'Vive le Québec libre!'

[Durgan]

The Bloc is leading in the polls and will probably form the next provincial government in Quebec. English Canada sleeps and pretends separation is dead. It is very much alive and is an issue in Quebec. Our new GG needs a new speech writer. 'Vive le Québec libre!'

Durgan.

** Remaining post removed due to copyright infringment **

Edited October 19, 2005 by Greg

[August1991]

Durgan, can you provide a link? Are you aware of copyright infringement?

[tml12]

Durgan, can you provide a link?  Are you aware of copyright infringement?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

August,

The link is:

http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?...d8-7db699655108

In this day and age, any independent country (ESPECIALLY one that borders an imperialist world superpower) needs an army. Anyone who thinks otherwise would be a left-wing idealist...

[Durgan]

Durgan, can you provide a link?  Are you aware of copyright infringement?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What is that stupid remark supposed to mean.?

The author was recognized at the top of the article.

The link was not provided because it was from some newspaper, where you had to sign up. That is why the story was posted. Proper recognizition of the author or source was presented.

STupid remark!

Durgan.

[Leafless]

The Block the "shock troops" of independence?

The only shocking thing about all of this is how a separatist Party from the second largest province in Canada gets to sit in parliament while Quebec still remains in confederation.

The Bloc is not playing federal politics by continually expressing un-Canadian and unfederalistic political desires while Quebec is being supported by federalism and other Canadain provinces.

When will the federal Liberals intervene and tell the Bloc to either shape up or ship out?

[Greg]

What is that stupid remark supposed to mean.?

The author was recognized at the top of the article.

The link was not provided because it was from some newspaper, where you had to sign up. That is why the story was posted. Proper recognizition of the author or source was presented.

STupid remark!

Durgan.

First off, cut the insults out. It wasn't a stupid remark, it was a valid point. The posting of a full article, regardless of whether you provide the authors name or not, is copyright infringment. If you're not aware of the rules and guidelines of this forum, please be advised,

POSTING COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

Copyright infringement is illegal on these forums.  Therefore, please do not post articles in their entirety.  When posting copyrighted material, please use the quote (

&

) feature to highlight the important parts of the article and provide a throughout summary for others. You must also provide sufficient credit to the author and a link to the original article in your post. If the article cannot be found online, then at the end of the post provide an appropriate cite using any of the available citing formats, MLA, APA, etc. Find out more information on Fair Dealing in Canada. http://www.robic.ca/publications/Pdf/032E-LC.pdf

[Leader Circle]

After years of hearing about it, lets git-r-dun! With the Clarity Act, lets toss it out there and if Quebecers say yes by 50.1%, let them go. English Canada is tired of this same shit, year after year. Bye bye Quebec, good luck!

[fellowtraveller]

The Clarity Act is meaningless in Quebec, they will ignore it and rightfully so.

If I was Quebecois, I'd be sorely tempted to vote PQ and certainly would vote Bloc.

The country is quickly becoming redundant, we're already picking over the bones since everybody is hoarding whatever flesh they can salvage.

[Riverwind]

The Clarity Act is meaningless in Quebec, they will ignore it and rightfully so.

I see you have a lot in common with the insurgents in Iraq: if you you don't like the constitution then start a war instead of negotiating. I am tired of this crap from seperatists and separatist apologists. A UDI is an act of war. It is basically a statement by the Quebec government that it has the military might to enforce its control over terrority that it claims. A UDI is meaningless unless it can be backed up with force.

If Quebec wants to seperate it must negotiate terms or it has to fight a war. One of the those terms is the Clarity Act.

[tml12]

The Clarity Act is meaningless in Quebec, they will ignore it and rightfully so.

If I was Quebecois, I'd be sorely tempted to vote PQ and certainly would vote Bloc.

The country is quickly becoming redundant, we're already picking over the bones since everybody is hoarding whatever flesh they can salvage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Clarity Act is meaningless to the extent that Bouchard interpreted it the way the separatists saw it and Chretien interpreted it the way the federalists saw it.

Seems to me the Clarity Act was absolutely effective in defining future sovereignty debates.

Yeah, right...

[plusgood]

I would be disappointed to see Quebec leave the Federation, but if they do obviously they would need to develope military capabilities. That article is not shocking; it represents logical thinking for those hoping to separate. They would need to plan for military, foreign policy and so on.

One point brought up was the Clarity Act not meaning anything, but I disagree. Their right to separate is quite ambigious and perhaps without constitutional approval from at least the Federal government and Quebec, if not a majority of the provinces, is questionable. I think the Clairty act, which would establish a threshhold above 50% electoral approval, is a good way to add legitimacy to the separation debated without relying on constitutional change.

If 75% of Quebecers, for example, wished to secede, it would be hard for Canada, or the 25% of Quebecers who voted against it, to stand in their way. If it's roughly 50/50 or even 60/40 for separation, it becomes more troubling. In this sense the Clarity Act is an excellent piece of legislation in that it sets clear standards and rules of engagement

I think Quebec would have a very difficult time if it separated with a population evenly split after a referendum. If a high level of support is found however, I think it would be only fair to think of separationg as not only acceptible, but a right.

[Riverwind]

I think Quebec would have a very difficult time if it separated with a population evenly split after a referendum.

It would be a non-issue if separatists recognized that Quebec is divisible as well. It would be relatively easy to draw new borders for Quebec that would ensure that 75% or more Quebequers end up in the country of their choice.

[Guest eureka]

If Quebec were to attempt separation and establish a military capacity, there are all kinds of new questions. That militayr would be formed, in Parizeau's way, by the desertion of SOME Quebeckers from the Canadian forces.

It also becomes a grey area in that it might well then have tipped over into treason.

I would repeat for probably the thousandth time, that no majority can remove Quebec from Canada. There a hundred consideration not least of which is that two thirds of Quebec territory has no historic connection with Quebec and was included in Quebec for administration purposes. It also was given to Quebec as a Canadian Province with a population that was both English and French.

Can anyone seriously believe that the English speaking of Quebec will allow Quebec to separate intact? Is it possible that Canadians are so naive as to believe that population will give up their Canadian citizenship and rights to be yet further submerged in this embarrasssing ethnocentred ghetto?

Civil War is inevitable should Quebec actually attempt separation. That will end the issue for all time. It will also bring to an end the accommodation of the French Fact in Canada. There are quite a lot of Francophones in Quebec who have sufficient intelligence and understanding to apprecciate that.

[Riverwind]

Civil War is inevitable should Quebec actually attempt separation.

I believe war could be avoided if seperatists stop demanding that the borders remain the same and allow areas to stay in Canada if that is what the residents want. However, my fear is even if the seperatist leadership was willing to accept this solution there would be elements in French society that would restort to IRA like tactics to intimidate people who do not share their vision of an indepedent Quebec.

[plusgood]

I believe civil war would never occur. I think separation would hieghten tensions, but that for economic reasons all efforts to keep the situation non-violent and calm would be made by both sides. Once a yes vote has been achevied that matches requirements in the Clarity Act, then negotiations would commence in relations to territory. I admit I do not know the past policy of the PQ in relation to territory, but I do not see an independent Quebec wanting to "hold on" to an English minority, or an aboriginal population; therefore, I would suspect those territories would be remain Canadian.

There are a number of complex issues that would need to be resolved, and like take years to fully resolve, leaving Quebec in limbo for sometime.

Best case scenario: Quebec does not separate ever, but work within Canada to establish the recognition they deserve.