How Each Party Leader Shone in Canada’s 2019 Leaders’ Debate (English)
October 7, 2019 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on How Each Party Leader Shone in Canada’s 2019 Leaders’ Debate (English)
Here is how the leaders of the six largest political parties in Canada distinguished themselves during the only English-language leaders’ debate in Canada’s 2019 federal election. In alphabetical order: Read more
Voting in the 2019 Canadian federal election: A guide for freedom-seeking individualists
September 9, 2019 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on Voting in the 2019 Canadian federal election: A guide for freedom-seeking individualists
You’re going to vote in the 2019 federal election. You want a Canada in which you can be you, peacefully, choosing for yourself what to buy, what to like, who to love etc.. You want a Canada in which, if other people want something different than you do: all the power to them. But you want others, likewise, to let you be you. You want the freedom to pursue your own happiness without being punished for achieving it. You want a Canadian government that defends your freedom instead of restricting it. This article is for you. Read more
Ellsworth Toohey’s collectivism: Answer to a question on Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead”
July 1, 2019 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on Ellsworth Toohey’s collectivism: Answer to a question on Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead”
On June 30th, on the public Facebook group “Ayn Rand“, a person fairly new to Ms Rand’s works posted the following passage from Rand’s “The Fountainhead”, highlighting (among others) the parts that below appear in red text. The person in question asked something akin to “Please explain”. I did so, but it appears that the person deleted her post (and all responses to it). Rather than letting my answer/effort go to waste, I post it below the quoted passage. Read more
Love my substratum: A philosophical note on Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
March 6, 2019 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on Love my substratum: A philosophical note on Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
In the history of philosophy, there are at least two famous instances of positing the existence of an entity having no identity: Aristotle’s “prima materia“, and John Locke’s “substratum“. In her novel Atlas Shrugged, author Ayn Rand concretizes the problem associated with the idea of an entity lacking an identity by way of a passage concerning love. Read more
The Lexicon of Government
January 15, 2019 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on The Lexicon of Government
{The following are my notes, drafted in preparation for my January 14, 2019 video, The Lexicon of Government, available on my youtube channel, and embedded at the bottom of these notes.}
The other day, I was watching an “Ask Me Anything” Q&A session by Dave Rubin on his youtube channel, The Rubin Report. One of his viewers asked him what he thought about minarchism? Not having pronounced the word correctly, it seems pretty clear that this was the first time he had come across the concept of minarchism. Now, if you’ve seen the Rubin Report, you will know that Dave Rubin has been on journey of political development, and that he only recently discovered himself not to be the leftist he used to think himself to be. In fact the whole purpose of Dave’s show is to challenge one’s beliefs and to improve oneself in the process. So it’s not all that surprising that he hadn’t heard of minarchy before.
However, the term minarchy is – at the very least – problematic, and the incident on Dave’s show reminded me of a topic that I’ve been meaning to write about for almost two decades. That topic is: The Forms of Government, and How to Name them. And that is my topic today. Read more
An Open Letter to Ontario’s MPPs, from Paul McKeever
September 12, 2018 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on An Open Letter to Ontario’s MPPs, from Paul McKeever
Dear Honourable Member:
Re: Notwithstanding Clause and Bill 5 (Better Local Government Act, 2018)
Today, you will face howls of protest from a Toronto Establishment that has suddenly found it convenient to cast you in the role of enemy of justice and democracy. Specifically, they seek to demonize anyone who votes in favour of a bill that would use the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms‘ notwithstanding clause to immunize it from potential mis-application of the Charter. As the leader of the Freedom Party of Ontario, and as a practising lawyer of some 21 years, I am writing to explain to you why the demonizers are in the wrong, and why voting in favour of the legislation actually will render you the better defender of individual freedom and democracy, as well as a defender of the reputation of the administration of justice. I will enumerate my arguments for easy reference. Read more
What’s Wrong with Dave Rubin’s “Classical Liberal” Infomercial
July 12, 2018 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on What’s Wrong with Dave Rubin’s “Classical Liberal” Infomercial
In a new, two minute infomercial, Dave Rubin provides his viewers with an answer to the question “What is a Classical Liberal?”. Sadly, the bright and affable host of The Rubin Report gives his viewers an answer that deliberately strips away so much distinguishing philosophy as to leave the term “classical liberal” little more than a term used to refer to a desired but elusive big, inclusive collective of unprincipled and intellectually disarmed dreamers. Read more
Doug Ford flip flops on private pot: wants government monopoly, would favour prohibition
March 16, 2018 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on Doug Ford flip flops on private pot: wants government monopoly, would favour prohibition
If you thought Doug Ford was promising a free market for cannabis sales, Doug has some disappointing news for you: that dream is now officially up in smoke. Yesterday, Ford told Alan Carter, the host of Focus Ontario that, for the foreseeable future, he is in favour of the Wynne government’s planned government monopoly on cannabis distribution and sales. Ford even says that, if he had it his way, cannabis would not be legalized at all. Read more
Depression: A few words for relief
March 9, 2018 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on Depression: A few words for relief
Heart broken, now alone, you feel your life slow to a stop. Looking out two windows – tunnels? – life all around you continues rushing along to the music of light hearted banter, smiles, or worries about deadlines. Your anxiety is heightened by the feeling that everyone sees your despair; sees you spiraling down a hole; is watching you like a rubber-necker watching the scene of a 3-car pile-up.
Eventually, the horror sets-in: upon closer inspection Read more
A scary but pleasant sense of the size of my life…and of yours
March 8, 2018 by Paul McKeever · Comments Off on A scary but pleasant sense of the size of my life…and of yours
I remember life in the early 70s. The whole world was so very different then – more than any 70’s movie could explain.
I was/am a factory-worker’s son. Mom was mostly work-at-home. Houses were much smaller and much less pretentious.
Buddy Holly’s music was only 15 years old, but Zeppelin was on the shelf. Read more