Quebec & Nationalism

The issue present here was whether or not Quebec is its own nation and whether Quebec should act upon its new federal recognition. All perspectives agree that yes, Quebec is its own nation, but how will that this new resolution effect the opinions of the citizens and will it downgrade the importance of other minorities in Canada?
According to Stephen Harper, Quebec is definitely a nation. However, with this new concluded identity, the Quebecois have decided that the term "nation" and "separation" are synonymous. They were already recognized as a nation without the confirmation. This new desire to be known as a nation within Canada was another step in the hopes of Quebecois separating themselves. While the Prime Minister spoke of separation, the First Nations had alternative apprehensions. Clement Chartier suggests that Canada's diversity of distinct nations is important and strengthens Canada as a nation. There is nothing to be concerned about as long as the Constitution exists, protecting the rights of these collectives. Phil Fontaine stressed over the protection and importance of the First Nations. It was made sure that the actions in respect to the Quebecois does not negatively effect the status of the First Nations. They have similar rights to which the Quebecois also share.


Yes. Quebec should be considered a nation since they are able to develop their own distinct languages and culture. If the Metis and First Nations are able to be identified as distinct cultures and their own people within Canada, why shouldn't the French? They also have similar histories in participating in the inception of the country we know today as Canada. All these nations have contributed to the prosperity and well-being of Canada as a whole.

The people of Quebec have always been treated and and negotiated with on specific terms which were unalike to that of the comparison with other provinces and territories. Quebec was previously distinguished as a nation before it became official. The culture and way of life is different in relation to the rest of the Canadian provinces. Quebec fills the criteria of a nation perfectly.



Clement Chartier, president of the Metis National Council had said "We value Canada's diversity and believe that the recognition of distinct nations within Canada, such as the Quebecois and the Metis Nation, strengthens our bonds to Canada and to each other." The word 'diversity' was used in this context as to referral of nations who have been deemed nations within a nation and are recognized as distinct people within the Constitution. It refers to the nations within Canada who are able to alter their own laws and rules with exception to any which violate human rights. The diversity is that of the nations who are self-determined and who are able to have a government run mainly by their own people.

National Interests

National Interests and Foreign Policy Definitions


Definitions:

• National Interest
• Peacekeepers
• Peacemaking
• Policy
• Domestic policy
• Foreign Policy
• Gross Domestic Product

Peacekeeping Cartoon

 

The following cartoon depicts a UN officer in Darfur, Sudan; the area also seems to be abandoned of both people and animals. The caption says, “The UN security council AUTHORIZED the world’s largest PEACEKEEPING MISSION for DARFUR, aimed at ENDING the VIOLENCE in the troubled African region…BEFORE it got OUT of CONTROL.” The UN official is also expressing, “Well, it LOOKS like we got here just in time….” It seems as though the cartoon has a sarcastic tone which is mocking the UN’s claim that they basically saved Darfur from any real harm with their peacekeeping efforts when in reality 200 000 people had already been killed and 2 million were displaced of their homes. Clearly the two opposing sides that were conflicting already got to one another and a lot of blood was shed. This also contradicts the idea of them coming in to keep the peace when what really needs to be done is restore the peace along with the restoration of a people’s life. 

Foreign Policy Cartoon 

 

This political cartoon illustrates two Canadian soldiers strolling around Afghanistan reading a news article titled “Canada Debates Afghan Mission”. One soldier remarks, “What kind of country continuously questions itself during a time of war?” The other replies, “A democracy.” This leads us to question Canada’s presence in Afghanistan because of the long and dragged out duration of the war and the death toll, of not only Afghani people but also Canadian soldiers. This was a concern with the organization Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan which revolved around issues such as; the validity of Canada’s mission, the financial cost of the mission, the combat role of Canadian forces, and the relationship with the other forces operating in Afghanistan. Canadian politicians also disagree on how to resolve these issues. Jack Layton believed that a military role was “not the right mission for Canada.” He also said, “Canadians want a foreign policy rooted in fact, not fear, one that is uniquely independent, not ideologically imported. And one that leads the world into peace, not [one that] follows the US into wars.” I agree with his point of view unlike Michael Ignatieff who claims that Canada went into Afghan at the request of the Afghan people, or Stephen Harper who believes it is because of the past experiences of 9/11 that we as “humanity” need to save our fellow human beings from a life of poverty, brutality, and ignorance in today’s global village because their pain will in time become out pain too in some shape or form. The reason why I agree the most with Jack Layton is because I think that it’s not Canada’s rightful place to be in Afghanistan especially not as peacemakers because we have never played a role of peacemaking but our friend the US has and has also gotten a bad rep from their actions. I think Canada should try to create its foreign policies based on their own values, beliefs and history and not based on their alliance with the United States.

