Contra Theodore Dalrymple?

I am not alone in my admiration for the beautifully written medical essays of the conservative psychiatrist Theodore Dalrymple. In those essays, he’s often made reference to his atheist — or perhaps more accurately agnostic — bias. And in a well written book review at The New Atlantis, Lee Harris finds many cracks in Dalrymple’s latest book Romancing the Opiates. But he does not use Christian sources to do it; he uses their pagan forbears:

Aristotle’s analysis is helpful in seeing where Dalrymple’s treatment of the addict falls short, since the concept of akrasia allows us to recognize that there will inevitably be large groups of human beings who will be unable to control their own lives—a group that will naturally exhibit all the signs of the impetuous personality. Large doses of testosterone coursing through the veins of young males will invariably lead to impetuous behavior, unless these boys have been subjected from a young age to a rigorous program aimed at habituating them to self-control, or enkrateia—and even then the success may be hit or miss. Kids who have been allowed to grow up feral cannot be expected to display self-control; self-mastery is a technique no one has taught them, so how could they have learned it? They will in fact lack the strength of mind to rise even to the level of Aristotle’s weak man, since they will be ignorant of what constitutes right conduct. In Aristotle’s political theory, such human beings are classified as “natural slaves” who must be governed by others because they are completely unable to govern themselves. Today we find Aristotle’s theory objectionable, despite the fact that in even the most advanced societies many people are “enslaved” to drugs, to alcohol, to gambling, and to sex. Indeed, Aristotle could rightly point out that no society has ever existed that achieved the complete elimination of the weak-willed and the impetuous, if only because each rising generation will consist of children who, by nature, lack the self-mastery that can only be achieved by the right upbringing—if even then.

Read Drug Addiction and the Open Society

Discuss amongst yourselves

I’ve never been a crazy Trudeau lover and recognize that his time as PM was less than stellar when it comes to economics and foreign affairs. However, I respect the hell out of his position on Canada as a nation and I believe that the Charter of Rights is a legacy to the world (it is the basis of more new constitutional charters than the American version).

And remember, he’s not just a lawyer: he’s a New Media consultant.

Love me love me, say that you love me

From tolerance to “celebration“:

It’s not enough to just tolerate — schools need to celebrate diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity, Young said.

“We tolerate bad smells, not people.”

Via.

The Liberal Party of Canada of Alberta

Patrick Ross on the always entertaining Craig Chandler:

Considering the success that the Albertan Progressive Conservative party has enjoyed in recent decades, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone that his comments bear a striking resemblance to the kind of arrogance displayed by Liberals and their supporters when they insist that they are Canada’s natural governing party, and have some sort of monopoly on “Canadian values”.

Of course, Chandler would be the first to protest when the national Liberal Party proclaims itself the one true protector of “Canadian values.” Yet it’s okay for him to make similar claims with respect to Alberta?

Chandler is not bright enough to know it, but immigrants to Alberta are strengthening the small-l liberal bedrock of the province, not weakening it. Immigrants to Alberta who arrive looking for work naturally find it and subsequently attach their success to the province and the ideals that drive public discourse here. Non-conservatives in Alberta are found exactly where you’d expect to find them: Amongst unionized white-collar teachers, nurses, and the gloriously stunted provincial civil service; and concentrated in bohemian inner city neighbourhoods like the ones in Calgary that elected Liberal candidates in the last provincial election. To think that recent immigrants to the province are disproportionately represented amongst these groups is nonsense.

In other words, Alberta is absorbing immigrants into the province’s strong and resilient political culture just fine. Alberta doesn’t need people like Chandler to stick up for it.

Ontario Votes 2007: For those who missed the debate…

…it went something like this:

McGuinty: I’ve spent a lot in the last four years.
Hampton: I’d spend more
Tory: I like spending, I’d spend on all the stuff you guys’d spend on, and then I’d find be polite to the staff down on University Ave. which would save the government money…which I would spend!

McGuinty: Well I’m fighting for public education; we need to focus all of our money on indoctrinating our public school kids…I’m only Premier for them
Tory: But sir, if we bring private religious schools into public funding, we can forcibly indoctrinate them too!
Hampton: I’m going to cry now for the camera over autistic children

McGuinty: Well I think we need the public to do this
Tory: So do I
McGuinty: Well I will force behavioral changes upon Ontario’s citizens
Tory: So do I
McGuinty: Well I have more concern for still doing the job we started years ago
Tory: So do I
McGuinty: Well I think John Tory looked more presentable when he wore those nerdy glasses
Tory: So do I…hey, that’s not nice; Howie, I’m going to need to borrow a Kleenex

Hampton: Doesn’t anyone care about what I have to say?
Moderator: Who said that?

Tory: But I’m God’s gift to Ontario!

—

Love him or hate him, at least Mike Harris knew how to make things a real debate back in his day, and Ontario responded accordingly…

Ontario Debate Thoughts

Broad strokes: McGuinty looked defensive, and was reduced to rattling off statistics which won’t sway the undecided voters.  Tory was a clear winner on presentation.  In terms of policy prescriptions, the people of Ontario were clear losers.

Side notes: It sounded like Tory was taking his talking points from the Toronto Star. Every attack on McGuinty was told via a very sad (and conveniently unverifiable) story about this university student, or that single mother, or this old lady he met while he was out shaking hands. Entirely fallacious, but likely to be pretty effective.

