| Acton, Lord John Emerich | The History of Freedom in Antiquity An Address Delivered to the Members of the Bridgnorth Institute. Published in The History of Freedom (1993) by the Acton Institute. Republished with the permission of the Institute. | The History of Freedom in Christianity An Address Delivered to the Members of the Bridgnorth Institute. Published in The History of Freedom (1993) by the Acton Institute. Republished with the permission of the Institute. |
| Adams, John Quincy | Orations Two lengthy speeches, delivered to obviously-patient audiences over 150 years ago, honouring the ideas of the U.S. founding fathers and the Constitution they produced.. |
Ajzenstat, Janet  | The Social Union - A Debate (with Brian Lee Crowley, William D. Gairdner, Lorne Gunter, Ken Holland, Rory Leishman, Michael Lusztig, Judy Rebick, John Robson, Paul Romney) Dr. William Gairdner sparked a debate in late 1998 on conservativeforum.org about government plans for a "social union", a federal government promise of largesse to provinces and various groups in return for constitutional and political peace. Dr. Gairdner and eight other distinguished commentators, not all conservatives, contributed their perspectives to the debate. The liberal government implemented its social union agreement with the provinces in 1999. The debate remains interesting for its discussion of the founders' intentions, and of the degree to which an elected government should set its promises in legal concrete, unassailable by subsequently-elected governments which may have different priorities. | We Don't Need Another Charter: Against Entrenching Welfare Rights A caution against adding a "Social Charter" to the Canadian constitution. |
| Aristotle | Politics - Book 1 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 2 - Parts 1 to 6 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 2 - Parts 7 to 12 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 3 - Parts 1 to 11 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 3 - Parts 12 to 19 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project |
 | Politics - Book 4 - Parts 1 to 11 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 4 - Parts 12 to 16 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 5 - Parts 1 to 7 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 5 - Parts 8 to 12 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 6 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 7 - Parts 1 to 9 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 7 - Parts 10 to 17 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project | Politics - Book 8 Translated by Benjamin Jowett, the text is courtesy of the Alex Project |
| Arrison, Sonia | The Odds Are Good for Virtual Vice If the American experience is any indication, Canadian efforts to regulate gambling on the Internet will fall flat. What Canadians should do is embrace this new opportunity to expand their reach into the gambling market, rather than adding more ineffectual regulation and its cost to Internet users. Originally published in the Globe and Mail. Republished with the permission of the author. |
| Avram, Kevin | How Much Should a Civil Society Cost? |
| Preference or Conviction? | Vigilance and Freedom | Whose Bread I Eat His Song I Sing | Wielding Power: Rewards, Punishment, and Change of Beliefs |
| Bain, Ron | If You Can't Stand the Heat... Debunking some of the mythology of global warming. Originally published by the Independence Institute. |
| Baldacchino, Joseph | Whither America - and Why The contribution of economics to the state of our civilization is exaggerated, while the importance of personal integrity, without which society cannot long exist, is ignored. Source: National Humanities Bulletin, Winter 1998 |
| Bastiat, Frederic | That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen - Part 1 of 2 | That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen - Part 2 of 2 | The Law - Part 1 of 2 This translation of The Law was done by Dean Russell of The Foundation staff. His objective was an accurate rendering of Mr. Bastiat's words and ideas into twentieth century, idiomatic English. | The Law - Part 2 of 2 |
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| Beck, Albert | Freedom to Do That Which Is Right A look at the early American synthesis of liberty and virtue, which had its foundation deeply set in religious observance. Mr. Beck's essay was the First Place choice in 1997 in the annual essay contest sponsored by the Acton Institute. The contest theme was "Freedom and Order" and the winning essays explored the role of religion in promoting the concepts of order and personal morality which are essential to freedom. Originally published by the Acton Institute. Republished with the permission of the Institute. |
| Bloedow, Tim | Libertarianism is a Christian Perspective Uniting 'the right' depends on a better understanding of conservative principles by the right. For a rebuttal to this essay, see Don't Misuse the Word "Libertarian" by Karen Selick, published here on conservativeforum.org. |
| Boessenkool, Kenneth J. | Making Welfare Work: What Ontario Could Learn from Alberta’s Welfare experiment Notes for a presentation to the Centre for the Study of State and Market conference entitled: Conservatism or Counterrevolution?: The Harris Government at Mid-Term |
| Brown, David | Men 'one phone call' from 'total destruction' Two columns by Mr. Brown which explore Ontario's Bill 117, called the Domestic Violence Protection Act. Passed quietly by the Ontario Legislature on December 19th, the Bill expands to an alarming degree the scope of domestic situations and the definition of violence within them, and provides sweeping powers of immediate property seizure and other punative measures, in ex parte hearings at which the alleged abuser will usually not appear. Ontario government public relations releases regarding the Bill can be found here and here. Both columns were previously published in the Ottawa Citizen. Republished with the permission of the author. |
| Budziszewski, J. | The Revenge of Conscience Conscience is not a passive barrier but an active force; though it can hold us back, it can also drive us on. Moreover, conscience comes not from without but from within: though culture can trim the fringes, the core cannot be changed. The decay of long-solid values - and the possibilities for arresting it - must somehow be found not in the weakness of conscience but in its strength, not in its shapelessness but in its shape. Copyright (c) 1998 First Things 84 (June/July 1998): 21-27. An earlier version of this article was published in William D. Gairdner, ed., After Liberalism (Stoddart). | What We Can't Not Know We tend to assume that supporters of abortion do not know that it is wrong. On the contrary, the wrong of deliberately taking innocent human life is "written on the heart." To make headway in the struggle to end this great wrong, we must understand that people are not so much in genuine ignorance about it as in denial. Source: Human Life Review 22:4 (Fall, 1996), pp. 85-94 |
| Burke, Edmund | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 01 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 02 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 03 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 04 of 11 |
| Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 05 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 06 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 07 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 08 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 09 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 10 of 11 | Reflections on the Revolution in France - Part 11 of 11 |
| Cardozo, Benjamin Nathan | The Altruist in Politics When people feel that their ordered societies are in decay, they are attracted too readily to principles and attitudes found in socialism and communism. Delivered at Columbia University in an address during commencement ceremonies. |
| Carey, George W. | Majority Rule Revisited First published in Modern Age XVI, Summer 1972, pages 226-236. Also published in the book Modern Age: The First Twenty-Five Years, A Selection, Edited by George A. Panichas, Liberty Press, 1988. Republished with permission. |
| Carlson, Allan | Toward a Family-Centered Theory of Taxation Economic and social statistics suggest that the family household, and not the individual, is the appropriate unit for taxation. Adapted from a paper presented at the symposium, “The New Citizenship of the Family,” held October 8-11, 1997, in Grenada, Spain. Copyright ¬ 1997 by Forum International des Sciences Humaines (Paris, France). Printed here with permission. |
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| Chambers, Whittaker | A Letter to My Children From the forward to Witness, Chambers' account of the Alger Hiss spy scandal, originally published in 1952 by Random House, New York, originally digitized by the Augustine Club at Columbia University. |
