Who Is The Most Reviled Person in Your Country's History?

[Jacob]

Amherst has made a comeback as most reviled, as the smallpox blankets episode is slowly trickling into historical imagination.

I am sure someone like Parizeau or Lévesque would count in English Canada.

Not even close on the last two, I don't think. Your murderers - like Drakkan's example - rate higher I think; and in Alberta Pierre Elliot Trudeau is more reviled than any separatist ever.

[Jacob]

in Quebec: James Wolfe, John George Lambton (1st Earl of Durham), Pierre-Elliot Trudeau.
In Canada: René Lévesque.

Both you and Oex mentioned levesque, and I don't know if it's just my age, but no one I know would echo that sentiment.

Yeah, I expect every single recent-ish prime minister - from Mulroney to the current Trudeau - will have more haters than any given Quebecois separatist has.

[Jacob]

How do Canadians consider rebellion leaders like Louis Riel or the Quebec rebels?  Romanticized? 


But Drakken is right; definitely the Ken and Barbie Murders.  Or Tie Domi.

Louis Riel is a simple criminal to them, while any Quebec seperatist is considered a demon.

I've actually seen Riel held up as a hero a fair bit, though perhaps only in some circles.

As for separatists most of the attitudes I see are either 1) "yeah I can sort of see their point but I hope we can keep it together"; 2) "why do they hate us so much"; or 3) "petulant children, they should stop complaining". While 3) is unpleasant, it is nowhere near considering separatists demons.

[The Minsky Moment]

Mulroney always seemed rather boring and non-descript, although perhaps it just seemed that way because he was Canadian.

[Barrister]

Mulroney always seemed rather boring and non-descript, although perhaps it just seemed that way because he was Canadian.

I'll always admire Mulroney for his brave stand in favour of Free Trade.

But other than that he was a disaster, and fairly corrupt to boot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_affair

[Rex Francorum]

Amherst has made a comeback as most reviled, as the smallpox blankets episode is slowly trickling into historical imagination.

I am sure someone like Parizeau or Lévesque would count in English Canada.

Or P.E. Trudeau for many Québécois.

[Oexmelin]

Both you and Oex mentioned levesque, and I don't know if it's just my age, but no one I know would echo that sentiment.

You are probably right about Lévesque, who has receded into the distance of time. Parizeau's recent death resuscitated some of the more nasty comments, and, as always, the sheer contrast between the hatred being expressed in some venues, and the general assessment in Quebec, made it stand out more. That being said, the recurrent casting of sovereignists leaders as nazis or fascists hint at a level of abhorrence that I am not sure Trudeau even got.

Is this on the same level as some criminals? Of course not. But revilement of criminals serve almost a ritualistic element, in which societies reaffirm their beliefs in certain core values and principles. As such, they are interesting, but the fact that they are not controversial does not make for a long discussion, and I doubt they truly leave a mark in "history", unless it's some high profile assassination. I am more interested in those that are controversial.

[Archy]

And a completely Belgian one. Marc Dutroux.

How 'bout Leon Degrelle?

Also but he's forgotten by most of our generation. Hitler's only useful Belgian.