Canadian Conservatism

In my limited exposure to the Canadian Right, it has become apparent that the “movement” is heading toward another identity crisis of sorts. Or rather, I should amend that to say that the Canadian Right SHOULD be heading towards another identity crisis. At this point, with Harper at the helm and no sizable opposition present, any large scale shifting of the Conservative ship seems unlikely.

Which is surprising to say the least. Against a Liberal opposition which has stumbled and bumbled its way through scandals and missteps over the last decade, the Conservative Party under Harper has failed to win a majority government. Currently the Conservative Party under Harper is running slightly behind the Liberals in the polls, despite running attack ads against Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal Leader.

One is left to believe that any election to come would be the Conservative’s to lose, and it seems that they are making a decent go at it. Despite the Prime Minister’s tight control over what exactly his cabinet says and does, they never fail in providing the media with scandals. First, Maxime Bernier, and now we have John Baird and Lisa Raitt.

Naturally, none of these scandals is quite on the level of the Liberal sponsorship scandal, however it seems that the Prime Minister just can’t get his cabinet to keep their mouths shut, or gov’t documents from being misplaced. The silence on the Prime Minister’s performance has been deafening. It would seem that his leadership is beyond criticism, even though the polls say otherwise.

Throughout the George W. Bush years, Harper was seen as a Canadian version of the same. Not far from the truth, this essentially means that Harper talked the same neocon jargon so common in conservative circles during the Bush era. Cutting taxes, getting tough on crime, pushing for a Triple-E Senate, supporting the invasion of Iraq, supporting the free market….Harper was a strong Bush ally, and seems to be coping fairly well in the midst of Obamamania.

Despite a strong base in West, the Prime Minister will have no hope of a majority unless he makes gains in Ontario and Quebec. He has only had mixed results in either province, which could well mean that a majority government is too much to hope for. In order to gain votes in central and Eastern Canada, he risks alienating his base support in the West. Overall, he has not been able to breakout of the regionalism endemic to Canadian politics.

What this means is that Harper is not the leader that the Conservative Party needs. In order to prevent any fractures in the Party, it must be willing to engage a broader range of conservative thought. Unfortunately for the Conservative Party, neoconservatism is the accepted ideology of the day.

The Commandments of Post-Christian Paganism

Original Article

It is the time to become honest: today many Christian circles in fact believe in post-Christian paganism. Alright, why should’t we formulate its creed? It can be even proclaimed solemnly at the Porto Alegre Assembly (at least by the Western European delegates), just to mark the final victory over the darkness of fundamentalism!

First of all, the Ten Commandments:

I am the Basically Unknown Supreme Being (some stupid people were calling me God and even Father; sorry for that). I tell you people: believe in me, in anyone else or just in anything. It all doesn’t matter!

Still, don’t worship the terrible idols of racism, sexism, ageism, religionism, nationalism and capitalism. Liberalism and Marxism are allowed to a certain extent.

Don’t pronounce the name of your Lord in an exclusivist way. Don’t pronounce it publicly at all – it may hurt so many good people!

Celebrate Saturdays with the Jews and Fridays with the Moslems. Go to the beach on Sundays. Don’t work on all these days to show solidarity with those who are pressed to work.

Respect the founding mothers and fathers of Democracy and Enlightenment. They have made all people happy forever, even if some of you are stupid enough to disagree with that.

Don’t kill (if you are not a member of a liberation movement).

Steal only from the rich.

Rape and sexual harassment are forbidden. Paedophilia, too (until 2030). All other sexual behaviour is not subject to these commandments.

Do not say anything which is not politically correct: Big Democratic Brother is watching you.

Do not wish anything which is not in line with pluralism and tolerance: do not bother the Big Brother, control your thoughts from within.

And, of course, the Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor, for they can criticise the rich.

Blessed are the tolerant, for they will inherit the Earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after social justice, for they will be never fed up with it.

Blessed are the pacifists, for they are well guarded by armies.

Blessed are the outspoken, for the final judgment will always be in their hands.

Blessed are freedom fighters, for they are always right.

Blessed are those who struggle with the darkness of the past, for they don’t care what will be said about them in the future.

Blessed are the oppressed for whatever reason, for theirs is the Kingdom of Media.

Blessed are you when you play a victim, for that brings you victory.

Rejoice and be glad, all of you, for your gain is guaranteed in this world!

Freedom and Opening Thoughts on Traditional Conservatism

Monarchy is decidedly a small-c conservative poltical system. That is not to say that it has any more affiliation with a right-wing party over a left-wing party (although that is often the case), but rather that monarchy largely concerns itself with preserving and building on what have been known as “pillars of society.” These pillars consist of what has been handed down from previous generations—the Church, the State, the Laws of the State, and other traditions which form the basis of society.

