[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Jacob]

I found it funny that the Western separatist have basically the same grievance from the same point of view just from the other side of the tunnels.

Western separatists are a bunch of idiots. I have more time for Quebecois sovereigntists et. al. than I do for Western separatists.

[Neil]

I found it funny that the Western separatist have basically the same grievance from the same point of view just from the other side of the tunnels.

Western separatists are a bunch of idiots. I have more time for Quebecois sovereigntists et. al. than I do for Western separatists.

Racist.

[Maximus]

Western separatists are a bunch of idiots. I have more time for Quebecois sovereigntists et. al. than I do for Western separatists.

Why is that?

[Jacob]

Why is that?

Context.

Quebecois sovereigntism is grounded in a history of being treated as second class citizen, as well as genuine and significant linguistic and cultural differences. That seems to be a better basis for a separatist movement than whatever petulant crankery gets served up by Western separatists.

Then there's the fact that Quebecois sovereigntists speak for a larger proportion of the population they purport to represent, which gives them more weight than Western Separatists who are primarily a handful of Albertans deciding to speak for the Prairie provinces and BC.

That said, I'm in favour of Canada staying in one piece.

[Barrister]

I found it funny that the Western separatist have basically the same grievance from the same point of view just from the other side of the tunnels.

Western separatists are a bunch of idiots. I have more time for Quebecois sovereigntists et. al. than I do for Western separatists.

I had a lot of sympathy for western separatists.  You should come to Alberta and talk to old-timers about the NEP.  Things were bad, very bad.

Of course that was 30 years ago.  Anyone advocating for western separatism right now is just being silly.

[crazy canuck]

I found it funny that the Western separatist have basically the same grievance from the same point of view just from the other side of the tunnels.

Western separatists are a bunch of idiots. I have more time for Quebecois sovereigntists et. al. than I do for Western separatists.

Agreed.

[Valmy]

You should come to Alberta and talk to old-timers about the NEP.  Things were bad, very bad.

The Russian Civil War was a pretty bad time alright.

[crazy canuck]

Western separatists are a bunch of idiots. I have more time for Quebecois sovereigntists et. al. than I do for Western separatists.

Why is that?

Most western separatist types are racist morons.

[Barrister]

Why is that?

Context.

Quebecois sovereigntism is grounded in a history of being treated as second class citizen, as well as genuine and significant linguistic and cultural differences. That seems to be a better basis for a separatist movement than whatever petulant crankery gets served up by Western separatists.

Then there's the fact that Quebecois sovereigntists speak for a larger proportion of the population they purport to represent, which gives them more weight than Western Separatists who are primarily a handful of Albertans deciding to speak for the Prairie provinces and BC.

That said, I'm in favour of Canada staying in one piece.

But there is a history of the west being treated, at least economically, as second class citizens.  The NRTA, NEP, the Wheat Board.  In general most economic decisions made in Ottawa were to the benefit of central canadian manufacturing centre, and to the detriment of the western canadian resource sector.

[Jacob]

But there is a history of the west being treated, at least economically, as second class citizens.  The NRTA, NEP, the Wheat Board.  In general most economic decisions made in Ottawa were to the benefit of central canadian manufacturing centre, and to the detriment of the western canadian resource sector.

Doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

[crazy canuck]

Why is that?

Context.

Quebecois sovereigntism is grounded in a history of being treated as second class citizen, as well as genuine and significant linguistic and cultural differences. That seems to be a better basis for a separatist movement than whatever petulant crankery gets served up by Western separatists.

Then there's the fact that Quebecois sovereigntists speak for a larger proportion of the population they purport to represent, which gives them more weight than Western Separatists who are primarily a handful of Albertans deciding to speak for the Prairie provinces and BC.

That said, I'm in favour of Canada staying in one piece.

But there is a history of the west being treated, at least economically, as second class citizens.  The NRTA, NEP, the Wheat Board.  In general most economic decisions made in Ottawa were to the benefit of central canadian manufacturing centre, and to the detriment of the western canadian resource sector.

You are talking about policies that had limited duration and arguably had benefits for the West as well.  It is in no way similar to the historical roots of the separatist movement in Quebec.

[Neil]

But there is a history of the west being treated, at least economically, as second class citizens.  The NRTA, NEP, the Wheat Board.  In general most economic decisions made in Ottawa were to the benefit of central canadian manufacturing centre, and to the detriment of the western canadian resource sector.

Doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

Which is why separatism is at low tide right now.

[Barrister]

But there is a history of the west being treated, at least economically, as second class citizens.  The NRTA, NEP, the Wheat Board.  In general most economic decisions made in Ottawa were to the benefit of central canadian manufacturing centre, and to the detriment of the western canadian resource sector.

Doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

Hence the word "history".

But yes this has changed.  The West seems ascendant now in Canada.  Policy decisions are now being made with the resource industries in mind, as manufacturing is a smaller and smaller part of our economic base.

[Maximus]

Context.

Quebecois sovereigntism is grounded in a history of being treated as second class citizen, as well as genuine and significant linguistic and cultural differences. That seems to be a better basis for a separatist movement than whatever petulant crankery gets served up by Western separatists.

Then there's the fact that Quebecois sovereigntists speak for a larger proportion of the population they purport to represent, which gives them more weight than Western Separatists who are primarily a handful of Albertans deciding to speak for the Prairie provinces and BC.

That said, I'm in favour of Canada staying in one piece.

Well, each to their own I guess. One arbitrary list of approved grievances is as good as another.

[Jacob]

One arbitrary list of approved grievances is as good as another.

Well if you arbitrarily declare them arbitrary, then yeah I guess...