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The Bloc Québécois: populism and nationalism in the service of the Québec bourgeoisie
If the opinion polls prove correct, the Bloc Québécois (BQ), the federal party which promotes the independence of Québec, will obtain its best ever result in next week’s election. When the federal elections were called, the BQ had 54 Members of Parliament—all of them from Quebec, which accounts for 75 of the House of Commons’ 308 seats.
The BQ presents itself as a progressive party that defends “the interests of Quebeckers” and is supported by virtually the entire Quebec union bureaucracy. Some unions give the BQ their official support and donate union facilities and funds. Others officially refrain from supporting any party, but insist that both the Liberals and the Conservatives should be opposed: in other words, they call for a vote for the Bloc. The BQ also benefits from the support of the Parti Québécois (PQ), its sister party at the provincial level, which imposed savage budget cuts in social spending when it last formed Quebec’s government (1994 to 2003).
Far from being a progressive party, the BQ defends the interests of big business and of that section of the Québec bourgeoisie that hopes to benefit from a rearranging of the nation-state system in North America and the creation of a capitalist République du Québec. Formed in 1993 by renegade Quebec MPs from the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberal Party of Canada, and supported at its birth by then-Quebec Liberal Premier (Robert Bourassa), the Bloc Québécois displays a deep hostility and contempt for the working class of both Québec and the rest of Canada. The BQ supported the “zero deficit” campaign, the name given to the PQ’s program of severe cuts to social spending, and privately hopes that the Conservatives, a right-wing party with close ties to the American Republican Party, will form Canada’s next federal government.
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http://wsws.org/articles/2006/jan2006/bq-j18.shtml
Far from being a progressive party, the BQ defends the interests of big business and of that section of the Québec bourgeoisie that hopes to benefit from a rearranging of the nation-state system in North America and the creation of a capitalist République du Québec. Formed in 1993 by renegade Quebec MPs from the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberal Party of Canada, and supported at its birth by then-Quebec Liberal Premier (Robert Bourassa), the Bloc Québécois displays a deep hostility and contempt for the working class of both Québec and the rest of Canada. The BQ supported the “zero deficit” campaign, the name given to the PQ’s program of severe cuts to social spending, and privately hopes that the Conservatives, a right-wing party with close ties to the American Republican Party, will form Canada’s next federal government.
More
http://wsws.org/articles/2006/jan2006/bq-j18.shtml
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And it is an IMPORTANT point for you to understand if you are ever to learn how to organize people.
Yes indeed, it appears that the PEOPLE of Quebec place a different order of priority upon issue than you do. It appears that the left leaning Quebecois and the right leaning Quebecois have decided that THEIE interests are best served by uniting against the non-Quebecois -- even if that means accepting a compromise between left and right << and I agree -- if Quebec goes independent that compromies will mean a capitalist Quebec and that this certainly is in the interests of the Quebec bourgeoisie >>
The PEOPLE -- that is the point you are missing. Look at this from the point of view of a "left" Quebecois. Certainly this person would prefer a Quebec that was BOTH socialist and Quebecois culture. But that does not appear to be a pratical choice at the present time (they lack the strength to go it alone without the support of those Qubecois who are middle and right). So they have to CHOOSE which is more important to themselves. To THEMSELVES, not to you, it's their choice.
What YOU are saying to them (harshly) is that they are making the wrong choice -- that they should be willing to give up on their culture in exchange for being able to win on socialism. Might I ask you a question? What value do YOU palce on Quebecois culture? None? You are not Quebecois? This is therefore an easy decision on your part to place higher priority on achieving socialism and consider it a trivial price if in return that means surrendering on the culture war issues?
Like DUH --- what makes you imagine that your order of preferences (correct for you) is correct for anybody else. Don't rant at these people, try to convince them -- and you had better send the right messengers, people of that culture who do have something at stake on the culture issues.
Simply saying that this is bad because it helps the (Quebec) bourgeoisie stay in power is a meaningless arguement. They KNOW that. It's the price "the people" there are willing to pay if it means that they can win on the cultural front. You need to make your case in such a way that recognizes the reality that they are being asked to make a hard choice.
You need to argue WHY they should put their cultural interests on the back burner and join you on the economic front instead and you need to try to convince them that their OTHER fight could be carried on afterward. Saying that their cultural interests are worthless, should be ignored, etc. missesw the point becuase it is THEIR call what they consider worth fighting about.
Yes indeed, it appears that the PEOPLE of Quebec place a different order of priority upon issue than you do. It appears that the left leaning Quebecois and the right leaning Quebecois have decided that THEIE interests are best served by uniting against the non-Quebecois -- even if that means accepting a compromise between left and right << and I agree -- if Quebec goes independent that compromies will mean a capitalist Quebec and that this certainly is in the interests of the Quebec bourgeoisie >>
The PEOPLE -- that is the point you are missing. Look at this from the point of view of a "left" Quebecois. Certainly this person would prefer a Quebec that was BOTH socialist and Quebecois culture. But that does not appear to be a pratical choice at the present time (they lack the strength to go it alone without the support of those Qubecois who are middle and right). So they have to CHOOSE which is more important to themselves. To THEMSELVES, not to you, it's their choice.
What YOU are saying to them (harshly) is that they are making the wrong choice -- that they should be willing to give up on their culture in exchange for being able to win on socialism. Might I ask you a question? What value do YOU palce on Quebecois culture? None? You are not Quebecois? This is therefore an easy decision on your part to place higher priority on achieving socialism and consider it a trivial price if in return that means surrendering on the culture war issues?
Like DUH --- what makes you imagine that your order of preferences (correct for you) is correct for anybody else. Don't rant at these people, try to convince them -- and you had better send the right messengers, people of that culture who do have something at stake on the culture issues.
Simply saying that this is bad because it helps the (Quebec) bourgeoisie stay in power is a meaningless arguement. They KNOW that. It's the price "the people" there are willing to pay if it means that they can win on the cultural front. You need to make your case in such a way that recognizes the reality that they are being asked to make a hard choice.
You need to argue WHY they should put their cultural interests on the back burner and join you on the economic front instead and you need to try to convince them that their OTHER fight could be carried on afterward. Saying that their cultural interests are worthless, should be ignored, etc. missesw the point becuase it is THEIR call what they consider worth fighting about.
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