| Chesterton, Gilbert K. | Democracy and Industrialism Originally appeared as a column in the Illustrated London News. Later republished in the collection All I Survey. | Heretics - Chapter 01 to 03 "Introductory Remarks on the Importance of Orthodoxy", "On the Negative Spirit", "On Mr. Rudyard Kipling and Making the World Small" | Heretics - Chapter 04 to 06 "Mr. Bernard Shaw", "Mr. H. G. Wells and the Giants", "Christmas and the Aesthetes" | Heretics - Chapter 07 to 11 "Omar and the Sacred Vine", "The Mildness of the Yellow Press", "The Moods of Mr. George Moore", "On Sandals and Simplicity", "Science and the Savages" | Heretics - Chapter 12 to 14 "Paganism and Mr. Lowes Dickinson", "Celts and Celtophiles", "On Certain Modern Writers and the Institution of the Family" | Heretics - Chapter 15 to 17 "On Smart Novelists and the Smart Set", "On Mr. McCabe and a Divine Frivolity", "On the Wit of Whistler" | Heretics - Chapter 18 and 19 "The Fallacy of the Young Nation", "Slum Novelists and the Slums" | Heretics - Chapter 20 "Concluding Remarks on the Importance of Orthodoxy" | Orthodoxy - Chapter 1 and 2 Preface, "Introduction in Defence of Everything Else," and "The Maniac" |
| Orthodoxy - Chapter 3 "The Suicide of Thought" | Orthodoxy - Chapter 4 "The Ethics of Elfland" | Orthodoxy - Chapter 5 "The Flag of the World" | Orthodoxy - Chapter 6 "The Paradoxes of Christianity" | Orthodoxy - Chapter 7 "The Eternal Revolution" | Orthodoxy - Chapter 8 "The Romance of Orthodoxy" | Orthodoxy - Chapter 9 "Authority and the Adventurer" | Utopia of Usurers "Art and Advertisement", "Letters and the New Laureates", "Unbusinesslike Business", "The War on Holidays", "The Church of the Servile State", "Science and the Eugenists", "The Evolution of the Prison", "The Lash for Labour", "The Mask of Socialism" | What's Wrong with the World - Part 1 - Chapter 01 to 07 The Homelessness of Man: "The Medical Mistake", "Wanted: An Unpractical Man", "The New Hypocrite", "The Fear of the Past", "The Unfinished Temple", "The Enemies of Property", "The Free Family" | What's Wrong with the World - Part 1 - Chapter 08 to 11 The Homelessness of Man: "The Wildness of Domesticity", "History of Hudge and Gudge", "Oppression by Optimism", "The Homelessness of Jones" |
| What's Wrong with the World - Part 2 - Chapter 1 and 2 Imperialism, or the Mistake about Man: "The Charm of Jingoism", "Wisdom and the Weather" | What's Wrong with the World - Part 2 - Chapter 3 and 4 Imperialism, or the Mistake about Man: "The Common Vision", "The Insane Necessity" | What's Wrong with the World - Part 3 - Chapter 01 to 06 Feminism, or the Mistake about Woman: "The Unmilitary Suffragette", "The Universal Stick", "The Emancipation of Domesticity", "The Romance of Thrift", "The Coldness of Chloe", "The Pedant and the Savage" | What's Wrong with the World - Part 3 - Chapter 07 to 12 Feminism, or the Mistake about Woman: "The Modern Surrender of Woman", "The Brand of the Fleur-de-Lis", "Sincerity and the Gallows", "The Higher Anarchy", "The Queen and the Suffragettes", "The Modern Slave" | What's Wrong with the World - Part 4 - Chapter 01 to 09 Education, or the Mistake about the Child: "The Calvinism of To-day", "The Tribal Terror", "The Tricks of Environment", "The Truth About Education", "An Evil Cry", "Authority the Unavoidable", "The Humility of Mrs. Grundy", "The Broken Rainbow", "The Need for Narrowness" | What's Wrong with the World - Part 4 - Chapter 10 to 14 Education, or the Mistake about the Child: "The Case for the Public Schools", "The School for Hypocrites", "The Staleness of the New Schools", "The Outlawed Parent", "Folly and Female Education" | What's Wrong with the World - Part 5 and Notes The Home of Man: "The Empire of the Insect", "The Fallacy of the Umbrella Stand", "The Dreadful Duty of Gudge", "A Last Instance", "Conclusion", plus three notes: "On Female Suffrage", "On Cleanliness in Education", "On Peasant Proprietorship" |
| Chipeur, Gerald D. | Supreme Court of Canada Begins Historic Dialogue With the Alberta Legislature The legal consequences of Vriend vs Alberta reach far beyond the case itself. |
| Churchill, Sir Winston | Wartime Address to the United States Congress Just weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, Churchill travelled to the U.S. to encourage its resolve and welcome its participation in defeating the crushing forces of Germany, Japan, and Italy. |
| Confucius | The Analects - Part 1 of 3 Attributed to Confucius c. 500 BC, translated by Arthur Waley, (New York: Macmillan, 1938; reprinted Vintage, 1989), paperback. This edition comes with a useful introduction and commentary. |
| The Analects - Part 2 of 3 Attributed to Confucius c. 500 BC, translated by Arthur Waley, (New York: Macmillan, 1938; reprinted Vintage, 1989), paperback. This edition comes with a useful introduction and commentary. | The Analects - Part 3 of 3 Attributed to Confucius c. 500 BC, translated by Arthur Waley, (New York: Macmillan, 1938; reprinted Vintage, 1989), paperback. This edition comes with a useful introduction and commentary. |
| Coolidge, Calvin | Have Faith in Massachusetts A speech Coolidge delivered to the Massachusetts Senate when he became its president | Inaugural Address |
| Cools, Anne | Supreme Court Usurps Parliament's Authority Selected from debate in the Canadian Senate on a point of order raised by Senator Cools, who argues that the Supreme Court does not have the right to instruct Parliament to change or create law. |
| Coyne, Andrew | Some Freedom for Some Speech The Canadian Supreme Court's record of protecting free speech is disconcertingly wobbly. Originally published in the National Post. Republished with the permission of the author. |
| Crowley, Brian Lee | The “L” Word A slightly abridged version of this article appeared in The Globe and Mail on 15 March 1997, p. D9. Books reviewed: Libertarianism: A Primer, by David Boaz, Free Press, 314 pp, $31.00. What it Means to be a Libertarian: A Personal Interpretation, by Charles Murray, Broadway Books, 178 pp., $28.00. The Libertarian Reader: Classic and Contemporary Writings from Lao-Tzu to Milton Friedman, edited by David Boaz, Free Press, 458 pp., $37.00. | The Social Union - A Debate (with Janet Ajzenstat, William D. Gairdner, Lorne Gunter, Ken Holland, Rory Leishman, Michael Lusztig, Judy Rebick, John Robson, Paul Romney) Dr. William Gairdner sparked a debate in late 1998 on conservativeforum.org about government plans for a "social union", a federal government promise of largesse to provinces and various groups in return for constitutional and political peace. Dr. Gairdner and eight other distinguished commentators, not all conservatives, contributed their perspectives to the debate. The liberal government implemented its social union agreement with the provinces in 1999. The debate remains interesting for its discussion of the founders' intentions, and of the degree to which an elected government should set its promises in legal concrete, unassailable by subsequently-elected governments which may have different priorities. |
| Day, Stockwell | Conservatism in Contemporary Canadian Politics Notes for a speech delivered to the Fourth Annual National Conference of Civitas |
| de Tocqueville, Alexis | Democracy in America - Book 1 - Chapter 0 (Introduction) |
| Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 1 North America divided into two vast regions, one inclining towards the Pole, the other towards the Equator - Valley of the Mississippi - Traces of the Revolutions of the Globe - Shore of the Atlantic Ocean where the English Colonies were founded - Difference in the appearance of North and of South America at the time of their Discovery - Forests of North America - Prairies -Wandering Tribes of Natives - Their outward appearance, manners, and language - Traces of an unknown people. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 2 Utility of knowing the origin of nations in order to understand their social condition and their laws - America the only country in which the starting-point of a great people has been clearly observable - In what respects all who emigrated to British America were similar - In what they differed - Remark applicable to all Europeans who established themselves on the shores of the New World - Colonization of Virginia - Colonization of New England - Original character of the first inhabitants of New England - Their arrival - Their first laws - Their social contract - Penal code borrowed from the Hebrew legislation - Religious fervor -Republican spirit - Intimate union of the spirit of religion with the spirit of liberty. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 3 A Social condition is commonly the result of circumstances, sometimes of laws, oftener still of these two causes united; but wherever it exists, it may justly be considered as the source of almost all the laws, the usages, and the ideas which regulate the conduct of nations; whatever it does not produce it modifies. It is therefore necessary, if we would become acquainted with the legislation and the manners of a nation, to begin by the study of its social condition. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 4 It predominates over the whole of society in America - Application made of this principle by the Americans even before their Revolution - Development given to it by that Revolution - Gradual and irresistible extension of the elective qualification. