The Parti Quebecois are deceivers. A party that would nicely in the
Malebolge.
On their senseless and petulant path to nowhere, they play with our savings; our future...our
lives.
They do so with a puzzling mix of political candidates from Pierre-Karl Peladeau to the leaders of the student protests. The same student movement that received a nice dildo up the ass courtesy of the PQ when it got elected.
What a mix for Quebec's future! Yeah, let's hitch that ride to independence to them. Free shit for all!
Yeesh.
Anyway.
Everything Marois says about the economy and what would happen after the declaration of independence is a ruse. Each time she steps up to a microphone and delivers one of her soliloquy's she reminds me more and more of Travis Bickle given she's basically talking to a mirror.
It's deceptive theater because she damn well knows she has no idea how Canada will react. To presume to do so and go public with it is an outrageous example of her petty irresponsibility; of her and her party's outright disregard for truth. She also knows the majority of Quebecers don't want to leave Canada (which is why the PQ became infamous for their deliberately and pathetic confusing referendum question that gave birth to the Clarity Act. Next time, act like adults and treat citizens like adults and Ottawa won't feel compelled to spank us).
So it's a good tactic to obfuscate.
The arrogance of assuming the rest of Canada will play ball with Quebec's demands is asinine as it is retarded.
There are
no guarantees. That's a basic axiom of life. And more so in politics where all of man's most notorious vices reside. Promises and alliances are broken all the time.
No one knows what will happen but if I were to guess it would go along the lines of something like this:
Finally rid of Quebec, the rest of Canada will be free to act as it sees fit to serve their
own interests. Not only Quebec has a 'will' after all.
Quebec nationalists like to presume what Canada will do using rational-speak (which is empty jargon in reality) but they be wrong for they conduct diplomacy through their own jealous prisms. One of the key ways to know if you possess diplomatic skills is to be able to know what your opponents want and delivering a deal that pleases both sides. So far, the PQ aren't displaying a knack for the art of diplomacy.
Instead, we get unilateral declarations of 'there will be no borders.'
What does that mean? How does she know? What if Ontario gets up one morning in a foul mood still peeved that Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes and decides to put in a border...with tolls!
We don't know.
Canada will likely, naturally, feel scorned and will be in no mood to negotiate. Quebec's position is 'well, they don't want to face turmoil so they will have to talk to us.' Once again, displaying a narcissistic take on things. In their minds, they break shit up but it's the others that will pick up the pieces.
It's possible Canada will not hand over the national currency built over centuries commanding international trust and American acceptance to a bunch of renegade reprobates. Yes, it's possible to enter a monetary union or even create a Quebec dollar but what will be the costs? And how long will the population be willing to sustain that cost until Quebec stabilizes - if at all? How do we know Canada won't conduct its own series of referendums on what to do about Quebec?
Alberta's prominence within a Canadian federation will increase. Suddenly the power structure will tip even further towards the Pacific. It will definitely agitate to not negotiate with Quebec. British Columbia and the Prairie provinces will fall in line with Alberta.
This leaves Ontario - the nation's most powerful entity. Bordering Quebec, Ontario will also have to consider the fate of the Atlantic provinces. Each of these provinces will balance geographical realism and how it relates to Quebec as well as its desired allegiance to Canada. I believe the will of these Canadians will be such that it remains loyal to Canada thus ultimately leaving Quebec alone.
Not only that, the Atlantic provinces, as been murmured in the past, can always ask for annexation to the New England states.
In a sea of "30 million anglos.' With one major difference. Those '30 million anglos' who helped form Canada thus preserving Canadian leverage against American hegemony will be lost. The fear of being swallowed by '300 million English speaking peoples' suddenly becomes, well, real.
All this to say, if anything, Canada will likely be in a better position to dictate the terms.
If you think this is not complicated enough wait until what can happen
inside Quebec.
If Canada is divisible, then so can, the thinking goes, Quebec. If Quebec thinks it to be legitimate to break up Canada - a nation they willingly entered, then the sanctity of Quebec's borders are even more in dispute. Enter the Natives - Mohawks and Cree in particular - who have made clear under no certain terms would they go along with a separate Quebec.
Neither will Montreal.
There will be push back and unless Quebec uses coercion and force (certainly not the Canadian military or the RCMP, leaving the Surete du Quebec to handle this? I don't think the Natives are too worried about the SQ who aren't even trained for such events) to suppress unrest, I'm not entirely sure how it will deal with it.
Any currency of good will is already long spent. The Parti Quebecois are not a respected entity among non-Francophones. Would they even be recognized? If they came to our table there's little chance we'd trust them. They've never exhibited any respect for our side, so why should we listen?
