Quebec - Canada's Ireland
In 1690, William of Orange resoundingly defeated the army of James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. It was the beginning of the absorption of Ireland into what became the United Kingdom. Ireland was fully politically absorbed into the United Kingdom in 1801.
Less than 100 years after the Battle of the Boyne, in 1759, England defeated the French in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec. This was the beginning of the absorption of Quebec and French Canada into what became Canada. That process was completed by the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
The Battle of the Boyne was to Ireland what the Plains of Abraham was to Canada. In both cases the defeated Irish and the defeated French refused to accept the defeat and its consequences, and resisted for hundreds of years the absorption of their state and culture into the English nation. Each adopted a slogan which reverberated for them, generation after generation. For the Irish it was "Never Surrender". For the Quebecois, it was and still is, "I remember".
The Irish eventually succeeded in 1922, some 232 years after the Battle of the Boyne, in establishing their own independent nation, the Irish Free State, in the southern part of Ireland. This became what is today the Republic of Ireland, a fully independent nation. The Republic of Ireland was born as a result of hundreds of years of Irish rebellion, terrorist attacks, fulminations in the English Parliament, and constant efforts at appeasement, peacekeeping and compromise.
In Canada we have had from Quebec a constant history of rebellion, terrorist attacks, fulminations in Parliament, and constant efforts at appeasement, peacekeeping and comprise. All of this has been accompanied by Quebec demands for more money from Anglo Canada, greater and greater independence, and a stunning lack of patriotism, or contribution from French Canadians to the rest of the country.
That the Quebecois have a different culture and attitude from the rest of the country is beyond rational dispute. The majority of Quebecois opposed military service in both WWI and WW2, despite the fact that the mother country, France, was under attack. Just today, the National Post reports that 64% of Canadians believe that the Israeli response to Iran/Hezbollah attacks is justified. On the other hand 57% of Quebecers feel the Israeli response is "not at all justified". Virtually an opposite result. Examples abound of similar disagreements on social and political issues.
For centuries, Ireland was a thorn in England's side. It became such a troublesome part of the United Kingdom that eventually common sense prevailed, and it was granted its independence.
Quebec has been a blight on the Canadian nation for an equally long time. It is a place where the people do not accept the same values as the rest of the country. It is a place which has skewed our politics for the worse at each election as our political parties curry favor from Quebec voters at the expense of all the other voters. It is a place that Canadians have never been able to count upon in time of emergency. It has always been a taker, not a giver, in the Canadian confederation.
There is a strong sentiment in many Canadians that Quebec must remain in Canada. This is an emotional, and not a rational conclusion. Canada would be far better off if Quebec became independent. Since the 1960's Anglo Canada has paid a net of over $220 billion into Quebec. That is a gigantic sum of money which could have done great things in the provinces from which the money was extracted, only so that it could be poured into Quebec.
There is a culture of corruption in Quebec which has demonstrated itself many times. Maurice Duplessis, the long time Premier of Quebec, is widely acknowledged to have been deeply corrupt. The corruption in the construction of the Olympic Stadium in Montreal has left debts for decades. The legacy of Jean Chretien is that he headed the most corrupt government of his century. Political corruption is, in fact, the most conspicuous export from Quebec to the rest of Canada.
Would Quebec suffer if it became independent? Ireland didn't. In fact it prospered, and it has become a internationally recognized success story. In Canada, Quebec has long been an ungrateful beggar, and more lately under Chretien has become a thief too. Can it survive without being on the Canadian dole? Of course, although it will have to learn, as Ireland did, how to encourage business, lower taxes, and create a healthy economic climate.
In 1995 Quebec came very close to voting for independence from Canada. The response from the Quebecois Prime Minister, Chretien, was to pour a mountain of Anglo money into Quebec to purchase its loyalty. No matter that purchased loyalty is worth nothing at all.
Canada should look long and hard at the Anglo-Irish experience and contemplate the parallels. Quebec will be a thorn and a pox on Canada decade after decade until it gains its independence. Independence is inevitable, and will be a good thing for both Canada and Quebec.
Some seem to think that Quebec will disappear if it becomes independent. Of course not. It will be right where it always was, and will not drift off into the Atlantic fog. There will be little change in our economic relationships, except that we will not be sending them huge sums of money. Ships will still sail down the St. Lawrence, although now they may have to clear customs if they land in Quebec. There may be some tariffs or transit fees, but Quebec cannot make them too high, or other routes will be found. The Maritimes will not be isolated or cut off.
Cultural exchanges will still occur and in fact will become more vibrant as Quebec becomes more Quebecois than ever before.
The useless and expensive Bilingualism programs can be thrown on the trash heap where they belong. We can dump the foolish Multiculturalism farce, forced on us by the presence of Quebec, which has resulted in the creation of a patchwork of Canadian tribes, and adopt some national ideals which have at their core the idea that our first loyalty is to Canada as a nation. That has never been possible so long as Quebec is part of Canada, since so many Quebois reject loyalty to Canada and its values.
It took Ireland 232 years to become independent after its defeat at the Battle of the Boyne. We should encourage Quebec to get on with it, support their movement to independence, and redefine the Canadian confederation. We'll all get along better, and be better off if we do.