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 5 - Part 1 It is proposed to examine in the following chapter what is the form of government established in America on the principle of the sovereignty of the people; what are its resources, its hindrances, its advantages, and its dangers. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 5 - Part 2 | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 5 - Part 3 | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 6 The Anglo-Americans have retained the characteristics of judicial power which are common to all nations - They have, however, made it a powerful political organ - How - In what the judicial system of the Anglo-Americans differs from that of all other nations - Why the American judges have the right of declaring the laws to be unconstitutional - How they use this right -Precautions taken by the legislator to prevent its abuse. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 7 Definition of political jurisdiction - What is understood by political jurisdiction in France, in England, and in the United States - In America the political judge can only pass sentence on public officers - He more frequently passes a sentence of removal from office than a penalty - Political jurisdiction as it exists in the United States is, notwithstanding its mildness, and perhaps in consequence of that mildness, a most powerful instrument in the hands of the majority. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 8 - Part 1 I have hitherto considered each State as a separate whole, and I have explained the different springs which the people sets in motion, and the different means of action which it employs. But all the States which I have considered as independent are forced to submit, in certain cases, to the supreme authority of the Union. The time is now come for me to examine separately the supremacy with which the Union has been invested, and to cast a rapid glance over the Federal Constitution. Origin of the first Union - Its weakness - Congress appeals to the constituent authority - Interval of two years between this appeal and the promulgation of the new Constitution. |
| Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 8 - Part 2 | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 8 - Part 3 When the head of the executive power is re-eligible, it is the State which is the source of intrigue and corruption - The desire of being re-elected the chief aim of a President of the United States - Disadvantage of the system peculiar to America - The natural evil of democracy is that it subordinates all authority to the slightest desires of the majority - The re-election of the President encourages this evil. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 8 - Part 4 Natural weakness of the judiciary power in confederations - Legislators ought to strive as much as possible to bring private individuals, and not States, before the Federal Courts - How the Americans have succeeded in this - Direct prosecution of private individuals in the Federal Courts - Indirect prosecution of the States which violate the laws of the Union - The decrees of the Supreme Court enervate but do not destroy the provincial laws. | Democracy In America - Book 1 - Chapter 8 - Part 5 Happiness and freedom of small nations - Power of great nations - Great empires favorable to the growth of civilization - Strength often the first element of national prosperity - Aim of the Federal system to unite the twofold advantages resulting from a small and from a large territory -Advantages derived by the United States from this system - The law adapts itself to the exigencies of the population; population does not conform to the exigencies of the law - Activity, amelioration, love and enjoyment of freedom in the American communities - Public spirit of the Union the abstract of provincial patriotism - Principles and things circulate freely over the territory of the United States - The Union is happy and free as a little nation, and respected as a great empire. |
| Eaton, Philip W. | A Moment of National Self-Reflection School shootings are not only horrific isolated tragedies, but symptoms of trouble in the system, trouble in the way we live and rear our children. Originally published in the Seattle Times. Republished with the permission of the author. |
| Emerson, Ralph Waldo | Character from Essays: Second Series | Politics from Essays: Second Series | Prudence from Essays: First Series | Self-Reliance from Essays: First Series | Spiritual Laws from Essays: First Series |
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| Etzioni, Amitai | Community, Yes. But Whose? A communitarian's rebuttal to Roger Scruton's Communitarian Dreams, offered here on conservativeforum.org as context for Mr. Scruton's essay. This essay first appeared in the Spring 1997 issue of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal along with Roger Scruton's reply and is republished with permission. |
| Finlay, J. Richard | Our Prime Minister Has Too Much Power Canada's Prime Minister has sweeping power to appoint, without review, the key people in the country's parliament, judiciary, diplomatic corps, and large stable of crown corporations. Why do otherwise-sensible Canadians accept this? Originally published in the Globe and Mail. Republished with the permission of the author. |
| Finn, Chester E. | Can the Schools Be Saved? A well-argued overview of American education system problems, and sensible solutions, which rings true for Canadian and other education systems as well. This 1996 essay remains almost entirely current and topical thanks to resistance to reforms in the education realm, and the glacial speed at which reforms proceed. NOTE: This is the original manuscript. An extensively edited version appeared in Commentary Magazine in its September 1996 issue. |
| Flanagan, Tom | Eugenics Goes to the Movies | Homes on Native Land Originally published in The Globe and Mail, September 10th, 1998 | In Praise of Single-Issue Politics Drives for referenda on the installation of video lottery terminals in Alberta cities recall fundamental principles of democracy. | Lubicon Tactics Tactics used by the Lubicon native band to advance their land claims are injuring innocent third parties, and should not be protected as free speech. | Modernity and the Millennium: From Robespierre to Radical Feminism | Preston Agonistes Preston Manning's recent communications suggest that he believes major change is ahead for himself and his party. | Reinventing the Asylum |
| The Inherent Problems of Aboriginal Self-Government Neither the federal government or aboriginals understand enough about the issues facing them in native self-government. This essays outlines some of the un-addressed challenges. Presented to the Canadian Political Science Association Annual Meeting, June 1998 | The Reform Party at Ten The Reform Party needs to develop a more consistent set of social policies if it is to have as much influence in that field as it already has exercised on fiscal and constitutional policy. | The Rehabilitation of Louis Riel Louis Riel should not be granted a posthumous pardon or declared a Father of Confederation. |
| Forgay, Warren | An Interview with Alexis de Tocqueville What follows is an interview with a very astute observer of the current social and political scene, Mr. Alexis de Tocqueville. His insights may provide some answers to the current state of our nation, and will certainly provide food for thought. |
| Frum, David | Let the Grovelling Begin! The belief that Canadians owe an apology to the native inhabitants of this country rests on historical error. The following essay combines two columns published in The Financial Post. |
| Furedy, John J. | Employment "Equity" Steamrolls Conservative Government Employment "equity" policies and practices at Ontario universities continue unabated, despite the election in 1995 of a conservative government committed to eliminating racist and gender-based quotas from government hiring practices. Originally entitled "Rae-to-Harris Shift Has No Apparent Effect on Universities' Commitment to Employment Equity" | Ice Station Academe Is an Iron Curtain of speech being erected in North American universities? A personal perspective from the University of Toronto. Originally published in GRAVITAS Vol.1, No.3 A Quarterly Journal of Current Affairs Autumn 1994 | Ignorant versus Enlightened Ways of Fighting Discrimination: The Martin Luther King Perspective Based on panelist remarks at "Affirmative Action - Breaking the Walls of Ignorance", McMaster University Student Union, Human Rights Committee Panel Discussion, Hamilton, Nov. 8, 1993. | On the Recent Establishment of a Velvet Totalitarian Culture of Comfort on Canadian Campuses: Ringing the Bell Backwards The politically-correct movement, now under mounting attack in American universities, is firmly entrenched and comfortably un-assailed in Canada. A paper prepared for presentation to the Civitas National Conference, Toronto. | The Uses and Abuses of Academic Power and Freedom Canadian faculty associations in general, and The University of Toronto's faculty association (UTFA) in particular, have damaged the functioning of the academic community. This opinion piece was published on March 11, 1998, in *the newspaper*, an unsubsidized weekly paper that describes itself as "University of Toronto's independent community newspaper". |
