Bomb Voyage!

Third Quebec Wal-Mart receives bomb threat

The unions and union sympathizers in Quebec will not likely rest until they force Wal-Mart to leave the province. Then, they will heap scorn on them for leaving, of course.

Even Le Devoir, once upon a time temperate voice in Quebec, entitled Gil Courtemanche's piece on the weekend edition "Le terrorisme capitaliste." Courtemanche's pen is poisonous (if it were only his tongue that was short instead of his sleeve, we'd be alright). Shame on Le Devoir for publishing his inflamatory rhetoric. He has accused Wal-Mart of being "brutale et sauvage." There is a little blood in all the store's merchandise, he concludes, because they buy from China.

In the same article, Courtemanche wonders if Wal-Mart will leave the Saguenay region in Quebec, and not just Jonquiere. It sounds more like an exhortation or a threat than the musings of an irresponsible writer.

The rearrengement of the language that Courtemanche and others have done will require whole new terms. If closing a store is brutal, savage, and terroristic, what words will we need in reference to three bomb threats? What words will we need to describe those who plant bombs in coffee shops because the store's name is in English? What words will we need to refer to Quebec politicians from St. Maurice and from Ville-Emard, who go to China to keep the blood-dripping Chinese products coming to Canadian stores?

For now, the bombs are only threats (and let's hope that it will stay that way). The Second Cup was not as lucky when the French Self-Defense Brigade planted bombs in three of their coffee shops in 2000.