Peacemaking Cartoon

This Political cartoon demonstrates a group of young boys watching and cheering their friend on in a computer game. The caption below them says, “The hot new video game where you’re a peacemaker who disarms everyone in sight and sells them on the virtues of nonviolent communication. What I can interpret from this cartoon is that the cartoonist is trying to convey the argument that peacemaking is basically a violent method of stopping violence. This also demonstrates a sense of hypocrisy because peacemakers are armed men who are trying to integrate peace in a society where violence is dominating but the flaws that peacemaker’s carry is that they are using violence to create peace. This leads one to question why a radical group of people’s belief to use violence to achieve their goal is any different than an “authorized” group of people’s use of violence to achieve their goal even if it is peace. Is violence the only way to gain and establish a peaceful society? Then why is violence considered bad when it can create a greater good? History has shown a trend that Humanity itself seems to only be able to maintain peace because events of pain and sorrow that has lead them to remorse and the motivation to value one another. Every nation has gone through dark times that they wouldn’t want to ever repeat, and I believe that every nation should be given its time to realize how much peace is key to a successful nation and also the value of human life.      


Policy Cartoon




The cartoon above is a versatile representation of Policy. Taxes in Canada are a main part of the plan of action for the country set out by an individual or group of people, which, in this case, would be the government. There is almost always a valid reason to enforce these policies. Even if the citizens are paying, the aftermath would be for the benefit of the nation, for example the government investing the tax to provide better health facilities or infrastructure. Along with certain pros, these policies have many cons, which is exemplified in this given image. It describes how this policy has weighed down on the tax payers of the nation to an extent where they are unable to spend their money and can only spend it to a limit because of the immense amount of tax that they do have to pay, and to add to the weight there are multiple taxes that have to be paid for, although the amount varies across the country. The surveyor was sent by the government, which means that they are somewhat oblivious (or being ignorant by choice) towards the impact of the responsibility of tax paying citizens.

Domestic Policy Cartoon 



This cartoon can possibly depict the idea of Domestic Policy, or more so the idea of giving other domestic policies more importance than another. There have been many laws and rules regarding the environment, but there are only so many of them that the people of the nation are upholding or maintaining. Domestic policies regarding the environment are being conflicted with things such as national interest and even foreign affairs. The picture suggests that even though the government has taken temporary action on this issue, they may be nothing more than empty words. Another reason for this may be that there is conflict between nations as to who the arctic belongs to, which nation owns the territory which is why certain nations somewhat enforce (or have a lack of) laws. This mainly suggests that the Canadian government has breakable and perhaps intangible regulations.

National Interest Cartoon 



This cartoon shows a postcard to the national guard in Iraq and the other side says "Having national disasters. Wish you were here." from the US. Basically this cartoon could convey the image of when the Americans decided that it was a good idea to go into "peacemaking" with Iraq. It`s showing how the national interests of both the Iraq are now in the hands of the US. When the postcard says that US is having national disasters and it wishes that Iraq was there. It`s basically saying that the US want every possible bad thing to be set on Iraq and that Iraq's national interest is not being taken cared of at all. Furthermore, the postcard is in fact not directed on Iraq but specifically Iraq's National Guard which is basically the countries army. The US attacked Iraq for oil and to destroy their army so none of the national interests of Iraqi people was met.

Gross Domestic Product Cartoon 



This cartoon is showing gross domestic product. It's showing this by the display of boxes of things labeled like consumerism, profits, wealth, economic growth and denial. It's showing the market value of goods and services produced within that country. Yet the products are in a certain order with consumerism at the very bottom because consumerism could be symbolized to be the least important, followed by profit, wealth, economic growth and denial at the very top because in a government denial is probably at the top of it's list. The person sitting on top of the crates is probably a government leader of some sort and he's giving demands to the other people while he sits around doing nothing. The bottom of the cartoon says The same boat which perfectly sums up the whole cartoon meaning that in the end our gross domestic products, our government and us end up in the same boat figuratively and literally. 

Nationalist and Non-nationalist Reconciliation

How have people reconciled Nationalist and Non-Nationalist loyalties?

People risk losing an important part of their identity when they have to choose one loyalty over another. Once they have made a decision this could cause a sense of alienation. An example of this is when the Chinese government outlawed the religious practices of Falun Gong. Members of this group were conflicted with their religious loyalty versus their loyalty to China. The Chinese government tried to force a choice on them with violence and oppression. Unfortunately, in this situation these contending loyalties were not reconciled.



Another example is Little Rock Nine who were the first nine African-american teenagers to attend central high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1957 segregation was a trend in Southern America. These black students were prone to taunts and abuse everyday outside of the school. As the terror intensified the national guard was sent by Arkansas' governer to restore the peace. Even though the national guard was supervising the outside of the school. The Little Rock Nine still had to endure inflicted pain by the other students who were not black. The staff of the school did not come to the aid of the black students. As time went on segregation was eventually abolished in America and the majority of developed countries.



The third example is in 2003 when Alberta passed a law requiring a photograph on all drivers licence. However this caused conflict with the Wilson Siding Hutterite Colony because of their belief based on the Bible that prohibits them from having their picture taken. Members of the Wilson Colony took this case to court and argued that obeying the law would mean violating their religious freedoms. The Wilson Colony won and were given an exception to carry around their licence without a photograph. However, in 2007, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada. This is just a further example of how obeying the law could mean the violation of religious beliefs and how it can be brought to justice somehow through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

National Loyalties

How can national loyalties create conflict?

