Fighting on the Beaches

Old Dogs Suggest Old Tricks

2006-05-04T00:33:00.000-07:00

One of the failings of Paul Martin's fabled "Board" was the prominence of many of charter members. It sometimes seemed as though the Board was more concerned about convincing Canadian of their brilliance than demonstrating their ability to run a country. This tendency contributed to the rather premature end of the 'Golden Age of Paul Martin."

One might think that the rather their spectacular failure would encourage the members of the Board to step back from political life for a time. Yet Scott "Beer and Popcorn" Reid doesn't seem to share any embarrassment in his advice to the Liberals offered in the Toronto Star. His advice will sound a little familiar to anyone who has been listening to Team Martin expound for the last 10 years. And it has much of the weakness of that advice.

Among his advice is that the Liberals need to "Define Harper." This is presented as a fresh new insight as thought the Liberals have up to those point have been gentle with Harper. Anyone who watched TV in the last two election cycles got a big dose of the Liberal version of Stephen Harper. Unfortunately by the second time around the Liberal version of Harper didn't find a lot of believers. The challenge that Scott Reid and many Liberals face is that they genuinely believed that the Prime Minister is on the extreme of Canadian public opinion.

Unfortunately for the Liberals Canadians won't have a to wait for the Liberals to define Harper again. He is systematically building a record on which the public can judge him. Undoubtedly some of his actions will be less popular then others but the Stephen Harper of Scott Reid's mind is unlikely to emerge because that Stephen Harper is simply a fantasy of Mr. Reid's mind. Unless the Liberals come to grips with this reality they may be spending a lot of time on the Opposition side of the House.

The Thrill of the Chase

2006-05-01T23:48:00.000-07:00

Since I grew up without a natural hockey team to cheer for and a lack of appetite or serious interest in sports I've always taken the Stanley Cup playoffs a little less seriously than many Canadians. Yet its impossible not to get a little caught up in playoff excitement,

Of course the buzz in the Lower Mainland is pretty quiet since the Canucks couldn't even make it into the playoffs but fortunately I'm non-aligned. I support any Canadian team. Now this could easily become a little awkward as there's a pretty good chance that Calgary and Edmonton will meet in the second round. I'd like to consider a no lose type of situation but I happen to watch most of the games with a bunch of Edmonton fans (in the fanatic sense of the word) who do not accept my theory of nationalistic theory of fandom. They all cheered for Tampa Bay in the 2004 finals out of principle. Regardless it would be nice to see a Canadian team take home the Cup. It would be a nice reminder to Canadians of the benefits of Conservative rule.

Claiming the left or abandoning the center?

2006-04-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

As the candidate line up to fight for the leadership of Canada's "Natural Governing Party" there seems to be a strong trend developing everyone is running on the left. From Bob Rae to Gerald Kennedy to Ken Dryden everyone wants to be the "progressive" candidate.

Now of course these Liberals explain they're really above ideology but the reality is that the center right seems to be sorely lacking a candidate in the race. The only candidate who seems to be resisting the rush to the left is Maurizio Belilacqua who while more capable then many candidates isn't high on anyone list of likely winners. (I suppose Joe Volpe is not a candidate of the left either but he's really below ideology.)

Now it seems to be conventional wisdom that the Liberals need to chase NDP voters. Yet as John Ivison points out the numbers don't seem to add up. Simply put the Conservatives won because of voters who switched from the Liberals. Oddly many Liberal supporters seem to insist they should concede the those center-right voters who switched to the Conservatives last time to chase NDP voters.

As a Conservative partisan this scenario leaves me feeling pretty good. There are a significantly number of voters who voted for the Paul Martin Liberals specifically because they thought that the Liberals were relatively competent and understanding of business. In 2006 they stayed with the Liberals due to doubts about Conservative craziness. Yet a Liberal move to the left coupled with a couple years of non-crazed Conservative rule could shake loose a lot of Liberal voters. Ironically the Liberals seem almost intent on allowing Stephen Harper a lot of room to build a new "Natural Governing Party" while the Liberals chase the elusive split left.

TV Picks

2006-03-30T22:32:00.000-08:00

The grand 400 channel universe is pretty much here but sadly it seems to simply consist of many more channels with nothing worthwhile on. However it does make channel surfing much more enjoyable since one can spend a fair amount of time flicking through the channels before absolutely determining that nothing interesting is on.

