Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[New Brisavoine]

On France24 tonight, in their program Info/Intox where they debunk fake news, they showed some videos by pro-Russian accounts slandering Zelensky, one of the (English language) videos was dubbed in French by a woman... who betrayed her Québécoise origin when she said "politique". Although she otherwise tried to mimick the French accent of France.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Acajack

This is the second post minimizing this behaviour.

Am I to conclude that sports trash talk that focuses on ethnic or linguistic characteristics is acceptable now? Or is it just acceptable when it targets certain groups?

You read it wrong. This is a post where I said that I have a low opinion of football players, and feel that their behaviour was ignorant and unacceptable, and that they do not represent my views nor the view of most other anglo Canadians, as much as you might think they do.

Sorry to disappoint. I wasn’t trying to say that you don’t have the right to be pissed about it, but IMHO it’s not worth ruining your day over what the lowest common denominator might say or think. If that was the case I would have given up on the internet (including SSP) a long time ago. Though I do ask myself why I bother occasionally…

[New Brisavoine]

The awful Anne Hidalgo has announced today that she will not run for a 3rd term as mayor of Paris (a way to prevent a new humiliation for her after getting less than 2% of votes in the last presidential election). I suppose the news has already arrived in Québec? Richard Sainte-Marie from Québec City has this to say about it:
https://x.com/rickstem/status/1861404417573961927

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

The awful Anne Hidalgo has announced today that she will not run for a 3rd term as mayor of Paris (a way to prevent a new humiliation for her after getting less than 2% of votes in the last presidential election). I suppose the news has already arrived in Québec? Richard Sainte-Marie from Québec City has this to say about it:
https://x.com/rickstem/status/1861404417573961927

It will be an entrefilet but most of the news here is about Trump's threat to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian products as of the first day of his presidency.

[New Brisavoine]

^^Who again is the forumer who told me the other day that it was business as usual and that Canada risked nothing in particular for living so close to the US?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

^^Who again is the forumer who told me the other day that it was business as usual and that Canada risked nothing in particular for living so close to the US?

If you're talking about me, what I had in mind was social unrest spilling over the border, or perhaps a military invasion of Canada.

I still think those specific risks are extremely minimal. Besides, we have (sort of) homegrown tensions of our own, with various groups increasingly violent in their support or condemnation of non-Canadian actors in foreign conflicts. The whole Israel-Gaza thing is arguably worse in Canada than it is in the US, not to mention Khalistanis vs Hindus, Eritreans vs Ethiopians, etc.

So I'm not too worried about Black Lives Matter protests spilling over the border from Detroit and Buffalo.

The trade thing I've always known to be a risk, and this can be true under Democratic presidents sometimes as well.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

If you're talking about me

No, not you.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

^^Who again is the forumer who told me the other day that it was business as usual and that Canada risked nothing in particular for living so close to the US?

Unless I have a different post in mind than you do, I recall that you were saying something about the proximity of Quebec to the American border was a problem. Only in the sense that he is giving the impression that tons of drugs and bad actors are spilling over the border into the US. In reality, though, all of Canada is at risk from what amounts to economic sanctions from any of our trading partners, at any time due to the ebb and flow of our international relations. Most of the time our proximity to the US provides benefits to Canada in trade and military protection.

IMHO this just Trump creating bluster for his followers. It will do very little for them except it makes Trump look like the tough guy at our expense. And there’s little we can do about it other than some performative border security measures and some cherry picked data that shows we have solved the problem.

In the end, I think it will be temporary, but the larger problem has been Trudeau’s lack of action to meet our NATO commitments that will hurt us more.

To bring it back to the thread topic, now might be a good time for Quebec to separate, build a big old wall alnong the Quebec/US border with heavily armed guards, and take advantage of a favourable trade agreement with Trump!

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

some cherry picked data that shows we have solved the problem.

You could be a politician.

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

To bring it back to the thread topic, now might be a good time for Quebec to separate, build a big old wall alnong the Quebec/US border with heavily armed guards, and take advantage of a favourable trade agreement with Trump!

Trump will certainly have an impact on the Québec independence referendum debate. How exactly I don't know.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

You could be a politician.

Non! What you are witnessing is my complete disdain for the bull crap that is integral to politics. 90% meaningless posturing, 10% substance… and I feel I’m being generous…

[New Brisavoine]

In other news the French PM has just said France will "rigorously enforce" the ICC arrest warrants of the Isreali leaders: https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/ma...igations-affirme-michel-barnier-20241126

Last night the UK's foreign minister said pretty much the same.