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| Gairdner, William D. | Condomania Something everyone should know about latex | Conservatism in a Nutshell “True conservatism” is here defined, described, and distinguished from its merely temporal political manifestations as a transhistorical set of human attitudes and concepts that hold constant over time and can can be found at war with the radical temperament wherever the latter arises or has gained control of the socio-political-legal processes of human life. | Democracy Against The Family In a faith civilization, the State plays a supportive role because the Family is a sacramental institution, but in a secular civilization such as ours, especially when it rests on a radical democratic political creed, the State and the Family inevitably become competitors for the allegiance of citizens, and in this sense they are enemies. A revised version of an address to the World Congress of Families II, delivered in Geneva, Switzerland, November 17, 1999 | Educational Junkscience A parent asks why scientific education in the public schools is so ideologically one-sided. | From Democracy to Hyperdemocracy A people undisturbed by the manifest incoherence of its own political philosophy is obviously ripe for manipulation. It no longer makes sense to use the terms "democracy" and "freedom" interchangeably, as we have always done. When people felt strong in their communities, were more fiercely independent, and even longed to be free of overbearing government, the two words indeed seemed the same because people thought it natural to use the former to acquire and defend the latter. But the words are used quite differently now. | Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Romantic Roots of Modern Democracy The defining moment in the life of the Western world was the profound shift in thinking from the Classical and Christian mode that had informed our civilization for almost two millennia, to the secular Romantic one which has characterized the West ever since. It is impossible to understand modern totalitarianism, democracy, or Rousseau himself, unless we see that while he was certainly an architect of the Romantic sentiment, he was riding a wave of revolutionary sensibility that began in the Reformation and continues unabated. In Note 3 to this essay Canadians will be particularly interested to see the firm evidence of Rousseau’s thinking in the work of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, something revealed here for the first time. | Society: The Third Marriage Partner Marriage is increasingly being treated as little more than a loosely-binding legal contract between two people. As a result, society is losing benefits it used to enjoy from family contracts with more-binding social, religious, and legal obligations, and it is bearing new social and financial costs as a direct result of the creeping redefinition of marriage. Originally published in The National Post. Republished with permission. | Spanking: No Pain, No Gain Spanking and hitting are not the same moral action. The first seeks correction in the name of a higher ideal, the second is done out of anger only. Spanking is a form of pre-emptive pain used to prevent greater pain, moral or physical, and this is a proper justification for the prevention of rebellion, political or domestic. Activists want spanking police to control parenting and regulate home life. | The Charter: A Slice of the Trudeau Enigma Why did Pierre Trudeau, former Canadian Prime Minister known for his anti-Americanism, construct an American-style Charter of Rights and Freedoms to accompany the Canadian Constitution? Adapted from a letter to columnist Robert Fulford, who had ruminated on the occasion of Pierre Trudeau's death on some of his conflicting characteristics | The Quebec Conundrum An argument that a radical idea of “democracy” is being used to break up Canada, one of the world’s longest-lasting and proudest democracies. It is an argument that can’t fly, but the people don’t know why. |
| The Social Union - A Debate (with Janet Ajzenstat, Brian Lee Crowley, Lorne Gunter, Ken Holland, Rory Leishman, Michael Lusztig, Judy Rebick, John Robson, Paul Romney) Dr. William Gairdner sparked a debate in late 1998 on conservativeforum.org about government plans for a "social union", a federal government promise of largesse to provinces and various groups in return for constitutional and political peace. Dr. Gairdner and eight other distinguished commentators, not all conservatives, contributed their perspectives to the debate. The liberal government implemented its social union agreement with the provinces in 1999. The debate remains interesting for its discussion of the founders' intentions, and of the degree to which an elected government should set its promises in legal concrete, unassailable by subsequently-elected governments which may have different priorities. | The Trouble with Democracy Democracy is no longer what many people believe it to be. Radical evolution ocurring within the framework of liberal democracy threatens cherished ideals of freedom and morality. The word "democracy" is now used to promote and defend all sorts of contradictory policies and points of view, which are exposed and explored in The Trouble with Democracy. This essay is the Introduction to the book The Trouble with Democracy, published by Stoddart Publishing. Reproduced with the permission of the author and the publisher. |
| Gentles, Ian | Is Democracy a Child of the Reformation? A presentation to the 3rd Civitas National Conference in Toronto | The Final Taboo: Rethinking Death with Dignity Dr. Gentles' following article on euthanasia and assisted suicide is previously published as a chapter in the book "Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: the Current Debate", Stoddard Publishing, 1995. Dr. Gentles edited the book. Notes in the article which reference chapters refer to chapters in this book. |
| Granatstein, J.L. | Who Killed Canadian History? Canada is suffering and will suffer from the failure of our eduation system to accurately teach the history of our country. From the preface to J.L. Granatstein's book, Who Killed Canadian History?, published in February, 1998, by Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. |
| Gratzer, David | A single-tiered Canadian fantasy A report card on the Canadian health care system reports failing grades, even in the area of equal access to health care. Originally published in the Halifax Herald | Big savings! Get your health voucher now! A paralysis has gripped Canada's health-care debate while the medicare system continues to weaken. While bureacrats and social activists defend the status quo and demand more money for it, and while politicians duck the underlying problems of a sick health care system, polls show that most Canadians will consider new ideas for health care delivery. Originally published in the Globe and Mail. Republished with the permission of the author. | Canadian and U.S. Health Care Systems Have the Same Ailment Fear-mongering about the American health care system is a popular attack on proposals to overhaul Canada's medicare. The author argues that, in fact, the two health care systems are more similar than people think and suffer from the same fundamental problems: consumer overindulgence and excessive government intervention. The article originally appeared in the Financial Post. 696 words. | Code Blue: Reviving Canada's Health Care System The introduction to David Gratzer's book Code Blue: Reviving Canada's Health Care System, winner of the Donnor Prize as an outstanding book on public policy. | Hey, What About Health Care? The shortcomings of the Canada Pension Plan is not the only longer-term issue worthy of public consideration. Looming problems with Canada's health care system also deserve more attention. Previously published in the London Free Press, December 8, 1998. |
| Manitoba Test of Campus Rules Academic tenure and unionization make universities unmanageable, and excellence in education difficult to achieve. First published in the National Post, November 9th, 1998. Re-published with the permission of the author. | Moving Beyond the Medicare Orthodoxy Why is it that Canada's two main political parties have virtually identical positions on medicare, while the public is now looking for new options? | Pearls before swine? Canadian Robert Mundell's Nobel prize-winning supply-side economic ideas fall on deaf ears at home. Originally published in the Halifax Herald. | Private Health -- It Works for Sweden Contracting out of health services, and other forms of private participation in health delivery, are working well in social democratic Sweden. Civil discourse about such options is required in Canada. Originally published in the National Post. Republished with the permission of the author. | Public Policy Hasn't Solved Homelessness Public policy is not only failing to solve the homelessness problem, it is a significant cause of the problem in the first place. Previously published in the London Free Press, December 22, 1998 | The Great Divide Are traditional ideologies of Right and Left on the verge of a radical shift:? Originally published in the Halifax Herald. | The Money Myth The conventional wisdom is that medicare's current problems stem from federal cuts to transfer payments in the mid-1990s. That conventional wisdom is wrong. Originally published in the Medical Post. Republished with the permission of the author. | Waiting Lists Can't Be Ignored There is a danger to putting positive spin on health care woes. First published in The London Free Press, November 17th, 1998. Re-published with the permission of the author. |