That being said there is some quality TV still being made. Here's some of my recommended shows:

- The West Wing: I am rather ideological in my viewing tastes but even I have to admit the West Wing can be brilliant. I just recently watch the 2nd and 3rd series on DVD and I'm pretty much convinced that Aaron Sorkin is a genius. The politics of the show are often simplistic. The conservative characters are generally charicatures and losers but the show has far too much brilliance to be ignored.

- How I Met Your Mother: Probably my favourite new comedy. It's a fairly typical sitcom with a slightly conservative message about young adults who (mostly) are actually trying to grow up. Plus its very funny.

- Arrested Development: It's now off the air which is too bad. Arrested Development is consistently out there but hilarious. It combines all types of humour in such a sophfisticated manner that it's hard not to appreciate it.

- Scrubs: Like Arrested Development it has a strong sense of the absurd but Scrubs has a much warmer heart.

- Veronica Mars: I've always had a soft spot for mysteries and Veronica Mars girl detective is combines mysteries with an fairly acute look at teenage life.

Fear and Loathing in the Blogosphere

2006-03-26T00:16:00.000-08:00

Recently the Washington Post decided to shake things up by hiring a conservative blogger. The reaction was likely a little more intense then they had expected. Seemingly the entire leftwing of the blogosphere rose up in outrage. The thought that the Post would give a blog to a conservative writer was too much for many. It took very little time for things to turn ugly. Ben Domenech was accused of being a racist and many other highly dubious and disturbing things. The response lacked any pretense of a civil debate. The left had simply decided that Domenech must be destroyed.

Unfortunately for the young writer he had already sown the seeds of his own destruction. In their attempts to bring him down a few bloggers find past writings which bore striking evidence of plagiarism. Soon hundreds of people were pouring through his old articles and several questionable examples were found. Domenech resigned from the Washington Post and admitted that he had made some bad decisions in his past.

And what have we learned from all this? Nothing good. Despite what some would claim Domenech's plagiarism is not a statement on the conservative movement or the Republicans but more on how easy it is for writers to get lazy. There have been numerous plagiarism scandals in recent years involving people from across the political spectrum. The advances in the Internet and search engines will make it increasingly easy to uncover plagiarism while the vast reams of writing out there will continue to tempt writers struggling to come of with prose.

The more concerning part of this story is the intensity and hatred of those who opposed the blog in the beginning. Uncovering plagiarism was simply a means to an end. That end was to force Domenech out of the Post. While Domenech was obviously particularly provocative as a conservative activist who has worked for several Republicans it's not like former political staff never cross over into the media.

Yet the furious nature of the attacks are indicative of the increasingly politicalized nature of the media and culture. Many on the left simply do not wish to see any conservative appear to gain ground in the media. To be fair many conservatives are just as willing to close themselves off from critical voices. Yet if we continue to drift apart conducting politics will grow increasingly challenging. It may seem a little novel but perhaps we should start asking for a little civility in the blogosphere.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper

2006-01-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact the I've had a week to adjust to the idea of Prime Minister Stephen Harper the words still seem a little surreal. It's not that I'm quacking in fear of what scary neo-conservative ideas Harper will try to introduce. It's more that having spent a great deal of time and effort in the past four years working towards this day it's still hard to believe that it has come.

It was not that long ago that I was in Ottawa in the summer of 2003. In some encounters with various members of the then Leader of the Canadian Alliance entourage I was given the general plan as to how Harper would deal with Paul Martin. In short the logic was that Martin was a lock to get 200+ seats. The only saving grace for the Alliance was that the Progressive Conservatives would be even more devastated than the Alliance. After Martin had effectively devastated both parties the Alliance would rise from the ruins. In an election or two or three.

At least one person disagreed- Stephen Harper. In fact he had already started the process that would lead to a merger of the two opposition parties. He then proceeded to run a fairly masterful leader campaign followed by a less masterful election campaign.

The time that followed the 2004 election gave plenty of opportunities for the doubters to find examples as to why Stephen Harper would never be Prime Minister. And yet in a week Stephen Harper will be sworn in as the next Prime Minister of Canada. Will his term be a success? I don't think that anyone knows yet. However he has already accomplished so much more than he was ever expected to. It takes a bold person to bet against him now.

