Election Thoughts

I haven't written a long form post in a long time and the blog has been neglected for a good few years. But I'm watching reaction to the election from friends, bloggers I read regularly and various other places and I feel the need to put some thoughts of my own out there.

My friends span the political spectrum from pretty left to very right. Myself, I'm a libertarian at heart; I believe in freedom to think, express, act, interact, have sex, ingest substances, make a living in whatever way an individual chooses, with the bare minimum of government. Of course some government is needed in order to allow that to happen in a civilized, well ordered society. Government needs to build roads, provide essential services and so forth. But they should always do so (in my view) in a way that recognizes they serve the individual and not the other way around.

Some of my very dear friends from the lefter side of things are truly very upset by the election of Donald Trump. I feel for you, but as someone who has this perhaps different philosophical foundation for my politics I would at least like to offer some understanding of what has happened.

We have seen massive social changes in the last 20 years and the pace of change is accelerating exponentially. When I was in primary school in Britain, blatant racism was still perfectly acceptable. Indeed many kids of my generation learned it at the kitchen table. Homophobia even more so. And nobody even knew there was such a thing as transgenderism. So I grew up with these views as did many of my generation. Now, I was raised to be polite and helpful, so I hope I never indulged in any overt damaging acts, but it's possible that I did. My point is that my belief system was thus.

Fast forward. I've evolved. I recognize the fundamental dignity of all and I find racism as abhorrent today as I found it acceptable then. Similarly for homophobia. But the key question is, how did this happen?

It happened because I met many people of many ethnic backgrounds and I got to know them. It happened because those individuals challenged the thinking of the 7 year old Clive and replaced it with thinking based on reality, experience, friendships, work relationships and so forth. It was a slow and gradual process and there were moments of discomfort along the way. Similarly, having ended up in high church Anglicanism I was surrounded by gay men, and the same process of getting to know them, challenging assumptions, overcoming the 7 year old child's thinking, that prevailed there too.

And once the barriers are broken at that personal experiential level then the mind is open to generalize this and to philosophically accept full and equal rights for all.

My children are growing up without even needing to question equal marriage, without a shred of racism because they're growing up now. Not because they're better than I was at 7. Just the passage of time.

The United States is, in many parts, a deeply traditional country, and more than that it is a country that was founded on specific values and for specific reasons. Most countries aren't founded. They just evolved over thousands of years. The United States is special in this regard and I think this of fundamental importance to remember. There's not so very many generations between the founding fathers and many Americans of today.

In addition, the US has a solid two party political system and forces its citizens into two buckets. Lean left and you're a Democrat. Right and you're a Republican. Inherently in this system nuance goes out the window. You can have nuance in the debate but in the voting booth your choice is binary. More on this later.

Now, let's look at the pace of progress, or more accurately "progressivism". The civil rights struggle was long, hard fought, and gradual. Gay liberation happened faster. Same sex marriage has flashed around the globe in less than 5 years for the most part. It's accelerating and this is a problem because it doesn't give those who struggle with any of these things time to catch up. Think about a value you've changed over time in your own life. Could you get there quicker or did you need a series of lived experiences and encounters  to get there. And even more importantly, the time *between* those experiences and encounters. Because it's in the time between that the evolution happens.

What has happened with what might be called the progressive left - and I'm afraid Hillary Clinton exemplifies this - is that having achieved legitimacy and indeed power in many spheres, they have been accelerating progress toward their (laudable) equity goals, not thinking about those being left behind. They've also used instruments of the state and law, alienating those of us like me, who even though we may agree with the goals, are fundamentally uncomfortable with the state leading us there by the nose.

In the US where tradition is *so* powerful in parts and individual freedom is the very essence of the nation, this is a recipe for disaster.

Much has been written about the so called "deplorables" and it all misses the issue completely. I was a deplorable 20 years ago. Perhaps I still am on some issues even now, as yet unknown to me. The point is it took time to evolve. In the US it takes longer than anywhere else. I'm not saying that's right, but I do believe it to be true and also impossible to change, except again by a slow, evolutionary path.

As the voices of progressives became increasingly strident and morally superior, as they heaped the "deplorable" around, they actually hurt their cause. They stopped the evolution of the traditionalists they needed to reach and change. Engage me and I might get to your place of understanding. Insult me and you lose me. Shape an endless media discourse that tells someone "if you can't instantly overcome the values you learned from mom and pop around the table when you were 7 then you're a BAD PERSON" and they instinctively fear you and your cause. Because actually they're not a bad person, they're just being human and working with what they have to work with.