The Liberals internal polling must be showing significant popularity for Mike Harris. McGuinty tried to blame all his problems on the previous Conservative government, true, but, unlike a few months ago, the name Mike Harris never passed his lips. When he referred to Harris it was always “the other guy.”

Interesting.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the Working Families ads mention Harris’ name either.

More MPs? McGuinty asks PM

Over the weekend the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister requesting more federal seats for his province in the House of Commons.

The premier first broached the subject in June, but decided to renew his request for at least 10 more seats after hearing Harper’s own views on democracy when the prime minister addressed the Australian parliament last week.

McGuinty said Harper’s description of democracy as “an instinctive sense of fairness, self-restraint and compromise” doesn’t match Ontario’s current situation.

“I call on you now . . . to restore representation by population in the House of Commons,” McGuinty wrote in the letter.

“I continue to urge you to make a simple amendment to Bill C-56 so that Canadians in Ontario receive the same treatment as those in British Columbia and Alberta.”

On the subject of polling blues, Shane Edwards explains why swings in party support in Quebec have such a dramatic effect federally on the party totals in the House of Commons.

It’s worth asking, what would it take to “restore” representation by population in the House of Commons?

My own view is that anyway you cut it PEI is going to lose at least half of its four MPs, and such a project will likely entail raising the total number of MPs in the House of Commons to around 400 members, if not more; that is, to prevent a major constitutional blow out over it—except from PEI.

Considering the British House of Commons has 641 members, and their chamber can’t even fit all of them in one sitting, this is doable. It could also entail some nice changes to the Canadian House of Commons, making it both a more intimate setting for debate by abolishing the desks, and, also, making it more unruly since 400 members are harder for party whips to reign in than at present (contingent on the number of parties)—less goodies to go around.

No doubt such a dramatic increase would entail a loud debate over the expense of maintaining an MP, the office resource they are afforded. That said, I think democracy would be better served in Canada by more members in the Commons, by making it harder for even a majority government to maintain party discipline.

In Britain, the government at Westminster regularly struggles to keep the support of its MPs. Just consider the controversy over Gordon Brown’s willingness to sign up to what is basically an EU constitution under the guise of the “Reform Treaty.” Just consider this story from the end of August:

Gordon Brown is facing a deepening party split over Europe after it became clear that more than 120 Labour MPs, including several senior ministers, want a referendum on the new EU reform treaty.

The figure - more than a third of the Parliamentary Party - was disclosed by Ian Davidson, a Scottish Labour MP who, despite being close to Mr Brown, is co-ordinating the strong internal campaign for the British people to be given a say.

Mr Davidson, who has written to Mr Brown on behalf of the Labour rebels demanding major changes to the proposed EU Treaty - or alternatively a referendum - told The Daily Telegraph that support among his fellow MPs was running at levels similar to 2004 when Tony Blair had to give way and promise a plebiscite.

“On the basis of the soundings and conversations I have had with colleagues, the support for a referendum is similar to last time round when well over 120 Labour MPs publicly or privately backed a referendum,” Mr Davidson said.

It is understood that several senior ministers are privately supporting the campaign.

Back to Canada, McGuinty is whacked if he thinks, and it appears he does, that Alberta should just roll over while Ontario gets more seats.

Polling Blues: Not Much Progress?

The Star (snicker) thinks the Tories are still stuck, tied with the Liberals nationally for support.

You would think, that before printing such an article, that someone would ask why, when we have ready, current polling information from the by-elections that the Conservative support in Quebec has surged, and the Liberal support has fallen so low it may be 3rd in the province now, if not 4th.

Quebec’s population represents a disproportionately large percentage of Canada. If the Conservative support is surging there, and the Liberal support tanking, then there are two possibilities to explain this poll:

1. The poll is in error;
2. The proportionate support for the two parties is doing the exact opposite in the rest of the country - ie. Conservative support is slipping badly in English Canada as its fortunes in Quebec rise, while Liberal support is rising, while their party falls apart in Quebec.

I think there would be a lot more evidence of 2. if it were true. That leaves us with 1. If we are left with 1, then why did they waste ink on this story?

Who Said There is No Two-Teir Health Care in Canada?

The wealth and privileged frequently travel to the United States for treatment, while the rest of us stand in line…

Liberal MP Belinda Stronach, who is battling breast cancer, travelled to California last June for an operation that was recommended as part of her treatment, says a report.

[...]

“Belinda had one of her later-stage operations in California, after referral from her personal physicians in Toronto. Prior to this, Belinda had surgery and treatment in Toronto, and continues to receive follow-up treatment there,” said MacEachern.

The $64,000 question: who paid for the treatment? The Ontario Ministry of Health or Stronach?

Harper Irks China, Again

I have the highest regard for Harper’s brave and principled foreign policy. Starting with his outspoken response to the attacks on Israel out of southern Lebanon, and his previous refusals to butter up to China the way his Liberal predecessors, at Maurice Strong’s urging (see also, this and this and, better yet, this), always seemed to enjoy.

The West should be very wary of trading with China to the extent that it presently is, be it a tyrannical and morally bankrupt regime, although some significant trade is necessary to leverage our moral authority and hope to influence them in the long term. As a point of national interest, India is a much more logical strategic ally than China, although China has certainly helped reigned in the North Koreans.

In the mean time, those Liberal trade missions to China should not have been in vain. It’s nice to see Harper, rather than more trade missions, cashing in on Canada’s moral leverage to prod Chinese leaders along.

Now, if only he can say something about Darfur and China’s less than agreeable complicity. See here as well.

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