Stoker

Other then the insult, are you saying that you have no real reason why Western Canada should be bilingual? I've another question, if it ever came to it, what would you choose? 1. My "idea", in that the provinces pay for their own bilingual programs. -OR- 2. Western Seperation. I've never said that the under the current language laws, lingustic rights are not a right. My entire point has been whether the laws should be changed, thus no longer making lingustic rights a right to every Canadian. If we want to get really picky, we should site down with a ledger and pen to figure out how much French Canadians owe Canadians of British heritage for allowing you to keep your culture, as opposed to forcibly changing it or deporting you back to France or french colonies. I'm sure you could then add all the emotional and punitive damages that have befallen the rest of Canada because of Quebec.

Do you remember when his offer was? Bush had only been president for 8+ months before 9/11. And what was I responding to?

Not to us directly, I should think the British Crown and Parliment would be a choice.......but I guess you could make the argument that Quebec would look rather different if it was not for transfer payments from the ROC.....I guess you should be grateful to both. Who really tried to suppress your culture? Come on now. Infact, we (as in the ROC) are suppressing our own needs for your culture.......give it a rest.

.......thus the end of Confederation.

Explain to me why it is and why it should be a right. The current language laws are a sham, nothing more then the carrot and the stick approach to appease Quebec. I no longer want to pay for the carrot. That money wasted on the carrot could have went to many other areas that demand a higher priority. You can get your reimbursement after we get the 60+ billion dollars back from French education programs.......

Who, in your opinion, who will be hurt and who will benifit from this tax? There is your argument. Do you honestly think it prudent to do such a thing?

Do you think any leader of a First world nation would debate a dictator? Your example sounds akin to a convict asking to "debate" a judge. So what does any of that have to do with George W. Bush and his level of intelligence? ........

Go look up realism maplesyrup....... Canada Exports - partners: US 87.7%, Japan 2%, UK 1.1% (2002) Imports - partners: US 62.6%, China 4.6%, Japan 4.4% (2002) United States Exports - partners: Canada 23.2%, Mexico 14.1%, Japan 7.4%, UK 4.8% (2002) Imports - partners: Canada 17.8%, Mexico 11.3%, China 11.1%, Japan 10.4%, Germany 5.3% (2002) Who depends on the other more for both exports and imports? It's not kissing ass, it more akin to not biting the hand that feeds you

And What maplesyrup needs is a scrip of Diazepam........

And what of the private companies like Syncrude or Suncor that do own the mineral rights? Do you propose to nationalize private companies? Whats next? Farms and ranches? BC's forest industry? Are you looking for a civil war? Couldn't that paragraph be almost interpreted as how the West feels it's being treated by the east? This also, sounds like a paragrapgh that could describe the mood of the next generation of Westerners. Though I hope it never happens, I would never rule out the West (or Quebec) having to use violence to gain independence from the ROC.

Could it not cut both ways? Do the majority of Canadians speak French? Is our largest trading partner French speaking? I'm still waiting for a good reason as of why we need to be a forced bilingual nation..........

Slow-witted compared to who? Paul Martin? John Kerry? Ronald Reagan? JFK? Churchill? Who? Or couldn't an attack collapse Bush's biggest "point"? IOW, if somebody that prides them selves with protecting the American people, were to see a terror attack on his watch, how would that help Bush in the polls? Also, I decided to bite........what is OBL aim?

Based on what?

Why?

If I have one dollar, and I want a candy that costs a dollar and a pop that costs a dollar, what do I do? When we have only so much money to burn, it does become a mater of rights. I feel that I have a right to decent Healthcare, education and a armed forces that can defend me. These are things that all Canadians can benifit from, which can't be said for the French language programs. Thought I throw some numbers into the mix: Official Bilingualism Has Its Costs — and Opportunities Thats odd, the Armed Forces say that they need an extra couple of billion dollars a year........I'm sure healthcare could use topping up also. Are you a government translator CANADIEN? If you are, I see why you are getting so bent out of shape.......this sounds like another scandel in the making So why are we keeping French again? The Cost of Official Bilingualism Me thinks I might have some Diner Kraft, L'Original for dinner tonight........ How much is it, anyway? 18 billion dollars, thats 6 billion more then we spend on national defence

Was that any different before the Iraq war? Same one that Kerry recently said that with the facts of today, he would have still went to war? How so if it wasn't for the Iraq war, the United States wouldn't have to worry about terror? Like having the lowest unemployment rates since the early 70s? The highest home ownership rate by minorities? A growing economy, in spite of a massavie recession and terror attack? And not to mention, that wave of recent terror attacks within the United States How's that? Are you saying that a terror attack would be good for the Bush campagian? It also looks like you are contradicting yourself, in that you say that OBL would vote Bush, then on the other hand you seem to imply that there has not been a terror attack by OBL because it would cause bush to win Regardless, today's poll show Bush with almost a ten point lead on Kerry, and winning in the battleground states.......has there been a terror attack?

