David Janes agrees with Jay Currie, who thinks Quebec ought to just separate already and get it over with… and he’s wishing us a good riddance:
For a long time I have thought it would be best for Quebec to just go. Have a referendum on a clear question without the feds violating Quebec election laws and, if the soverigntists win (which they almost certainly will), go.[ . . . ]
Indeed, can anyone provide me with a reason why we should not be encouraging Quebec to stand on her own two feet and moving on?
Gee, thanks a lot guys. So nice to know that you’ll be defending us and leading the federalist fight.
But since you asked so nicely, Jay, here are a few reasons why not to encourage Quebec to separate:
- Most Quebecers want to stay in Canada. We voted that way… twice (even despite the rejected ballot scandal). Even 56% of people who say they would vote yes think so too. They aren’t really sovereigntist… they’re just not too bright.
- Sovereignty wouldn’t work. Idealism aside, even most nationalists recognize that a sovereign Quebec would be a practical and economic disaster.
- We’re Canadian, dammit! I’m a fourth-generation Canadian who is not part of the “Quebec nation” by any means, but is certainly part of the Canadian one. You seem awfully callous about the idea of stripping me of my citizenship.
- Come to Montreal or Quebec City or the Laurentians or even the Gaspé once in a while, visit for a bit, and remember that you’d be giving up some of the nicest places in Canada.
- Relinquishing Quebec is just admitting that Canada’s a failure. Next would be the West, and maybe Newfoundland if it ever gets control of its oil revenues. Hey, I know some of you lament Canada’s problems day in, day out… but at heart, you must recognize how great this country is, and realize that it’s worth fighting for.
- You know you don’t really want to give up poutine.
Really, I’m getting quite tired of trying to convince you guys to want us and to defend our right to stay in our own country. A little Canadian solidarity would be nice now and again, you know?
So instead of pushing us out the door, how about helping out and joining the federalist campaign? We’re feeling awfully lonely and unwanted these days, and we could sure use some support here.
” A little Canadian solidarity would be nice now and again, you know?”
*Bogglement!* Sari, that’s a two way highway, ya know?
Oops… the ‘trigger’ on this Firefox browser is a little sensitive,
that “A little Canadian solidarity D”
poster above was me
How would living in Quebec change if it were to gain independence?
Frankly, I think that’s all that should matter. Being an expat-Canadian, my desire to actually return is dropping every time I hear about the political situation. Fondness for a label isn’t reason enough for a nation. And while I agree that currently the nation of Quebec seems to be riding only on that, its better that the people of Quebec deal with those consequences of its ill-advised fling with seperatism than inflict these consequences on all other Canadians. If that means that Canada as a nation collapses, so be it. This doesn’t mean a war will occur or that you cannot visit Onatrio or New Brunswick. It just means that your government doesn’t take orders from their government, and vice-versa.
I, like most people, just want to see the matter settled, one way or another. Set that refferendum, but include a clause that another cannot be held for 50 years. If the vote is “No”, anyone who mentions another referrendum in the next 45 promptly gets whipped with a raw haddock and bannished to Thunder Bay.
Neither Jay Currie nor David Janes have ever lived here(Québec) and because of that their view of things lack perspective.
You know, differences of language consitute a breech, a “deaf spot” that the dishonest and unscrupulous exploit.
During the last referendum the “yes” side festooned its literature, its pamphlets and its campaign buses with symbols of Canada ( ie: a looney three feet in diametre) in a slick effort to confuse everyone. As such, many people voted “yes” thinking that the P.Q.’s programme was almomst one of constitutional renewal and not separation.
The manipulation and dishonesty, guys, was something you had to witness first-hand. So is it any wonder that Sari comes up with the figure that 56% of *yes* voters still wanted to remain in Canada?
Not to people living here.
So you see, giving in to the arguments of Currie and Janes is tantamount to admitting that the Péquistes have outwitted us.
The P.Q. hopes to leverage our fatigue and our irritation in order for the “oui” to squeak by, and our two “Terronna” pundits seem to have fallen for it!
The seperatists may have outwitted Currie and Janes, but they won’t outwit me.