Path: utzoo!mnetor!philmtl!ncc!myrias!dbf
From: dbf@myrias.com (David Ferrier)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: Canada: one or two cultures?
Summary: correction to confused logic
Keywords: nationality, nationhood, history, current events
Message-ID: <617646953.17737@myrias.com>
Date: 28 Jul 89 16:35:51 GMT
References: <615662921.9256@myrias.uucp> <568@UALTAVM.BITNET> <604@philmtl.philips.ca> <89Jul19.104948edt.18727@me.utoronto.ca> <609@philmtl.philips.ca> <1989Jul24.085326.28706@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> <1989Jul24.220904.22318@tmsoft.uucp> <629@philmtl.philips.ca>
Distribution: can
Organization: Myrias Research Corporation
Lines: 36

In article <629@philmtl.philips.ca> tremblay@philmtl.philips.ca (Michel J. Tremblay) writes:

>When we (the French) came here and established ourself, there was no 
>problems. We [...review of early Canadian history deleted...]
>Although all these events and constraints are past, they have shaped 
>French-Canada to be what it is today. 
>For all these reasons, a lots of Que'bequois and French Canadians are not 
>proud of been Canadians and dont want to be Canadians.
>For us, going back to our country mean Independence of Que'bec, unless 
>Canada acknowledge the fact that we are not just 'yet an other culture' 
>in the English-speaking Canadian melting-pot but a Distinct Society with 
>more constitutional power.

You vastly overrate the potential impact of a group's historical origins, 
previous status, and cultural/national heritage on the course of 
present day-to-day political events. 

Just because the residents of Quebec province (or any 
political unit) had a certain origin or status in the past 
is not going to get them considered a separate 
nation today.  The North American Indian tribes certainly had nationhood
status at one time, but do not now, nor can ever hope to have. The
blacks in the United States (some of them anyway) can trace their
roots back to independant African states; they're not going to get
one now!

The mere existance of a strong and cohesive Quebec cultural national 
heritage is not going to bring about separate nationhood either.  
If it were otherwise, present-day descendants of emigrants from the
Ukraine would not still be vociferously campaigning to have the USSR
"free" "their" "country".
-- 
David Ferrier                            | computer: 
Edmonton, Alberta                        | a million morons
uunet!myrias.COM!dbf                     | working at the speed of light