So I think this has been the tragedy of the progressive cause. It's been building and we now see its culmination. Because finally someone stood up and said "No. I won't cower and say I'm a bad person just because the left says so." I'm not speaking of Trump personally here although it was only possible that someone outside the establishment could have done this. I'm saying that for the first time in a generation, millions of Americans who have been uneasy, afraid of losing their values; Americans who have been told they're bad people for feeling that way; these suddenly heard someone standing up and saying "enough." And they flocked to it. Not because they're bad people. Because they're human and they hadn't been given time, space and experience to evolve their own thinking.

Now, add into this the polarizing reality of your two political buckets and frankly you're screwed. Because these are deeply nuanced shades of grey things. But you take someone feeling vaguely uncomfortable with the pace of progress, add in 10 years of them being called deplorable or similar, then give them a binary choice for president .... do the math.

It's unfortunate that the one to give voice to this is Trump. But this essay is not about the man, this is about the values and identity of the American people because it's those that led to this point.

I see lots of protest and anger from my progressive friends. And I feel for you all.  But what I've tried to do here is to help you understand what just happened and why, and more importantly, to understand that the only path to your goals is one that seeks to gently engage those who find your values uncomfortable. To invite not to compel. To call not to legislate. To recognize that holding values you may find deplorable does not make the individual deplorable.

America will survive Trump economically and politically. But the underlying rift in values, that has to be fixed by all of you, with patience, listening, engagement and respect. Good luck.

Leadership Election

Well, it's been some time coming but finally after a long period without any canine leadership, and then an interim leadership courtesy of "Rocky", a chihuahua mix, finally TDPC can proudly announce that the new, permanent party leader is "Robin". The Dog is back in Doggerel...

Brave New Math .... still

I've relaunched TDPC's sister project, a site devoted to the issue of the math curriculum in Ontario schools and the shortcomings of the "discovery" method for teaching math.

If this is of interest, then please check out mathrightontario.blogspot.ca. There is a link there to a petition to Education Minister Liz Sandals asking for math curriculum reform.

With Apologies to John Prine

Dear Abby, Dear Abby, I'm just Pierre's son,

I lead the third party and that's just no fun. 

I had to do something to be sure I don't fail,

So let's roll a big doobie, it's time to inhale. 

Signed, Justin Trudeau. 

Putting the Dog back in Doggerel

TDPC is pleased to announce that following an extensive leadership search, it has been agreed that Quincy, a 6 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi, will assume the position of Supreme Leader, Doggerel Party of Canada later this year. This ends a nearly three year corgi free spell for the Party and will signal renewal, excitement, new policy directions and dried liver treats for all.

Lookalike

The UK has a law requiring student drivers ("learners") to affix L-plates to their car. This is to warn other drivers that they may not know what they're doing, will make mistakes and potentially veer off in all directions causing a mighty wreck.

The Liberal Party of Ontario has a new logo: 

This is to warn people that they may not know what they're doing, will make ....

You get the picture. 

RIP Margaret Thatcher

It's a very sad day for the entire world. 

So much will be written and said that it's hard to add to it, except to say that Margaret Thatcher was a very personal inspiration for an entire generation of us Britons. Love her or hate her, she engaged the people in the life of their nation in a way that we haven't seen since. Politics was about principle, character, tough choices and real life, not soundbites and hairstyles. She inherited a country in the doldrums, near bankrupt and paralyzed by militant trade unionists and she wrestled it into the modern world. She restored our faith in Britain and our faith in ourselves as individuals. She and Ronald Reagan defeated communism and brought democracy back to Eastern Europe. The Thatcher years were exciting years to live in Britain.

The entire world owes Margaret Thatcher a very great deal, and this blogger owes her even more. Rest in Peace.

New! From Doggerel Party Toys: The Folk Hero Series

Doggerel Party Toys (Shanghai) Inc. is proud to announce a new, exclusive line of action figures: The Canadian Folk Hero series. This new series of figures are carefully selected by Canadian icon Karren Winsella and lovingly rendered in Saudi sourced petrochemicals. The series begins with three characters, all of whom are indisputably Folk Heroes of Canada.

1. Warren Kinsella

Warren needs no introduction. The action figure comes with stuffed dinosaur accessory, a can of cat carefully labeled in Mandarin, and a free portrait of Marjory LeBreton knitting. Action features include a working libel suit launcher, a real swelling ego and an oversized wallet with real bragging motion.

2. Richard Warman

The Richard Warman figure comes complete with a free bonus stack of grievances and a pack of hurt feeling cards so you can play Human Rights Bingo. Download the free iPhone or Android app and you can assume up to five fictitious online identities. The app includes a special Richard! button, that will stop anyone in your household from saying anything.

3. Theresa Spence

The Chief Spence doll comes with a 12 pack of canned fish broth and a Cadillac Escalade. Action features on this figure include the "call police" feature. When activated, this will release the Attawapiskat police detachment who will then evict anyone heard asking you a question. The hunger strike action allows Chief Theresa to consume the fish broth¹. Chief Theresa talks too, with a selection of famous phrases: "My hands are tied." "There's no trust." "It's the government's fault."