The world is getting narrower for Netanyahu... Let's see whether Justin Trudeau stands firm or caves in.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

No, not you.

Me, then? I stand by what I said. It’s similar to my position that Putin won’t nuke Ukraine — you don’t actually “prove me wrong” by pointing out he said he’d do it.

These tariffs are supposed to be introduced *IF* we don’t take steps to make our border less porous. Let’s revisit this conversation when there’s an actual 25% tariffs on every Canadian export to the US. It’s just a negotiation strategy; a good one I might add — watch it work.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by lio45

Me, then? I stand by what I said. It’s similar to my position that Putin won’t nuke Ukraine — you don’t actually “prove me wrong” by pointing out he said he’d do it.

These tariffs are supposed to be introduced *IF* we don’t take steps to make our border less porous. Let’s revisit this conversation when there’s an actual 25% tariffs on every Canadian export to the US. It’s just a negotiation strategy; a good one I might add — watch it work.

With Trump it's a lot of talk and not really about data and facts. Trump just wants to be able to brag and say that he got other countries to do things because he threatened them.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

In other news the French PM has just said France will "rigorously enforce" the ICC arrest warrants of the Isreali leaders: https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/ma...igations-affirme-michel-barnier-20241126

Last night the UK's foreign minister said pretty much the same.

The world is getting narrower for Netanyahu... Let's see whether Justin Trudeau stands firm or caves in.

New twist: in the most weaselly-worded communiqué by the Quai d'Orsay, it appears France will after all not arrest Netanyahu, apparently in exchange for being party to the Lebanon ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The plot thickens...

https://x.com/ragipsoylu/status/1861751278235202045

PS: Ah, apparently France reneging on the ICC was Netanyahu's precondition for the Lebanon ceasefire (which, in parenthesis, contrary to what some claimed here, shows that Netanyhu does care very much about his possible arrest in European countries): https://x.com/haaretzcom/status/1861742375095160917

[MolsonExport]

Why doesn't the USA do a better job of keeping illegal guns out of Canada? The USA is the source of most of our illegal guns. Porous border, indeed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68841961

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Loco101

With Trump it's a lot of talk and not really about data and facts. Trump just wants to be able to brag and say that he got other countries to do things because he threatened them.

This. Trump's lickspittles will never run out of excuses for him.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

The USA is the source of most of our illegal guns.

The new president of Mexico has said exactly the same thing in a powerful letter sent to Donald Trump yesterday (in Spanish, by the way; would Justin Trudeau write to Donald Trump in French?).

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by lio45

These tariffs are supposed to be introduced *IF* we don’t take steps to make our border less porous. Let’s revisit this conversation when there’s an actual 25% tariffs on every Canadian export to the US. It’s just a negotiation strategy; a good one I might add — watch it work.

Originally Posted by Loco101

With Trump it's a lot of talk and not really about data and facts. Trump just wants to be able to brag and say that he got other countries to do things because he threatened them.

John Bolton thinks differently from you guys: https://x.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1861774191634043032

I think John Bolton knows Trump a bit more than you do...

And he's not isolated in thinking that this time Trump will really enforce all the things he says. Several US analysts with good credentials believe it.

But beyond that, I think the scariest thing is not whether Trump will actually enforce his threats, the scariest thing is you live in a country where, basically, all you can do is HOPE Trump will be lazy/vain and not enforce his threats. That's what I was alluding to the other day when I said I wouldn't be reassured if I lived in a country so close to such a (currently) unpredictable and formidable country as the US.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

John Bolton thinks differently from you guys: https://x.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1861774191634043032

I think John Bolton knows Trump a bit more than you do...

And he's not isolated in thinking that this time Trump will really enforce all the things he says. Several US analysts with good credentials believe it.

But beyond that, I think the scariest thing is not whether Trump will actually enforce his threats, the scariest thing is you live in a country where, basically, all you can do is HOPE Trump will be lazy/vain and not enforce his threats. That's what I was alluding to the other day when I said I wouldn't be reassured if I lived in a country so close to such a (currently) unpredictable and formidable country as the US.

It's not really due to our own brilliance or greatness, but there is a decent chance that we could get at least partly saved by a bit of reflection and analysis on the part of the Americans and Trump, who will eventually realize that high tariffs on Canadian products will penalize American consumers too.

[New Brisavoine]

French Twitter in hilarious mode today:
https://x.com/GeWoessner/status/1861834437706571816

Et sinon à Montréal ça va-t-y bien dans les embouteillages avec votre mairesse ?