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What do you mean by "goes most zealous over anything American"? That they zealously embrace Americanisation? Or are zealous in rejecting it? Either way, having lived in Quebec, I would say neither is true. Quebecers love Quebec and all things Quebecois and don't give much thought either way to anything outside that realm.
Totally wrong. They are the most anti-American of all provinces. Anything the US does, they are opposed to, except when the US helps them in times of disaster (see ice storm, and Chicoutimi floods, and forest fires, etc).
I said Quebec will be swallowed by the US. The only way they can survive if they ever separate. They will do that before crawling back to Canada. At first, the US may say sure you can keep your language and culture and all that, but within a generation all will be lost.
Look how quickly they ditched religion when the socialist pseudo-intellectuals convinced them that was the only way to purge themselves of the grande noirceur. Now look how fragmented and dysfunctional their society is.
Some of these people (and thank God they are a minority since they are doomed to always get clobbered in referenda, except for the last one thank you Chretien for almost blowing that) need to realize how good they have it in the confederation.
I said Quebec will be swallowed by the US. The only way they can survive if they ever separate. They will do that before crawling back to Canada. .
A bit overly dramatic and pessimistic.
Latvia survives. Argentina survives. Ireland survives. Greece survives. South Africa survives. Everybody survives. Quebec would be no different.
Another point is that I cannot think of many instances where a place that got its independence joined another entity (to form a new country) afterwards or went back to the entity it separated from. It never happens - no matter how bad it gets post-independence, once they are gone, they are gone forever it seems.
Which is why the best strategy is to try and prevent people from opting for secession. Because if they do, they aren't ever coming back into the fold.
Quebec would have to deal with being an almost landlocked country completely surrounded by two hostile nations - that's something Greece or Latvia (both part of the EU) don't have to deal with. They (QC) would be economically isolated. I doubt Canada would be interested in trading with Quebec (if Canada still exists), and the U.S. is unfortunately looking to places with cheap labor - areas like Mexico and China.
Totally wrong. They are the most anti-American of all provinces. Anything the US does, they are opposed to, except when the US helps them in times of disaster (see ice storm, and Chicoutimi floods, and forest fires, etc).
Working with 300+ francophones (Parmalat in Montreal west)in the factory the topic of separation comes up often, i'd say 25% are staunch separatists,another 25% are anti separatists,the other 50% can go either way with it..I certainly dont get any impression that they dislike the US in fact i've never heard one of them say a bad word about the US .When asked of the separatist element what ya gonna do when poverty runs wild over you if your ideas of separatism doesnt turn out so well they all say plan B is to join the USA.
Sure you dont mean Canada? as they (separatists)are all on the same page in their dislike of Canada.
They mostly all enjoy their vacations south of the border.
These are just my observations of the 300+blue collar guys i'm familiar with.
Quebec would have to deal with being an almost landlocked country completely surrounded by two hostile nations - that's something Greece or Latvia (both part of the EU) don't have to deal with. They (QC) would be economically isolated. I doubt Canada would be interested in trading with Quebec (if Canada still exists), and the U.S. is unfortunately looking to places with cheap labor - areas like Mexico and China.
With all due respect, this is awfully simplistic an analysis. Canada without Quebec would continue to trade with an independent Quebec. So would the U.S. Pretty much any company in Canada (outside Quebec) has close to 25% of its market in Quebec. So does the Kellogg's plant in Missisauga or the Heinz ketchup plant in Toronto want to lay off 25% of its staff and see those jobs go to Quebec? What do you think the mayors and other politicians in Ontario would have to say about this.
Because any way you slice it, Heinz ketchup and Corn Flakes are still going to be sold in an independent Quebec. You can maintain the trade links that allow the jobs related to that supply to remain in Canada-without-Quebec, or put up barriers and those jobs will simply be located in the new Quebec.
"We won't trade with an independent Quebec, and neither will the Americans" is braggadocio and nothing else.