And the scandals continue

2005-12-28T23:12:00.000-08:00

Ralph Goodale is boldly refusing to step down as the RCMP launch a criminal investigation into the income trust affair. And why should he? After all, as he explains it's not like he's been accused of anything? And that old fashioned idea that a minister was responsible for the actions of his department has long been abadoned by the Liberals. Ralph obviously shouldn't have to spend his time surpvising his staff. He's far too busy taking dictation from Jack Layton as to what his budget should look like. The Liberals are continuing their groundbreaking exploration as to what it takes before the resignations come. So far we've learned that ethnic slurs against NDP candidates are a no-no but attacks on Canadian parents are fine. We've also learned that a minister is not responsible until he or she is taken in custody.

Notes about the election

2005-11-29T00:58:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that I haven't posted in months people keep visiting this site so I guess I may as well offer some new (if not totally original) content. Here then are my random thoughts on the coming election.

Mild optimism: For many reasons I have been fairly pessimistic about the Conservative chances. However I've decided to be optimistic if for no other reason than it will help justify the large amount of time I'm about to commit to the campaign.
Watch BC: I'm convinced that BC could finally be key to an election. While a lot will depend on what happens in Ontario the BC results could very well determine who gets the keys to 24 Sussex. I'll try to offer some updates of what my sense of the situation on the ground here throughout the campaign.
Who's going to win?: Quite honestly I have no idea who will win. Things are so carefully balanced that a small shift in voter intention could radically change the face of Parliament. On the other hand we could easily get a government that looks almost exactly the same as the one that just fell.

And We're Back

2005-09-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Not that it appears that a great many readers have been around to miss Fighting on the Beaches but for a variety of reasons posting has been rather non-existentant over the past few weeks and pretty spotty before than. In that time a lot of things of have happened. I don't have any special thoughts on much of the news. I watched Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath devastate the Gulf Coast with the same horror that most felt but it feels a little foolish to offer any comments from the safety of the West Coast.

One subject of less import but more in my realm of experience is Peter Newman's new book. As someone who was not particularly politically aware during the Mulroney years I have never really understood the intense hatred that so many Canadians have for Mulroney. His record is clearly mixed but compared to the devastation Pierre Trudeau wreaked on Canada Mulroney was a model PM.

The major response to the book seems to be shock at the graphic language used by Mulroney. Anyone who's spend a lot of time with politicians will know that the typical politician has a very healthy opinion of themselves and a less than generous view of many of their counterparts. There are exceptions but in general the main difference between Mulroney and other politicians that the others don't have the hubris to go on the record with their true feelings.

New Thinking on Africa

2005-08-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Life in North America has it's ups and downs yet compared to so much of the world the average North American has a dream life. We may have problems and pain but our life is not a constant struggle for survivor or peace. It's easy to forget how good we have it.

From time to time we are reminded that others do not have it so good. Events such as the tsanami in Asia or even planned events like the Live8 can get us thinking and maybe even doing a little more to help out. However all to often our good intentions are wasted by the ineffectiveness and weaknesses of the nations we are trying to help.

I don't think it's too controversial to suggest that much of Africa is highly dysfunctional. That dysfunction adds another level of complexity facing anyone who would offer help to that continent. The organizers of Live8 offered little in the way of comprehensive solutions perferring to instead use the language of western guilt and call for more money from governments.

Africa has received enormous sums from many Western governments in the past 40 years and there is little evidence to suggest that any nation is the better for it. Fortunately not all are content to try the same failed ways over and over. Time's profile of American mega-church paster Rick Warren's new venture in Rwanda suggests that something big may be happening. The project appears to be both ambitious yet modestly focused on a network of volunteers. I'm in no position to judge whether this particular project will be a success but I am convinced that a partnership between the North American church and Africa is the best hope Africa has for a better tomorrow.

2005-08-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

Pro-Life Blogs points out that a recent UN treaty on the rights of the disabled somehow included a provision dealing with the right to abortion. As the post recounts this strange inclusion is no fluke. The UN has a long history of aggressively promoting abortion and birth control at every opportunity.

Since it's creation the United Nations has been a magnet to those who believe we can build a better world through planning. A key belief has always been the need to "control" the population. For UN bureaucrats children are a hinderence to progress. Yet one can't help wondering if a brave new world is worth having if it has no respect for children and families.