Whose rights are being quashed? If the vast majority of western Canadians don't wish to pay for French language programs, why should they? Unlike paying into say defence, education or Healthcare, the French language has no benifits to us. You want it, you pay for it! I'd like a new Corvette, but since I can't afford one, does that mean that my rights are being taken away from me? Well since you are so enlightened, you should have no problem explaining to this Neanderthal, why it is that we (as in the West) need French language programs? You see, I don't understand, why it is when Healthcare is in such a crisis, we need to have French language programs in Western Canada........please explain. Let's say for the sake of argument that there are 1000 French speakers within BC, and let's further say that for the sake of argument that the population of BC is 1 million. Now the BC provicncial budget is finite, and let's say fo the sake of argument that the money spent on French programs in BC could pay for 6 new doctors, 30 nurses, two X-ray machines, a CT machine and three new ambulances, what do you think the vast majority of British Columbians would pick? French textbooks or healthcare? As in my hypothetical example above, are you saying that in these days of finite budgets, that teaching a useless language and culture is more important then Healthcare, education, the Enviroment, unemployment, national defence, debt reduction etc?

Forget the leftist, pinkos for a moment, but I wonder, if given the choice, who would Osama Bin Laden vote for? Bush or Kerry?

Yes, and with my idea, you still could recieve your educational and government services in French, if the majority of the people in your home province wished. Who wants to deny rights? People can still recieve educational and government services in French if their respective provinces wish to. Is it a right for a person that their culture is preserved by another? Thats a chicken and an egg debate if I have ever seen one........regardless I'll bite. Let's say this tension is caused by "people like me" (even though my "tension" is in responce to something being forced upon me), wouldn't it stand to reason that there would be no tension, if nothing was forced upon "people like me"? If the majority of Western Canadians are opposed to French language spending, are you not taking away their/our rights? Does it cut both ways with you folks out east?

So if people are merely getting by, hence having no "fight" or "resources" for a third language, and by your own admission a third language would be costly, wouldn't it make sense to do away with French so as to free up "resources" and bring back the "fight" within people? IOW, since we are just getting by with two languages and couldn't afford a third, wouldn't it make sense to do away with French so we can improve our situations?

Why? Could Quebec if it wanted? I'll reiterate, I hope the Ottawa does this, as I also hope that the east plunders any oil and natural gas that BC has.....likewise with Sask......take the Yukon's and N.W.T resources......there are diamond mines up North, perhaps King Martin could make a crown and scepter

I never suggested that. What was suggested, was that the decision to fund second language training should be made at the provincal level, then funded with provincal funds. Ahh so I'm a bigot now Anyways, I do understand that currently that "right" you speak of is infact a "right"........I'm not debating that issue at all. What I'm debating is whether it should be a "right" in the first place. Infact, I haven't even stated that French speakers shouldn't be taught in French......I don't care if they want to speak French until they are blue in the face. Doesn't bug me one bit. I just think that if you do want to speak French, you should pay for it on your own. They couldn't you see. Thats the beauty of my idea. English would be the offical language. They could vote if they wanted to keep french though Now I'll type slow, so as to avoid confusion. All ten provinces and three terrorites (AKA Canada) would be officially English. Meaning that English is a mandatory course taught in all public schools, just like math and science. Now for the sake of argument, Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick vote to add French to their public school curriculum, well Nunavut decides to add Inuit and (my home province) of British Columbia decides to add Hindi in the Surrey School district and a Chinese dialect in other lower mainland school districts. The rest of the provinces put what was once money and resources spent on French, into other needed areas. Whats wrong with that? Infact, I'd think that would unfiy Canada more. No longer would the west feel they are being force fed French by the east, and any province that has more pressing needs then the French language, would have additional funds to address them.

.......Like the NDP.

Equality? Huh? Where does it stop? should we have perhaps twenty offical languages? Perhaps 50? How about every language know to man, becomes an offical language of Canada? We can cut other areas of government so as to make everybody happy because they can file their taxes in their native tonuge And if the majority of the people in your province, wanted French programs paided for with public funds, good. Thats great. Go to town. Just as long as my tax dollars are not paying for it, I couldn't care less.

Of course there will be none English services available outside of Quebec, just as there are services for the deaf or Chinese WRT schools, they to can exsits outside of Quebec, be they private funded, or if deemded necessary by the province, public funded. Don't worry, Quebec would be treated equal.......Since English would be the offical language, it would be taught in all public schools, across all of Canada, including Quebec. It's up to Quebec, if they want to fund French programs on top of that. Why is it absurd? Perhaps, but if it was at the provical or even municpliy level, that would be the consensus of the people of Nova Scotia, right? Thats exactly the point. If those in Quebec (or another province) want the right to be taught in French (or a different language), they should pay for it, be it through taxes to their province or directly via a private school.