I am not saying that independence is the right way to go, and I think retaining Canada as it is is very desirable and beneficial to everyone, but geez... people should stop talking like the abusive husband who says his wife could never get along without him...
Working with 300+ francophones (Parmalat in Montreal west)in the factory the topic of separation comes up often, i'd say 25% are staunch separatists,another 25% are anti separatists,the other 50% can go either way with it..I certainly dont get any impression that they dislike the US in fact i've never heard one of them say a bad word about the US .When asked of the separatist element what ya gonna do when poverty runs wild over you if your ideas of separatism doesnt turn out so well they all say plan B is to join the USA.
Sure you dont mean Canada? as they (separatists)are all on the same page in their dislike of Canada.
They mostly all enjoy their vacations south of the border.
These are just my observations of the 300+blue collar guys i'm familiar with.
That's the darnest thing, I happen to work at the Parmalat corp office in Etobicoke! I'm a temp in the IT department.
Quebec would have to deal with being an almost landlocked country completely surrounded by two hostile nations - that's something Greece or Latvia (both part of the EU) don't have to deal with. They (QC) would be economically isolated. I doubt Canada would be interested in trading with Quebec (if Canada still exists), and the U.S. is unfortunately looking to places with cheap labor - areas like Mexico and China.
Is there a single country in the world that Canada (or the US, or Iceland, or Kazakhstan) is not interested to trade with? Unless Canada somehow magically start seeing Quebec like they see North Korea, I'm not sure how trading would be supposed to stop. By the way "Canada" doesn't really trade with anyone. Businesses in Canada trade with businesses elsewhere.
"Two hostile nations" -- who the hell in the US cares about Quebec independence? As long as there's any kind of stability they don't.
Reality check -- the US has been looking to places with cheap labor for a long time, and it cost jobs in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, France, Germany, Japan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan... I don't think Quebec independence would change a single thing with respect to that.
Is there a single country in the world that Canada (or the US, or Iceland, or Kazakhstan) is not interested to trade with? Unless Canada somehow magically start seeing Quebec like they see North Korea, I'm not sure how trading would be supposed to stop. By the way "Canada" doesn't really trade with anyone. Businesses in Canada trade with businesses elsewhere.
"Two hostile nations" -- who the hell in the US cares about Quebec independence? As long as there's any kind of stability they don't.
Reality check -- the US has been looking to places with cheap labor for a long time, and it cost jobs in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, France, Germany, Japan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan... I don't think Quebec independence would change a single thing with respect to that.
Latvia survives. Argentina survives. Ireland survives. Greece survives. South Africa survives. Everybody survives. Quebec would be no different.
Another point is that I cannot think of many instances where a place that got its independence joined another entity (to form a new country) afterwards or went back to the entity it separated from. It never happens - no matter how bad it gets post-independence, once they are gone, they are gone forever it seems.
Which is why the best strategy is to try and prevent people from opting for secession. Because if they do, they aren't ever coming back into the fold.
Dramatic maybe. Pessimistic no. Because I say no way is Quebec separating. My post is a big IF.
I can speak to Greece, being of Greek origin. They survived 400 years of Ottoman occupation, endless invasions, Venetian, Genoese etc. Balkan Wars, WWI, Asia Minor catastrophe, WWII, occupation, famine, civil war, military juntas.
What they're going through now is a piece of cake by comparison. They should have never joined the EU in the first place. Germany bailing them out is akin to somebody pushing you off a cliff then grabbing you at the last second, claiming to have saved your life.
Quebec Inc. almost went under during an ice storm.
Big companies will leave the province if they separate. Labour would too. Look what happened when the PQ got elected in 76. Sun Life took their show to Toronto overnight. Bombardier invokes the threat of jumping ship and enjoys serious perks because of it.
Anyway, it will never happen. If it didn't with Levesque and Bouchard, both political geniuses the likes of which we will never see again, it never will.
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