Individualism vs collectivism

Xanthippa has posted a five part series of videos that neatly explain key concepts (and misconceptions) relating the various political philosophies - individualism vs collectivism, right vs left, rights, liberty, anarchy, socialsim, communism, fascism, Naziism, etc.  The series is topped off with a presentation by John Robson on the Magna Carta.  Excellent.

Dedicated libertarians know this stuff inside out and do a great job of explaining it.  But what they haven't been able to do very successfully is to get a sufficiently large following to attain political power based on libertarian principles.  The Libertarian Party has been unable to do even what the Green Party has done. Not even close. Canucks are too well indoctrinated, from birth to death, in collectivism.  As the videos warn: "The evidence presented here was not part of your education".  All that "greedy", "selfish", "uncaring", libertarian individualism is just too scary.  Though it could be argued that the libertarian philosophy does enjoy some measure of representation within the Conservative Party.  Maybe that's the most they can reasonably expect for now.

Klavan: The facts of life for liberals

Exploding turban

Remember that Danish cartoon? 

It was more than just a cartoon.

Obama's blame and scare tactics

President Obama addressed the nation yesterday on the US debt crisis. Two main themes were "Hope and change".  Nope, sorry, that's wrong! They were:

1) Finger pointing: (a) Bush did it! (b) Republicans are intransigent, and;
2) Scare-mongering: Raise the debt ceiling (on my terms) or granny’s gonna die

Even Lorne Gunter today buys into at least part of the Obama scare rhetoric. He seems to believe it's possible that the government could default:

...Yet if U.S. political gamesmanship leads to a credit downgrade on U.S. debt, or even a default, the consequences could be serious....

"Hardly" says former Clinton adviser, Dick Morris:

“There’s no way the United States is going to default on it’s debt. There’s no way we’re going to miss 5 minutes of payments.”

Norway - more speculation about "right-wing extremist"

From the Vancouver Sun's front page today (story inside):

Update: And check this out. Also, Michael Coren.

Carnage in Norway - "right-wing militants" suggests Reuters

A report from Reuters:

A bomb ripped through Oslo's central government district on Friday and a gunman dressed as a policeman then opened fire at a youth camp on a nearby island, killing at least 17 people altogether.

... The gunman, a 32-year-old Norwegian citizen, was held by police. The double attack bore some hallmarks of al Qaeda but analysts suggested right-wing militants might also be responsible.

The media profiling that damned "right-wing" again. Predictable. But I think I'll hang in there for confirmation from a reliable source like, say, Blazing Cat Fur.

McGuinty's Ontario entitled to it's entitlements

Have-not province Ontario's premier Dalton McGuinty has been at a premiers' meeting in Vancouver this week bragging about his costly green energy plan and justifying equalization payments to help pay for it:

...It started with a stroll through Stanley Park with David Suzuki, who warmly endorsed his government’s green plan...

...McGuinty claims that green plan has vaulted Ontario past British Columbia to the forefront of action against climate change...

...despite having the second-highest average wages in Canada, Ontario is now officially a have-not province. This year — its third on the dole — it will get $ 2.2 billion, more than any other province except Quebec...

... Three years ago... McGuinty argued that the program should be scrapped. “ To speak of ‘ have’ and ‘ havenot’ provinces in 2008 makes no sense....

... He still doesn’t like the term, but he has come to like the way equalization works, threatening to “ flex our elbows and assert ourselves” if anyone tries to mess with Ontario’s entitlement....

Exactly, McGuinty wants federal pogey to pay for an insane green energy plan that is costing $billions:

...Billions are wasted buying subsidized wind and solar power that ends up being exported [dumped] at fire-sale prices.

More in the National Post editorial today:

...If the Ontario Liberal party truly had the courage of Dwight Duncan's anti-equalization convictions, it would refuse to accept the transfer payments, adding moral weight to claims that the system is broken and obsolete. ...

Come October let's hope that Ontarians come to their senses. Ontario's "vaulting past BC" in plans to save the world from global warming is nuts - and BC Liberals having put us near the forefront of the same messianic nitwittery are no less nuts.