¹ Weight loss simulated.

Watch toy stores and the left wing blogosphere for your chance to own this exclusive collection!!

Lookalike: The Two Faces of Warren Kinsella

Sharp eyed as ever, the corgis couldn't help but notice the strong resemblance between the two faces of Warren Kinsella: The one that wrote "As both a Catholic and an Ontario Liberal" when addressing an issue of interest to a Catholic audience, and the one who wrote "Look at me, folks. I am a latté-sipping, Kyoto-loving, One-World Government Secular Humanist." when addressing issues of interest to a Jewish audience. Could these faces be related?

Small boy under political fire

A small child today came under intense attack from candidates in the Calgary Centre by-election, after he claimed that the Most High Emperor Obama was not, in fact, clothed in threads of scarlet and finest gold but was rather not wearing any clothes at all.

Ontario to get a woman premier?

So Kathleen Wynne has thrown her hat into the ring to replace Dalton McShifty as chief architect of Ontario's economic ruin. Could she be Ontario's first female premier?

The corgis don't think so. In the words of Austin Powers... that's not a woman, it's a man, man.

Farewell, Dalton

Couldn't let the moment pass without chiming in, although most that can be said has already been said. From the Liberal side of the fence, we're hearing what a great man he was, and how Ontario is a better place after nine years of McGuinty-ism. And if you come from that perspective, why wouldn't you say this? He's been an absolute poster child for the nanny state. He garnered many many Liberal votes, and if you are a Liberal, then that's what matters. The price of those votes doesn't matter, because it's just taxpayer's money - not their own. They'll never have to pay.

And in the end, this is the McGuinty legacy in a nutshell. He's not changed too much on a practical day to day level, except to turn Ontario from a manufacturing province to a welfare one. But he has changed the culture of the province. Ontarians now expect their government to tell them what to do and what to think - and their government to pay for it as well - to a far greater extent than we did ten years ago. He's proved that promises count for nothing - first on taxes, then on Caledonia, and most recently by even turning his back on the Big Labour that brung him.

The tide of socialism has washed large over the province and it will take a very long time and a lot of hard work to reverse it.

Tim Hudak is emphatically not the man for that job. The Ontario PCs should take the chance they've now been offered to get a new leader, a new team, some new discipline, new policy and new message. There's a chance for the amateur hour to end now, and they should take it.

The Completely Not New Kinsella Duality

WK has a post up equating what he calls "anti-Muslim" writing - in other words, any objective discussion of concerns about radical Islam - with the topless photos of Kate Middleton recently published in France.

This is ironic, coming from a man who flew into an apoplectic rage because someone called his girlfriend a "squeeze." Somehow I doubt he would be so free-speechy if someone published nude photos of La La, despite his implication that this would be fair game.

After 17 Years, I Finally Figured Out Canadian Policing

This article about why British police remain unarmed contains a simple statement that suddenly explained for me the jarring difference between police officers in my old country and police officers in my new one.

"Arming the force would, say opponents, undermine the principle of policing by consent - the notion that the force owes its primary duty to the public, rather than to the state, as in other countries."

That completely different philosophical understanding explains everything. It's why we see so many cases of police beating people up, why police in Canada are so often rude, ignorant and thuggish. I couldn't understand it when I got here, but this is it.

Lookalike: DNC Edition

This poster turned the tide on socialism in Britain in 1979:

So its interesting to see Republicans handing out these at the heart of American socialism, the DNC.

Lookalike

Sharp eyed corgis will have noticed the uncanny resemblance between the pot-banging, mentally challenged character Ruprecht, played by a con artist who is in turn played by Steve Martin in the film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and the pot-banging leader of the Parti Quebecois, Pauline Marois.

We Get Spam

To: corgis .at. Doggerelparty.ca
From: Richard Warman
Subject: Urgent Confidential Business Proposition

Sir,

Am Richard Warman, Barrister at law and currently representing estate of recently deceased Mr. Section Thirteen former dictator of Ottawa, Canada.

I am trusting you with this most confidential matter of utmost urgency knowing you are of good character Bd morals and will benefit magnificently from proposal I am put to you.

During his lifetime I was Mr. Thirteen's closest friend and advocate and he rewarded me handsomely for this. Between us we accumulate large sums of money and vast holdings of hurt feelings. Am also in possession of quantities of offence and large tract of political correctness.

Now Mr. Thirteen has passed away, peace and glory be upon him, and I need your help to transfer the funds and grievances to a more friendly country. As you may know Canada is country in state of civil war with mobs ruling large parts of cities and racial massacres occurring every evening at half past five. Am urgently in need therefore of your help to transfer Mr. Thirteen's great and noble portfolio of human rights to a better and freer country.