The legalities of this will be fiercely argued I'm sure, but people who vote for the PQ should take into account nothing should be taken for granted. Never assume because your actions will piss people off. And lemme tell ya, Marois and her sockpuppet Lisee are pushing all the wrong buttons.
All a pity really.
Quebec has carved itself a nice, unique way of life. We all know it's a different place. But it is not distinct enough to demand a nation. They are different within this nation of Canada. It's different meant in the most respectful way. We are Canadian and the contribution of Quebec to Canada is immeasurable. It raises valid questions about many issues that face us as a nation. It is to our advantage we have a view from all sides coast to coast.
Quebec already operates in the most decentralized Federal state on the planet. It has nothing to gain to agitate anymore. It would be better served to serve its citizens on subjects and issues that matter.
We achieved this within the CANADIAN CONFEDERATION.
Alas, this is my view; a product of my own personal bias.
Nonetheless, it is predicated on the perception that considers nationalism (in all countries) as a malignant actor in the democratic process. It dismisses the hues and cries of self-victimhood and refutes deceptive rhetoric designed to attack our tribal senses.
Oh.
And based on the fact that I think the PQ are fucking liars.
*****
From
No Dogs Or Anglophones. I copy in full Castonguay's article on a Quebec currency in La Presse (original text in
French here. I love reading it in French):
Currency
is an important symbol a people's identity. An independent Quebec
should have its own currency, a Quebec dollar. With the prospect of a
referendum, it is important to analyze the effects entailed with
replacing the Canadian dollar by a Quebec dollar.
The Quebec
dollar value and stability are the two main issues. The value of a
currency is related to the strength of the economy, public finances and
the debt of a country. But the value and stability of a currency depends
on the level of trust that citizens, investors and speculators place in
that currency.
Given these factors, a new Quebec dollar would
inevitably have a lower value than the U.S. and Canadian dollars.
Currently, the Canadian dollar is worth 90 cents against the U.S.
dollar, analysts consider this difference as justified. Similarly, we
can assume that the value of a new Quebec dollar would be about 85 cents
against the Canadian dollar and 75 cents against the U.S. dollar.
During
the changeover, Quebecers would have their savings and assets decline
by around 15 %. Before such an eventuality, Quebecers would probably
take all possible measures to prevent the devaluation of their savings
and their assets. They would move away their assets outside of Quebec
into U.S. dollars. This would add to the instability of the new currency
and would lead to a further decline in its value.
In other
words, should Quebec make a declaration of independence, it would have
no choice but to keep the Canadian dollar. This is what the Parti
Québécois recognized on the eve of the 1995 referendum . The use of the
Canadian dollar would normally require the conclusion of a monetary
union between the newly independent Quebec and Canada, divided by the
departure of Quebec. The conclusion of such an agreement would be highly
problematic.
We would see this in Britain if the Scots vote in
September for their independence. The British Chancellor of the
Exchequer warned them they could not keep the pound, the British public
would not accept it. It is clear that the Canadian Prime Minister would
be in the same situation in the event of a vote for Quebec
independence.
Quebec would thus have no choice but to continue to
use the Canadian dollar , however, without the benefit of the
protection of a monetary union. That is to say that monetary policy
would be established by the Bank of Canada strictly according to the
situation in the rest of Canada.
Twenty years ago, Argentina had
embarked on this path. It allowed its citizens to exchange, according to
a predetermined exchange rate their pesos against the U.S. dollar .
Argentines rushed to exchange their pesos for U.S. dollars and move it
out of the country, which led to the fall in the value of the peso and a
real crisis.
We conclude that in the event of Quebec
independence, it would be necessary to negotiate in a hostile
environment, an agreement to eventually return to the bosom of the Bank
of Canada under conditions less favorable than those currently
prevailing.
In the current electoral context, some issues may
possibly be carried forward to an eventual White Paper on sovereignty.
This is not the case for the currency issue. Voters are entitled to
know, before exercising their voting intentions what the Parti
Québécois' currency policy will be in an independent Quebec.
But apparently Pauline has other ideas.
"A sovereign Quebec would use the Canadian dollar and request a seat
on the Bank of Canada’s decision-making body, Parti Québécois Leader
Pauline Marois said Wednesday on the campaign trail.
The PQ Leader
pointed to several studies on the matter conducted in the early 1990s
which showed that there would be no obstacles for an independent Quebec
to using the Canadian dollar. However, getting a seat on the Bank of
Canada’s Governing Council would be more difficult.
“Obviously we may wish to get a seat at the Bank of Canada but we would accept the Canadian monetary policies,” Ms. Marois said.
Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard said Ms. Marois is living in a dream world.
“The
PQ always tries to take us to an imaginary world, Alice in Wonderland,
where everything is going to be so great. No borders, no passport, it’s
fantastic. Everybody’s going to be great friends,” said Mr. Couillard. Link