Contending national loyalties can manifest issues between different peoples for various reasons. These conflicts can arise from unsettled disputes concerning land, or other reasons which may sometimes result in violence. Some examples of violence are: Israel and Palestine trying to conquer their land. Both of these peoples share historical, religious, spritual, cultural, and geographic backgrounds.



Canada also has it's rivaling loyalties which is basically Quebec against the rest of Canada. In 1995, Quebec tried to split itself from Canada with the power of a referendum. The results equally divided Canada and no changes remain.



Sovereignists believe that Quebecois have their own destiny to control while federalists oppose the idea of seperating Quebec. They also believe that they share an identity with Canada. The Priemere of Quebec told his people that they need to look out for themselves first inm order to affirm their identity because Canada is capable of being divided and is not a real country.

The French Revolution

There were many factors shaping French Nationalism, some of which include:

Social Factors

• who should be considered important and who should not
• who should lead and who should follow
• who should be included and who should be excluded
• how groups should work out conflicts and respond to challenges

Before the revolution, France had a strict social system which was decided by birth. The 1st and 2nd estates along with the Catholic Church held most of the power even though 96% of the population was a part of the 3rd estate. The social factors were based upon:

Historical Factors

With Louis XVI's ruling, the French Revolution was inevitable. The storming of the bastille was an event that occured because of the collective consciousness of the French people in Paris. The bastille became a symbol of the French people's new found nationalism. This event influenced European countries beyond France. Centuries after, this event still continues to inspire French people to take action when their rights are denied.



Economic Factors

By the late 1780's, France was going bankrupt because of the wars. Louis XVI decided to increase the taxes that the French aristocrats had to pay. The aristocrats blocked Louis XVI's plans. Louis called a meeting with the Estates General who had not been gathered in more than 170 years. In the past the three estates voted seperately. Most members of the Third Estate were bourgeoisie and they were determined to change the system and create a constitution that implemented equal rights. they called themselves the National Assembly and they swore on the Tennis Court Oath. This caused Louis to gather troops eventually leading to the Storming of the Bastille.

Geographic Factors  

King Louis was ordering that people pay more taxes but large parts of france were going through harsh weather. The winters of 1788-89 were one of the worst times for the French people. The weather had closed of roads and made traveling and trade a struggle. When the warm seasons came along in those years the country was sturck by drought and dry climate. These changes in Frances weather caused grain crops to die out and raise the cost of flour. Many French people were now deprived of their staple;bread. The countryside had riots and people were attacking wagons with any grain products. As the riots grew out of control rumors and suspicions spread about the aristocrats plotting to attack the poor. As the poor across France suffered, the distrust for the queen grew with rumors. The queen was distrusted because she was from Austria a country that France had issues with in the past. She was seen as an outsider and some believed she was a spy. One of the famous rumours of Queen Marie Antoinette was that she said, " Let them eat cake" when told that bread was unaffordable. The frustation and anger intensified to fuel the revolution and new perspectives on nation for the people of France.



Political Factors


The National Assembly had completed the Declaration of the Rights of Man abolishing upper level estates privileges which lead to the creation of a free minded France based on new principles and charter of rights. Fear grew in other European countries that an event similar might happen to them - rebellious civilians downgrading the monarch. This was mainly due to the supporters of the king who fled from France and spread opinionated words to other countries. As a reaction, France was invaded by Austria in hope that that will restore the monarchy to its previous position. In response that revolutionary gains would not become losses, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were both executed. The Reign of Terror began, with a suspended constitution and who ever disagreed with the revolution were to be punished. Years after the end of the Reign of Terror, French government was unstable until the arrival of Napoleon who disciplined France, yet began many wars. Those wars, however, strengthened France's pride as a nation.

Nation & Identity

What are some understandings of a nation?

There are many different aspects of our individual and collective identity that are viewed as criteria of nationalism or how much your nation impacts you. These characteristics are as follows: ethnicity, culture, religion, language, history, geography, land and spirit. These criteria are also split into two groups, ethnic nationalism and civic nationalism. There are also many perspectives on what a nation is.

These are the understandings of a nation:

Linguistic: Some people believe that lanugage creates a shared world view.

Ethnic: Certain nations develop based on ethnicity because they believe it will protect their collective identity. In some cases this may lead to racism or other types of discrimination.

Cultural: Sharing the same lifestyle can bring citizens together to create a new nation.

Religious: Sense of a nation can derive from the same spiritual mindedness.

Geographic: Physical barriers can pressure people to live and grow together.

Spiritual: Spiritual ties of a land can influence people to live together.

Political: The ambition for self-determination and sovereignty may decide whether a group of people are a nation or not.


In conclusion, there is no one definition of a nation. It depends on people, the place, what values are shared and their viewpoint.