Unfortunately, the modern conservative movement is more libertarian than anything else. Not that small government is necessarily a bad thing, but essentially libertarianism boils down to one single point: government is bad, because the Individual is ultimate arbiter of his own Fate, but as one individual does not carry a club big enough to survive, we must tolerate a government in order to defend society. Libertarianism, is essentially a product of the Classical Liberalism of the Enlightenment. It isn’t unlike most of the liberal ideologies, same beliefs, different applications.

The Enlightenment witnessed the creation of the Individual. Not that a person didn’t exist before, but the Enlightenment created the philosophical “individual” in a vacuum of sorts. Each individual was essentially his governor, capable of making his own decisions through rational thought processes. The thinking at the time was that this individual would be allowed to make any decision he (women weren’t people…yet) wanted unless it harmed or infringed on the rights of another person. Of course, the definition of “person” or “individual” under the Law was necessarily limited. If you were a woman or not white enough or didn’t ascribe to right set of beliefs—political or religiously—then the rules did not really apply to you.

All in all, not really a bad idea. However, there is one key error here which carried itself into Classical Liberalism and foundations of modern democracy. Namely, the Individual as such was awarded the potential for limitless freedom. Freedom to progress, to believe, to disbelieve, to invent, to interact etc. This position, when carried to its full extent, will result in anarchy. That aside, traditional conservatism defines the Individual in a different way. The Individual is not to be held in conflict with society or the state, but rather its membership in society is integral to aspiring to and achieving its own freedom. Freedom, not in the sense that one can do whatever one wisehes, but rather, freedom in the sense that to paraphrase Joseph de Maistre, we are bound by a flexible chain which restrains us but does not make us into slaves. In other words, we are bound to the traditions we observe and to society, which limits our freedom to the extent we are able to discover ourselves as a unique person in the most constructive way.

This is true freedom, the ability to become what we are called to be, while at the same time honouring what has gone before us.

Defending Monarchism

Monarchism is widely viewed as a relic of a by-gone past. Queen Elizabeth is seen as a mere figurehead, holding no real power, and in the eyes of many costing far too much. On the flip side, those monarchs with real power, such as King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, are viewed largely as authoritarian dictators and abusers of power. As legitimate as the charge may be, neither position is the view I hold on monarchy.

The monarch must at times be an active participant in the nation and its people. These doesn’t not mean an entire lack of democracy, nor does it mean that the monarch wields power like a crazed dictator. Rather, the monarch is there to provide a link to the past, a symbol of the nation, and a stable leadership. As is eveident, the monarch need not concern themselves with petty party politics that almost always blights democracy. The monarch thus serves in the capacity of arbiter in a nation-state. Owing no allegiance to a party or ideology, the monarch serves in the best interests of society. Where neccessary, the monarch will intervene in runnings of state, increasingly state control in certain areas. At other times, the monarch will decrease state control, allowing their subjects to make their own decisions.

The flexible nature of the monarch seems to stand in contradiction to the inherent stability of the system, but it becomes apparent that the two qualities supplement each other. The view of monarchy as an old, dusty, government of by-gone days, belies the fact that the monarchy in fact provides the bedrock of a thriving society. Democracy is by nature a vastly unstable form of government. Based largely on partisan politics and ideology, coupled with elections–which may or may not have roaming election dates–democratic governments experience leadership changes every few years at the maximum. The limited timespan is heralded in most “liberal” circles as a good thing, as it reflects the supposedly ever shifting winds of change that beset the modern world. Unfortunately the inevitable result of such short-lived governments is the lack of change. The Conservative is elected and immediately cuts taxes and social programs; the subsequent Liberal government follows a few years later; raising taxes on the wealthy and reinstituing the formerly-cut social safety net. The cycle continues.

The democratic system IS broken. A statement to which almost all agree. Unfortunately, the willingness of elected politicians to change the system which elected them is non-existent. A politicians goal is to win an election. Not to govern responsibly. Not to serve the needs all of all citizenry. But to be elected. Politics is known as a corrupt field because politicians will say and do anything to win, throwing their dirty laundry in the basement, hopefully to be forgotten. If and when they do win, the politician will reflect the views of his party and those voters who elected him. Not all voters. Just the ones who voted for him. And only that if you can reach him between all the lobbyists, interest groups, and other politicians who seek his ear.

And they say monarchy is corrupt.

Letter from a Traditional Conservative

Finding this gem of a Letter introduced me to a reality that my views were not that far off-base in this crazy 21st century, Post-Enlightenment society. A long read (especially so soon after the crunch time of exams), but I think it is well worth the time and effort.

http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/?p=2652

Stay tuned as I try to talk my way through my resulting thoughts and viewpoint.

