Canadianna's Place has a great post titled "Whose values are these anyway?" I wanted to add a bit to this. The notion of a free society is that people are free to govern themselves as much as possible, and the role of government is to provide a framework for them to do so, ensuring that one's freedom does not infringe on the freedom of another, and to protect those from external threats to their freedom. The people allow the state to act on their behalf, by delegating authority to the state so that it can act on these matters.
Alas, Canada has become a state whereby the elected elites usurp the notion of self government and allow its subjects few real rights. Canadian subjects (I will not use the term "citizen" as it implies more autonomy in my definition) are clients of the leviathan state, dependent on its largesse for its survival, grateful for any scraps of money or 'rights' that it deems the populace are worthy for. This is the mindset of the political elites, as embodied by the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto axis that controls the Liberal and New Democratic parties.
The "values" espoused by this group are post-Christian, hedonistic, paternalistic, myopic, and totally at odds with the history of civilization. This vision ignores that a society needs a purpose that is beyond the present, that there is a "messianic" purpose to existence, not living for the here and now. A society that cannot understand its greater purpose is doomed to extinction: Rome is a prime example. The Roman empire lost the values that were greater than itself - it's culture, law, duty, and purpose, and succumbed to a hedonism that made it fall to the barbarians because its populace lost the moral will to fight for its existence.
Canada is slouching towards this faith, losing its purpose and will to confront the enemies. Canada once had a national ethos of freedom, self-reliance, duty, responsibility, and sacrifice - believing these notions to be universal to all mankind, with a duty to spread across all humanity. Now we have an indolent, solipistic, hedonistic, and amoral populace that is too comfortable in the here in now to recognize that actions, not bromides and well wishes, are needed.
There is an opportunity here on January 23, to say "no" to the inevitability of this "progress" as espoused by the elites and their political organizations in this country. Hopefully, a conservative government in Ottawa can do more than slow the rate of descent, but actually start returning Canada to its historic roots and mission. I am not optimistic on whether they can succeed, but I can hope.
Alas, Canada has become a state whereby the elected elites usurp the notion of self government and allow its subjects few real rights. Canadian subjects (I will not use the term "citizen" as it implies more autonomy in my definition) are clients of the leviathan state, dependent on its largesse for its survival, grateful for any scraps of money or 'rights' that it deems the populace are worthy for. This is the mindset of the political elites, as embodied by the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto axis that controls the Liberal and New Democratic parties.
The "values" espoused by this group are post-Christian, hedonistic, paternalistic, myopic, and totally at odds with the history of civilization. This vision ignores that a society needs a purpose that is beyond the present, that there is a "messianic" purpose to existence, not living for the here and now. A society that cannot understand its greater purpose is doomed to extinction: Rome is a prime example. The Roman empire lost the values that were greater than itself - it's culture, law, duty, and purpose, and succumbed to a hedonism that made it fall to the barbarians because its populace lost the moral will to fight for its existence.
Canada is slouching towards this faith, losing its purpose and will to confront the enemies. Canada once had a national ethos of freedom, self-reliance, duty, responsibility, and sacrifice - believing these notions to be universal to all mankind, with a duty to spread across all humanity. Now we have an indolent, solipistic, hedonistic, and amoral populace that is too comfortable in the here in now to recognize that actions, not bromides and well wishes, are needed.
There is an opportunity here on January 23, to say "no" to the inevitability of this "progress" as espoused by the elites and their political organizations in this country. Hopefully, a conservative government in Ottawa can do more than slow the rate of descent, but actually start returning Canada to its historic roots and mission. I am not optimistic on whether they can succeed, but I can hope.
3 comments:
Wow. Great piece. Thanks for linking.
I see Joe has deposited his little bit of excrement on your blog too. That's the same mentality as the people who've been governing us for 12 years. No wonder people are more cynical, less civil, more hesitant to articulate their dissatisfaction, and less likely to hope for better. There's always some liberal twit who lowers the argument to a level to which you just don't want to go.
I would like to ask "Joe" and his comrades this question - can you give an intellectual or historical framework to your "values" that you abscribe to the the modern Left, as embodied by the Liberals and NDP. I am thinking that this would be a tough one, as the post you made resorts to ad hominen attacks. I'm willing to listen and have a fun, serious, and thorough debate. I would hope that you could do better than that.. please...
Mitch I have to agree that these "Canadian Values" are, and were, entirely made up by the ruling left of centre elite and their supporters. WHat happened to the Canadian values of "for King and Country" or any other values imposed,at the time, on us by the ruling right? These "values" we have today are just a bunch of hooey. The difference is that we were great, proud, strong and free in the past as opposed to lame, stupid, weak and enslaved today.
Live free or die.
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