| Grubel, Herbert | Freedom, Income, Unemployment and Social Development Dr. Grubel disputes the conventional belief that highly regulated economies are more productive, have lower unemployment and better social development than economies relying more on unregulated, free markets. | The Brain Drain and Fiscal Policy - An Open Letter to Paul Martin An open letter to Canadian Finance Minister Paul Martin following his budget speech, March 1998. |
| The Case for a North American Currency This paper proposes the establishment of a common currency for Canada, Mexico and the US to deal with a number of economic problems. The paper examines the costs and benefits of such a common currency for Canada. |
| Gunter, Lorne | Beyond the Box: Getting Reporters to Think There is no such thing as objective journalism. Balance in journalism is the best that we can hope for. A presentation to the 1999 Civitas National Conference in Toronto, Canada. | Can Property Rights Settle Public Smoking Disputes? Notes for an address to a meeting of the Canadian Property Rights Research Institute, Edmonton. | Canada's Lop-Sided Abortion Debate Pro-abortionists in Canada frequently complain that the right to end a pregnancy is under unprecedented attack. Where's their proof? | How Jean Conned Ralph The recipe used by Prime Minister Jean Chretien to con even conservative premiers into signing onto the social union agreement. Previously published in The Edmonton Journal, February 5th, 1999 | More Money Is No Cure for Health Care Originally published in The Edmonton Journal, February 14th, 1999 | The Gun Registration Boondoggle Notes for an address to the Tofield Gun Club Annual Game and Awards Dinner | The New Inquisitors Take Sides Human Rights Commissions are not the guardians of equity and the defenders of freedoms; they are side-takers and poke-noses, worming away at the very rights they were established to defend and exercising great power to change our laws on behalf of politically fashionable interest groups. Originally published in the Edmonton Journal. | The Social Union - A Debate (with Janet Ajzenstat, Brian Lee Crowley, William D. Gairdner, Ken Holland, Rory Leishman, Michael Lusztig, Judy Rebick, John Robson, Paul Romney) Dr. William Gairdner sparked a debate in late 1998 on conservativeforum.org about government plans for a "social union", a federal government promise of largesse to provinces and various groups in return for constitutional and political peace. Dr. Gairdner and eight other distinguished commentators, not all conservatives, contributed their perspectives to the debate. The liberal government implemented its social union agreement with the provinces in 1999. The debate remains interesting for its discussion of the founders' intentions, and of the degree to which an elected government should set its promises in legal concrete, unassailable by subsequently-elected governments which may have different priorities. | Thirty-Five Years of Social Spending The costs of our social welfare state have burgeoned much more quickly than our generation of wealth, and also more quickly than the benefits from such spending. Originally published in The Edmonton Journal, February 10th, 1999. |
| Toy Seizure Cannot Go Unchallenged Police seized a supply of legally-owned toy guns from an Oakville, Ontario store, and then held a press conference to pat themselves on the back for doing so. The police chief admits that "under our present federal and provincial legislation, these firearms [sic] aren't covered." Mr. Gunter expresses alarm that should ring across the country about this police action. Originally published in the Edmonton Journal. | UN Games Part 1 - Whose World Is It, Anyway? Activists in non-governmental organizations, often with financial support and other support from the present Liberal government, are busily creating a new world order at the United Nations. Their agenda embraces socialist and femnist themes that would probably not survive democratic debate in Canada, so their machinations are designed to avoid Canadian debate about the rules they are creating until it's too late for Canadian voters to do much about them. Originally published as "Whose world is it, anyway?" in the National Post. Republished with the permission of the author. | UN Games Part 2 - Playing With the World's Agenda Activists in non-governmental organizations, often with financial support and other support from the present Liberal government, are busily creating a new world order at the United Nations. Their agenda embraces socialist and femnist themes that would probably not survive democratic debate in Canada, so their machinations are designed to avoid Canadian debate about the rules they are creating until it's too late for Canadian voters to do much about them. Originally published as "Playing with the world's agenda" in the National Post. Republished with the permission of the author. |
| Hamilton, Alexander | Federalist Paper No. 01 General Introduction | Federalist Paper No. 06-07 Concerning Dangers from Dissensions Between the States | Federalist Paper No. 08 The Consequences of Hostilities Between the States | Federalist Paper No. 09 The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection | Federalist Paper No. 11 The Utility of the Union in Respect to Commercial Relations and a Navy | Federalist Paper No. 12 The Utility of the Union In Respect to Revenue | Federalist Paper No. 13 Advantage of the Union in Respect to Economy in Government |
| Federalist Paper No. 15-17 The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union | Federalist Paper No. 18-20 (with James Madison) The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union - Continued | Federalist Paper No. 21-22 Other Defects of the Present Confederation | Federalist Paper No. 23 The Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union | Federalist Paper No. 24-25 The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered | Federalist Paper No. 26-28 The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered | Federalist Paper No. 29 Concerning the Militia | Federalist Paper No. 30-34 Concerning the General Power of Taxation | Federalist Paper No. 35-36 Concerning the General Power of Taxation - Continued | Federalist Paper No. 59-61 Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members |
| Federalist Paper No. 65 The Powers of the Senate - Continued | Federalist Paper No. 66 Objections to the Power of the Senate To Set as a Court for Impeachments Further Considered | Federalist Paper No. 67 The Executive Department | Federalist Paper No. 68 The Mode of Electing the President | Federalist Paper No. 69-72 The Real Character of the Executive | Federalist Paper No. 73 The Provision For The Support of the Executive, and the Veto Power | Federalist Paper No. 74-77 Powers of the Executive | Federalist Paper No. 78-81 The Judiciary Department | Federalist Paper No. 82-83 The Judiciary - Continued | Federalist Paper No. 84 Certain General and Miscellaneous Objections to the Constitution Considered and Answered |
| Federalist Paper No. 85 Concluding Remarks |
| Harper, Stephen | Conservative Divisions are Here to Stay Centre-right coalitions of voters in Canada and other parts of the Western world are coming apart as ideological schisms deepen within them. It will not be possible to re-assemble them in the near future. Previously published in the National Post. |
| Hayek, Friedrich | Economics and Knowledge A speech delivered to the Economics Club of New York | The Intellectuals and Socialism Friedrich Hayek won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1974, after graduating from the University of Vienna with doctorates in law and economics. Of his many works, he is best known for The Road to Serfdom, which has been translated into twelve languages. This essay first appeared in The University of Chicago Law Review, Vol. 16. No. 3, Spring 1949, and is reprinted with permission. | The Road to Serfdom (excerpts) Excerpts from Hayek's venerable work. The full book is available from Laissez Faire Books or through links to chapters.ca or amazon.com on conservativeforum.org. | The Use of Knowledge in Society Friedrich Hayek won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1974, after graduating from the University of Vienna with doctorates in law and economics. Of his many works, he is best known for The Road to Serfdom, which has been translated into twelve languages. Reprinted from the American Economic Review, XXXV, No. 4; September, 1945, 519-30. |
