Analysis – Ontario: 2013 by-election results versus 2011 results
August 2, 2013 by Paul McKeever · Leave a Comment
The ballots have been counted in Ontario’s five provincial by-elections: London West, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Scarborough-Guildwood, Windsor-Tecumseh, and Ottawa South. Pundits are telling the public what they think the 2013 by-election results – considered in isolation – mean, but I have a different analysis for you which, I think, reveals what is actually happening to the parties in Ontario. Below, I compare the results from the 2013 by-elections to the results from those ridings in 2011, each adjusted for the riding’s change in voter turnout.
The big conclusions – described in more detail after the data from the five ridings are broken down below – are these: Read more
Elizabeth May: You're Stupid, So Vote Green
September 15, 2008 by Paul McKeever · 7 Comments
History teems with philosophers – still highly regarded by many – who proposed that the universe is entirely different than how it appears to human beings; that it is a chaotic flux; that time and space really do not exist; that reality is full of irresolvable contradictions. They tried to make room for mysticism in an increasingly scientific era by telling us that our sensations and perceptions of the world do not accurately describe the universe as it really exists; that our senses, in effect, lie to us. Of course, it is not reality that is rife with contradictions, but the philosophies themselves, but their authors were careful to ensure that they presented their philosophies as wordy Gordian knots, which makes them capable of passing that test of truth most highly honoured among morons and swindlers alike: if you cannot understand it, it must be true, especially if it was read in university or in church. Read more
Hors d'oeuvre: a Libertarian in the Lion's Den
August 28, 2008 by Paul McKeever · 4 Comments
Over at the Western Standard’s blog, it has been announced that the Libertarian Party of Canada’s newly-chosen leader has announced he will run against Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, in his Alberta riding of Calgary Southwest. Readers of my blog will know that I am not a libertarian and that I oppose libertarianism. However, because I do not believe a party can succeed in facilitating a freer society by bringing together people who oppose each other on matters of metaphysics, epistemology, or ethics, I do not hesitate to share my opinion on this matter publicly. In other words: I do not think this advice will help the libertarian movement, because nothing will, so I feel no need to keep quiet about the Libertarian Party leader’s decision. Read more