If you are willing to help me move Mr. Thirteen's forty year of accumulation to a friendly regime such as Syria or Zimbabwe I look forward to your confidential response.

Am sincerely yours trusting in spirit of atheism and also Allah you will assist me in most worthwhile scheme.

Richard Warman
Barrister and Attorney, Ottawa Canada

Ontario's Liberals and The Catholic Schools

"As Both A Catholic and An Ontario Liberal" begins a post by former David Dingwall entitlement Warren Kinsella today. When I expressed the view (perhaps overstating, but then, what's Twitter for?) that this was oxymoronic, Kinsella simply called me a "moron". So, given that Liberals don't like to debate any issues around religion and would rather simply call religious folks "morons" while at the same time somehow claiming to also be religious, I thought I'd unpack some thoughts in a brief post.

I don't like what the McGuinty folks have done with the mandating of the "Gay-Straight Alliance" title in Catholic schools. Not because I'm opposed to these clubs however, or even this name. In fact, I personally think anyone who believes what you call such a club will have any effect at all on homophobic bullying in schools has totally forgotten what it's like to be 14. Kids don't care about this nonsense at all.  Kids who are going to bully will still bully. Kids who don't like the kids who go to a GSA won't like them any more or less because it's called a GSA. There's the story of the British troops in the Falklands who called the locals "Bennies" because their woolen hats made them look like a character in a television soap opera of the day. When their COs insisted this disrespect should stop, the troops switched to calling them "stills" - because they're still Bennies. Parents can do far far more to stop bullying than anyone else. Government is at the very bottom of the influence list.

Homophobia is on the wane at all levels in our society, as it should be - and indeed as the Catechism also says it should be. These kinds of social changes happen not because of politicians' efforts, no matter how well meaning. They just happen over time and they will continue to happen over time. Solving issues of bullying in schools comes down in the end to wise and decent parents, teachers and principals. What McGuinty is doing is simply shameless window dressing and more "look at me, I'm so compassionate" Premier Dad stuff - and the debate it's launched distracts nicely from not having done anything on the deficit yet. 

The real issue is that this is a very thin end of a wedge - a major assault on religious freedom that is coming to North America. Led by Obama in the US and the Liberal parties of Canada, this is going to get much, much worse. McGuinty is floating a trial balloon here on an emotive issue, one where he knows the majority will take his side. It's his first slice of salami. The question is, what's next?

And of course, Catholic schools are uniquely vulnerable because they straddle the state and the church, taking taxpayer funds. If taking government money, goes the argument, you have to abide by government policy - even if that directly contradicts your religious beliefs, as it does in this case. And this is a valid argument. Sometimes governments are respecters of freedom. The Liberal party, and people like Kinsella, are long documented enemies of freedom of conscience and freedom of expression, however, and so taking their taxpayer dime from them puts one on the road to serfdom. 

When John Tory lit the fuse on his famous exploding faith schools plan, I always felt that it was a bad idea precisely because most faith schools don't want the shackles of state control. A far more optimal solution, for all concerned, in my view, was the partial tax credit for private education that was in place before the nanny statists took over in Ontario. Let parents choose, and if they choose privately funded schools - on faith or any other grounds - then provide some financial recognition that they are not using the services for which they are paying taxes. It's not total funding of private or faith schools by any means, but it provides what is in my view the best balance between the interests of the majority in a state education system and the rights and freedoms of religious groups to educate their children in their respective traditions. The level of such a tax credit can be debated to achieve the right balance.

But to get to any kind of fair resolution on this stuff, you'd have to be dealing with people willing to debate and not dictate - and in Queens Park, and on Twitter, it seems we only have dictators for the time being.

"Failed" Charge of the Light Brigade a Myth

Sir,

With the benefit of one hundred fifty eight years of hindsight, is it not time to take an honest look at the glorious leadership of Lord CaRaedigan, as he led his troops into the Battle of Balaclava? Despite what was so obviously a great military victory on this occasion, history persists in the falsehood that the Charge of the Light Brigade was in some way a "failure". Much of the blame for this can be laid at the feet of the ignorant and illiterate Alfred Lord Tennyson and other so called professional writers, all of whom must have been under the influence of laudanum to have so grievously mischaracterised the great events of CaRaedigan's leadership.

As my great-great-great grandfather was a close advisor to and confidant of the great leader, I can personally attest that in fact the Charge was a great success, and has served as inspiration to me in my own humble career in public service.

Sincerely,

Tim Armstrong

The Liberal Approach to Scandal

Kinsella has an interesting defence of the Ornge debacle. In essence it says "we told the opposition that we had put Liberal cronies in a position to abuse the public trust and bilk the taxpayer, so that makes it all right."

You know, come to think of it, he does have a point. If you put a McGuinty Liberal crony in a position to bilk the taxpayer, then we really should assume that they will.