I mean, that's better than more explicitly ethnocentric varieties of Quebec nationalism but I just don't agree with its fundamental premises.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 12:48 (five years ago) link
Why? I'm personally on the fence.
― pomenitul, Wednesday, 3 April 2019 12:50 (five years ago) link
I do not think that the existing federal arrangement (already highly decentralized and officially bilingual and multilingual; currently led by a PM who represents a Quebec riding and whose party represents a majority of Quebec ridings) is hindering Quebec's "social, economic, cultural, and political development" in any real way aside from making it harder to override minority rights with legislation such as the currently proposed bill that we are discussing. Whatever issues there are can generally be worked out within the context of an already fairly flexible federalism, and have been for a long time. If anything, an independent francophone country of 8 million people surrounded by larger, more powerful English-speaking countries may well have a harder time "realising its social project and flourishing as a people". The very fact that the more ethnocentric varieties of Quebec nationalism are the more popular ones should give pause to anyone who favours sovereignty for Quebec to be able to determine its own "values" and "cultural development". But also, personally, esp living 20 minutes' walking distance from Quebec, I do strongly believe in the bilingual, multicultural project, which I feel like experience daily, and do think that the country (and my own life) are stronger and richer for the presence of Quebec in Canada.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 13:10 (five years ago) link
Fair points, all, and I'm mostly inclined to agree. I do sympathize with QS's underlying worry that genuinely socialist projects are unlikely to succeed within Canada, but like you said, there's no guarantee that they would outside of it either (the EU makes for an interesting point of comparison here). I do think bona fide bilingualism is bound to remain a pipe dream, however, mostly because it's a one-way street: barring a few exceptions (such as, I assume, yourself), francophones pick up English while anglophones feel embarrassed at best whenever the topic of French comes up. No wonder this state of affairs has spurred a more combative sovereignist stance in Quebec, all the more so when you consider that francophones are to be found all over the country.
― pomenitul, Wednesday, 3 April 2019 13:22 (five years ago) link
Beyond the official provisions that federal services are available in both languages throughout the country, you can't really expect people to speak a language with any competence if they don't have to regularly use it with native speakers. (I teach in both languages and would still not describe myself as more than competent at best.) I don't see how Quebec sovereignty would make a difference here. There are plenty of independent European countries where people speak English far better than anglophones speak the local language.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 13:47 (five years ago) link
I think Quebec has done a poor job promoting french outside of its borders and into the whole of North-America. Institutionally, it has been way more preoccupied with itself (nation building) than to truly help francophone communities thrives outside of Quebec and to help Canadians learn french and French-Canadian culture. Those communities have felt abandoned because they weren't exactly of the cause and faced much larger pressure as provincial minorities, anglophones can obviously thrive without French.
― Van Horn Street, Wednesday, 3 April 2019 20:37 (five years ago) link
That being said I came here to say that all is forgiven if Pharmacare happens.
― Van Horn Street, Wednesday, 3 April 2019 20:38 (five years ago) link
All.
I quite liked this piece (in French) on discrimination and the slippery slope, in Canada and around the world:
https://www.ledevoir.com/opinion/chroniques/551388/ce-qui-se-passe-au-quebec-comme-ailleurs-est-grave
Simple, factual, and to the point.
― pomenitul, Thursday, 4 April 2019 10:39 (five years ago) link
Enjoyed the writing and the effort at global and historical contextualization. I tend to be suspicious of slippery-slope arguments generally; the bill is wrong on its own terms.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 4 April 2019 13:59 (five years ago) link
(I do intend to listen to the JWR tapes soon.)
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 4 April 2019 14:00 (five years ago) link
I wasn't aware of the history here (briefly mentioned in that article, and also relating to previous posts):
https://www.tvo.org/article/why-ontario-once-tried-to-ban-french-in-schools
Makes me sad. There's nothing I'd like more than to be fully fluent in French right now, even having come out of immersion.
