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The Quebec vs. rest of Canada thing is not really related to the Queen and the monarchy at all.
But even though they lost a war over 250 years ago, and live in a very prosperous country, don't the Francophones in Quebec hate having to live under a British leader? Especially considering the tension between the UK and France goes way way back, to a time before the USA or Canada even existed?
Maine is an anomaly among New England states. CT, RI, MA, and VT are all super liberal, but ME and NH have a sort of conservative club. And NH leans libertarian but is still more conservative than anything.
French Canadians in places like Maine are quite far removed from their Quebec roots. Certainly very much so when it comes to politics. This is also true of many French Canadians living outside Quebec who tend to be less leftist than Quebecers. For example, with only one possible exception, francophones outside Quebec did not follow the Orange Wave in Quebec that gave the NDP most of the seats in Quebec in 2011.
Also, keep in mind that Quebec has gone through many changes since the 1960s, going from a fairly conservative Catholic province to a very left-leaning pseudo-Scandinavian mindset.
Most of the ancestors of Franco-Americans left Quebec during the conservative Catholic period. They didn't go through all of the changes that led to modern Quebec.
And of course Cajuns are even further removed from their Acadian roots in Canada.
But even though they lost a war over 250 years ago, and live in a very prosperous country, don't the Francophones in Quebec hate having to live under a British leader? Especially considering the tension between the UK and France goes way way back, to a time before the USA or Canada even existed?
Well, the monarchy is not something most people in Quebec support but it's probably 28th or 29th on list of top 30 irritants in Quebec.
In everyday life here it has no real effect and if the Queen wasn't on the money most people wouldn't ever think about it.
Most things royal and monarchical have a pretty low profile - this is especially true in Quebec and the federal government doesn't really push it at all here, and the provincial government even less.
EDIT: The monarchy does take away from Canada' credibility in Quebec. Separatists always say that Canada isn't a real country and the Queen, etc. is one of the examples they give. But it's more derision than anger that it provokes, if anything at all.
I almost like to think of Quebec as Israel, because let's face it, they haven't been at war in a very long time but the UK and France have traditionally been enemies of one another, and while independent in most ways, Canada still is ruled by the queen, which I'm sure the people of Quebec are miserable about. In fact, Israel and the Palestinian Territories were at one time (from the aftermath of WWI to the aftermath of WWII) both part of the British colony known as Palestine. And surprisingly, the British rulers were much more friendly to the Arabs there than to the Jews, who were so upset about this in the aftermath of the Holocaust, that in 1946, Jews committed at least one terrorist attack (understandably) against the British authorities. So in a way, the people of Quebec are marginalized due to the UK queen having authority over them, but of course there is no middleman (equivalent to the Arab Palestinians) in this case as there was in the early postwar Middle East.
I almost like to think of Quebec as Israel, because let's face it, they haven't been at war in a very long time but the UK and France have traditionally been enemies of one another, and while independent in most ways, Canada still is ruled by the queen, which I'm sure the people of Quebec are miserable about. In fact, Israel and the Palestinian Territories were at one time (from the aftermath of WWI to the aftermath of WWII) both part of the British colony known as Palestine. And surprisingly, the British rulers were much more friendly to the Arabs there than to the Jews, who were so upset about this in the aftermath of the Holocaust, that in 1946, Jews committed at least one terrorist attack (understandably) against the British authorities. So in a way, the people of Quebec are marginalized due to the UK queen having authority over them, but of course there is no middleman (equivalent to the Arab Palestinians) in this case as there was in the early postwar Middle East.
For Christ's sake, would you please read the replies to your posts once and a while???
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChevySpoons
*sigh* How many times do we really need to repeat this?
