The Occasional Solipsist

I came across a great article online tonight written in '94, just after the PQ's rise to power in Quebec. The article deals mainly with the economic and political logistics of Quebec actually separating from Canada, and from my view in the cheap seats, I can't see how things would play out any differently now.

First of all, I am 100% against Quebec separating, and truth be told I am also 100% against the current handling of the 'Quebec situation'. I am all about equality, believing that no Canadian has rights or privileges that supercede that of any other; and having a federal mandate where an entire province is given special consideration over the rest of the country is tantamount to state-sponored racism as far as I'm concerned.

Put a different way, treating Quebeckers like the favourite child really burns my ass.

Here's a taste of how this particular individual believes separation would really play out (and I'll give you a hint, its not the way the Bloc would have you believe things would go down):

The study of the viability of an independent Quebec has developed into a cottage industry in Canada. It is generally accepted that in the long run, an independent Quebec would be a viable economic entity, well-off by world standards, indeed as successful as most small European countries. Most of the problems lie with the transition from a province of Canada to an independent country. Contrary to the rosy scenario of the PQ Bloc, the process leading to the break-up is likely to be messy, although non-violent. Furthermore, the transition would entail major costs. Indeed, both the messiness of the break-up and the transition costs are so large that it makes Quebec independence very unlikely even if a majority of Quebeckers were to vote yes to separation.

Full article here. It makes for an interesting read, and is still just as viable an argument 10 years after the fact.

Labels: politics, rants