By Pierre Lemieux – The history of New England and Québec have been intertwined through wars, commerce, culture, and migrations. Until the end of the 20th century, people drove through the border between Québec and, on the other side, Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine without even (in most cases) showing identification papers. The scope of north-south migrations over more than a century is witnessed by the large number of French Canadian surnames in these states.
History has witnessed many famous travelers crossing the border. Henry David Thoreau published his A Yankee in Canada after an 1850 trip to Québec. From 1662 to 1665, New France explorers and coureurs des bois Pierre Esprit Radisson and Médard Chouart des Groseilliers lived in Massachusetts where they persuaded Boston merchants to finance one of their expeditions to Hudson Bay. Des Groseilliers may have lived in what is now Maine, and was then part of Massachusetts.
When I moved from Québec to Maine last year—permanently in my case—I was following Radisson and desGroseilliers.
I found the geography and the mosquito population are much the same, although people in Québec (and in New Brunswick) can only hope that accelerated global warming will produce beaches like those of Maine! In both places, people are simple, perhaps naïve, but they are generally more polite in Maine.
Most New Englanders live under a sort of welfare state that differs from Québec’s but only in degrees. In fact, data from the Fraser Institute’s index of economic freedom in North America show that Maine and Vermont have a larger government than Québec in terms of expenditures and transfers as a proportion of GDP, and that they all rank among the worst of all states and provinces. In Massachusetts, a recently enacted public health insurance scheme mandates all residents to purchase private health insurance, at subsidized prices if necessary. In both Maine and Vermont, purchasing health insurance is voluntary, but insurance companies may not legally refuse anyone nor exclude any existing condition; call it socialism with a human and efficient face.
Regulation of business and daily life in New England is not always lighter than in Québec; it depends on which field of endeavour one considers. In terms of labour regulation, Maine ranks 43 out of the 60 provinces and states (plus the District of Columbia). That is still far from Québec’s 59th place but not exactly freedom’s paradise either. As in America in general, living without “government-issued photo ID” or a social security number is now impossible. But there as in other fields, New Englanders take it easy: I have never been asked for identification in grocery stores, unlike in California, where I spent part of last year.
Not surprisingly for a rather similar welfare state, Maine’s economic conditions are not very different from Québec’s, up to and including the potholes. GDP (and therefore income) per capita is even slightly lower in Maine than in Québec.
Of course, there is much variation within New England. New Hampshire is a beacon; it ranks close to the top in America for personal freedom and prosperity. Other states, including Maine, are too often distressingly similar to Québec and Canada. But at least here, things are changing in the right direction unlike in Québec.
Murder rates are slightly higher in New England than in Québec, but the difference is too small to be noticeable. In New Hampshire, the murder rate is the same as in Québec. In the Maine suburb where I live, people feel secure: at home, we often leave the doors unlocked at night. Like many people, I still keep a loaded semi-auto pistol on my night stand, just in case. Perhaps this is why life is so peaceful.
New Hampshire, Maine and especially Vermont rank among the states with the lowest level of gun control in America. Indeed, that’s the main reason I fled Canada. In Maine and New Hampshire, a permit is still necessary to carry a concealed weapon, but relatively easy to obtain. The typical resident of Maine or New Hampshire, and even more so for the typical Vermonter, can go around as heavily armed as a Montréal cop. This is unthinkable for the typical Quebecer or Canadian.
I never experience the difference between the Northern Welfare State (Canada) and the Maine Welfare State so much as when I hike armed “in the Maine woods” (as Henry David Thoreau entitled another one of his books), or drive around armed in my suburb.
Therein lies the paradigmatic difference between the welfare states of northern New England and the Québec (or Canadian) welfare state. Whatever socialism exists in New England is populist and individualistic, perhaps the sort that George Orwell idealized; Canadian socialism is top-down and collectivist. Quebecers feel they are equal nobodies, New Englanders think they are equal sovereigns. My voice and my feet go to the latter brand of socialism.
Pierre Lemieux is an economist who lives in Maine. He is the author (with William Bonner) of The Idea of America: What It Was and How It Was Lost.
Another million refugees like Pierre and we may be on the road to recovering “The Idea of America”. Welcome!
Hi!
The runaway slaves ran to Canada (near Niagara Falls) and didn’t have to show any ID.
See Slave Narratives on the internet.
Very interesting read.
Thank you!
Lise from Maine.
VI3?????!!!!!! holy cow guy… exactly what do i truly do to help you improve? LOL Possessing considering that to verify if Skies are actually becoming stealthy, surreptitious Available that you are contrasting a couple of different things. The web site holds the actual T&C’s in addition to beneath them often the permit arrangement. Should you compare the particular permit contract on the website to the one particular we get whenever we put in the applying it is a very same independent of the numbering on the areas are generally accurate on websites. The T&C’s perform post the belief that it is a P2P structured. Unfortunately this.
hermes replica bags handbags co uk hermes birkin bag 35 replica lime gdnvnh
Thanks so much. Great service.