| Hazlitt, Henry | The ABC of a Market Economy Originally published in The Freeman. Available, with numerous other essays, from The Henry Hazlitt Foundation. |
| Henry, Patrick | Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death |
| Heston, Charlton | Winning the Cultural War A speech to the Harvard Law School Forum exhorting students to take action to both defend principles and oppose the doctrine of "cultural correctness". |
| Hilliard, Lawrence | Pragmatism and the Presidency The essay diagnoses a prevailing philosophy of pragmatism that has dominated the thinking and influenced many areas of American society. In the current presidency of William Jefferson Clinton, pragmatism has found its perfect exemplar. The perfect philosophical marriage between this administration and the American public is as harmonious as Astarte and Marduk. It can be explained in the nature of William James’, John Dewey’s and C. S. Peirce’s redefinition of truth. The pragmatic language frame of Bill Clinton and the cognitive epithelium of a tolerant and accepting public are the tragic consequences of this carcinogenic philosophy. Within the framework of pragmatism, William Clinton would be classed as truthful, religious and faithful in word and deed. |
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| Holland, Ken | Judicial Tyranny in the United States Judicial activism has reached outrageous proportions in the United States. Not only are federal and state judges making public policy in a wide variety of areas, they are even administering public institutions, such as schools, mental hospitals and prisons. Courts are forcing governments to reallocate budgets and in some cases raising taxes themselves to pay for social experiments. Prepared for delivery before the Second Annual National Conference of Civitas, May 1-3, 1998, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | The Social Union - A Debate (with Janet Ajzenstat, Brian Lee Crowley, William D. Gairdner, Lorne Gunter, Rory Leishman, Michael Lusztig, Judy Rebick, John Robson, Paul Romney) Dr. William Gairdner sparked a debate in late 1998 on conservativeforum.org about government plans for a "social union", a federal government promise of largesse to provinces and various groups in return for constitutional and political peace. Dr. Gairdner and eight other distinguished commentators, not all conservatives, contributed their perspectives to the debate. The liberal government implemented its social union agreement with the provinces in 1999. The debate remains interesting for its discussion of the founders' intentions, and of the degree to which an elected government should set its promises in legal concrete, unassailable by subsequently-elected governments which may have different priorities. |
| Hooven, Ed | We Don't Need Psychobabble to Understand the Shootings in Colorado Official and media responses to school shootings illustrate the continuing slide from personal responsibility to collective responsibility for individual actions. |
| Hrab, J.N. | Great Books, Bad Politics The classics of Western literature were once center to the undergraduate learning experience. Thanks to political correctness, this is no longer so. The result is intellectual impoverishment and a diminished quality of undergraduate life. Previously published in the February 4th 1998 edition of U of T's student publication "the newspaper". | Swapping Scholarships for Votes The federal government's Millenium Scholarship Fund is a new way to buy young people's votes. |
| Hunter, Graeme | Compulsory Miseducation: Education's Sine Qua Non Our public (and much of our private) education system suffers from the same disease as brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union: "the best lack all conviction". That may not prevent them from imparting information and technique, but they have nothing to profess, and therefore cannot educate. My paper enlarges upon this diagnosis. [ A revised version of this paper will soon be published by the NEW OXFORD REVIEW. ] |
| Irvine, Andrew D. | Broad Subjects Free Us From Narrow Minds Previously published in the Vancouver Sun, April 8th, 1998 | Education and Freedom: From Epictetus to Russell | For Tips on Senate Reform, Australia has a Lot to Teach Canada Previously published in the Vancouver Sun, February 10th, 1998 | Just How Far Should Police Go In Protecting Dictators? Previously published in the Vancouver Sun, September 10th, 1998 |
| Towards Equality of Opportunity Previously published in University Affairs, October, 1998 | University Funding: Why There's Room For Corporate Cash in Academic Coffers Previously published in the Vancouver Sun, December 4th, 1997 |
| Jay, John | Federalist Paper No. 02-05 Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence | Federalist Paper No. 64 The Powers of the Senate |
| Jefferson, Thomas | First Inaugural Address | Second Inaugural Address |
| Kalb, James | Confucius Today A discussion of Confucius in relation to modern political conditions and to Western thought, including conservatism, liberalism and Christianity. The discussion emphases the flexibility and practicality of his thought and its likely usefulness now and in the future. Previously published in Modern Age, Fall, 1995 | Liberal Tolerance A discussion of "tolerance" as understood by contemporary liberals emphasizing its transformation into something endlessly demanding, inconsistent with self-government, and thus (ironically) radically intolerant. | PC and the Crisis of Liberalism A discussion of political correctness, its history, moral basis and political implications. The discussion emphasizes its seriousness as a logical outcome of liberalism (the dominant political tradition of the West), its incompatibility with freedom and self-government, and the likely need for radical changes in the understandings on which political life is carried on to which it gives rise. | The Tyranny of Liberalism The development of liberalism has reversed its original principles. Rather than let society control the state, a more ambitious liberalism now makes the state control society. In spite of claims of neutrality, liberalism establishes an enforceable official morality that supports a definite way of life. The rational way beyond liberalism is to discuss the questions it avoids and cannot answer. Intellectually, liberalism cannot survive their free discussion. Once liberalism goes, what then? A slightly edited version of this essay appeared in the Summer 2000 issue of ModernAge. Mr. Kalb would be grateful for any comments about it via his e-mail. |
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| Kennedy, John F. | Inaugural Address |
| Kierkegaard, Soren | The Present Age - Excerpts A deliberation on envy and its effect of public leveling - stifling or hindering leadership and distinction. Excerpted from his essay "The Present Age". |
| Kissel, Blair | Canadian Federation of Students Full of Hot Air Access 2000, the latest set of demands from the Canadian Federation of Students, is just another set of shortsighted, meaningless repairs. Our post-secondary education system needs real reform, not a bunch of children screaming for more government handouts. |
| Knopf, Rainer | Neutrality On Contentious Issues Helps No One Previously published in The Calgary Herald, January 2nd, 1999 | Only Ontario Needs a United Alternative (with Ted Morton) History indicates that a single national party united in opposition to the Liberals will not last long. The regional factions which comprise it will soon separate again. Better instead to focus on creating a united alternative in Ontario alone, which could then work in coalition with other parties in the House. |
| Kopel, David | No Canada Canada's electoral system is not an improvement over the American electoral college system, despite the criticism that the U.S. system drew over the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Originally published in National Review magazine. Republished with their permission. |
| Landolt, C. Gwendolyn | A Silent Revolution on Same-Sex Benefits The federal Liberal government's Bill C-23 represents a sweeping change of law regarding same-sex relationships. It benefits only those in such relationships, and their gain is our society's loss. | Canadian Freedoms In Jeopardy The rights and independence of Canadians are being eroded by Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy at negotiations for the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Rome, June 15th to July 17th, 1998. | Extra Territorial Control of Family Policy Far from the intent of its founding only 50 years ago, the United Nations in pursuing its one-world agenda is developing a ruthless determination to force policies on individual nations, particularly policies relating to the family, which trample on national sovereignty, and cultural and religious values. | Impact of Feminism on Our Culture A chronicle of the rise and growing influence of feminism in Canada. |
