CANADIEN

Exactly. The point is - plenty of people chosse to do it.

Because we have two official languages in this country. You may find it bothersome out of a belief that money should trumps everything else, but it s a reflection of who are as a country (not a bilingua national, mind you, but one with two national lnaguages).

Did I say the whole world knows English? No. I pointed out that people from all over the world have come to Vancouver, and that many of them may have a limited knowledge of the English language. Poeple will go to that type of event regardless of where it is, and what they know (or do not know) of the local language. face it, your assumption that only people from places where French is spoken would go to an Olympics in Quebec City is off the map. I have been to places whose local languages I didn't know apart from some very basics. I know plenty of people who have done the same. Do you think Canadians flock in Cuba, Mexico or Santo Domingo in the Winter because they know Spanish?

Excuse me? As an Ontarian, I know you have no clue what you're talking about. Go to Kingston, Ottawa, Stratford, London, Niagara-on-the-Lake - it MAY give you the thing you have even less than Leafless... a clue.

Nope. I was making fun of your statement that Olympic Games in Quebec City would mostly attract only people from French-speaking countries. Plenty of tourists (or in this case, sportsfans) travel all the time to areas of the world that speak langauges they know little about, if anything. Some of the visitors to Vancouver right now probably know just enough English to ask for directions and order food. Do you think there was a rush to Mandarin classes before the 2008 Olympics?

The Games would have been held in Canada. Oh really. You meant nobody would have come from Calgary, Vancouver, toronto? And that all those American, Norwegian, Korean, German, etc., etc. etc. we see all the timein the Vancouver stands would have stayed away of the Games had been held in Quebec City? Excuse me while I laugh.

Actually no. But if you feel targeted, that's your problem, not mine.

Does that include Quebec language laws? gota ask, because that type of shit (which is what I think of most of those laws) do matter to many Canadian. The common good is served when the rights of all are respected, not when some are treated as second class citizens.. Choose one. Good idea, i suggest you start by acknwledging the linguistic rights of Canadians. Good for you to admire the way China "works together". Feel free to think that dictatorship, violation of human rights, labour camps and censorship are good if they bring money in. I don't.

I for one am going tired fo the whining by those who think French-speaking Canadians outside Quebec or English-speaking Canadians in Quebec should just shut up and put up.

And I would expect an appropriate level of presence of the English language and recognition of English-language cultures of this country. And I would expect that those who think there is not enough English say it.

Please name the 24 municipalities in Ontario where immigrants are forced to send their children to French language schools, wehre citizens cannot get government services in English, where business must request permission to hire somebody who can speak English. You can't, because there are none. Did I say or mean you were supporting any existing law? No, and people with the command of the English language which elude you (along with common sense) can easily figure that out. But I will be nice and rephrase it for you. You have made it clear again and again and again that you want for Ontario language laws that do the same for the English language as Quebec langauge laws do for the French language. So, every time you say something stupid like "Quebec language laws are Nazi like", the same applies to what you would like for Ontario. Same with "dictatorial. toalitarian, corrupt". Apart from the language you use, you are no different from the morons who scream because they've seen some English on a business sign in Montreal. And you're better get used to reminded of that, because I will remind you. I do not care if the site is hosted in Alberta, in Quebec or on the Big Dipper. Becuase it is irrelevant. Correction, it does not make for people to scream that their rights are violated when they are not. BTW, when speaking about Nazi type language legislation, you are also talking about the type of legislation YOU want to enact for Ontario. Let's face it. I AM a regular CANADIAN. YOU are the one who wrongly see me as less than a CANADIAN because my Canadian language is not the same as yours and I won't just accept the second rank status you'd assign me.. The FACT that English is spoken by more Canadians than the french language does not change the FACT that both are Canadian lnaguage with equal status in law, as it should be. As for people not being able to face things. Don't worry, I do not expect you to be able anytime soon to face the facts that your bigoted vision of Canada will never be again.

I don't see mysellf as a second place Canadian for one second. There are plenty of people who would love for French-speaking CANADIANS to feel that way and just shut their mouths... in English.

The day crybabies stop whining whenever they notice that some French-speaking CANADIANS will not settle for second place status. BTW, if the Games had been given to let's Quebec City, the screaming from all the prejudiced losers would have started five minutes after the IOC had made its choice.

Are we talking about the opening ceremony only, or the issue of language policies in general? Because I can tell you that feeling unwelcome in one's own country affects one's live. If you think otherwise, go ask Fransaskois who grew up in the days when their language could not be spoken in schools, of members of First nations, or even better, Quebec Anglophones.

