Butch Cassidy

Looks like I did!!
Ok I apologise for saying UK Common Law in a previous post!!!
Will you forgive me Mr Souvenir Sir???

oceanMDX

The Quebeckers manage to continue to live almost exclusively in French in a very small part of Florida (Hollywood) whereas, the Albertans are spread out all over the SW and speak English. The Albertans are accepted by the locals, whereas the French Quebeckers are treated as outcasts in Florida.

http://www.sptimes.com/News/020901/S...el_chill.shtml


http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet...209/1202097575


It may be parochial, but this also makes the two (Quebec vs Alberta) more different and separate.

Souvenir

No need. You mentioned English law, which is correct. Others before you had been referring to UK law (I don't think such a thing exists, except perhaps in criminal matters).

Countries that have legal systems based on the British model, base their systems on English law, not Scottish law.

dbd33

Nonetheless, biligualism is a major feature of life. I think the need to speak two languages is a bigger cultural influence than the languages themselves.

Quebec doesn't have jurisdiction over these matters. We don't know what the laws would be if it did. That, however, is a difference, the whole matter of state's rights vs provinicial jurisdiction.

You're talking about Montreal. Rural Quebec, like rural anywhere else, is extremely conservative. Drive along the St. Lawrence, shiny well maintained churches and cathedrals everywhere. The fellow seems to be popular in Quebec :

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2...hur060124.html

would you accept him as representing the popular view from there ?


I dispute this but, since plastic is the more common medium of exchange, it's not a major factor.

Well that's staggeringly arcane. What difference does that make to everyday life ?


A few paragraphs back Texas was conservative, now it's supportive of military adventurism ? I don't think they're compatible.

I think Texas is very pro-military spending, the economy depends to a large degree on the feds (defense spending, space exploration) but I don't think the public there cares very much about the rest of the world. People in Quebec are aware there's a monde beyond North America as they have ties with foreign countries through a common language but I don't think people in Texas are particularly aware of anywhere beyond the US and Mexico. I bet your average toothless cajun doesn't even know that you can't shoot the fender in Canada.

dbd33

It seems to me that, if the difference between two places is that a minority of people from one stick together on vacation, while there's no similar minority from the other, then these places are more similar than they are different. It's hardly Wall Street brokers vs. nomadic herders.

oceanMDX

LOL!!! Just what province has supplied most of the Prime Ministers during the last 50 years?

Technically, you are correct that "Quebec" doesn't have jurisdiction over the criminal laws, but in practice you are quite wrong. This because Quebeckers have had more power/influence over the Federal Government of Canada than any other province by far.

A Canadian Prime Minister is essentially an elected politician with near dictatorial power - save for the jurisdiction of the courts. A Canadian PM is far more powerful in Canada than a President is within the US - that's another enormous difference.

No, I wasn't only talking about Montreal. I was referring to the Province of Quebec as a whole. Sure it has some conservative pockets, but on the whole, it's one of Canada's most liberal provinces.

That's a non sequitur since your statement doesn't support your argument. When an American (US dollar bank account) uses his credit card at a business in Canada, the charge is made in Canadian dollars. Then it is converted (at the relevant rate of exchange) into US dollars and charged to his credit card account. The point is the business in Canada is paid in Canadian dollars - not US $.


Texas is socially conservative, but neoconservative (there is a difference between the two) with respect to foreign policy. Bush and his gang are neoconservative. Huge budget deficits are hardly conservative, but they are very neoconservative.

oceanMDX

Have you never heard of the softwood lumber dispute????

dbd33

I thought elections were decided in Ontario. It's only when you get out past Detroit that votes, usually, don't matter.

If, however, we accept the idea that Quebec has made the laws for Canada for the past fifty years and we know that the rest of the provinces have not strenuously objected, then doesn't that say that the rest of Canada generally agrees with Quebec? Wouldn't that be because the rest of Canada isn't very different from Quebec?

Butch Cassidy

Ever heard of the french banning UK meat?

dbd33

Heard of it, yes. Affected by it, no. In any case, France and the UK continue to have trade disputes, acceptable banana curvature was one hotly debated issue. Cultural considerations, such as the way one takes one's banana, continue to govern behavior regardless of taxation treaties.

In examining the broad sweep of popular culture we may as well look at the acceptable wording of hire purchase agreements as tariff arrangements with neighbouring states.

MikeUK

This looks more and more to me like another case of a Canadian trying so hard to point out how different they are from the Americans,,

Whilst through European eyes they’ll always look so so similar…

Its just a matter of perspective

Butch Cassidy

and The residents of Nasau and The residents of Acapulco apparently

oceanMDX

LOL, nice try but you are wrong.

First, with respect to voting, Ontario has been torn between three political parties. French Quebeckers however, have tended to vote more as a block (pardon the pun) and increased their collective influence that why. They vote for whomever will pander to their demands regardless of what is best for the country as a whole. Ontarians don't like to vote in a way that may appear to alienate Quebec.

Secondly, the rest of Canada has largely kowtowed to Quebec during Federal elections to prevent them from separating. In other words, because Quebec sees itself as distinct (a separate nation within Canada) it has effectively blackmailed the other provinces under threat of separation to get more than its fair share of the say on how the country is run.

Bottom line: Quebec gets more influence because it is more distinct.

dbd33

I thought this was a very good summation of what I was originally trying to get at.

oceanMDX

Ever hear about how Ontario's Minister of Agriculture wanted to ban beef from Alberta (all in the same country)? Well he could have!