Plastic Group Evaluation
In terms of creating the swing action more efficient, you’ll find the plastic group result will be the ultimate way to provide you with the swing movement proper. The particular plastic group result just isn’t easy and simple strategy to learn, yet it’ll be essential that you obtain it proper. When you can attain the appropriate action with the plastic group result, you’ll find you could help make the swing movement far more successful. The particular plastic group result can be a expression fond of the particular playing golf effect in which seems like any plastic group getting expanded again just before getting upset back in spot. The particular more it is possible to take and also stretch out the particular group, the harder strength created. When you can learn the particular plastic group result from the proper forms of certain playing golf exercise, you’ll find your golfing technique will probably be far more successful and you may have got far more strength within your swing movement. The particular plastic group result requires: Total file format and also power regarding muscle groups and also bones Preserving the leg entirely sound Changing into the particular body when you end up in the particular backswing so they really move Preserving the lower again for a passing fancy pelvic agngle with deal with Turning the mid-back for your again swing action coil nailers When you can learn the particular plastic group result, the swing movement could have the vitality that may ensure it is move the space. The reason why the swing movement is indeed challenging will be you need to attain best biomechanical divorce. Biomechanical divorce could be the expression fond of relocating different muscle groups within you independently coming from the other person. Preserving the joints and also spine right when using the body and also mid-back to be able to breeze again being a plastic group will demand training and also coordination, along with playing golf workout to own appropriate shape. The
n the time-span of your recreation to hold a uniform operation. Actively playing golf attire really should be lumination plus confident with more than enough home to transfer adequately for the duration of have fun with. Your marginally vainer variable take into consideration is definitely how you would expect to a person’s contemporaries and various game enthusiasts to the lessons — if you ever glance fine, you might come to feel fine and the increases a person’s self-belief plus operation to the working day. Ordinary strains with actively playing golf attire comes with trousers/shorts, tee shirts, knitted clothing, fleeces, water-resistant satisfies plus proper headwear. A accessory with high end membrane-based elements for instance GolfTex out of main suppliers give fantastic numbers of breathability plus lightness, together with the supplemental benefit from permanence plus enable you to dry up immediately if your lumination wash when a build-up with sebaceous around much more enjoyable situations is often without difficulty kept by way of wicking moisture content from the your sensitive skin. Actively playing golf design continue to controls a overriding look at up to date styles and designs with actively playing golf attire a lot a have an impact on with alternative companies just like Nike plus Adidas includes bring on a incorporation with sports features around actively playing golf attire for boosting a player’s operation to the lessons. Breathable Water-resistant SuitsOffering fantastic numbers of waterproofing plus breathability all these satisfies are made to secure all the shape with the muscles all the way down with the bracing features involving child in great britan. The following solution with actively playing golf attire is definitely easily portable that will hence often be without difficulty placed around other possible openings located on the many modern actively playing golf baggage. A water-resistant membrane layer included in a lot of breathable satisfies was made to repel waters tiny dro
yucky twelve-monthly profits. Many of these universities are usually reliable and provide top quality plans together with top quality martial performers because the Key Instructors/Owners, other folks usually are not. How will you notify which can be which usually? You might have possibly identified chances are a Mc Martial arts school just isn’t regarded as being a professional university. Any Mc Martial arts school truth be told symbolizes the particular most severe illustration of your fighting styles university. It really is the one that provides misplaced feel in what the actual beliefs with the fighting styles are usually, for instance trustworthiness and also strength, which is purpose using one factor a��� having the many funds out there of the one who taking walks inside the front door. Area of the difficulty, nonetheless, is situated with all the buyer due to the fact generally, the buyer will not know very well what to find or perhaps that of a excellent university will be and also that of a excellent trainer seems like. My own aim using this write-up and also most of my own some other sources will be to assist you know very well what to find prior to deciding to produce a blunder you will repent. Listed below are the particular several indicators your university can be a Mc Martial arts school. 1. Hard-Sell TacticsFrom the minute an individual head into the entranceway you might be achieved simply by hard-sell techniques which can be targeted largely for you checking the verify publication or perhaps giving up the visa credit card just before anything at all in regards to the fighting styles or perhaps plans are already reviewed. a couple of. MultiplicityMultiple tinted belts, numerous beating, numerous outfits together with numerous sections, numerous large leg techinques, numerous high-fives, numerous african american belts together with numerous diplomas, numerous causes to participate and also numerous improve plans for your identical program. Will need My partner and i point out a lot more?
Related Links:
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.