2005-08-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

There's been multitudes of articles written on the difference between Canadians and our neighbours to the south. Often the differences are greatly exaggerated by Canadians eager to build an identity of non- or even anti-Americanism despite the remarkable similarities between the two nations. However that doesn't mean that there are no distinctions. An article in Policy Review provides a lot of food for thought by focusing on a key difference- the divirging birth rates of Candian and American woman.

As the article points out in recent years Canadian birth rates have continued to fall similarly to those of most developed nations. At the same time American birth rates have actually risen somewhat. The implications of the divirgence are significant and are producing two very different nations. The writers make a plausible case that the growing divide between the two nations can be attributed partly to birth rate patterns. Interestingly only one Canadian province shows a birth rate comparable to that of the US. Of course that province is Alberta. More evidence that Alberta may not be forever content in the brave new Canada.

A Poetic Interlude

2005-08-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

Kipling's The Gods of the Copybook Headings

"AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race,I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.
We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turnThat Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind,So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.
We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place,But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would comeThat a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome.
With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch,They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch;They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings;So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.
When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know."
On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death."
In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."
Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrewAnd the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was trueThat All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make FourAnd the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.
As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of ManThere are only four things certain since Social Progress began. That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire, And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;
And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world beginsWhen all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins, As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will bum, The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return."

2005-07-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

When the Democrats are counting their core constituencies few stand out as boldly as the entertainment industry. In many ways it seemed like a lot of performers spent more time campaigning than entertaining during the last campaign. A similar ideological bent can be seen among Canadian performers and actors. The Barenaked Ladies had concerts in favour of the NDP while Avril Lavinge spoke out to encourage Canadians to vote for anyone other than the Conservatives.

For all the noise from the world of celebrities there was remarkable little results. Most people now accept that famous people are hopelessly leftwing and simply filter out the lectures. Even the Democrats as Mark Steyn notes treat the famous more as mascots than a source of serious ideas.

Yet the entertainment world was not inevitably a bastion of the left. It's true that historically radicals tended towards the arts but few of them actually did art for the masses. For much of history mass entertainment was ideologically neutral. Even the golden age of Hollywood had room for diversity. An article in City Journal offers a potential explanation for the current dominance of the left- Communist infiltration. It's clear that the communists saw value in the arts and as the infamous UnAmerican Activities Committee demonstrated they were successful at recruiting people in the industry. The fellow travelers were then re-enforced with the babyboomers and from then on the left was triumphant. The dominance is helpful to the left in many ways but it also presents a potential problem for the industry. Increasingly a gap is growing between the entertainers and much of the audience. The stirrings of a backlasch could become louder.

2005-07-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

Rather than attempt to come up with something witty and thought-provoking tonight I'll just direct your attention to several people who already have something to say:

One of those things that we all know is that poverty is getting worse. But as Lorne Gunter points out the empirical evidence proves this is not the case.
The American Scene offers some fascinating musings on the marriage debate and the future of conservatism. The idea of a family-centered, community oriented conservatism seems to me to be the way social conservatism can be relevant in the twenty-first century.
I'm hopelessly addicted to political speculation no matter how far-fetched it is. Thus I enjoyed Calgary Grit's rundown of potential Liberal leaders. Interestingly the race is probably more wide-open than any Liberal contest in the 20th century with the singular expection of Trudeau-mania. For once the natural governing party does not have a savior waiting the wings.
If we're talking about future elections there's always the 2008 American Presidential race. I willing to be that the Republican candidate will be neither John McCain nor Rudy Giuliani. It's not yet clear who the winner will be but it wouldn't be a bad wager to put some money on the threesome of George Allan, Mike Huckabee, or Mitt Romney.

The Christians are Coming! (Again)

2005-07-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year the Globe and Mail discovered that Canada has Christians and that some of those Christians are involved in politics. On Saturday the Vancouver Sun followed up the investigative reporting of the Globe by running several features on Canada's "Christian right."

To be fair the Sun was much more thoughtful and balanced the Globe and Mail. The only feature available outside the firewall right now gives a good taste of the series. The story gives several staffers of Focus on the Family Canada a chance to speak and balances it with the critics who see American-style fundamentalism under every bed.

