What's even more maddening than the retarded reporters and their scumbag editors who are pushing this story to the top of the headlines, are the retarded anglophone Canadians who are on the left who actually consider this an issue. Check this quote from user "retardo" on the CBC website:
This is really sad for the Federal NDP. They made such gains in the last election, and actually could have formed a govt in 4 years (Providing that Canadians are upset with the Conservatives and the Liberals are still picking bad leaders) This Woman has just destroyed the NDP. They now stand no chance of making any gains outside of Quebec in the next election. They had an opportunity to become a national contender in the next federal election, now they will simply become the regional party of Quebec.
What was the NDP caucus thinking? If Jack does not miraculously heal in the next week they will lose every seat outside of Quebec in the next election.
You really believe this shit? Seriously? How fucking stupid and ignorant are my fellow anglophone Canadians?
Here, I am going to spell it out for you.
Quebec separating is not "destroying Canada"
If this worst-case scenario were to actually happen (which it won't), so what? The only people who will suffer are the federalists in Quebec and they are already so put upon, I can't see how much worse it could be for them. Otherwise, Canada is still Canada, just minus a big province. If you cut off my arm, it will hurt like hell, but I'll live and still be me (and I'll still kick your ass). This "having anything to do with the Bloc" = "wanting to destroy Canada" is simply a logical fallacy and must be eliminated from our national discourse. It exists because as long as the Bloc is demonized, the left can never unite against Harper and his neo-cons. They know this and that is why they are very happy right now. I'm not speaking to fans of Harper and his cronies here. I'm speaking to you fuckstick anglophones on the left who do not know shit about Quebec but are somehow weirdly fearful and angry that there is a political movement here that wants independence. YOU ARE WRONG.
Quebec won't separate
It's just not a practical reality. That's why the NDP did so well in Quebec. So even if you disagree with my logic above, it doesn't matter. It's simply never going to happen. Francophone Quebeckers already get the social and cultural benefits they demanded for in la Revolution Tranquille and tons of economic benefits. The only people who are still complaining are those for whom it is an emotional issue and they are dying off and selling out (cough Jaques Parizeau cough) or remain a small minority too distracted with Turcotte to care. So stop worrying about it. It's not going to happen.
Political reality on the ground in Quebec has almost nothing to do with sovereignty
Sovereignty is pretty low down on practical political issues that drive people to vote here (and drive politicians to choose parties). The economy, the environment and myriad local issues. The Bloc and Quebec Solidaire never talk about separation these days. It's just sort of a baseline that you have to say to be a legit party here in Quebec.
I have to cut this short, because I have to get to a Fantasia screening (enfin!), but I think you get my point. Dear anglo leftie who thinks that it is an issue that Turmel was a member of the Bloc: you are an idiot. Fuck, it was 20 years ago! Dear CBC: @#@Q#%#$^@#$^ (sorry, I can't even express myself).
5 comments:
Points #2 and #3 can get you into all kinds of arguments about "40% of quebecers saying in polls they are sovereignists" or how we are one crisis away (say: a francophone getting the shaft because she has the separatist taint) from sovereignty being back on track....
That's why I believe your point numero uno is the more important one. The whole "destroying canada" meme was build by Liberals so they could play demon slayers and then recuperated by the Cons. Either way, it certainly divided progressives in Canada.
Even after a good night sleep, calming down and purging of the F-bombs (which is a shame, really, I think more people would tune in to politics if our Pols knew how to drop a solid "fuck" here and there, but I disgress), that remains a very solid point that needs to be made again and again, IMNSHO.
I've had a good sleep and calmed down. What really set me off was that this story was the lead in the National on the CBC last night and on the top of their website. If it had been a small piece, I would have been minorly annoyed, but they are treating it like it was some big expose and that she was a mole for some alien race bent on total Canada domination.
Here's a point I would like to add to bolster points 2 and 3: a vast majority of Quebeckers would prefer to be in Layton's Canada than in an independent Quebec led by someone with Harper's values. That's my main point. Solid liberal values trump sovereignty here.
To be fair, the sovereignty side is just as stupid in that any single relaxation on independence rhetoric would receive a similar outrage from the québécois left.
Imagine if the Bloc were to say "ultimately, independence is important to us, but not really a priority right now; we want a Canada that has these good values". And the NDP and Liberals were to say "Yes, we recognize you as Canadians with a distinct culture and a future desire to separate, but we'll deal with that after we we get this country on track."
It would take a lot of messaging work, but with a united front and some time, you could probably build a really strong coalition along the left that would force the Cons back into a minority position.
The problem of course, is that the first MP who balks on either side, by freaking out about "destroying Canada" or "betraying sovereignty" begins to unravel the whole thing as it hits at emotional reactions of the stupid (sadly, the majority of our population, french or english).
I guess ultimately, tribalism still dominates our political thinking. Otherwise, where else would this weird paranoia, suffered largely by people who actually have no real contact with their fellow Canadians of the other language, come from?
I think you put give a bit too much clout to values in politics. My understanding is, politics are largely driven by the will ton answer a question : "what have you done for me lately". A great deal of energy is expanded by politicos just so they can even tangentially influence the actual expectations of their constituents. Values are just that, a wedge politicians use to square themselves against projects they can undertake, goals they can achieve.
The cons are masters at that trade because they are so good at isolating a myriad of clienteles and delivering stuff to them. The attacks on Turmel are just that: "what have you done for me lately?" "I've identified a covert separatist at the head of the NDP!".
My point is: the left should unite around themes that are about what will be done for canadians. Quebecers, if they feel those things to be done are good for them, will vote for it, especially if t's framed as a "big change". It's all the difference between saying "we respect quebecers as a culture" (which will garner yawns in the general public) and saying "arts and science should be given adequate financial support and freedom for our country to become a better place. You can bet your left nut quebecers from every part of the spectrum will agree with that, *and* you didn't even have to "pander" to separatists by doing so!
And the larger message here is "Canada *is* strong and won't "die" if Quebec was to separate, if that was ever to happen. So stop fretting and work at making it better!"
Work in a fuck or two in there and you're golden ;)
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Globe & Mail: Separatists in Quebec are a slightly happier bunch this week. Courtesy of the Bloc Québécois' clever leaking of NDP Interim Leader Nycole Turmel's correspondence to the Globe and Mail, they have learned how much the eastern English-Canadian establishment really, really misses them.
This is so for two good reasons.
First, from the perspective of Canada's two conservative parties (the blue real one and the reserve red one), if they can't make any headway in Quebec -- and they likely can't -- then the best possible victor in Quebec is the Bloc Québécois. For all practical purposes, a strong Bloc removes French-speaking Quebec from the Canadian political calculus. Toronto- and Calgary-based parties can then focus on competing in English Canada without any inconvenient need to compete in, think about, or build in Quebec. Perfect!
Second, a strong Bloc keeps those Quebec seats away from a competitor. As modern Canadian history shows, winning big in Quebec can provide a federal party with an excellent base for future national victory. If our blue and red teams can't have that advantage, they don't want a competitor to have it.
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