reading crap on the Internet.

      Delete
    4. Un musulman à la fois : Aucun problème.
      Un groupe de 1000 : Ça devient dangereux.

      Delete
    5. FROM ED
      There ia a muslim priest living a few doors from me. He and his family are the nicest people. We got into a discussion about religion and I asked him for information. The four books he gave me were very informative. He is a black young man of 28 years and very dedicated. I was impressed by the passage where Allah told Mohammed to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as only through Christ can you enter heaven. The teachings of Mohammed have been twisted badly by men who are full of hatred.
      The building I live in has been sold to a man named Khadir, he and his rep are making great improvements even to the extent of putting a new foundation. They have been very kind to me considering my age and wheel chair ramp which is right where they have to work.
      He has assured me that when I need passage his men will install the ramp ten times a day if necessary. The changes he is making will improve our lifestyles. I asked if he was related to the infamous Amir Khadir, he answered, "God I hope not." Ed

      Delete
    6. UN GARS VRAIMENT SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTThursday, August 8, 2013 at 11:41:00 AM EDT

      @ED
      "muslim priest"? LOL Imam is the word.
      Please do not side with the ones that discriminate against your religion ED.

      Question: why are attacks against the west always from muslim countries?
      Islam is the religion of hate, violence and intolerance.
      Ed go live in pakistan the way you live in verdun; you'll be dead in days my friend.

      Delete
  24. Bientôt la chasse à l'anglouille avec du calibre 14 :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A perfect example of how the language policy in Quebec corrodes character and culture.

      Delete
    2. N'ayez crainte adski,nous saurons reconnaitre les bons anglos.

      Delete
    3. Sick, sick people adski - you have it right when you talk about corroded character and a whole culture that has gone awry.

      Delete
  25. Once again Quebec government and its OQLF got powerless against international power.

    There was a CONCACAF Champions League game last night between Montreal Impact and San Jose Earthquakes at Saputo Stadium. A number of advertisements on the sidelines were only in English. As well as the message from CONCACAF "Embrace Diversity" went untranslated.

    ReplyDelete
  26. @Editor

    I'm seeing a reduction in answers to trolls, however, they're posting
    even more now in a desperate attempt for attention, and violating
    your rules along the way.

    Any chance you could spare 5 minutes to zap the dozen or so violations?

    ReplyDelete
  27. We just keep getting better and better press from all over the world. Keep it quebec - everyone now sees you for what you are!
    http://www.feelguide.com/2013/08/07/londons-the-economist-on-why-quebecs-language-laws-make-it-the-worlds-shittiest-business-center/

    ReplyDelete
  28. Keep it going folks:
    http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/liberals-might-shoot-down-upcoming-quebec-charter-of-values-1.1403279?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    ReplyDelete
  29. ''that artistic success on a word-wide level, means singing, dancing or writing in English''

    ...

    Op, op op oppa Gagnam Style !

    ReplyDelete