― jmm, Thursday, 4 April 2019 14:37 (five years ago) link
now that's progressive conservatism
#BREAKING: 1st @fordnation budget-- making booze available @ 9am, giving cities power to allow public drinking, allowing the promo of happy hr, pushing to legalize online gambling & buy lotto tickets on your phone. License Plates & Drivers licenses to be branded Tory Blue #ONPoli— Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) April 11, 2019
― mookieproof, Thursday, 11 April 2019 20:45 (five years ago) link
Ontario budget calls for a new sign... #ONpoli pic.twitter.com/6mjBn1PkLw— Stephen Lautens (@stephenlautens) April 11, 2019
― Jeff Bathos (symsymsym), Friday, 12 April 2019 06:18 (five years ago) link
This reads like a budget made by and for teenagers.
― pomenitul, Friday, 12 April 2019 07:43 (five years ago) link
Yeah, I don't know why that stuff is in a budget bill at all tbh but it is taking attention away from e.g. a 2.1% per year cut to the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services, the reversal of the gas tax transfer to municipalities, and the absence of much to do anything about housing costs. I have no idea wtf tying university funding to "performance outcomes" even means in practice.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Friday, 12 April 2019 14:01 (five years ago) link
Clearly academics aren't working hard enough. Except for Jordan Peterson, maybe.
Sour kidding aside, I'm still fucking livid at Canada's inability (and this appears to be a transprovincial issue) to veer towards the left instead of the most boneheaded, self-parodic right whenever the Liberals glaringly mess up.
― pomenitul, Friday, 12 April 2019 14:06 (five years ago) link
I asked myself the same question after the last Quebec elections. If you're fed up with the two party system and the PLQ in particular, why the hell would you vote for Legault? Especially when there's more money to go around than usual (mais poser la question, c'est y répondre…).
― pomenitul, Friday, 12 April 2019 14:08 (five years ago) link
Yeah, I guess BC is the exception there (if the QC Liberals count as Liberals, the BC Liberals probably should too)? I still don't even know what it is that the OLP glaringly messed up (Hydro prices I guess??).
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Friday, 12 April 2019 14:24 (five years ago) link
Through the next round of SMAs, Ontario will become a national leader in outcomes-based funding by tying 60 per cent to performance by the 2024–25 academic year. The first year of these new agreements will tie 25 per cent of funding to performance outcomes, and this proportion will increase annually by increments of 10 per cent for three years and 5 per cent in the last year until it reaches a steady state of 60 per cent in 2024–25.
How are we supposed to know what this means if they don't define what the 'tie' is?
― jmm, Friday, 12 April 2019 14:27 (five years ago) link
I guess so. I have no idea why Wynne was universally loathed but then again I know very little about Ontario politics.
xp
― pomenitul, Friday, 12 April 2019 14:28 (five years ago) link
Complacency and (unearned) superiority is a helluva drug, is my totally unscientific analysis
― Simon H., Friday, 12 April 2019 14:45 (five years ago) link
Also less fun than drinking in parks: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ontario-legal-aid-funding-cut-1.5095058?fbclid=IwAR2TYJAGhfSGTjFdTfcxTpwTosvI85BMCCi4D0BTW4NAFeaNopc9V1rEf4Y
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Friday, 12 April 2019 14:47 (five years ago) link
Gotta make sure those hoi polloi don't have access to a fair legal defence.
― pomenitul, Friday, 12 April 2019 14:48 (five years ago) link
A simple possibility might just be that she and the OLP didn't make disastrous errors but were too far left ideologically for too many comfortable middle class voters, which might be what Simon is getting at. If the left can make inroads with lower-income rural voters, that might be their ticket.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Friday, 12 April 2019 15:34 (five years ago) link
Gas stations that fail to display the Ford government's carbon tax propaganda face a fine of up to $10,000 PER DAY https://t.co/ox7X20IxuC #onpoli pic.twitter.com/BVP39FqXr8— John Bowker (@bowker_john) April 12, 2019
― Simon H., Friday, 12 April 2019 15:56 (five years ago) link
What a fucking disgrace. Is this even legal?
― pomenitul, Friday, 12 April 2019 16:00 (five years ago) link
Can't find it now, but I saw a tweet looking for a willing gas station owner to take them to court over this.
― Simon H., Friday, 12 April 2019 16:20 (five years ago) link
"Yeah, I guess BC is the exception there (if the QC Liberals count as Liberals, the BC Liberals probably should too)? "
They most certainly should not
― Jeff Bathos (symsymsym), Friday, 12 April 2019 17:14 (five years ago) link
For so many Canadians, Liberals are already 'the left'. Canada does not veer left after the liberals mess up because most Canadians don't care about the left.
