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michaelflutist's avatar

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.

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ProudNewEnglander's avatar

Canada needs to make the French Canadians as "assimilationist" (to use the term the OP used) as Spanish speakers here in the U.S.

And if Quebec actually tries to secede, the rest of Canada should do to them what the Union did to the Confederacy. (And then avoid any "Lost Cause" nonsense afterward.)

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michaelflutist's avatar

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!

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Thomas Hounds's avatar

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.

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ProudNewEnglander's avatar

Canada's multiple official languages just allow Quebec to discriminate against Anglophones while forcing the people of Ontario and Western Canada to learn a language they will never need to use. Official languages have all the same problems as official religions, and should be eliminated entirely. We need a separation of language and state the same way we need a separation of church and state.

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michaelflutist's avatar

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?

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ProudNewEnglander's avatar

I don't know whether to laugh at this comment, that *you're* asking how much *I* know about Canadian history when you're the one who clearly needs to read up on Bill 101 and the 1995 secession referendum, or say yikes that you're actually comparing Quebecers to Ukrainians, which is a completely absurd comparison. Last I checked, Ukraine isn't less than 25% of a country where everyone else speaks a different language, and even if they were, they certainly aren't trying to force the minority in their province who speak that other language to only ever speak their language. Because let's face it - the ultimate goal of the PQ and Bloc in Quebec, beyond even seceding from Canada, is to completely outlaw the use of the English language in Quebec.

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michaelflutist's avatar

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!

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ProudNewEnglander's avatar

I think, just as Abraham Lincoln did, that secession of a region of your country (especially when the secessionists want to secede in order to discriminate against a certain segment of society) is something that must be stopped at all costs.

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michaelflutist's avatar

Slavery was sufficiently evil to have a war. Not knowing French? Oy, Gotenyu! Are you proudly monolingual yourself?

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ProudNewEnglander's avatar

And I also noticed that you didn't actually respond to anything I said in my previous comment. Hmmmm...

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ProudNewEnglander's avatar

LOL at your overreaction. I half expected it.

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John Coctostin's avatar

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.

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