There would have been one less topic for you to make a fool of yourself.

And of course each and every country in the world is switching to English as its sole official language, one by one, right?

I forgot you don't get sarcasm. Let me be clearer. YOU want to implement in Ontario the same type of language laws that exist in Quebec. Anything you said about those laws and those who support them applies equally to you. Actually, YOU do, as evidenced by years and years of clueless postings on your part. LOL LOL LOL Thank you for revealing the real reasons for all the non-sense you have been writing all those years. French-speaking CANADIANS will not shut up (in English( and comply with being less than Canadians.

By all means. AlLL provinces should be equal in the same fashion as Quebec. Confirming again that you are actually in favour of the type of policy you call "totalitariab". (warning: sARCASM FOLLOWS) Hitler would be proud of you. (END OF Sarcasm) One has to be really clueless to ignore the fact that french is the de facto language of more than one Canadian out of five. The insight shown by the British Parliament in 192 was just fantastic indeed. Whowhere is perfectly able to reply by himself, and to write non-sense equal to yours. If you want only for him to respond to your comments on his postings, start a chat line with him. This is a public forum.

As I said all along, there is very little that I take VANOC to task for since the start of the Games. As for the "they did not pronounce the wrds right" bit, that will be dispatched by the Commissioner's Office, and it is indeed stupid. Same as all those "they speak English with an accent" complaints one hears all the time.

To state that Canadian laws do not matter because English and French are the official languages of the IOC is true only in part. The Olympic Charter, for example, does not govern the langauge skills needed in VANOC volunteers that are not involved with official announcements or protocolar activities, for example. The Olympic Charter is silent about what language the head of the host country uses to officially open the games, or what language(s) the organizing committee uses in its internal operations. When there were complaints to the ICO about the fact the some of the announcements at sports venue at the Calgary Olympic Games were only in English, the response was along the lines of "If it's not announcing the athletes and the results, that does nto concern us" (this from memory, that was 22 years ago after all). The confusio here is caused (not on purpose mind you) by those who believe that the language provisions in the Olympic Charter does extends to all aspects of the organization of the Games. It does not.

And once again, IOC rules do not govern the non-protocola parts of the opening ceremony.

And of course, by totalitarian policy you mean the same type of legislation that exists in Quebec and that you want to export to Ontario. BTW, even you cannot be so clueless as to ignore the fact that you want English to be imposed as the only language Canadians can use use when accessing federal government services (except in the little enclave you would grant to those second clas Canadians whose first Canadian langaueg is other than English). The Quebec Act was 228 years (and it did not say a word about lnguage btw). We are in 2010, and (to your great chagrin), French-speaking Canadians enjoy the same rights all over this great country of ours. No need for you to get used to it, as it's happening anyways. And you have failed (as is the usual case with you) to demonstrate that Canada should not be members of organizations other than the Commonwealth, or that it should not help countries that are not member of the Commonwealth. You. or more exactly the way you screw those notions to fit your prejudice and paranoia. Because these communities are part of our identity as a country. French language cultures in Canada ARE Canadian, and they both include and go beyon what happens in Quebec. I, for one, do not recognize any role or right to Quebec government to speak on my behalf as a Franco-Ontarian. The Ontario government and the federal government do.

Determining how much of the "other language" should be present as a matter of percentage. Where did I see that before? Yeah, I remember. Those people who measure commercial signs to Quenec to make sure that there is less English than french. Once again, you do what they do. And BTW, I think that what they do is stupid.

The IOC is NOT the organizers of the Games. VANOC, a non-profit entity set up by the Federal, provincial and municipal governments, and subject to all relevant Canadian laws, is. The IOC chooses the host city, it decides will sports will be played, it monitors standards for the sports and installations (with the various sports federations), and arranges for tests for dopings. It does NOT organizes the Games, build the facilities, or determine the non-protocolar portions of the opening and closing ceremonies. That's up to the hosting City and country or whatever organization they set up for that purpose. VANOC was responsible for the contents of the non-protocolar part of the opening ceremony. It is accountable to Canadieans, through the federal government, on how it manages it finances and meets its respnsibilities under Canadian laws.

I said it before, and I'll say it again, I for one was mostly happy with what I saw and heard. that being said, unlike totalirian countries in Canada people can complain if they feel the Government or its agencies are not acting the way it should by law... evn when they are wrong. This is despite of: While I agree with them for the most part, IOC members will be happy with about everything as long as they are well dined and wined. Don't worry. Nobody here has any hope you'll see common sense. Funny though that you use the word totalitarian to describe the type of policies you want to implement in Ontario.