Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

I'm actually a monarchist (yeap, there are a few % of French who are, although my view is the vast majority of French people are subconsciously monarchists who ignore they are, but that's another issue!).

What kind of psychologie de bistrot is this?

Do you think the French would pay a dime of taxes to nurse an aristocratic establishment whose relevance or helpfulness are questionable like the British have to?
I don't. There's more than enough wasted taxpayer money in France. If you added royals to the insane red tape that they have to fund, the French would go beyond upset, completely mad.

I'd rather stick to the republican principle of meritocracy, even though it often means excessive rivalry or competition between individuals.
There's no perfect system anyway.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

The GG is appointed by the King. If we had a truly facist PM who tried to fire the current GG to appoint a Yes man the soverign could step in. Because that is constitutioally valid it is possible the institutions (such as the military) would support that. Kind of rare far fetched but in theory the threat is there.

That never works in reality. The king of Italy didn't prevent Mussolini from seizing power. Emperor Hirohito did not prevent the Japanese military from seizing power.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by mousquet

There's more than enough wasted taxpayer money in France. If you added royals to the insane red tape that they have to fund, the French would go beyond upset, completely mad.

I'd rather stick to the republican principle of meritocracy, even though it often means excessive rivalry or competition between individuals.
There's no perfect system anyway.

The Spanish monarchy costs less money to taxpayers than most elected heads of states. Ditto for the Scandinavian monarchies. The British monarchy is a bit more costly, but still less so than the French presidency.

Anyway. 150 years of brainwashing by French Republican schools. Your post is totally unsurprising, and I won't even try to change your mind. If the restoration of monarchy in 1873 had been successful, you'd probably be like the forumers in here trying to defend and justify the monarchy. People have a way to justify what they've always known (be it republic of monarchy in that case). Psychologists must have a word for it.

[mousquet]

^ Ouais... I was schooled in Catholic education from grade 1 to 9 where some teachers wouldn't be so harsh towards old monarchy.
I just don't see the point of moving back then. What positive would it bring to us? That's the only question.

Effective monarchs are something rare in History... What's your ideal? Louis IX or Louis XIV?
I bet you'd like a megalomaniac freak like the latter.

[MonctonRad]

Discuss.

[MolsonExport]

discuter

[MonctonRad]

[Nashe]

Who would be Salacious B. Crumb?

[MonctonRad]

Jacques Parizeau obviously.

The only difference is that Salacious cackles while Jacques chortles (with glee).

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Nashe

Who would be Salacious B. Crumb?

Louise Beaudoin?

I recall bumping into her (literally) and her minions on Bernard Avenue (Outremont) back in the late 90s. We had an amiable short chat.

Worse, once during a windy, snowy evening I was running (with my head down to avoid the biting, icy snowflakes) for a bus, outside of the Montreal (Pepsi) Forum. I barrelled right into Céline Dion and René Angélil, with considerable force. Apologies were extended, and they were quite agreeable.

[MonctonRad]

Quebec's tuition hike triggers financial strain for English universities as enrolment drops
Concordia University reports a 28% drop in out-of-province student registrations
Isaac Olson · CBC News · Posted: Aug 28, 2024 7:25 PM ADT | Last Updated: August 28
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...ties-1.7307601

The Quebec governments nefarious plan is working like clockwork. The fewer anglophones the better.

[MolsonExport]

Such a shame. Concordia already struggles to bring itself up in a city where you have the UdeM/HEC and McGill. Sadly, weakening anglo universities (in an era when knowledge is of paramount importance) is perceived as a winning strategy for the Nationalists. Nothing like beating on the old Anglo Boogeyman (or should I say, Fat English Saleslady at Eaton's?).

Bishop's will soon be on the ropes.

[MonctonRad]

The "final solution" is no doubt to shutter Concordia and Bishops and convert McGill to a French university (or, at least nominally bilingual).

