I'm surprised someone who lives so close to Quebec is suggesting making Canada monolingual and causing it to break up, which don't kid yourself is what will happen.
You really don't give a shit about human lives in Canada, to call for a civil war to try to force the Quebecois to "assimilate," which they will never do. Unbelievable!
Canada's multicultural society is a deep part of their history and civic tradition, it also is a major reason their society is as tolerant as it is. Nor are they only country with protected regional ethnic groups and multiple official languages. This also applies to Switzerland equally well and of course Belgium is basically riven by it's linguistic and ethnic divisions.
How much do you know about Canadian history? It's really absurd for you to think that after hundreds of years, the Quebecois will be "assimilated." Do you also think the Ukrainians will be assimilated by Russia?
I'm also aware that the secession referenda lost. There is a very wide spectrum between outlawing the use of English in Quebec and requiring all French-speakers in Canada to "assimilate"! But you think it's worth a civil war!
Not in Quebec. Maybe that was the case before the Quiet Revolution, but that hasn't been true for quite some time. It's English monophones who have limited career opportunities, especially outside of Montreal.
Also the French debates are hilarious and often quite informative, even to non-French speakers.
That makes your point even weirder. You realize that it's not necessary to be fluent in English to have a successful life and career in Quebec, but you still want to enforce it on them out of some misplaced hatred of the Parti Qu├йb├йcois?
You do realize it was the Federalists and the Quebec Liberal Party who came up with the whole language scheme for the province and by extension the country, right? It was a policy designed to keep Quebec Canadian. By making French the language of government, the language of business and commerce, etc, etc, they defused the rising nationalist movement
That's not what we're reacting to. (Or at least not me, I should say; I can't speak for Michael or anyone else.) I've been a Francophone for some small period of time now and understand Quebec politics better than some. But you went from (1) Parizeau (who died almost a decade ago) and the sovereigntists to (2) PQ is full of racists to (3) there should never be a French-language debate to (4) there shouldn't be a Spanish-language debate in the U.S. That's quite the series of leaps. And just because some of us don't make those jumps with you doesn't mean we need our liberal credentials questioned.
Yes, I do think there will be at some point, if both candidates are Spanish-speakers. I doubt it will become a regular thing within a few decades, though.
I am still waiting for a proper American presidential debate in English. Only Democrats put forward a candidate that was able to speak in complete, well-structured sentences.
If I remember correctly, someone once challenged Ted Cruz to debate him in Spanish. Was it Beto?
Before I saw Avedee's comment I was going to chime in and say I expected it to happen in a congressional race relatively soon but it has already happened.
I wouldn't be surprised if within the next decade we get a Spanish language debate in the democratic primary for a statewide office.
I donтАЩt think so, IтАЩm a first generation Chilean-American, my brother and I are fully bilingual but that was because we moved to Chile for a chunk of our childhood after parents split. My half sister were fully raised in USA same as mi first degree cousins. They speak 0 Spanish, canтАЩt even talk to Spanish speaking grandparents. To stay bilingual parents need a ]n active role in promoting it. My godson/nephew (son of my brother) is fully bilingual but that was an active effort to put him in Spanish pre-school /kindergarten and then when moved to English he spoke Spanish at home and English at school.
Something I was thinking about with the debate this past week:
Do you all think there will ever be a Spanish language debate, like the Canadian PM candidates have a French language debate?
Some reasons why it might someday happen:
- Large, politically competitive Spanish speaking community
- Both parties already run ads in Spanish
- Spanish speaking population is growing
Some reasons why it may not happen
- Spanish speakers in the US are much more assimilationist than the French Canadians are
- There's still an active English only movement on the right that would probably object
- There isn't an expectation of Spanish fluency of most politicians
I'm surprised someone who lives so close to Quebec is suggesting making Canada monolingual and causing it to break up, which don't kid yourself is what will happen.
You really don't give a shit about human lives in Canada, to call for a civil war to try to force the Quebecois to "assimilate," which they will never do. Unbelievable!
If anything, Michael's reaction was restrained. I enjoy your contributions around here and have for years, but your take on this is terrible. Wow.
Canada's multicultural society is a deep part of their history and civic tradition, it also is a major reason their society is as tolerant as it is. Nor are they only country with protected regional ethnic groups and multiple official languages. This also applies to Switzerland equally well and of course Belgium is basically riven by it's linguistic and ethnic divisions.
How much do you know about Canadian history? It's really absurd for you to think that after hundreds of years, the Quebecois will be "assimilated." Do you also think the Ukrainians will be assimilated by Russia?
I'm also aware that the secession referenda lost. There is a very wide spectrum between outlawing the use of English in Quebec and requiring all French-speakers in Canada to "assimilate"! But you think it's worth a civil war!
Not in Quebec. Maybe that was the case before the Quiet Revolution, but that hasn't been true for quite some time. It's English monophones who have limited career opportunities, especially outside of Montreal.
Also the French debates are hilarious and often quite informative, even to non-French speakers.
That makes your point even weirder. You realize that it's not necessary to be fluent in English to have a successful life and career in Quebec, but you still want to enforce it on them out of some misplaced hatred of the Parti Qu├йb├йcois?
You do realize it was the Federalists and the Quebec Liberal Party who came up with the whole language scheme for the province and by extension the country, right? It was a policy designed to keep Quebec Canadian. By making French the language of government, the language of business and commerce, etc, etc, they defused the rising nationalist movement
I read this three times trying, with respect, to understand your take.
I failed.
That's not what we're reacting to. (Or at least not me, I should say; I can't speak for Michael or anyone else.) I've been a Francophone for some small period of time now and understand Quebec politics better than some. But you went from (1) Parizeau (who died almost a decade ago) and the sovereigntists to (2) PQ is full of racists to (3) there should never be a French-language debate to (4) there shouldn't be a Spanish-language debate in the U.S. That's quite the series of leaps. And just because some of us don't make those jumps with you doesn't mean we need our liberal credentials questioned.
Yes, I do think there will be at some point, if both candidates are Spanish-speakers. I doubt it will become a regular thing within a few decades, though.
The 2016 FL-26 Curbelo-Garcia race had a Spanish-speaking debate.
https://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2016/10/no-agreement-on-more-debates-between-garcia-curbelo.html
I am still waiting for a proper American presidential debate in English. Only Democrats put forward a candidate that was able to speak in complete, well-structured sentences.
If I remember correctly, someone once challenged Ted Cruz to debate him in Spanish. Was it Beto?
Before I saw Avedee's comment I was going to chime in and say I expected it to happen in a congressional race relatively soon but it has already happened.
I wouldn't be surprised if within the next decade we get a Spanish language debate in the democratic primary for a statewide office.
I donтАЩt think so, IтАЩm a first generation Chilean-American, my brother and I are fully bilingual but that was because we moved to Chile for a chunk of our childhood after parents split. My half sister were fully raised in USA same as mi first degree cousins. They speak 0 Spanish, canтАЩt even talk to Spanish speaking grandparents. To stay bilingual parents need a ]n active role in promoting it. My godson/nephew (son of my brother) is fully bilingual but that was an active effort to put him in Spanish pre-school /kindergarten and then when moved to English he spoke Spanish at home and English at school.
lol, it posted my name oops