| Rights of Canadians Undermined by International Court Canadians should be alarmed about the application of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Canada. | The Implications of Media Bias An overview of the manifestations of bias in Canadian media. | The Ontario Government's Bill 5, A Response to the Supreme Court Criticism of the effects of Ontario's Bill 5 and the means used to pass it. |
| Leishman, Rory | An Erstwhile Socialist Calls for an Overhaul of the Welfare State Previously published in The London Free Press, February 3rd, 1998 | Assuring Treatment for the Mentally Ill Mentally-ill patients and their fellow citizens are well served by new Ontario law which expands the definition of patients who must undergo treatment before being released. Originally published in the London Free Press. Republished with the permission of the author. | Australia Takes the Right Approach to Bogus Refugees Australian authorities understand that a soft approach to illegal immigration and people smuggling is neither wise or compassionate. Originally published in the London Free Press. Republished with the permission of the author. | Chief Justice Should Explain the Egregious Feeney Ruling The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court should publicly explain his court's decision to flout long-standing precedent and law in the Feeney case. The court ruled that police should have obtained a warrant prior to entering Feeney's trailer to arrest him on suspicion of murder. This essay was first published in The Montreal Gazette, September 5th, 1998. | Corruption in the Academy Previously published in The London Free Press, September 21st, 1998 | Employment Equity Debunked The Pursuit of Division: Race, Gender, and Preferential Hiring in Canada is an exceptionally well-researched book by Martin Loney that exposes the misinformation advanced by the exponents of employment equity in an attempt to justify discrimination against able-bodied white males. Originally published in the London Free Press | Freedom of Association is No Less Vital Than Freedom of Speech Previously published in The London Free Press, June 1st, 1998 |
| Human Rights Trumps Truth in the Media Politically-correct mandarins in human rights tribunals are suppressing the truth in reporting on Canadian issues. A paper presented to the Civitas National Conference, April 1999, Toronto | It's Not Just Conservatives Who Deplore Employment Inequity Previously published in The London Free Press, February 14th, 1998 | More on Robed Dictators In his award-winning essay "Robed Dictators", published by Next City Magazine and here on conservativeforum.org, Rory Leishman described the usurpation of our parliaments' legislative power by unelected judges. In this essay he provides still more examples of this dangerous trend. | Perversion of Medical Ethics Doctors and hospital "bioethics" committees have arrogated to themselves the right to kill a patient with life that they consider no longer worthy of life. Their Hippocratic Oath now takes a back seat to such interests as conserving hospital resources, including their own time. Originally published in the London Free Press. Republished with the permission of the author. | Referees Don't Change the Rules, Mr. Lamer Canadian judges have released a video as part of a campaign against critics of court political activism. In it, they encourage their colleagues to defend their recent inclination to make law, and overturn law, rather than simply uphold it. Mr. Leishman deftly skewers a key premise of their campaign. Originally published in the London Free Press | Robed Dictators: Legislators for Life A coup from the courtroom has usurped our democracy. Originally published in The Next City Magazine, this essay won Honourable Mention in the National Magazine Awards of 1998. Re-published with the permission of the author and the publisher. | Shoddy Feminist Research Research from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives which asserts rising poverty among women is based irresponsibly on using the "low-income cutoff" figure published by Statistics Canada as a measure of poverty, despite Statistics Canada's frequent warnings against using the figure for that purpose. Originally published in the London Free Press. Republished with the permission of the author. | Should Corporal Punishment Be Outlawed in Families? Criminalization of spanking by parents is an ill-considered initiative of children's rights activists. Originally published in The London Free Press, February 12th, 1999 | Socialism: Buried and Abandoned by a Compassionate Reformer Previously published in The London Free Press, April 27th, 1998 | Striking Success for Workfare Relaxed welfare rules and comfortable benefits had a predictable result in exploding the number of welfare recipients in Ontario. Workfare and other restrictions implemented by a conservative government have reduced dependance on welfare and increased employment. Originally published in the London Free Press. Republished with the permission of the author. |
| Supreme Court of Canada Delivers Another Political Judgment Supreme Court justices are forsaking the law to impose their preferences in the issue of Quebec secession. This essay was previously published in The Ottawa Citizen, August 27, 1998 | The Foreign Aid Conundrum Canada is slashing its foreign aid payments while calling on other countries to increase theirs. The cuts would be hypocritical if the payments were effective at reducing world poverty, but they have not been. | The Social Union - A Debate (with Janet Ajzenstat, Brian Lee Crowley, William D. Gairdner, Lorne Gunter, Ken Holland, Michael Lusztig, Judy Rebick, John Robson, Paul Romney) Dr. William Gairdner sparked a debate in late 1998 on conservativeforum.org about government plans for a "social union", a federal government promise of largesse to provinces and various groups in return for constitutional and political peace. Dr. Gairdner and eight other distinguished commentators, not all conservatives, contributed their perspectives to the debate. The liberal government implemented its social union agreement with the provinces in 1999. The debate remains interesting for its discussion of the founders' intentions, and of the degree to which an elected government should set its promises in legal concrete, unassailable by subsequently-elected governments which may have different priorities. |
| Levant, Ezra | The J doesn't belong in CJC The Canadian Jewish Congress has lost its focus, becoming intolerant of religious expression and a blaring advocate of trendy liberal causes. Originally published in the National Post. |
| Lieberman, Sen. Joseph | Address to the U.S. Senate Regarding President Clinton The speech which may be remembered in history as the beginning of the end for President Clinton. Truth, moral values, and principles, rise above partisan politics and the power game. It is not enough for our leaders to say they stand for something, they must live it. |
| Lincoln, Abraham | First Inaugural Address |
| Lombardi, Vince | The Character of Success A speech delivered to a business group in Dayton, Ohio. It was to be his last. A week later, Lombardi was found to be suffering with terminal cancer, which took his life in September, 1970. |
| Loney, Martin | Prejudice in the Law Schools Claims of racial discrimination by law schools and law firms cannot be supported by any research or studies worthy of the term. Originally published in the National Post | The Canadian Myth of Labour Discrimination Originally published in the National Post |
| Lusztig, Michael | The Social Union - A Debate (with Janet Ajzenstat, Brian Lee Crowley, William D. Gairdner, Lorne Gunter, Ken Holland, Rory Leishman, Judy Rebick, John Robson, Paul Romney) Dr. William Gairdner sparked a debate in late 1998 on conservativeforum.org about government plans for a "social union", a federal government promise of largesse to provinces and various groups in return for constitutional and political peace. Dr. Gairdner and eight other distinguished commentators, not all conservatives, contributed their perspectives to the debate. The liberal government implemented its social union agreement with the provinces in 1999. The debate remains interesting for its discussion of the founders' intentions, and of the degree to which an elected government should set its promises in legal concrete, unassailable by subsequently-elected governments which may have different priorities. |
| Would a Triple 'E' Senate Afford Better Government? Notes for a presentation to the Civitas National Conference, Toronto |
| Madden, Kelly Alvin | The Political Priority of Freedom: Acton and Murray One of the winning essays in the Acton Institute's annual essay contest. In 1997, the contest theme was "Freedom and Order" and the winning essays explored the role of religion in promoting the concepts of order and personal morality which are essential to freedom. Originally published by the Acton Institute. Republished with the permission of the Institute. |