One has to give the Sun some credit for making an apparently sincere effort to understand what drives Christian activism but the story doesn't escape the inevitable distance that seems to separate the media from religion in Canada. The writers don't quite know what to make of those who let their faith impact their thinking. The idea that someone would oppose same-sex marriage because the Bible claims that such behavior is sinful seems to be genuinely confusing to a lot of secular minded people. Thus we get features like the Sun's which try to figure out what's driving all these Christians to get involved in politics. The straight forward answer is that Christians are driven by much the same things that drive many others- a desire to serve and build a better country.

Thoughts on Terror

2005-07-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

I don't have any original thoughts about the attacks in London. I have no reason to believe that the friends I have in that area were involved in the blast but the pleasure of that thought is greatly weakened by the reality that the friends of many others were killed or injured on London's streets this morning. I certainly pray that those who are mourning will find comfort.

The attacks were a surprise in that I didn't expect them today. Yet it wasn't the surprise I felt when I woke the morning of September 11, 2001 after dreaming of terror and towers falling only to learn that my mind had been incorporating the news feed from my radio alarm. At that time I terrorism was a abstract possibility that I was shocked to see had come true. Today there was sadness but little surprise.

A surprising number of Canadians still believe that Canada is immune. It would be nice to think so. I hope that they will not have to face their naivete but far from convinced that Canada's peace can be long-lasting. Even if Canada chooses to sit out some battles the battle will still come to Canada.

As for root causes I think one thing is pretty simple- there are those who wish to kill us. And the only reasonable response is that they must be stopped. The fight against terror must go on without ceasing. In the spirit of a great lady it's time to say that the West is "not for turning."

2005-07-07T00:40:00.000-07:00

Brief thoughts:

Belinda Stronach is going to tour Canada looking for the reasons people are growing cynical about politics. May I suggest she saves some money by skipping the tour and buying a mirror.
London has won the 2012 Olympics. Should the British be excited or is it the New Yorkers and Parisans who really won. I don't know. But as a resident of the area hosting the 2010 games I predict that the people of London will be a little tired of the leadup to the games long before the opening ceremonies.
Live8? Read Mark Steyn.

2005-07-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

I took a short visit across the border this weekend and was reminded of some of the reasons that the United States is a country worthy of admiration. While the pride of Americans may sometimes be overbearing and a little obnoxious they have a confidence in their nation that any Canada has to envy. Despite all its short-comings the US is a force for good. For today I'll let go of my sympathies with the Loyalists and salute the men who created such as grand nation.

The Failure of Social Conservatives

2005-06-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

The passage of Bill C-38 ought to lead to some serious questioning among the leaders of Canada's social conservative movement. They really need to ask why do they always lose. And I do mean always. Unlike our American counterparts Canadian so-cons have pretty much lost every battle to the point that there's not a whole lot left to conserve. Clearly something is not working.

Obviously there are a few excuses that have some legitimately. It's tough to fight battles when the media is almost completely against you. So-cons have been disorganized and underprepared for some skirmishes. Yet I think the problems go much deeper than media bias and a lack of organization. The problem is that Canadians in large part no longer accept social conservative values and that so-cons refuse to accept this reality.

Far too many so-cons are looking for a magic solution. The failure of that solution to present itself has led to a great deal of grumbling. It also has led to a tendency to turn on leaders who are seen as insufficiently pure. I know one high profile politician who took a very outspoken stance on a major issue but who was willing to compromise to make significant gains rather than fall on principle. The response of many was to condemn the politician for breaking with her principles. The reality is she was much more concerned with establishing clear grounds where social conservative could have a seat at the table than the grandstanding many seem to prefer.

An even more tragic example was the collapse of Jake Epp's attempt during the Mulroney government to forge a compromise on an abortion. The pro-life community turned on him when it discovered his bill would have allowed some abortions to continue. The pro-abortion movement piled on with glee and together both sides killed a compromise that would have seriously limited abortions. The result was that Canada now has no abortion law and that no sane politician wants to even discuss abortion.

While Canadians are not uniformly social conservative they are also not nearly as liberal as our leaders would like to think. There is little enthusiasm for an unlimited right to abortion and even less for the new definition of marriage.

