439 replies to this topic

[wonko the sane?]

So... by and large things have been "calm" in the asylum. They tend to be when liberals get in. Not a lot will change, as they don't dare make any real progress in fear of losing the french voter base.

 

But, they went and did this.

 

http://nationalpost....e-cabinet-today

 

Now: understand. We currently have a fixed election cycle. Which means that they are campaigning, and quite blatantly pandering to anglophones. Just like them dumping the budget surplus back into provincial services after the 3 years of austerity they imposed. Surprise: the numbers still add up to a net loss on services, as they will not get back what they would have had if they kept the funding stable year to year. But back to the point at hand.

 

There is finally a minister in the government whose sole job will be to... I have no hugging clue. But supposedly, she will do it in english. Yeah, sure, right. I believe you.

 

So, here's my estimated time line for the secretariat of anglophones:

 

-Created for the end of 2017.

-Start work january 2018

-Couillard and his liberals voted out of office in 2018

-Current controlling seperation based party (Cause that's literally the only option in quebec provincial politics. 3 parties whose eventual mandate call for the seperation of quebec from canada, and the liberals.) kill their funding for the new fiscal year.

-Department lasts for just over 1 fiscal year, and seperation party looks better to francophone voters by both ending english services, AND claiming they are capable of reducing government waste and bloat.

 

Let's just skip the fact that this is obvious election pandering. Even IF couillard actually means all that shyte he spouts about wanting anglophones to come back to quebec (Hint: they won't.) adding another layer of government to an already over regulated and under supervised public service isn't the way to go about it. Of course, they won't touch the language laws, or the OQLF, or even make a good show of solidarity by making all government output in both actual languages. It's pretty much doomed to failure, as the second the liberals are no longer in power (which is my prediction for the coming election: CAQ this time.) the department will be shuttered. And even if it has some longevity in it: it still won't be able to get anything done as there are far too many peoples and departments in the government who absolutely do not care if the english do not have access to basic mandated rights and services. The last 40 years have been an exercise in driving people out in quebec, and since neither the laws (which actually allow the french to be biased against the english.) nor the culture have changed: this won't be any different.

 

I felt a need to start a new thread as watching the news of late has been driving me CRAZY! The liberals are outright pandering to the population after years of bad ideas, budget cuts and that fat bastard gaetan barret. More: anyone with any memory at all will see that all they've done is literally back track on statements and positions they've made since they were elected in an effort to simply make themselves look more electable. Not like we have to look very far, they've only had the one term so far.

[Rhinox]

In my year working the job I have, Control officer in a Max prison facility, I've learned something.    There is nothing, NOTHING, more frustrating than watching people fall for the dumbest, most obvious, most blatant schemes that others throw out.  I spend so much of my time on the radio telling officers, "no, you're being played, I need you to frikken stop it."  

 

I see the same in politics.  Whether it's the pandering here or the shit the GOP continually throws out here in 'Murica.  It's the same people falling for the same stupid shit over and over and it's just galling.  

[Pocket]

In my year working the job I have, Control officer in a Max prison facility, I've learned something.    There is nothing, NOTHING, more frustrating than watching people fall for the dumbest, most obvious, most blatant schemes that others throw out.  I spend so much of my time on the radio telling officers, "no, you're being played, I need you to frikken stop it."

 

...Well. That's not terrifying at all.

[TM2-Megatron]

Lots of election pandering going on in Ontario, too. As the country's most hated Premier, Kathleen Wynne has a lot of sucking up to do. With each election, however, less and less people seem to be falling for it and fewer want anything to do with any of these parties. In the end, the only people left participating will be shameless partisan shills.

 

As far as I'm concerned choosing between Liberal, NDP and Conservative is no different than choosing between Bell, Telus and Rogers. All are amoral, and whichever way it goes you're going to end up losing. If either the Liberals or NDP were true progressives things might be different; but they have no interest in changing the status quo of this country's Corpocracy. What's offensive to me is that they'll lie outright about wanting to help the middle-class, indigenous peoples, and other causes... but in the end it amounts to nothing.

 

If you owe the CRA $10 they'll be knocking your door down in short order to collect it, not to mention subjecting future returns to higher levels of scrutiny for years after. But when you're connected to millions in offshore tax evasion schemes it's enough to just be Trudeau's buddy, he'll publicly announce that he's "satisfied" with your explanation, and that'll be that. Hug all of them.

Edited by TM2-Megatron, 25 November 2017 - 02:40 PM.

