Friends: Here are the other two of the four-part series.
Part of the urgency of sending three of these out within the same week, is that my newspaper editor refused to publish the first in the series (the one on vaccination). Just found out tonight. I sent him the one on abortion yesterday, but I strangely haven't heard back about that, but I assume he won't publish that either. I have sent him the last two, as I have done to you. I asked him to respond ASAP on these two, as I need to rush a column to replace the banned ones. As this weekend is a holiday weekend, my deadline moves up a couple of days, from the usual Friday or Saturday. Not my fault...
I'll try to remember to keep you abreast of what's happening.
In the meantime, I did write two this morning on turning 65 , but I need to edit them some more, then get Russ to re-edit them. They're kind of melancholy.
He should approve of them as they don't mention anything really critical or touchy, although I make a passing comment on some public institutions.
Reap 'em and reap. (Yes, I do know the actual expression.)
CF
El Fungo Says (3)
I am trying respond to Cousin Reggie's questions, as you know. He is really going for the jugular, isn't he? First, vaccinations, then abortion. Now, politics.
"Hey El Fungo, I see you have a new government in Alberta. Any passing thoughts?"
I have a lot of thoughts about a lot of things, but "passing" (read: shallow) thoughts on the new UCP government isn't one of them. That is to say, I have some very detailed thoughts that I cannot pass along in just a few paragraphs. Suffice to say, I was so relieved that the government got in with such a landslide. I was happy that Albertans finally woke up from the serious mistake that happened four years ago, and then the consequences of that mistake for the past four years.
I see Jason Kenney and his team are starting to implement their election campaign promises. One thing of many that I like about the UCP is that they are keeping their word. And the word they keep will benefit all of Alberta—left, right, and center—not just a select few.
As an example, even the re-working of the vile Bill 24, now known as Bill 8, is a vast improvement. It just doesn't go far enough, but it's headed in the right direction.
The UCP victory is part of an all-Canadian trend , namely, a shift to conservative politics. It seems that so many provinces have finally woken up to a better form of governance.
Socialism is a failed experiment, at both the provincial and global levels. It has also been a deadly one, at least on a global one.
Just as an aside, if you're not clear on what the above means, please do some homework: Research any socialist state within the last, say, fifty years. Examine how they came to power, what was the immediate and long-term impact on the citizens and the economy. And note the trend: High personal net worth = free market, low personal net worth = socialism.
It is very unnerving and disturbing, indeed.
Alberta was heading in the same direction, namely, economical and social catastrophe.
Financial matters and people matters are the two essential planks of true conservatism. Keep those in focus, and we have a thriving economy and and motivated citizenry.
I think you get my view, Cousin Reggie: I am delighted that a conservative, free enterprise party got in. I don't think any party is perfect, and we're bound to see some flaws in this group as time wears on. Needless to say, this party is a massive upgrade on every count from the previous government. We need to support them to the best of our conscience and ability, to revive this province, in order to bring it back to its greatness of a generation ago.
Are you satisfied with my attempted responses? There are no facile answers for anything these days, as you know. I am sure everyone on the other side feels that they are right, too.
As I have stated many times before, follow your conscience, consider the other person's viewpoint, and discuss the differences affably. It matters of ethics and morality, life and death, that could be a stretch for most of us!
Just make sure you come up with easier questions next time. Maybe something about the weather (global warming?). Not everyone wants to deal with the ones you posed, even though they are all very pertinent and pressing, with deep, deep ramifications for future generations.
I see you have at least one more for me. You must have a lot of time on your hands these days. I will deal with it next time.
Thanks for asking.
This is the fourth and final set of questions that I am responding to. Cousin Reggie is not playing around, is he? I need to remind him sometime that this is not acceptable (especially if one wants to be popular). After all, to question the status quo is just not politically correct these days. We are a nation of groupthink, where we think as a crowd.
The crowd may be right, but the crowd may also be wrong. We need to think for ourselves.
We are losing our freedom to think and speak out loud, not to be confused with anarchy (which is strangely acceptable). Freedom of speech from a conservative perspective is often linked with extremism, though that is not an accurate assessment at all. Believe me, there is plenty of extremism on the Left.
Rational conservatism is thus unwelcome in most contexts. It is unwelcome in North Korea, Somalia, France, or Albania, but here here in freedom-loving Canada? Where have we gone wrong?
So here's another question: "Hey El Fungo. There are a number of really frightening restrictions floating around there—such as the use of plastic straws, meatless burgers, fossil fuels, and climate "emergency," just to name a few. Do you see a pattern here?"
Good questions, Cousin Reggie. Each question stands on its own merit, but I think I will draw this series to a close, so I'll have to answer briefly. I am scrambling to see if there is a common thread with all of them.
There may be a commonality, but I hope you don't see me as a conspiracist (which I'm not). There are a lot of unproven and unscientific ideas being crammed down our throat(s) these days, that's problem one. This is most worrisome.
Problem two is how arbitrarily it is being decreed that all plastic products are useless, that plant-based burgers are better for you than meat patties, that fossil fuels are dangerous, and that so much of this world's ills are caused by climate change.
Including Donald Trump. Okay, I jest.
I say "whoa" on all these and more. Where's the true science in all this? Where's all reasonable discussion in all of this? Or has there been any discussion at all? What's behind these trends? I have an idea.
I see an over-arching, top-down, no-questions-asked approach on all of these (and other) matters. It means there is too much intrusion on the part of the government and its cronies. That is perhaps my greater concern, well beyond the plastic, beefless (not a real patty nor a real word), oil, and wacky weather theories.
I am not questioning the sincerity or intelligence of some of the people who are pushing this agenda. I do question their tactics, though. For our part, we need to push back and stand up for what is proven.
Can't we get more creative with our use of plastic? Yes. What are the ramifications of a beefless diet? Very serious. While it is not being crammed down our throats (yet), it seems that there is a strong push away from animal-based food.
(Just for the record: Cows eat grass, and we eat cows, so aren't we eating plant-based food already?)
And the fossil-based energy is taking a serious hit, but where's the science in the discussion? Is there truly a connection between fracking and earthquakes? Is our bad air quality because of the oil sands?
And now climate change has been ratcheted up to new level, namely, climate "emergency." Seriously? That's a new word in the discussion. What will the wholesale changes be like with this unproven phenomena, beyond the rhetoric? Not good.
The basis of these brief "El Fungo" series has been a tongue-in-cheek approach, though with sincere underpinnings. We really need open-minded, reasonable discussions on these and other matters. I'm just not clear why that is not happening. Why are there are no sane alternatives (if actually needed) proposed by the Left and the government.
I also fear that the compliant masses who just simply accept what comes down the line, with few questioning the government's edicts along these lines. This is where the "groupthink" term comes in. A few more taxes here, a few more restrictions there, and it's all solved. Hardly.
Dearest Cousin Reggie has posed some great questions. I have some more, and you likely have some yourself.
One of the hallmarks of a free society is the liberty to exchange differing ideas. When there is no forum for discussion, we are in serious trouble.
And people, we are in serious trouble, and only getting worse. If you don't fear for yourself, at least think about your kids and grandchildren.
I want to thank Cousin Reggie for his questions. Next time, pal, don't use Morse code. I hear that there's this new method out there. It's called smoke signals.
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