Quebec Can't Have It All
How dipsy-doodle can it get? Quebec and Quebecers chafe under the undignity of remaining an integral part of Canada, effectively delaying their wishes for a truly national identity, untrammeled by Canadian interests. But keep sending us those bucks, fellas.
There's an election campaign in Quebec at the moment, and although the Liberals finally look as though they're in fairly good shape, and they're federalists, it's only a matter of time before the separatist hell-bent-for-purlain Parti Quebecois gets back in power and yet another referendum on sovereignty takes place.
Quebecers aren't all that conflicted, really. They just want it all. They aren't besotted with the idea that they have to be part of Canada, not at all. But they do enjoy living in a certain style, and those lovely transfer payments from the rest of Canada, or more particularly from Ontario and Alberta keep the engine chugging along. In that certain style which sees Quebecers enjoying perquisites that the citizens of 'wealthier' provinces do not.
Quebec is so accustomed to the proceeds that inevitably flow to them through their constant whining about being the poor forgotten, overlooked and under-appreciated province so deserving of more attention, more respect, more autonomy, and above all, more money that the Parti Quebecois doesn't think twice about promising in their election platform that should they ascend to power they will guarantee continuity of federal transfer payments.
Come on guys, enough is enough. Want to separate? Go to it. And about time. We can manage very nicely without you, and you feel supremely confident you can do likewise without us. But being sovereigntist also means being responsible for self. You want to play with the big boys on the international scene as a nation in and of and unto itself, so do so. Forget the tidy little hand-ups with the hand-outs.
The U.S. has to by-pass British Columbia to get to Alaska and Canada can manage to by-pass Quebec to get to the Atlantic Provinces. The truth of it is, Canadians do have a soft spot for Quebec and Quebecers, we've always considered Quebec to be an integral part of this country. But guess what, you can be a suitor forever, but common sense kicks in at some time, and you have got to acknowledge that all the best of intentions won't win the marriage.
Just mentioning truth compels me to point out that Canadians are really quite fed up, sick and tired of the ongoing complaints and contortions and controversies and, above all, extortionate demands. E-nuff, already! You elect a party to sit in the Parliament of Canada whose sole purpose is to extract concessions for Quebec for the ultimate purpose of departing the federation. And the Canadian taxpayer pays for this.
The welfare of the country is of little interest to you; only your personal welfare as Quebecois is of interest you. Fully 85% of Quebec's francophones consider themselves Quebecers. One-half of that number observe no personal attachment to Canada. Adding insult to injury, but very telling overall is that 60% of Quebec francophones who admit to feeling some attachment to the country say it's "because of the economic benefits that Canada provides".
While the rest of Canada over the past number of decades has made great efforts in trying to accommodate Quebec's wishes and desires, there is no discernible evidence that Quebec has done likewise for the rest of Canada. English, the common language of most Canadians is in legislated decline in Quebec, whereas in the rest of Canada there has been a strenuous effort for more people to acquire the French language.
Threats of separation are used continually for the purpose of extracting more and more concessions from the federal government. Nothing that the rest of Canada tries to do to accommodate Quebec, to reassure Quebecers, seems to work. Finally, we're getting the message. Yes, we're slow learners, but we get the message. The thing of it is, we thought we could live together and learn from one another and like each other. Seems not.
So - don't let us keep you. On your way.
There's an election campaign in Quebec at the moment, and although the Liberals finally look as though they're in fairly good shape, and they're federalists, it's only a matter of time before the separatist hell-bent-for-purlain Parti Quebecois gets back in power and yet another referendum on sovereignty takes place.
Quebecers aren't all that conflicted, really. They just want it all. They aren't besotted with the idea that they have to be part of Canada, not at all. But they do enjoy living in a certain style, and those lovely transfer payments from the rest of Canada, or more particularly from Ontario and Alberta keep the engine chugging along. In that certain style which sees Quebecers enjoying perquisites that the citizens of 'wealthier' provinces do not.
Quebec is so accustomed to the proceeds that inevitably flow to them through their constant whining about being the poor forgotten, overlooked and under-appreciated province so deserving of more attention, more respect, more autonomy, and above all, more money that the Parti Quebecois doesn't think twice about promising in their election platform that should they ascend to power they will guarantee continuity of federal transfer payments.
Come on guys, enough is enough. Want to separate? Go to it. And about time. We can manage very nicely without you, and you feel supremely confident you can do likewise without us. But being sovereigntist also means being responsible for self. You want to play with the big boys on the international scene as a nation in and of and unto itself, so do so. Forget the tidy little hand-ups with the hand-outs.
The U.S. has to by-pass British Columbia to get to Alaska and Canada can manage to by-pass Quebec to get to the Atlantic Provinces. The truth of it is, Canadians do have a soft spot for Quebec and Quebecers, we've always considered Quebec to be an integral part of this country. But guess what, you can be a suitor forever, but common sense kicks in at some time, and you have got to acknowledge that all the best of intentions won't win the marriage.
Just mentioning truth compels me to point out that Canadians are really quite fed up, sick and tired of the ongoing complaints and contortions and controversies and, above all, extortionate demands. E-nuff, already! You elect a party to sit in the Parliament of Canada whose sole purpose is to extract concessions for Quebec for the ultimate purpose of departing the federation. And the Canadian taxpayer pays for this.
The welfare of the country is of little interest to you; only your personal welfare as Quebecois is of interest you. Fully 85% of Quebec's francophones consider themselves Quebecers. One-half of that number observe no personal attachment to Canada. Adding insult to injury, but very telling overall is that 60% of Quebec francophones who admit to feeling some attachment to the country say it's "because of the economic benefits that Canada provides".
While the rest of Canada over the past number of decades has made great efforts in trying to accommodate Quebec's wishes and desires, there is no discernible evidence that Quebec has done likewise for the rest of Canada. English, the common language of most Canadians is in legislated decline in Quebec, whereas in the rest of Canada there has been a strenuous effort for more people to acquire the French language.
Threats of separation are used continually for the purpose of extracting more and more concessions from the federal government. Nothing that the rest of Canada tries to do to accommodate Quebec, to reassure Quebecers, seems to work. Finally, we're getting the message. Yes, we're slow learners, but we get the message. The thing of it is, we thought we could live together and learn from one another and like each other. Seems not.
So - don't let us keep you. On your way.
Labels: Life's Like That
posted by Pieface | 11:06 AM
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