[KidTDragon]

In my year working the job I have, Control officer in a Max prison facility, I've learned something.    There is nothing, NOTHING, more frustrating than watching people fall for the dumbest, most obvious, most blatant schemes that others throw out.  I spend so much of my time on the radio telling officers, "no, you're being played, I need you to frikken stop it." 

 

"But what if the inmate does have a unicorn in his cell? I really wanna see!"

[Rhinox]

 

In my year working the job I have, Control officer in a Max prison facility, I've learned something.    There is nothing, NOTHING, more frustrating than watching people fall for the dumbest, most obvious, most blatant schemes that others throw out.  I spend so much of my time on the radio telling officers, "no, you're being played, I need you to frikken stop it." 

 

"But what if the inmate does have a unicorn in his cell? I really wanna see!"

 

so close to reality, it actually hurts.

[Detour]

This is what's important to the PQ. hug infrastructure or healthcare or what-have-you, this is a motion they felt they needed to pass.

What even the hug.

http://www.ctvnews.c...eting-1.3701305

[wonko the sane?]

Yup. That's where we still are. Wasting time, wasting money, and passing this idiotic bullshit. And it's nice to see couillard in full form "We want the english to feel welcome here... so long as they don't speak english in public.".

 

This is why the CAQ will take the next election. Not by much, but they will take it.

[Nutjob R/T]

What a bunch of CAQs.

[Ironbite]

Its refreshing to see stupidity isn't limited to the US Government.

[wonko the sane?]

Yeah, but part of the problem with quebec is that quebecers are functionally just french americans... Which is frankly insulting to both groups.

 

So, normally, there's usually one thing on the morning news ticker and headlines which grabs my attention. This morning I was simply inundated with "quebec is a giant hugging suck hole". Let us begin, shall we?

 

First off: despite couillard begging folks to stay. They aren't.

https://globalnews.c...rest-of-canada/

Why? You might ask. Well, most of you won't, but I'll share anyway. The same stupid shit that has been driving away folks since the 70's. Language politics, high taxes and a refusal to admit to common sense in government. If you want the english, the allophones and even now the francophones to stay in quebec: Strike down the language laws, this will draw more businesses to the provinces, create more of the high paying jobs that the well educated people, whom are leaving, want. Which will allow everyone to make more money so you can lower the taxes, which is what everyone wants... except the government.

 

Next: Phillipe Pichet (current police chief for montreal.) will probably be stripped of his duties.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...tions-1.4434755

Now let's be honest here. He achieved... nothing. He only helmed the SPVM for five years, but in that time, he was unable to actually achieve anything in terms of meaningful change in police culture, and oversaw several tragedies at the hands of his officers. Nominally the killing and abuse of the homeless in montreal, as well as increasing and ongoing counts of racial discimination. Apparently and despite montreal adding traffic cams to the city: minorities still can't drive nice cars without getting pulled over.

 

More language bullshit: IGA in quebec (sobey's in the rest of canada.) still doesn't print english labels on it's on-sight packaged food.

https://globalnews.c...ed-food-at-iga/

I'mma rail at this like I rail at the street signs, like the french only messages in the montreal subway. This is a HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENT that this stuff be written in both official languages, arguably just as important here as it contains technical terms and those are often wantonly different from french to english.

 

And "les quebecois" still can't be trusted to build stuff. The new champlain bridge (a provincial/federal venture.) is apparently so full of construction defects it's scary.

https://globalnews.c...-bridge-report/

See: I knew they were going to hug it up. I knew it was going to be late, and over budget. When it's a civil project it always is. This time, it will be late, over budget and so badly done that it might not outlive the original champlain bridge.

 

And finally, finally: we now know what the anglo minister in quebec is for. Apparently she's for sucking couillards cock.

http://montreal.ctvn...stood-1.3708627

So... one of the first actions of the minister of anglophones is to justify a petty (and meaningless.) motion from the provincial legislature banning montreal's merchants from saying "bonjour/hi". Now, it's not a law, so it's got no teeth... other than the OQLF which will enforce it like a law, and a surprising number of incredibly petty and mean spirited french whom live in montreal. For those who don't know: "Bonjour/hi" is the basic, standard, defacto greeting from store clerks in montreal because montreal makes a lot of it's money off tourism and saying both gives the greeted individual the chance to CHOOSE the language they wished to be served in. It's needed. Now, a bunch of frenchies got their panties in a bunch when they saw a report saying there's less french in the work place of late, and wasted everyone's time and money passing a motion banning the saying. Because the french language needs to be protected in quebec. This less than a month after couillard pleaded the english to come back to quebec because they are welcome here.

