Documents found
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2495.More information
The Province of Québec is inhabited by the Québecois, a people who have a right to self-determination. However, within the rubric of public international law these people cannot claim the right to external self-determination, i.e. to independence, because they are neither colonized nor a people whose right to internal self-determination is being denied.Indeed, within the framework of the Canadian federation, the federalgovernment has granted broad powers to the Québec government and its people. As well, Quebecers have the control of a federate entity and its political apparatus. Moreover, the Canadian Constitution does not provide for the secession of any provinces in Canada; such a process would require a constitutional modification and, therefore, negotiations between Québec and the rest of Canada.Consequently, to attain independence after a successful democratic referendum on the topic, the Québec government would have two ways to bring about the accession of their province to sovereignty. On the one hand, Québec could have its independence accepted by the federal and provincial governments in Canada. On the other hand, Québec could conquer it on the basis of political effectiveness and international recognition by other States. With respect to the latter method though, Québec would likely run up against the combined opposition of both the federal government of Canada and the Anglophone and Allophone minorities in Québec.
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2497.More information
From the position of the history of ideas, and using the concept of “important divisions of identification”, this article will analyze the political and esthetic positions of the French surrealist group surrounding André Breton at three precise periods: in 1931, 1947 and 1969. Far from the albeit ingenious image used by Régis Debray (“l’honneur des funambules”), these analyses highlight the details of complex strategies, sometimes a certain refusal of reality, but also an important poetic lesson and the trace of a political anthropology – apt to give pause to many political scientists today.
Keywords: Surrealist movement, Groupe surréaliste, André Breton, André Breton, history of ideas, histoire des idées, esthetics and politics, esthétique et politique
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2498.More information
In The King David Report (1972), Stefan Heym (1913-2001) offers a favorable view of gossip, notwithstanding biblical censuring of that activity (e.g. Proverb 11:13). Heym's satirical re-telling of the biblical story focuses on the character of Ethan, a writer-historian appointed by King Solomon to compose an official report on the life and rise to power of King David. At one point Ethan's two sons, Shem and Sheleph, come back from the market, telling Ethan of some "juicy" rumors they heard there. These rumors, while using some exaggerations and added embellishments, nevertheless provide insights into the political situation much more faithful to the truth than the fabrications of official spokespersons. To substantiate Heym's literary portrayal of gossip as a channel for communicating subversive truth in authoritarian regimes, I cite Robert Darnton's systematic historical research into the diverse channels for communicating news in Paris of the eighteenth century (Darnton, 2000).
Keywords: potin, gossip, communication, re-writing the Bible, Stefan Heym, authoritarian regime, Robert Darnton, Bakhtin, Bible, régime autoritaire