Less than 100 years after the Battle of the Boyne, in 1759, England defeated the French in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec. This was the beginning of the absorption of Quebec and French Canada into what became Canada. That process was completed by the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
The Battle of the Boyne was to Ireland what the Plains of Abraham was to Canada. In both cases the defeated Irish and the defeated French refused to accept the defeat and its consequences, and resisted for hundreds of years the absorption of their state and culture into the English nation. Each adopted a slogan which reverberated for them, generation after generation. For the Irish it was "Never Surrender". For the Quebecois, it was and still is, "I remember".
The Irish eventually succeeded in 1922, some 232 years after the Battle of the Boyne, in establishing their own independent nation, the Irish Free State, in the southern part of Ireland. This became what is today the Republic of Ireland, a fully independent nation. The Republic of Ireland was born as a result of hundreds of years of Irish rebellion, terrorist attacks, fulminations in the English Parliament, and constant efforts at appeasement, peacekeeping and compromise.
In Canada we have had from Quebec a constant history of rebellion, terrorist attacks, fulminations in Parliament, and constant efforts at appeasement, peacekeeping and comprise. All of this has been accompanied by Quebec demands for more money from Anglo Canada, greater and greater independence, and a stunning lack of patriotism, or contribution from French Canadians to the rest of the country.
That the Quebecois have a different culture and attitude from the rest of the country is beyond rational dispute. The majority of Quebecois opposed military service in both WWI and WW2, despite the fact that the mother country, France, was under attack. Just today, the National Post reports that 64% of Canadians believe that the Israeli response to Iran/Hezbollah attacks is justified. On the other hand 57% of Quebecers feel the Israeli response is "not at all justified". Virtually an opposite result. Examples abound of similar disagreements on social and political issues.
For centuries, Ireland was a thorn in England's side. It became such a troublesome part of the United Kingdom that eventually common sense prevailed, and it was granted its independence.
Quebec has been a blight on the Canadian nation for an equally long time. It is a place where the people do not accept the same values as the rest of the country. It is a place which has skewed our politics for the worse at each election as our political parties curry favor from Quebec voters at the expense of all the other voters. It is a place that Canadians have never been able to count upon in time of emergency. It has always been a taker, not a giver, in the Canadian confederation.
There is a strong sentiment in many Canadians that Quebec must remain in Canada. This is an emotional, and not a rational conclusion. Canada would be far better off if Quebec became independent. Since the 1960's Anglo Canada has paid a net of over $220 billion into Quebec. That is a gigantic sum of money which could have done great things in the provinces from which the money was extracted, only so that it could be poured into Quebec.
There is a culture of corruption in Quebec which has demonstrated itself many times. Maurice Duplessis, the long time Premier of Quebec, is widely acknowledged to have been deeply corrupt. The corruption in the construction of the Olympic Stadium in Montreal has left debts for decades. The legacy of Jean Chretien is that he headed the most corrupt government of his century. Political corruption is, in fact, the most conspicuous export from Quebec to the rest of Canada.
Would Quebec suffer if it became independent? Ireland didn't. In fact it prospered, and it has become a internationally recognized success story. In Canada, Quebec has long been an ungrateful beggar, and more lately under Chretien has become a thief too. Can it survive without being on the Canadian dole? Of course, although it will have to learn, as Ireland did, how to encourage business, lower taxes, and create a healthy economic climate.
In 1995 Quebec came very close to voting for independence from Canada. The response from the Quebecois Prime Minister, Chretien, was to pour a mountain of Anglo money into Quebec to purchase its loyalty. No matter that purchased loyalty is worth nothing at all.
Canada should look long and hard at the Anglo-Irish experience and contemplate the parallels. Quebec will be a thorn and a pox on Canada decade after decade until it gains its independence. Independence is inevitable, and will be a good thing for both Canada and Quebec.
Some seem to think that Quebec will disappear if it becomes independent. Of course not. It will be right where it always was, and will not drift off into the Atlantic fog. There will be little change in our economic relationships, except that we will not be sending them huge sums of money. Ships will still sail down the St. Lawrence, although now they may have to clear customs if they land in Quebec. There may be some tariffs or transit fees, but Quebec cannot make them too high, or other routes will be found. The Maritimes will not be isolated or cut off.
Cultural exchanges will still occur and in fact will become more vibrant as Quebec becomes more Quebecois than ever before.
The useless and expensive Bilingualism programs can be thrown on the trash heap where they belong. We can dump the foolish Multiculturalism farce, forced on us by the presence of Quebec, which has resulted in the creation of a patchwork of Canadian tribes, and adopt some national ideals which have at their core the idea that our first loyalty is to Canada as a nation. That has never been possible so long as Quebec is part of Canada, since so many Quebois reject loyalty to Canada and its values.
It took Ireland 232 years to become independent after its defeat at the Battle of the Boyne. We should encourage Quebec to get on with it, support their movement to independence, and redefine the Canadian confederation. We'll all get along better, and be better off if we do.
posted by Brian Purdy, Calgary at 10:30 a.m.
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