As someone who has worked with Canadians and am friends with countless numbers of them, let me be the first to say this. Your sense of humor regarding the situation is far less than those of our northern neighbors. They are good natured folk, (the most of them). Who openly mock their rediculously liberal government and would love to see the blight of Quebec removed from their midsts. I just spent the last year working in a company that had more canadians than americans and everyone of them tell the exact same story. Its our country, we love it, but we understand its place in the world.
Most Candians I have met are some of the greatest salt of the earth types you can meet, they recognize the sheer stupidity of requiring bilingual road signs in the western provinces, of the huge financial sucking sound that needless and stupid regulations and policies of their government have imposed on them... and the prohibitive effects it has had on true growth in their nation. They all know that to make it, truly make it that most all talent comes down south of the border the minute the opportunity arrises, because quite frankly the opportunities are not in their home country that exist here. They all intend to return home one day, and enjoy the US.
They jokingly mock our cavelier attitudes and conspicuous consumerism, and other aspects of american culture that are all true... our failing schools, jerry springer, and the whole lot. And I agreed and have laughed heartily with them, just as they have agreed and laughed heartily with myself and others as we discuss their navy, with 3 submarines, and their most popular TV show that attracts about the same number of views a week as the XFL managed. You want to meet a person with a sense of humor, go talk to some of the guys who have done time on the oil rigs up in the territories...
I have nothign against the Canada or Canadians, and if you think my comments are bashing, you have no idea what bashing is. We are the worlds superpower, and they are our neighbor.. a relatively good neighbor, though their immigration policies put all of the US at risk especially at present. As their own Prime Minister has said, being the neighbor the US is like sleeping with an elephant, every move we make no matter how small has vast effect upon them. They know it, we know, and we are all better neighbors and friends to laugh together about the sheer absurdity of it all.
Personally, I think if Canada gets rid of Quebec, truly gets rid of it, let it become its own nation, with no subsidies, and nothing, just cut it lose, you would see the rest of Canada lose a millstone that has plagued it for much of the last 30-40 years. Nothing against Quebecer's, you have some lovely cities, but the policies and ideas out of Montreal have about as much relevance on the rest of the nation, as San Francisco's do on the rest of the US.
I have lived in Canada and found them to be a deeply pragmatic bunch. Aside from how they pay for their health care, they are no more "socialist" than we are. They live in an entrepreneurial society very similar to our own (except for this dreadful food-stuff called “poutine”). As far as Quebec is concerned, the threat of separatism has diminished significantly over the years and Canadians elected their current fiscally conservative government, in overwhelming numbers, within the last year.
Like the Brit I met, I am astonished at people who form a deeply held opinion about a subject without the relevant information required to adequately develop that opinion.