[MolsonExport]

In the 60s there was a movement labeled "Operation McGill français!", which, as its remit, was to convert McGill into a French university.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operat..._fran%C3%A7ais

Bear in mind this was back in the days when all universities in Quebec, including Francophone ones, were privately-run. And consequently McGill was not particularly inviting to francophones.

Thankfully, there were better ways of righting this wrong, than having the draconian solution of making McGill French, at a time when the scholars of what was Canada's leading university would have found their positions untenable.

Today, McGill University continues to be one of three English universities in Quebec. However, today the student body is approximately 20.3% Francophone.[32] This is a significant increase over the Francophone student body during the Quiet Revolution that consisted of approximately 3%. Students now have the opportunity to write any work in English or French even though the language of instruction continues to be predominantly in English.

I know this, as I graded many exams and papers in French (a few theses too) at both McGill and especially, Concordia (I taught at both these places, as well as at HEC).

Somewhat ironically in relation to what is happening today, it was the sentiment behind this movement that led to the creation of Concordia University (a forced merger of two Anglo institutions, the Jesuit-run Loyola college, and the humble (created by the YMCA) university that largely catered to those working students (like my father) seeking part-time university studies, Sir George Williams).

Also to be fair in reporting political issues affecting university education, Doogie Ford cancelled funding for the establishment of a French-language university in Sudbury.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Thankfully, there were better ways of righting this wrong, than having the draconian solution of making McGill French, at a time when the scholars of what was Canada's leading university would have found their positions untenable.

I doubt the current provincial leadership is particularly interested in seeing McGill remain one of the world's premiere research universities either. This would go against the intents of the "project."

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

discuter

Discutez, qu'il dit...
Ridiculous.
The dude is almost trying to sound like my old math teachers that would suggest a problem to us.
Fais-le en français, alors, since you've been such a Montreal man.

Aren't you supposed to be a wise academic? Frankly, your outdated Star Wars memes make no one but you laugh.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by mousquet

Discutez, qu'il dit...
Ridiculous.
The dude is almost trying to sound like my old math teachers that would suggest a problem to us.
Fais-le en français, alors, since you've been such a Montreal man.

Aren't you supposed to be a wise academic? Frankly, your outdated Star Wars memes make no one but you laugh.

Hey mousquet, when do we get to call you out on your occupation? Frankly, I am fucking sick of you people constantly bringing this up. You think I come on SSP to be professorial? For fucks sake, I am just having a bit of fun, and taking a bit of space (as a native-born son of Quebec, unlike yourself and New Brisavoine).

Phoque, estie de tabernac, colin de bin.
À quoi sert le SSP si nous ne pouvons pas nous amuser un peu ? Et pourquoi agissez-vous comme si vous aviez été personnellement insulté ?

I made somebody laugh

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

[harls]

...I was going to say Valérie Plante for Salacious Crumb..

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by mousquet

Discutez, qu'il dit...
Ridiculous.
The dude is almost trying to sound like my old math teachers that would suggest a problem to us.
Fais-le en français, alors, since you've been such a Montreal man.

Aren't you supposed to be a wise academic? Frankly, your outdated Star Wars memes make no one but you laugh.

And just what have you contributed to this thread?

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

In the 60s there was a movement labeled "Operation McGill français!", which, as its remit, was to convert McGill into a French university.

The Flemish nationalist parties turned the University of Louvain (previously the oldest and largest French-speaking university of Belgium) into a Dutch-speaking university, and expelled all its French-speaking students (with violent demos) in the 1960s, French-speaking students who had to seek refuge in Wallonia where the Université de Louvain-la-Neuve was founded for the expelled French-speaking students.

So, when are you going to denounce the Flemish authorities?

By the way, they did the same at the University of Ghent, which was Dutchified entirely (not a single class in French today).

The demos in the 1960s:

("Louvain is Flemish")


("Walen" = French-speaking students)


I wonder how you would react if Québécois parties demonstrated in the streets of Montréal with signs saying "Les Anglos retournez chez vous", "Montréal est française", to protest against McGill being an English-speaking university...