Introduction

I’ve been thinking about starting a blog for awhile now. I don’t really intend for this to be a blog about me, but rather a blog of my thoughts and ramblings. I doubt anyone but me will read this, and I guess it is mostly intended as a collection of my thoughts. In other words, it is a blog where I will be talking to myself. That may come across as arrogant…but to be honest I think it is the ultimate reality of who I am. I am a person of smoke and mirrors, intensely private and introverted. Unfortunately that means a lot of me remains hideen behind closed doors. I haven’t figured out if that is a strength or weakness yet…

I love the title of my blog. Seeking Telos. Telos happens to be a word introduced to my vocabulary just this past week. It is Greek for “end, purpose, goal” and I think it adequately sums up what exactly I am still trying to figure out in life. Of course, as an Orthodox Christian, Greek words are common-place in my vocabulary, and as most of my brothers and sisters in Christ would tell me, theosis is the goal. Which is true. It’s the getting there that I am seeking.

Becoming an Orthodox Christian is easily the best thing I will ever do. Funny how I can say that with so much of my life left to live. It felt like I was truly coming home and was such a soul-searching experience. It still boggles my mind to think back to those days. Time has gone by so fast but at the same time it felt like life only began when I became Orthodox.

Other than religion, I mostly expect to occupy this with my thoughts on politics. I am decidedly “Traditional Conservtive,” which really doesn’t mean what most people think it does. Discovering my political views seems to be a continuing journey, although it seems I am finally coming home to roost. The problem is going to be finding the words to articulate what exactly I believe, at least in terms of politics.

And I guess that’s me. Mostly a person of politics and religion. Probably a little bit too private, and most likely a tad bit controversial.

My Church

I attend an Orthodox church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Every Sunday, I also attend churches in Moscow and K’yiv, in London on the banks of the Thames, in Sydney Down Under, in Atlanta and Chicago and New York and Pittsburgh, and Paris and Warsaw and Tokyo and Nairobi and Buenos Aires and Mexico City and Vancouver and Toronto and Winnipeg and Jerusalem and Damascus and Athens and Belgrade and thousands of churches around the world. Every Sunday. I got a lot of frequent flier miles.

My Church is kinda big. About 215 million baptized members are in my church. We get new members every week but a lot of the established members don’t come as often as I would like. Ah well, I will see them for the Nativity of Our Lord and Pascha each year! This is disorganized religion at its finest. Several million come out to coffee hour each Sunday.

We also get a lot of unique established members. They have been members since oh let’s see…the beginning of time? They are messengers, aka Angels. They come in nine ranks: the Thrones, Principalities, Authorities, Powers and Dominions, Angels, Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim. They are so beautiful how they worship God. This is Orthodoxy.

The saints are also there. St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great, St. Vincent of Lerins, St. Ignatius of Antioch, the Apostles, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Nikolai of Japan, St. Mary of Egypt the list goes on and on…the Innocents, St. Tikhon, St. Raphael of Brooklyn, the list runs into millions. This is Orthodoxy.

Every week, the Liturgy is chanted in every language…at once. From Aleut to English to Japanese to Portuguese to Ukrainian to Zulu…the Pentecostals don’t know what speaking in tongues is! This is Orthodoxy.

And there is the laity. Glorified in their sainthood, yet at the same time known only to God. From tiny house churches in Asia Minor the first century after Christ, to the Cathedrals of Russia in the 21^st century and beyond…everyone is here. During coffee hour, the Greeks argue with the Russians over who organizes coffee hour next week, the Serbians caught in the middle, the Ukrainians off to the side, sipping horilka. The Arabs shower everyone with love and affection and food, as only the Arabs can. And so it goes on, each group and nationality with their own quirks and issues and their own unique expression of the One True Church of Christ.

The Church. My Church. I love it.

My Political Views

I have struggled to put a label to my political views. Tradional Conservative, Old Right Monarchist, Counter Enlightenment Monarchist…I am all of the above and something more.

So here goes.

1. I believe that a monarchist political system provides the best opportunity for a stable government.
2. Loyalty to one’s nation and the institutions of that nation (i.e. Monarch, Church, Armed Forces) is of paramount importance.
3. Each person, from natural conception to natural death, is a Creation of God and is a subject of the Crown, bound to the Monarch and protected under the Law.
4. The family unit is of paramount importance to the existence of society. Marriage (between one man and one woman) is protected by the Crown and the other institutions of the State.
5. Respect towards the past and communal institutions is integral to preserving society. Care must be taken to preserve that which is beneficial from the past and to build on it, creating a lasting legacy for future generations.
6. Equality of all Crown subjects is acknowledged before the law courts and before God Almighty.
7. Each individual is a product of society and can not exist in a vacuum. As a result, moral and social norms are not the product of the individual, but are defined by the greater society, in accordance with the Will of the Monarch and God.
8. The freedom of the individual is guaranteed. This is not the freedom of classical liberalism, but freedom which is a product of Man’s experience in society, with assistance of the State and other communal institutions.