Tag Archives: politics

A heartfelt Analysis

At the end of the second post of this series, I ‘absolved’ my doctors from responsibility. How arrogant of me! How do I dare to imply that they were responsible to begin with? Didn’t they just save my life? But if they are not responsible, then who is? I called my doctors the product of the system, but what does that mean? What is the system? What defines it as a ‘system’?   Continue reading →

Optimism is the opium of the people

2016-06-24 optimism

A friend sent me the following snarky question:

What is your “self” judged ratio of writing about negative versus positive things? I mean on the latter, when you were truly celebrating something amazingly wonderful and happy happening in our life.
I am sure that you have lot of blogs of this kind and I just did not see them. Send me some links. I would like to see your bright side too.

Continue reading →

I love politics because……?

2016-01-16-GollumwRing03

At the last Libertarian Party convention, we were approached by a few guys making a documentary about fringe parties. They want to find out what motivates people to fight for apparently hopeless causes. They interviewed a few of us during the convention and revisited some of us before, and after the federal election with some questions.

During the last follow-up sometimes in late November they did a ‘rapid fire questions’ session with me where I was supposed to complete sentences such as “I am a libertarian because…..”; “I love politics because……”  Continue reading →

The Failure of Politics

2014-12-15 the failure of politics

politics (n.)

1520s, “science of government,” from politic (adj.), modeled on Aristotle’s ta politika “affairs of state,” the name of his book on governing and governments […] Politics is the science of good sense, applied to public affairs [….] Politicks is not a science so properly as a business. [Fisher Ames (1758-1808)]

Even before I started writing it, I changed the title of this post several times. I knew exactly what I wanted to say and talk about, I just had a problem putting a label on it. What are we failing at? Courage? Cultural confidence? Determination? Communication? Honesty? Understanding?

I couldn’t think of the word politics because I was looking for a positive word, and politics is not one of them, but then I realized that I should let go of my own prejudices. Politics means the management of our shared affairs. It means making decisions about our shared affairs and as an extension, having honest discussions about them.  Politics should not be the dirty word it is today.

Continue reading →

Immigration – the political case

2015-10-06-come to Europe

Political reality

From this Telegraph article you can learn, if you did not already know, that the political left is using immigration for partisan political advantage. While we do not have such a smoking gun in the US or Canada, it is not a secret in either place that immigration can, is and will be used to expand the state and push it toward the left.
Governments in the developed world are digging themselves into a hole and short term political interest seems to make it impossible to reverse course. Continue reading →

Less democracy

Jefferson

Now, that I told you that more democracy would make the world worse off and no democracy is not a good idea, you must wonder: what is the answer?
I will try to make the point that the answer is less democracy which, on the other hand, we cannot have without a wide reaching democratic consensus.  Continue reading →

The victory of defeatism

When Barack Obama was re-elected in 2012, I was depressed for several days. I got over Cathleen Wynne’s victory even before it was officially announced, even though if you think about it, it is quite depressing. At least four more years racing toward the cliff. More windmills, more spending, more debt, higher taxes, more businesses chased away by the constantly increasing cost of doing business here. I am thinking where I could possibly move.

Continue reading →

The Liberal Bubble

2013-10-20 liberal bubble

We went to visit our liberal friend in New York. The last I was there before, the WTC towers were still standing. The Giuliani reforms just started working.

Before we went, we all agreed not to talk politics but we all know how difficult that is. Everything is politics.We drove by a school proudly declaring itself a magnet school on a sign above its entrance. “I hate these things” she said. “Why?” I asked. She started to explain and in the middle of the explanation she asked a rhetorical question: “who wouldn’t agree that we need excellent public education?” My wife and I answered in almost perfect unison: “I wouldn’t”- said I, “I would, it is just not possible” – said my wife.
“Well, there you go” she said in apparent shock and that was the end of the conversation.

Continue reading →

19 Answers

2013-07-03 19 answers

About a year and a half ago Jon Stewart confronted Judge Napolitano with 19 ‘questions,’ (ten questions and nine provocative statements to be precise). I learned about the interview from Stefan Molyneux’s Youtube response to it and from a response to his response.
After watching Stefan, I did not feel necessary to respond, but after I suffered through the long winded and seriously confused response of Riley Haas (the second link above) it occurred to me that maybe the favour should be returned. We do not question the socialists. Maybe we should. I started to put together my own questions to socialists of all colors but I figured that if I want to ask my questions, I should answer theirs first. This is what you have here. My questions to socialists will follow in an upcoming post.

Continue reading →