| Madison, James | Federalist Paper No. 10 The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection - Continued | Federalist Paper No. 14 Objections to the Proposed Constitution From Extent of Territory Answered | Federalist Paper No. 18-20 (with Alexander Hamilton) The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union - Continued | Federalist Paper No. 37-38 Concerning the Difficulties of the Convention in Devising a Proper Form of Government | Federalist Paper No. 39 The Conformity of the Plan to Republican Principles | Federalist Paper No. 40 On the Powers of the Convention to Form a Mixed Government Examined and Sustained | Federalist Paper No. 41-43 The Powers Conferred by The Constitution | Federalist Paper No. 44 Restrictions on the Authority of the Several States |
| Federalist Paper No. 45 The Alleged Danger From the Powers of the Union to the State Governments Considered | Federalist Paper No. 46 The Influence of the State and Federal Governments Compared | Federalist Paper No. 47 The Particular Structure of the New Government and the Distribution of Power Among Its Different Parts | Federalist Paper No. 48 These Departments Should Not Be So Far Separated as to Have No Constitutional Control Over Each Other | Federalist Paper No. 49 Method of Guarding Against the Encroachments of Any One Department of Government by Appealing to the People Through a Convention | Federalist Paper No. 50 Periodical Appeals to the People Considered | Federalist Paper No. 51 The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments | Federalist Paper No. 52-53 The House of Representatives | Federalist Paper No. 54 The Apportionment of Members Among the States | Federalist Paper No. 55-56 The Total Number of the House of Representatives |
| Federalist Paper No. 57 The Alleged Tendency of the New Plan to Elevate the Few at the Expense of the Many Considered in Connection with Representation | Federalist Paper No. 58 Objection That The Number of Members Will Not Be Augmented as the Progress of Population Demands Considered | Federalist Paper No. 62-63 The Senate |
| Manning, Preston | Reply to the Speech From The Throne, 1999, Part 1 Response to the Liberal government's Speech From The Throne in which it announced its plans for the next two years of government. Published in two parts. | Reply to the Speech From The Throne, 1999, Part 2 Response to the Liberal government's Speech From The Throne in which it announced its plans for the next two years of government. Published in two parts. |
| Markey, Greg | The Positive Role of Religion in a Liberal Democracy One of the winning essays in the Acton Institute's annual essay contest. In 1997, the contest theme was "Freedom and Order" and the winning essays explored the role of religion in promoting the concepts of order and personal morality which are essential to freedom. Originally published by the Acton Institute. Republished with the permission of the Institute. |
| McCarthy, Sarah J. | A Sense Of Proportionality Feminists and others who have championed draconian sexual harassment punitive damage fines, are now calling for restraint and a sense of proportion when their favoured President is caught exploiting an infatuated young intern. An overhaul is needed in sexual harassment law, and not just for the President! First published in Pittsburgh's Tribune Review and on the excellent Web site The Common Conservative. |
| McElroy, Wendy | A Reconsideration of Trial By Jury Trial by jury, as evolved under common law, has long been considered a procedural right of a free society, but it is far from clear what role the jury system would play in a libertarian society, or if it would exist at all. The traditional role of juries is twofold: to pass judgment on a defendant; and, to judge the law under which the defendant is tried. In its first role, it is not clear where a collective body can claim a monopoly right to adjudicate the case of an individual who does not assign this right and who is presumed innocent under the law. In its second role, there are reasons to wonder whether twelve men judging the law will lead to more or to less justice. First published in The Libertarian Enterprise, July 27th, 1998. | Abortion | Feminists Against Women: The New Reproductive Technologies |
| Mises' Legacy to Feminism |
| McGillivray, Peter | George Grant's Lament for a Nation: The Impossibility of Red Conservatism in the Modern Technological Age A review of Grant's famous conservative tract lamenting the passing of Canadian nationalism. Writing in the 1960's, Grant correctly predicts the ascendence of of the cult of neo-liberalism (read neo-conservatism) and the assesses the overwhelming, globalizing force of technology. These two forces, he argues will have rendered the nation-state powerless to manage its own affairs as exemplified in the downfall of the Diefenbaker Consevative nationalist government in the early 1960's. This essay was orginally written for an undergarduate course entitled "Thinking about Politics," taught by the Hon. Bob Rae, former Premier of Ontario. |
| Menger, Carl | On the Origins of Money Translated by C.A. Foley, this essay first appeared in the Economic Journal, Volume 2,(1892) p. 239-55. |
| Mercer, Ilana | Human Rights Commission Has New Targets British Columbia's Human Rights agencies and activists are expanding the ambit of the Human Rights Code to include protection against discrimination on the basis of "social conditions". The implications for property rights and the freedom to contract at will are explored, as are the implications of an expanding definition of human rights to fit the assorted U.N. covenants. A succint examination first published as a column in the weekly community newspaper North Shore News. | In-House Tax Havens Would Confound Ottawa Free marketeers and critics of government native affairs policy may smile at the notion of tax-free havens within Canada on native reservations. Mohawk leaders are serious about it, and the government is not smiling. The column contends - satirically - that by encouraging First Nations to make banking their new economy and turn their territories into tax havens for besieged taxpayers, we will achieve some well deserved pecuniary parity and leave the feds in disarray. Originally published in the Calgary Herald. Republished with the permission of the author. | Reverse Discrimination Betrays Social Justice Governments are tying the hiring of minorities and women to a quota system that subverts both the marketplace and some underpinnings of Western society. Previously published in the Vancouver Sun newspaper |
| Meyer, Frank Straus | Freedom, Tradition, Conservatism First published in Modern Age IV, Fall 1960, pages 355-363. Also published in the book Modern Age: The First Twenty-Five Years, A Selection, Edited by George A. Panichas, Liberty Press, 1988. Republished with permission. |
| Mill, John Stuart | On Liberty - Chapter 1, Introductory Mills' timeless essay | On Liberty - Chapter 2, Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion, Part I Mills' timeless essay | On Liberty - Chapter 2, Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion, Part II Mills' timeless essay |
| On Liberty - Chapter 2, Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion, Part III Mills' timeless essay | On Liberty - Chapter 3, On Individuality, as One of the Elements of Wellbeing Mills' timeless essay | On Liberty - Chapter 4, Of the Limits to the Authority of Society Over the Individual Mills' timeless essay | On Liberty - Chapter 5, Applications, Part I Mills' timeless essay | On Liberty - Chapter 5, Applications, Part II Mills' timeless essay |
| Montesquieu, Baron de | The Spirit of the Laws - Selections 1 Selections from Book I "Of Laws in General" from the chapters "Of the Relation of Laws to Different Beings", "Of the Laws of Nature", "Of Positive Laws" | The Spirit of the Laws - Selections 2 Selections from Book III, "Of the Principles of the Three Kinds of Government," from the chapters "Of the Principle of Democracy", "Of the Principle of Aristocracy", "That Virtue is not the Principle of a Monarchical Government", "In What Manner Virtue is Supplied in a Monarchical Government", "Of the Principle of Monarchy", "That Honour is Not the Principle of Despotic Government" |
| Moore, Charles W. | A Collision of Moral Visions In which it is proposed that the dichotomy between conservative and liberal political ideology is the product of two distinct and contradictory fundamental moral visions. | Socio-Economic Consequences of the Protestant Reformation An examination of how the 16th Century Protestant Reformation laid the groundwork for liberal economics, capitalism, socialism, and our current socio-cultural distempers. | The Challenge: Re-Defining Canadian Conservatism for a New Century An analysis of the state of Canadian conservatism, and the challenge to electability posed by the schism between the social/religious branch of the movement, and the fiscal/pragmatist wing. Can a workable coalition be forged between the religious-traditionalist right and neo-conservatism? |
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| More, Paul Elmer | Academic Leadership | Aristocracy | Justice | Property and Law | The New Morality |
| Morrow, Lance | The Case for Rage and Retribution The September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the American Pentagon demand natural reactions of rage and retribution. While contrary to the soft-headed newspeak and global utopianism advanced during the 1 |