Paul McKeever’s Minimal Maxims and Bon Arrows, volume 1, issue 4

Space shrinks when you’re having fun.

“I think…”, it thought, as He popped into existence and it popped out.

ymj umnqtxtumjw nx ijfi. qtsl qnAj Ymj umNqtxtumjw.

Keep the icons, replace their meanings, provoke the irrational, expose their falsehoods, let their memes shrivel in the hot light of reason.

The Mouse Who Became a Cat: A Fairy Story for Children

Over at the Western Standard blog, contributor Terry O’Neill reports a story from the anti-abortion news site lifesitenews.com about the passage of Montana Senate bill 406 (a “constitutional personhood amendment”) which states both: Read more

2nd Draft: A Charter for Government (feedback requested)

I begin this entry with an expression of thanks to all who took the time to read, think about, and comment upon, the first draft of the Charter for Government. In particular, I would like to thank David Odden over at ObjectivismOnline.net (in the discussion forum). He was looking for a better integration/explanation of the interaction of rights of life, liberty, and property. Most of what has been changed in the second draft (below) was inspired by his critique. Read more

Paul McKeever’s Minimal Maxims and Bon Arrows, volume 1, issue 3

I, to be commanded, must be obeyed.

Any sufficiently rational individual is indistinguishable from a wizard.

A kindness paid to the worthy kills none, but to the unworthy kills all.

While raising the flag of freedom, be willing and prepared to see it at half-mast.

Debate: A Charter for Government

The following is a work-in-progress. I am not at liberty to say, at this point, the use to which the following document might be put, so I name it, provisionally, “A Charter for Government”.

I am interested in any meaningful comments, criticisms, or suggestions you may have. No matter what may be your personal philosophy, and no matter what might be your personal beliefs, I would like to hear from you. Please submit your comments in the comments below, on this blog (if you are a first-time commenter, I will have to approve your first comment manually…please be patient, it’s worth it, to avoid spam). Insults and flame-bait will be discarded: please avoid ad hominem attacks toward me or toward other commenters, but do not be afraid to express a judgment that something in the document is true/false, good/evil, virtuous/vicious. Read more

Why Theft is Neither Ethical Nor Practical

Tom, an acquaintance of mine, is about to commence an ethics course. The outline for the course states:

The first part of the course addresses the challenge that the egoist (sometimes called the amoralist) poses for moral philosophy…The egoist is a person who doesn’t care about morality – all the egoist cares about is his or her own advantage and happiness, and he or she will be prepared to break any of our standard moral rules in order to secure it- just as long, that is, as he or she can get away with it.

Read more

Paul McKeever’s Minimal Maxims and Bon Arrows, volume 1, issue 2

Having joined the many who purchased a large tome on the case for atheism, he realized: the joke’s onus.

I think in Canada, therefore, he is.

Objectivism: The flower of freedom springs only from the soil of reality.
Libertarianism: The flower of freedom is cut from silk.

It’s never the economy, stupid.

Letter to Canada's Governor General Re: Constitutionality of Senate Appointments

December 16, 2008

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A1

Excellency:

It was reported today that Mr. Jack Layton, the leader of the New Democratic Party (“NDP”) has provided you with a copy of his letter of even date to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. It would appear that he has done so in the hope that you will refuse to appoint any Senators until after the House of Commons has, by means of a vote in the new year, expressed its confidence in the government. Mr. Layton was today quoted as having said:

[Prime Minister Harper] ducked the test, the fundamental test of his legitimacy to make these recommendations through a prorogation (of Parliament) and he’s now pretending that he has the full legitimacy to move forward. This is an abuse of his power.

Reportedly, Mr. Layton asserts that a letter allegedly signed by a majority of Members of Parliament (“MPs”), demonstrates that the government has lost the confidence of the House.

Excellency, I am writing to submit to you that Mr. Layton’s submissions are incorrect as a matter of both fact and law, and to express my concern that, were you to refuse the appointment of Senators on the ground that the government lacks the confidence of the house; or were you to refuse on the ground that the government must first demonstrate, through vote, that it has the confidence of the House; a precedent would be set that could undermine our system of Responsible Government for years to come. Read more

Hypocrisy Watch: Liberals Cannot Condemn Conservative Senate Appointments

Today, the National Post editorial board published an editorial that, in effect, argues that the Prime Minister of Canada, Conservative party leader Stephen Harper, should not fill the 18 vacancies in Canada’s 105 seat “upper chamber”, the Senate. They fear that doing so in the weeks leading up to a confidence vote on the budget might result in public discontent, and that such discontent might have the effect of breathing some air into a Liberal-NDP “coalition” that will probably otherwise die after a Michael Ignatieff-led Liberal party votes in favour of the budget. In other words: they fear that filling the vacancies might cause the Liberals to vote-down the budget in January, and trigger an election in which a Liberal leader who has not yet humiliated himself does battle with Harper.

Their fear is misplaced. The Prime Minister should fill the vacancies. At the same time, the Conservatives – and the National Post – should nip in the bud the Liberals most likely argument: the idea that the Conservative government lacks the confidence of the House such that it is wrong – morally if not also legally – to appoint Senators before the budget vote passes. In particular, they should remind everyone of a little history. Read more

Don't Ask Governor General to Prorogue (or: Striking While the Iron's Hot)

It has been reported that Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, will meet with the Governor General of Canada this morning (December 4, 2008) at 9:30 AM. Most reporters, though largely speculating, are saying that the PM will ask the GG to prorogue Parliament; i.e., to end this session of Parliament and thereby prevent a December 8, 2008 vote of no-confidence. I submit that it would be a mistake – both for Canada and for the Conservative Party – for the PM to ask the GG to prorogue.

My read on the public mood right now is that most people want their will – not the will of the GG – to determine which party governs, especially only 7 weeks after a general election. Given that, consider three scenarios. Read more

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