― Van Horn Street, Friday, 12 April 2019 20:59 (five years ago) link
Something about small string instruments comes to mind: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/chinese-tycoon-s-complains-about-b-c-taxes-on-purchase-of-5m-supercar-1.4378611?fbclid=IwAR29JMZ3vfTYtfN7SX6gHqIHR1xTI4RMLgso49i-BiHC8B_rXdeKA229KoA
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Sunday, 14 April 2019 19:15 (five years ago) link
This is really disappointing, especially coming as part of an omnibus budget bill, and frankly a betrayal of what the Liberals were supposed to stand for when they campaigned: https://canoe.com/news/national/liberals-propose-immigration-changes-in-budget-bill-that-would-deny-refugee-claims-at-unofficial-crossings
Coyne OTM on how cynical and hypocritical this is: https://r-login.wordpress.com/remote-login.php?action=auth&host=nationalpost.com&id=37979189&back=https%3A%2F%2Fnationalpost.com%2Fopinion%2Fandrew-coyne-in-two-years-liberals-go-from-welcometocanada-to-deportations-without-hearings&h=
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Sunday, 14 April 2019 19:21 (five years ago) link
Urgh
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Sunday, 14 April 2019 19:27 (five years ago) link
voting in the AB election is underway.
― Simon H., Tuesday, 16 April 2019 16:27 (five years ago) link
not much drama in that race surely. good showing by ndp would be to come within, i dunno, 8 points of UCP?
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 16:32 (five years ago) link
next, alberta turns off bc's oil
― Jeff Bathos (symsymsym), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 16:35 (five years ago) link
It's another case where, while Notley has been a baffling disappointment to the left wrt the pipeline, I honestly don't know why she is so bad and hated vs the UCP for AB voters.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 17:09 (five years ago) link
because they're albertans and she's a "left-wing" woman
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 17:16 (five years ago) link
very anomalous situation ndp coming to power there purely due to conservative infighting. back to decades of conservative rule surely?
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 17:17 (five years ago) link
welp
― josh az (2011nostalgia), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 03:08 (five years ago) link
The NDP are actually doing a little less badly than I expected but yeah, no. Are almost all of their seats in Edmonton?
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 03:44 (five years ago) link
I mean, how could one not be impressed with Jason Kenney's tenure as minister of citizenship and immigration? I, too, would want my province to be run by a man who understands that most foreigners want nothing more than to 'cheapen' our Canadian values, as he so elegantly put it.
― pomenitul, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 09:49 (five years ago) link
i'll never forget his fake citizenship ceremony: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-bureaucrats-pose-as-new-citizens-on-sun-news-1.1271079
― Jeff Bathos (symsymsym), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 17:13 (five years ago) link
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, April 16, 2019 9:32 AM (yesterday) Bookmark
lol this was optimistic. 23 points or something in actuality
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 17:19 (five years ago) link
PEI election results are definitely interesting: PC minority with Greens as Official Opposition. Genuinely curious to look into more of what the PEI Greens are about. I gather their PCs are in the Maritime Red Tory vein?
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 29 April 2019 14:10 (five years ago) link
Still processing both of these (from a week ago):
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/ontario-library-service-funding-pc-doug-ford-1.5102406
http://shorttakes.canadianmusician.com/ford-government-budget-slashes-ontario-music-fund-by-more-than-half/
I like music. I like books.
― clemenza, Thursday, April 18, 2019 6:31 AM (one week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 29 April 2019 14:12 (five years ago) link
remember a while ago when I said things were deteriorating? I'm sticking to that.
― Simon H., Monday, 29 April 2019 14:19 (five years ago) link
General strike against Ford on May 1
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 30 April 2019 20:18 (five years ago) link
The only protest I can find in Ottawa takes place when I am working this evening, which is probably part of the point of a general strike but I, uh, also don't get paid if I don't work and, strictly speaking, don't have an employer anyway.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Wednesday, 1 May 2019 14:39 (five years ago) link
The bloodbath continues (hyperlink to similar freeze in Otrawa at the end): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/paramedics-funding-shortfall-1.5129154
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Sunday, 12 May 2019 13:06 (five years ago) link