In an attempting to justify repressive and embarrassing language laws that infringe on civil liberties, people are applying what I think is a tu quoque fallacy.
For example, when the story of a 17 year old being told she could not speak English in a lunch room (right there any argument defending such a position should cease) of a grocery store (IGA owned by Sobey's) broke, apologists in sheep's clothing made sure to play 'on the other hand' with people who (rightly) took issue with this despicable situation. Apparently, this happens in Alberta too where French-Canadians are told to not speak French to each other.
Let's demolish this line of thinking.
1- Assuming we accept it, two wrongs don't make a right. Treating ANYONE that way is despicable. But here's the thing, in Alberta the Premier doesn't set an insecure narrative compelling people to jolt into vigilante action lecturing tax payers about what language to speak. Nor are there discriminatory language laws in Alberta or anywhere else.
2- "We need language laws to protect us!" As long as those laws - anyone? Bueller? - DOESN'T INFRINGE ON THE LIBERTIES OF OTHERS.
A better tactic is to A) protect it yourselves as a people and B) increase the birth rate to ensure long term demographics are in your favor. Alas, Quebec has one of the lowest in the West alongside places like Italy and Germany.
I didn't realize punitive action and suppressing one language group to prop another is 'protecting.' That's tyranny of the majority and it's valid in the world of civil liberties.
3- I've been out West and while Quebec-bashing does exist, it's not as widespread as blowhards on the radio claim. Quebec does a little of its own Canada (and America) bashing so...they cancel each other out. Both are moronic.
Again.
Quebecers conveniently overlook the fact that any acts of prejudice are not backed by that state in other provinces while in Quebec they are. Alberta does not have an OLF where citizens actively go out and harass other citizens backed by state discriminatory laws. There are de facto two-tier citizens here. A French-Canadian is not subjected to the same benign oppression anywhere on the continent we see in Quebec. He or she is free to open a store in Florida, Maine or Manitoba in their language of choice. The FREE-MARKET will determine if their language affects their bottom-line - which it won't.
People may complain about French but they can't do jack shit about. They can't fine a Quebecer for speaking French because, you know, that would be totalitarian and bat-shit crazy.
Quebec isn't alone when it comes to acting stupid about language. British Colombia has had its issues with people complaining about too many signs in Chinese in Vancouver. You know, speak white and all that.
In the U.S. conservatives are making noise about making English an official language down there. This is the ideology that claims to defend the Constitution and liberty. When it comes to their own issues they can be as tyrannical as progressives. Not quite as bad as progressives but they will push the state into coercive action.
4- Finally, if it were just restricted to English the argument would have a tad more weight to it. But it isn't. Quebec actively singles out ethnic words demanding store owners put up the French translation and too often they look like a bunch of ignorant fucking idiots in the process. For example, words like 'trattoria,' 'ristorante' and 'souvlaki' have all drawn the attention of the OLF.
Here, they are no different than xenophobic conservatives and race-obsessed progressives in the USA.
Find me an example where a bunch of dipshit bureaucrats roam the streets harassing and fining people for daring to express themselves in another language in Alberta backed by the government.
I dare you. Double dare you.
Is there an Alberta language police?
No there isn't.
5- Quebec likes to set the narrative by claiming what they do is in reaction to what happens in the rest of the country. Like insecure kids they scream "See! That's why we need Bill 14!" It's bull shit of course because right now, it's Quebec setting a reactionary tone in Canada; not the other way around.
And it happens here because it's the PQ's raison d'etre. They have NOTHING without riling up the populist base. They're not an intellectually driven party; they're a tribal collective one that happens to wear ties and skirts. They have no enlightened economic plans or policies and their social laws attempt to mirror Scandinavia with the added feature of excessive corruption.
Upon scrutiny such arguments made are laughable.
Quebec is alone on this one like they were with the turban ban and FIFA.
We're the only jurisdiction in Western culture with such asinine and archaic language laws.
As for Spanish, a language myopic and insecure nationalists just love I'm guessing they're aware it's the 3rd most spoken language in the world and a fast growing one in the U.S.
Are they connecting the dots? Will they ask Mexicans translate "fajitas" or "guacamole" into 'la langue de la majorite' in the not too distanced future?
Stay tuned!
Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.
