Logic and language

As a francophone, I have to disagree with “Max” about the vulgarity of Quebec French, and how it’s “not as hot as in France” [Letters, “Bad French, belles filles,” Dec. 8]. I just can’t see how “putain d’bordel de merde” is less vulgar than “câlisse de tabarnak d’osti.” I don’t know, but it seems to me that mixing prostitution with faeces is one step ahead of desecrating church language on the depravity scale.

As for Quebec French being “the broken offspring of the French language,” I’m at a loss for words. Isn’t French itself the bastard child of Latin and ancient Greek? So if I follow Max’s logic, shouldn’t we all agree that French “Latin” is vulgar and not as hot as in the Vatican? And from there, shouldn’t we also conclude that Indo-European is, as the mother of (nearly) all languages, da bomb? Hey, I even heard going back to cavemen grunts is the next big thing.

I would also like to point out that French colonists in the New World were as educated as their cousins in France, so it’s not the same as Australia. Hey, they even had theatre back then (as early as 1606). Not bad for a bunch of retards whose sole natural asset is hot chicks, the abundance of which tends to impair the brains of some individuals.

» Alix Jasmin-Morissette

Camps and Nazis

Benji Teboul wrote on Dec. 8 that the Mirror “bombards its readers with irrelevant accusations and falsehoods. Examples: Jews are Nazis (‘Israel...runs the Gaza Strip, described by Israeli sociologist Baruch Kimmerling in Politicide as ‘the largest concentration camp ever to exist’).”

Mr. Teboul is quoting a letter of mine to the Mirror. Two points need airing. (1) The Gaza Strip is “the largest concentration camp ever to exist” is neither an accusation nor is it a falsehood. It is simply plain fact, and Dr. Kimmerling, the George A. Wise Professor of Sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is by no means the only person to have pointed this fact out. Mr. Teboul makes no pretence of providing counter-evidence to Kimmerling’s claim that Gaza is, in fact, a massive concentration camp.

(2) Neither Dr. Kimmerling nor I have ever stated or in any way implied that “Jews are Nazis,” as Mr. Teboul claims. Dr. Kimmerling himself is Jewish, and I highly doubt he considers himself a Nazi. If I criticize the Lidice-style destruction of Hama by Syrian forces in 1982, I am in no way implying that “Arabs are Nazis.” The assertion is laughable, and in the case of Syria would immediately be recognized as nothing but gross apologetics for state terrorism.

Finally, although less relevant, Mr. Teboul’s chiding of the Mirror for encouraging a “dangerous kind of thinking” should give pause. Is Mr. Teboul seriously implying that the pogrom is about to break out in Montreal as a result of the Mirror’s coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict? If not, he should leave such alarmist nonsense to Communist Party hacks.

» Feroze Sidhwa, Baltimore, Maryland

Sausages and Jägermeister

In response to the letters the angry mob of Québécois patriots wrote in response to Jose Qian’s Nov. 17 letter, “Montreal shallow and provincial” [“Montreal cheap shots,” Nov. 24], I’d like to throw in my two cents’ worth.

First of all, Raf Katigbak should know it’s a proven fact that Berlin and Montreal are no sister cities at all in terms of nightlife, people’s attitude, fast food or whatever you want to take into account. Berliners would laugh their asses off just imagining it. Actually, I wouldn’t have given a shit about his opinion on Berlin, because I know it is one of the most exciting cities to live in, but his rant about curry sausages made me kind of sad.

Since he was praising poutine so much, let me say it is indeed the worst food creation I’ve ever seen in any country in the whole world. Even Cubans are more inventive, and all they have is rice and beans and mangos. And as for the Jäger shots, they are actually called “Jägermeister,” and if they prevent Katigbak from catching his plane back home, he’s simply a pussy, because doing shots before trans-Atlantic flights has been a German-Turkish tradition for thousands of years already. Just like the cabane à sucre for Franco-Canadians, only with taste.

» Christian Behrens, Bremen, Germany

Bush and God

Regarding the U.S. and climate change: George W. Bush was quoted as saying, “I believe God wants me to be President.” The United States is currently run by Evangelical Christian fundamentalists. It would be safe to assume that as such, Bush believes in “The Rapture”—the end-of-the-world scenario spelled out in the Book of Revelation. That’s the story where, early in the 21st century, everyone dies and those who are “saved” (Christians) get to go to heaven, while everyone else goes to hell.

So think about it: Why would Bush care about climate change and environmental conservation? As far as he is concerned, the complete and utter destruction of life on Earth is probably God’s will.

» Russell Barth, Ottawa

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