Canada does not have a "British queen." Canada has a head of state, styled "Queen Elizabeth II"; and under Canada's constitution, she is not British. As she just happens to live outside Canada, she is represented in Canada by a Governor-General (GG),who lives in Canada full-time, and who has her authority to sign bills on her behalf. When she (or the GG) acts in Canadian affairs, she does so on the advice of the Canadian Parliament--not the UK's. That does not make her (or the GG) subject to anybody but Canada when she assents to bills passed by the Canadian parliament. Thus, to Canada, she is not the UK's queen (nor is she Australia's or New Zealand's); she is Canada's queen. Politically speaking, Canada is a constitutional monarchy.
... don't the Francophones in Quebec hate having to live under a British leader?
Quote:
Originally Posted by motownewave
... So in a way, the people of Quebec are marginalized due to the UK queen having authority over them....
How many times must it be explained to you that the Queen's role in Canada has nothing at all to do with Britain or the UK?
Quebecers may not like the Queen, or the idea of Canada being a constitutional monarchy. But even Canada's most hardcore anti-monarchists, in any province, will agree that for Canadian political purposes, the UK parliament exerts no control over Canada, nor does the Queen act as "Queen of the UK" when dealing with Canada.
You can ask all the questions you like about the Queen's role in Canadian politics, and you can like or dislike the answers; but I would suggest that when you are told how she "is not British when she acts in Canada" nor is she "Queen of the UK when she acts in Canada," as you were in Post 23, you go with it.
As I said, Quebecers may not like the Queen, or the idea of Canada being a constitutional monarchy. Maybe they have an idea for a political system that they would prefer: an American-style republic, or a Westminster parliament with an elected head of state, or whatever. But badgering them with "British Queen" and "Queen of the UK" questions, is asking them questions that neither they, nor any Canadian, can answer. You cannot answer a question about something that does not exist; and in current Canadian politics, a "British queen" simply does not exist!
But regardless of the queen's relationship with Canada, wouldn't the folks in Quebec prefer to live in a republic, a republic like France since the French Revolution? Ever heard of Parti 51?
But regardless of the queen's relationship with Canada, wouldn't the folks in Quebec prefer to live in a republic, a republic like France since the French Revolution?
Maybe they would, or maybe they can work out some other political arrangement that they would prefer. If Quebec gains independence, its choice of political systems is up to Quebec.
You may be confusing "Quebec wants to be French like France" with "Quebec wants to be an independent country that speaks French." As the italics should indicate, there is a difference.
Acajack or Migratory Chicken can correct me, but I don't see Quebec as feeling particularly "France French," if that makes any sense. Yes, French is the language that France and Quebec have in common, but aside from that, there are few commonalities. Quebec has developed its own culture, which isn't France's. Nor is France's culture that of Haiti, Algeria, or Senegal; all countries that use the French language, but bear little-to-no resemblance to France in their culture. In short, a shared language does not necessarily mean a shared culture.
We can see parallels in the English-speaking world. Yes, the UK and Canada both speak English, but jellied eels, toad-in-the-hole, and spotted dick are not only unknown in Canada, they (when they become known), are regarded as kind of gross. The Australian tradition of "throwin' another shrimp on the barbie for the guest" is something I experienced in Australia, but few UK households I visited had any kind of cooking apparatus in the back yard. I have been a guest at American friends' homes in the US, and the backyard barbecue was fired up, only according to my hosts, it wasn't really "barbecue," as we were just "grilling" burgers and steaks, and real "barbecue" involves smoking meat for ages, with spices, until the meat literally falls off the bone. "Best I can do is a grilled steak. How do you want it, Chevy?"
Medium, in my case.
Same language in all cases, but different cultures. Again, I'd suggest that a shared language does not necessarily mean a shared culture.
But regardless of the queen's relationship with Canada, wouldn't the folks in Quebec prefer to live in a republic, a republic like France since the French Revolution? Ever heard of Parti 51?
Have you ever heard of Parti 51 before you scrambled on google to find something for the discussion? I somehow doubt this very much, despite your overwhelming knowledge in the history of Canadian politics. I've never heard of them. Looks like Quebec never really did either, what with 0.11% of Quebec's population voting for them, and then getting dissolved after a year because they didn't have enough members. lol
Rollin' your eyes. lol
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