The utter failure of the so-con movement has allowed the left to appear much more dominant than it really is. Unfortunately without a major shift in strategy so-cons will continue to face defeat after defeat. The movement needs to start thinker broader. It's time for a rethinking of what social conservatism means and where it should be going and how it can get there. I'm planning to introduce my rather radical suggestion in a future post but I'm quite interested in getting as wide-ranging a discussion going as possible among so-cons, fellow travelers and even those who are not sympathetic to the movement. Let's start with the question of what social conservatism is all about?

Why do they call it deportation if no one ever leaves?

2005-06-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court of Canada has finally found that Leon Mugesera can be deported. Mr. Mugersera was fighting his deportation on the grounds that his life would be in danger if he was forced to return to Rwanda. For some reason people there hold bitter feelings about his speeches inciting genocide.

The more outrageous part of the story is that he has been fighting deportation since 1995. The long fight isn't really surprising. Every year thousands of would-be refugees are rejected. And then they appeal and appeal. As long as you have a half decent lawyer you can plan on staying in Canada long after you theoretical should have left. But then what can one say about a system that is willing to hear arguments by a member of the Hell's Angel on the grounds that the American government was persecuting him because he was a biker.

Stem Cells and Science

2005-06-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

There are some things that we are told that we should simply accept. For instance we are know that evil pro-life conservatives oppose stem cell research because the Bible tells them to. In fact many critics seem to be convinced that the pro-life movement opposes stem cell research because it wants to see people suffer. Apparently they cannot see why anyone could object to finding cures for disease.

Unfortunately embryonic stem cell research isn't the typical combining of bacteria or chemicals to development treatments. The uncomfortable fact is that it requires the destruction of human life to go forward. Some might argue that the benefits outweigh the costs but that's not really the argument we're having. Rather the debate has devolved to the pro-life movement attempting to make the philosophical defense of human life while the other side keeps asking "Why do you hate sick people?"

Fortunately stem cell research doesn't have to be done with embryos. And as Prolife Blogs points out there are many breakthroughs being made with adult stem cells. Hopefully the reality of science will eventually catch up to the terms of the debate.

Why Can't the Tolerant Tolerate Christians?

2005-06-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Evangelical Outpost has a brief survey on the increasingly intolerance non-Christians are showing towards those who they feel are too Christian. Apparently Christians are so obviously wrong that we no longer deserve a place in the public square. As Christians gain in prominence in American life it appears that the vitriol is also growing.

The champions of tolerance are also active in Canada. In fact I would suggest that anti-Christian attitudes are much worse north of the 49 parallel. Consider the recent hysterical reports by a major Canadian newspaper that a number of "born-again" Christians have been nominated as candidates for the upcoming federal election. The media did not have dozens of examples of ways in which these candidates were outside of the mainstream. The paper seemed to think it was a self-evident truth that any Christian who wished to get involved in Canadian political life should be considered guilty until proven innocent.

Perhaps the larger irony in all of this is that despite the confidence of non-believers the intellectual case for Christianity is in better shape today than it was 50 years ago. As Alister McGrath as recently written we may be witnessing the "Twilight of Atheism" Then again perhaps that explains why Christianity critics are growing ever more shrill.

The Problem with the New Stephen Harper

2005-06-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Usually when the media gives advice to Stephen Harper it's best read backwards. If the Conservative brain trust watched CTV's Question Period or CBC's Politics and did the opposite of the suggestions given Harper would be in good shape. So I'm a little surprised to be saying this but the pundits are right about Stephen Harper's "Summer of Reinvention."

The plan is to have Harper go on a grand charm offensive on the summer BBQ circuit. We're being told that a new, lighter, happier Harper will been seen from coast to coast. There's only one problem with the plan. Harper is not charming.

I've seen the leader of the Conservative in action numerous times over the last few years and really can't say there's any evidence that Harper can be a charming magnetic personality. He appears to be a nice guy, occasionally a quite funny guy who genuinely care about his family but not the life of the party.

Thus I suspect this new image may fall flat. It's not possible to remake one's personality overnight. Harper is a serious and even brilliant thinker. For some reason the party seems determined to keep that intelligence under wraps. Hopefully someone will rethink this strategy.

It's unlikely that Stephen Harper would ever be on the top of a list of people I'd invite to a party but he's pretty high up on the list of people I'd like to see running the country.