 

So yeah... long morning. Got something of a head ache now... I need to stop watching the news.

[Pocket]

It's not even real French. Saying it "needs to be protected" is like an American getting up in a dander over "the Queen's English" getting corrupted by black people. Move back to France if you're finna be this way.

[Nutjob R/T]

Seriously, the Quebec 'Special Identity' is Special like it needs a bicycle helmet at all times and France keeps talking about what a little trooper it is

Seriously if I wanna bitch about Quebec, there's a truckstop at St Jean Port Joli that's actively creating blind potholes so they can get kickbacks from the towing crew down the road.

[wonko the sane?]

So hey: couillard did this.

 

http://montreal.ctvn...otion-1.3711710

 

Yeah, the entire provincial legislature fell for this trap. It was a unanimous vote in favour of the motion. Once again, we see couillard pandering to the voters and trying to get everyone behind him. Sadly, the province is fanctionalized enough that this can never happen. You literally cannot get the extremist french vote and still rely on the english in the cities. You cannot get the english to vote for you, and expect the pequists to as well.

 

Here's a thought Mr. Couillard. Instead of wasting everyone's time and money trying to secure your job next year: do your hugging job now! Good results now will do more to endear you to reasonable people into voting for you than all the pandering in the world. Oh wait: three hugging years of austerity and five of gaeten barrett means we weren't going to vote for you anyway.

[Anonymous X]

Quebec sounds to me in many ways like Northern Ireland, but the before (relative) peace. Divided along ethnic lines in an almost irreconcilable manner.

[wonko the sane?]

In a lot of ways, yeah. Did northern ireland's government ever push the idea that there wasn't actually a problem while simultaneously support a system which was designed to be biased against one side?

[Anonymous X]

In a lot of ways, yeah. Did northern ireland's government ever push the idea that there wasn't actually a problem while simultaneously support a system which was designed to be biased against one side?

Not exactly as far as I know of. But then again NI only got self-governance Powers as a result of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and its assembly is specifically designed to balance out the respective nationalist and unionist parties.

[wonko the sane?]

Got to watch the minister of anglophone relations (or whatever the hug her title is.) on the morning news program!

 

She talked alot and said nothing. When asked what her plans were, she side stepped entirely and continued talking about how she was visiting the anglo groups in the province and hearing about their issues.

 

The bitch is a literal gift to the seperation party that takes over. They'll kill her department and appeal to both the median ground french and the extremists.

[wonko the sane?]

So... this is a thing that happened in montreal.

 

https://montreal.ctv...ation-1.3772100

 

Long story short: three servers in a high end sports bar in downtown montreal were all fired, largely without notice (which is illegal in canada and quebec. Cause must be given.). All three were visible minorities. Apparently, the manager had a conversation with one of them claiming that if she had looked like the white waiters, there wouldn't be a problem.

 

Now the CRARR (center for research action on race relations. Montreals standing minority protector. I swear, their rep has been on the news so much in the last few years he should apply to the SAG.) will more than likely push the case and it'll go to court, where upon the manager of the restaurant will walk into the courtroom and have a faked list of complaints and infractions for each of them a mile long which they will not be able to disprove, or (and this is the worst case scenario.) he'll simply walk into court and say he fired them cause they were english: Where upon the OQLF will be finalizing his sainthood application before his demaurier burns out. Either way, he will walk out of court perfectly fine on this, it's legal to discriminate against the english for employment in quebec, and popular among the pequists to do.

 

I am not entirely jaded, just sick and tired. There are going to be small justices here. Any way this plays out: dude made the news, he's fired. He'll never work in montreal again. Not saying much, but still. He'll get an offer for another position in some larger town in the regions, or even in quebec city. He won't be fired because he's a racist, or because he's a pur laine quebecois, or any reason he SHOULD be fired for, but because he got caught. It'll have to be enough for now.

Edited by wonko the sane?, 23 January 2018 - 07:02 PM.

[wonko the sane?]

And I just heard: the liberals are now going to add 1300 nurses to the provincial health system, because one of the major problems in quebec health is the sheer volume of work and no one to actually do it.

 

Allow me to remind everyone of the three straight years of massive budget cuts the couillard liberals imposed, gaetan barett okayed and implemented. The system was hugged up when they got in, but they definitively made it WORSE, and slapping a band-aid on it time for elections should NOT be stood for.