"canada is too big to fail" o rly

[beemo]

It takes a century and a half of political imagination, heroic toil and, to be sure, great geopolitical luck to build a country like Canada. It takes but a year or two of hubris, lassitude and ignorance for the whole thing to be lost.

There is today in Canada a dangerous line of argument that must be checked by all thinking citizens: It holds that

Comments

[beemo]

depends on how long stephen harper sticks around for, and being a robot, he is probably immortal.

[effervescent]

That's a really depressing thought, so I hope not. We have radically different political systems.

[romp]

thank you! that idea made me very sad

[layweed]

I agree with you about the China getting all up in Canada's business. Trying to relate current (and past) Chinese territorial aggression and ambition in the South China Sea to some future "China gets all up in Canada's face" is...reaching.

As someone who doesn't follow Canadian politics, is Quebec independence something that is consistently in the news? I remember it being such a huge issue in the past (90s, early 00s possibly? idr) that it even made international news, but it doesn't seem to be lately.

[morningapproach]

It isn't at the forefront of Canadian consciousness, but I would say that it is a pretty consistent background hum of political consciousness. I always feel aware of the fact that Quebec sees itself as a very separate and distinct political entity, and a least where I am from it has created a rift in the general attitudes towards the québécois.

[layweed]

Yeah, I get the impression that it's always in the background, but it doesn't seem like it's gotten to the point where it was like the 1995 referendum.

[blondebeaker]

Not really, and I watch and read a lot of freaking news.

(Tbh, I don't think Que will separate ever. They are so deep in debt they will sink the moment they do sadly and they kinda like the shiny 7.3 billion they get in equalization payments.)

[morningapproach]

Is there a source? I want to read this over in greater depth later.

[beemo]

yup! sorry bout that

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1246954--canada-is-too-big-to-fail

[wisdomsawoman]

Well the emergence of parties like Québec Solidaire and Option Nationale seem to point to the contrary (about Québécois not being interested in sovereignty). Now it's pretty obvious those two parties won't get elected, but I do think it marks a shift in the (french) Québécois mentality.

[phyrexians]

My SO is Canadian (Nova Scotia) but I have a best friend who lives in Toronto now too. I am American, so sorry if I say anything way off base. The opinion I've gotten from the Canadians I hang around with (20 somethings) is just that Quebec doesn't "belong". I have no idea bout the economy, but I've had every Canadian I've met tell me basically "Oh yea quebec, the reason we have stupid french on everything."

[beemo]

nail, head, etc.

[romp]

yeah, it smells like a national myth