When I say that ethnic nationalism and racism motivate too much of the Quebec separatist impulse, I really want to be clear that in no way do I think English Canada or any other political party has a particularly high horse to stand on. The persistence of racism in all sorts of corners and an antiquated "country club anti-semitism" that I've seen in Toronto still has the ability to shock me.
We all have to work on this. I happen to think that "leftist anti-semitism" is a slander that gets thrown around without much evidence, but there are elements to the NDP and Liberal parties who could use some sensitivity counseling. I suspect I don't need to talk about homophobia in the ranks of the Conservative Party.
So when the separatists stop making appeals (overt and coded) to ethnic purity and cultural homogeneity, I'll stop worrying about separatist racism.
The worries that they're naïve, dishonest, and bad for Quebec will continue.
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It seems to me like you want to abolish human nature. Ethnic conflict can be managed, not eliminated.
If all the world's ethnic conflicts were as harmless as whatever residual anti-Semitism there is among Ontario WASPs, then we'd be in good shape.
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