Quebec sovereignty movement anything but dead

[CHIMO]

The Bloc Québécois may have been reduced to smouldering ruins in this week’s federal election, but the Quebec sovereignty movement is anything but dead.

Following Monday night’s election results, which saw the Bloc reduced to just four seats from 47, the figurehead of the separatist struggle, Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois, thundered that the movement would not be dissuaded.

“The sovereignty numbers that were there before the campaign are still there,” Marois said Tuesday. “Sovereignty is as alive as it was.”

Political analysts say she might have a point given that her party is riding high in the polls and is set to take on a tired Liberal government that will have been in power for a decade when the next provincial election rolls around in 2013.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/986582--quebec-sovereignty-movement-anything-but-dead?bn=1

[glarius]

1. I'm sorry...but I don't believe there is or ever has been a sovereignty "movement"

I believe there are a group of people like Duceppe and Pauline Marois etc., who are separatists....but the population of Quebec is just using them to get more "stuff" for Quebec. There has never been a "movement" where the people were spontaneously marching in the streets demanding freedom from Canada. The referendums had confusing questions that left most of the population (according to polls) thinking that they would still be part of Canada if they voted "oui" and they still voted against sovereignty. Because of the Clarity Act, I'll bet if there is another referendum a large majority will vote "no".

[Very_Boring_Name]

2. The federal sovereignty movement was never the way to go anyways

If separatism ever happens, it will happen through a provincial separatist government.

[craigmatic]

3. As an Amercan I always found it odd that Canadians would tolerate what we would call

seccession talk from Quebec. Why not just pass a law saying that it would be illegal for any province to break away from Canada and be done with it once and for all? They seem to be holding your politics hostage and spreading their influence nation wide by making every public statement be issued in 2 languages when I'm sure there are more lsanguages spoken in Canada besides English and French. Can somebody explain this to me? What am I not getting about this situation?

[Very_Boring_Name]

4. Why not just pass a law saying that it would be illegal for any province to break away from Canada

That would be disasterous. The vast majority of Canadians, even though they don't support separatism, still see it as part of the democratic process. If a majority of Quebecers wish to separate, and a referendum confirms this desire, they should be permitted to leave. That is a view held across the political spectrum.

Politically, the vast majority of Quebecers (including those who aren't solid separatists), sympathize with the separatists. Historically Quebec has not been treated too kindly by the rest of Canada, so the separatists are well liked because they are seen as sticking up for Quebec (even if you don't support separatism outright). Any party who voted for such a law would never win a seat in Quebec again, and in Canadian politics that would be like conceding Florida, Ohio, and Nevada for the next 50 years.

Finally, if you made seccession illegal, we would instantly see the re-emergence of the separatist terrorist groups from the '60s. These groups largely dissapeared as separatist political parties meant that you could channel your views through the political process, rather than through violence. Imagine if Republicans made it illegal to be a liberal, or hold liberal beliefs. Liberals would view this as totalitarianism (rightfully so), and with no democratic means of enacting their beliefs, what choice would you have but violence?

[craigmatic]

6. That kind of makes sense.

It still seems like a no win situation though but most countries have a region that has a problem with staying in the union.

[CHIMO]

5. It

Would be hard to quickly explain Canada to someone who has not studied the history and founding of Canada as a country.

Language
The Canadian constitution guarantees both English and French to be the languages of Canada. It does not outlaw other languages.

If you are interested the constitution may be read here
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms should also be read.

Passing Laws
Well why doesn't the US pass a law that declares that individual states have no power.

A good reference is given in A People's History. You may be able to obtain the video (30 hours) from a library.
http://www.cbc.ca/history/

[craigmatic]

7. I have studied it but from a political point of view it just seems like

the politics of Quebec are catered to more than the other provinces sort of like how the South is here.

[CHIMO]

8. Well

Studying from a distance is a bit hard.

In Quebec it is understood that the country was founded by two people or cultures, native people didn't seem to enter into it. So the basis is that there are two nations making up the one country. It may seem hard to fathom for a person in the US where the whole world speaks english. However, if one considered that if english was the only language in Canada then there would be even less of a distinction between Canada and the US.

As you may imagine it can and does lead to very, interesting and emotional debates or, arguments.

[craigmatic]

9. Good point.

I never really thought of it in terms of France and the UK founding the country.