Fearful Acrimony: The Seductive Danger of Scapegoating Quebec (Essay‪)‬

"It's as if someone had emptied the contents of a garbage truck in my garden," wrote political scientist Alain Noel after reading Brian Lee Crowley's controversial essay, Fearful Symmetry: The Fall and Rise of Canada's Founding Values. If they read the book, most Quebeckers would certainly feel the same way. In fact, considering how sensitive people in my province are to anything critical said about them in English Canada, it is surprising that hostile comments have not been more widespread since the first reviews in French were published. A good thing too; we certainly do not need more bad feelings between the country's two principal language groups. Before I proceed, allow me two disclosures. One: I have always liked Brian. I have rarely agreed with his ideas, but he has had the courage to go against the grain. I distrust consensus on economic, social or cultural policy. Devil's advocates are essential to a healthy public debate. Disclosure two: I am an atypical Quebecker. In 2005, I was signatory to a manifesto titled "For a Clear-Eyed Vision of Quebec," which advocated major changes in Quebec's economic model, such as raising tuition fees at our universities, increasing electricity rates and opening the door much more widely to the private sector. Most of those changes were and still are strongly opposed by a majority of the province's inhabitants. Also, I am a staunch federalist, convinced not only that being part of the Canadian federation is good for Quebec, but also that an authentic federalism is the only way for today's nations and regions to manage their increasing diversity. Very few Quebeckers share this kind of faith in the virtues of federalism.