-TSS-

Given how incredibly close the 1995 referendum was it is reasonable to say that such a monumental decision as breaking away from an existing country and declaring independence should be made by the endorsement of a little larger majority than only 50%+1. However, it goes the other way too. If there ever was such a scenario in the future that Alaska or Greenland wanted to join Canada they would have to make such a decision by a more impressive majority than only 50%+1. How large should the majority then be, that is debatable.

Thank you very much! I thought there was some similar case not so long ago involving a Ukrainian coach.

A link to a news-story could be most enlightening.

Ok, but does the constitution allow you to be a VP after serving two terms as president? Of course that would mean that if you became president again you should quit after you have spent 10 years on the job and give over to your own VP?

I'm sure that Canada is no different to the UK in that sense that by-elections always give a chance for the dissatisfied electorate to give a snub at the government. During the GE the same people may return to their old voting habits.

Is there a 10-year-rule in the US constitution regarding presidency? As far as I know LBJ could have been elected in 1968 and served until early 1973 but he pulled out. 10-year rule so that if a VP becomes president after the halfway of the term of the original president he is eligible to be elected twice? If so, can that be put in a reverse order as well? I mean a president who has served two terms becomes VP to his successor but can not serve more than two years as President if he becomes President?

Btw, is it true that the Quebec French has its own ways of saying the numbers as it is always as hilarious as the French in France counts the numbers up until the number 69 as usual but after sixtynine doesn't come seventy but comes sixtyten and then comes sixtyeleven, sixtytwelve etc and the number usually known as 79 is known as sixtynineteen. The number 80 is known as four twenties and the number 90 is known as four twenties and ten and the number 99 is four twenties and nineteen. However, is it true that the Quebec French has its own numbers for 70,80,90?

For English-speakers French must be the easiest foreign language to learn as about half of the vocabulary is similar to English. I have never studied French, so my knowledge of it is rather limited but I have studied German and I have met people who have studied both languages and they say French is a piece of cake compared to German. Well, that's what they say. I can't comment on that as I don't know French but I know German and in German sometimes forming sentences with sub-clauses is like solving mathematical equations. As for Finland, our geographic proximity to Russia may make many people believe that we in Finland are generally well-versed in Russian. Many people are taken by surprise when they learn that actually very few Finns can speak Russian to any degree at all. The ability to speak Russian is very rare in this country and that's a shame because we really are losing a lot of business because of that.

One must make that distintion in official bilingualism that it only guarantees that people have access to basic services in their own language. It doesn't have to mean that everyone in that country must know both languages. However, I guess that is how things are in Canada.

Thank you Argus. I'm myself an active opponent to the crazy bilingualism in my own country the supporters of which often point out Canada as a perfect example how bilingualism works.

Spanish is doddle until you get to the subjunctive. The very idea of subjunctive is just so alien to anyone not speaking a Romance language that it really takes some coping when learning. I Hve myself studied Spanish and I love the language but the subjunctive is still a pain.

At least French is a world language and may be useful, you never know, but we here in Finland are lumbered with Swedish which is just a useless minor language like that of our own. I just can't believe we have so spineless politicians who have allowed this idiocy to go on. I know there are a lot of very wealthy Swedish-speaking people's trusts who clearly bribe politicians to maintain the current idiocy but despite all that it is still just mind boggling. And yeah, we in Finland are supposed to be one of the least corrupt countries in the world. The very existence of this ridiculous bilingualism we have here proves otherwise.

Well, like forcing children to learn the minority language at school and society in general working in two languages even though only a miniscule proportion of the population speak the minority-language.

Am I right in concluding that French is not at all imposed on people who live in regions where French just is not spoken? That would be a much saner version of language-policies compared to what we have in Finland where the entire country is officially bilingual. Having said that, I know one can't compare Finland and Canada. It is more relevant to compare Finland and a given Canadian province where both languages exist.

Isn't Montreal really a truly bilingual city unlike rural Quebec which is French only? The 1995 referendum was incredibly close but surely Montreal decided it.

Let's ask about this issue this way: Can you get a university-degree in Canada without knowing any French? I asked that question because here in Finland you can't get one without knowing Swedish.

I know that education-systems may vary from province to province but generally is French compulsory at all levels of education throughout Canada?

May I ask are you a French-speaking Canadian yourself?

I know that comparing Finland and Canada is pretty pointless as a single Canadian province is many times the size of Finland but it still gives some direction as to what official bilingualism means.

Am I sensing some bitterness?

wait a minute, do you mean that English has no status whatsoever in Quebec?

At the risk of opening a can of worms I just can't help asking you people in Canada whether the official bilingualism has been either a liability or an asset. We here in Finland also have this official bilingualism in form of Finnish and Swedish. Most of it is just bloody rubbish as the Swedish-speakers are really concentrated in certain areas of the country but despite that Swedish is the official language throughout the country. I understand that in Canada the provinces may decide over the issue and if there is not a large Francophone population then the province is officially monolingual, English only( not meaning the northern parts of Canada where the indigenous languages may have some official status) Otherwise, if you're looking for a federal job you probably must know both English and French, isn't that true?

I think we had this discussion a couple of weeks ago. Teddy Kennedy was the last challenger to an incumbent president from his own party who could be labelled as credible. That was over 30 years ago.

Even incumbent presidents who are seeking re-election face primaries but not from any credible challengers. That's why we hear so little about it. The challengers are mostly attention-seekers.

Overseas Canada has a reputation of being the saner part of North-America when crime is concerned.