Who Am I
It is interesting how being a supporter of liberal democracy, which is better known as liberalism, does not make me a liberal. In fact if you were to describe my political beliefs you would most likely come up with the moniker I describe myself as, a conservatarian. A liberal democracy is one of personal liberty, small government, private property, freedom of speech, religious freedom and equality of opportunity. While revolutionary changes have occurred the past millennium has the UK led nations of the world marching inexorably forward with this philosophy.
Side by side with this political ideology is the role of capitalism as a financial system that has proven to be the greatest emancipator of people from the tyranny of government. And to be truthful it really seems to be a chicken and egg concept. Are individual rights and freedoms derived from capitalist ideology or does liberal democracy provide the only sound foundations for a capitalist society. Without one you can not have the other I think.
Capitalism though is not the defining feature of a liberal democracy, it is the understanding that to achieve equality of opportunity government must provide some basic features of support. Schooling the populace easily the most fundamental of these to my thinking. Second is some sort of backstop for people who cannot participate in life growth due to any number of reasons, health, intellect or station in life. The family that is overwhelmed by caring for a challenged child requires support that a family without these challenges does not understand.
A liberal democracy requires protection from not just outside forces of other countries but from internal forces intent on taking advantage of the populace through crime or fear. If someone or a group of people are trying to take away someones liberty, property, freedom of speech or religious identity or stealing their chance of opportunity the government of a liberal democracy must step in to reverse this. Sometimes punish the transgressors when the situation requires. In other words maintain order.
These are the foundational principles I believe in. A government needs to provide a safe environment to learn how to be a productive member of society and to provide a level of support in times of difficulty for people. To protect this Utopian ideal from dangers both outside an internal. This government needs to be the place where the minority has a voice, that the majority does not always get its way.
Alexis de Tocqueville discusses the tyranny of the majority and how this can be the downfall of democratic society. A liberal democracy counters this by distributing the power off government across differing branches. In the west we have three branches, a deliberative body elected by and beholden to the populace that create the laws, an executive branch which may or may not be directly elected depending win the country but that implements the laws of the land. And lastly but equally as important is a judicial arm acting as referee for the populace in that they have the obligation to determine whether rules are broken and what to do about it.
As the first two are either directly or indirectly placed by the people through elections it is understood they will be partisan. In our western democracies the judiciary has evolved to be appointed by the executive. This also creates a partisan nature to this branch as well. And as such will be the beginning of the end for our way of life. A highly partisan judiciary will move the needle to extremism one way or another which the legislative and executive branches will further leverage to the advantage of their ideology.
To me this is where being a conservative is important. Our way of life was founded on some basic principles which are constantly under pressure to be changed. The simple principles of personal liberty, freedom of speech and religion, private property and equality of opportunity supported by a limited government are under siege. And not just from one direction. It is under siege from the oligarchy of the wealthy, working to leverage their wealth to create more wealth and power.
Our system is designed to need protection from itself. Always just one generation away from change at the ballot box, it is why schools have become the battle ground for progressivism. Teach ever more radical ideas to the youth as they become the vanguards of change. Or keep them illiterate and occupied with drugs and crime and they become the compliant servants of the revolution. Build a permanent underclass that believes they can never achieve and that survival depends on government largess. Then message the fear, a vote for them means no more money.
I understand I am blessed to be living where I am, in the time I am. But I also understand how fragile this time is. And so I write this blog. Sharing my beliefs, my observations of Canadian life and how it is under attack from forces inside and out. I would like to think my daughter will have the same rights and freedoms that I have today when she reaches my age. I do not think that she will without many of us teaching others what liberty and obligation mean.
I love the principles that our country was founded upon and I believe in the obligation to protect them. From all enemies. It is also my obligation to learn what or who those enemies are. To not rely on the government telling me who or what they are. And lastly the obligation to share what I believe with others. To provide a cohesive argument for my beliefs. So that is what I will continue to do on this blog. That is who I am.
So join me for another year of thoughts on Canadian life from someone who has lived it. Believe the things I say or not it does not matter. If what I write about makes you think, that is all I can hope for.
Happy 2026 gentle readers!