***
On Canada Day best to add:
Quebec is blessed to be a part of Canada.
For example, when the story of a 17 year old being told she could not speak English in a lunch room (right there any argument defending such a position should cease) of a grocery store (IGA owned by Sobey's) broke, apologists in sheep's clothing made sure to play 'on the other hand' with people who (rightly) took issue with this despicable situation. Apparently, this happens in Alberta too where French-Canadians are told to not speak French to each other.
Let's demolish this line of thinking.
1- Assuming we accept it, two wrongs don't make a right. Treating ANYONE that way is despicable. But here's the thing, in Alberta the Premier doesn't set an insecure narrative compelling people to jolt into vigilante action lecturing tax payers about what language to speak. Nor are there discriminatory language laws in Alberta or anywhere else.
2- "We need language laws to protect us!" As long as those laws - anyone? Bueller? - DOESN'T INFRINGE ON THE LIBERTIES OF OTHERS.
A better tactic is to A) protect it yourselves as a people and B) increase the birth rate to ensure long term demographics are in your favor. Alas, Quebec has one of the lowest in the West alongside places like Italy and Germany.
I didn't realize punitive action and suppressing one language group to prop another is 'protecting.' That's tyranny of the majority and it's valid in the world of civil liberties.
3- I've been out West and while Quebec-bashing does exist, it's not as widespread as blowhards on the radio claim. Quebec does a little of its own Canada (and America) bashing so...they cancel each other out. Both are moronic.
Again.
Quebecers conveniently overlook the fact that any acts of prejudice are not backed by that state in other provinces while in Quebec they are. Alberta does not have an OLF where citizens actively go out and harass other citizens backed by state discriminatory laws. There are de facto two-tier citizens here. A French-Canadian is not subjected to the same benign oppression anywhere on the continent we see in Quebec. He or she is free to open a store in Florida, Maine or Manitoba in their language of choice. The FREE-MARKET will determine if their language affects their bottom-line - which it won't.
People may complain about French but they can't do jack shit about. They can't fine a Quebecer for speaking French because, you know, that would be totalitarian and bat-shit crazy.
Quebec isn't alone when it comes to acting stupid about language. British Colombia has had its issues with people complaining about too many signs in Chinese in Vancouver. You know, speak white and all that.
In the U.S. conservatives are making noise about making English an official language down there. This is the ideology that claims to defend the Constitution and liberty. When it comes to their own issues they can be as tyrannical as progressives. Not quite as bad as progressives but they will push the state into coercive action.
4- Finally, if it were just restricted to English the argument would have a tad more weight to it. But it isn't. Quebec actively singles out ethnic words demanding store owners put up the French translation and too often they look like a bunch of ignorant fucking idiots in the process. For example, words like 'trattoria,' 'ristorante' and 'souvlaki' have all drawn the attention of the OLF.
Here, they are no different than xenophobic conservatives and race-obsessed progressives in the USA.
Find me an example where a bunch of dipshit bureaucrats roam the streets harassing and fining people for daring to express themselves in another language in Alberta backed by the government.
I dare you. Double dare you.
Is there an Alberta language police?
No there isn't.
5- Quebec likes to set the narrative by claiming what they do is in reaction to what happens in the rest of the country. Like insecure kids they scream "See! That's why we need Bill 14!" It's bull shit of course because right now, it's Quebec setting a reactionary tone in Canada; not the other way around.
And it happens here because it's the PQ's raison d'etre. They have NOTHING without riling up the populist base. They're not an intellectually driven party; they're a tribal collective one that happens to wear ties and skirts. They have no enlightened economic plans or policies and their social laws attempt to mirror Scandinavia with the added feature of excessive corruption.
Upon scrutiny such arguments made are laughable.
Quebec is alone on this one like they were with the turban ban and FIFA.
We're the only jurisdiction in Western culture with such asinine and archaic language laws.
As for Spanish, a language myopic and insecure nationalists just love I'm guessing they're aware it's the 3rd most spoken language in the world and a fast growing one in the U.S.
Are they connecting the dots? Will they ask Mexicans translate "fajitas" or "guacamole" into 'la langue de la majorite' in the not too distanced future?
Stay tuned!
Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.
***
On Canada Day best to add:
Quebec is blessed to be a part of Canada.
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