Rock and Roll Conservative

The city that watches you

I may be a Chicago Bears fan but that doesn't mean I care much for a lot of what the city also represents. Here's something you might not have known: Chicago has over 15,000 cameras that watch you constantly -- and most of them are private but linked into a city system. So yes, your fellow citizens are aiding Big Brother.

I'd quite that old line about those who would trade their liberty for security, blah, blah, blah, but no one gives a damn these days.

What a shame

ACORN is widely perceived as a powerful entity, thanks in large part to its connection to Barack Obama. The reality? When it comes to their finances, they are in big trouble.

Stuff to read

New issue of ESR up so check it out and enjoy!

I believe the term is "schadenfreude"

Oh poor CNN. Once upon a time they were the go to network for breaking news and commentary. Today? Even with a Democrat in the White House they regularly finish third behind Fox and, incredibly enough, MSNBC.

And they still argue they're still non-partisan even as their audience tilts heavily towards Democrats. No bias? All bull!

The past, present and future of conservatism in Canada

I must hand it to Immanuel Giulea. If you don't first succeed, try again. Immanuel recently tried to launch a conference in Montreal on the status of Canadian conservatism but unfortunately only a few dozen people showed interest. He's decided to host another conference, but this time in Ottawa.

The conference is entitled "The conservative movement at a crossroads: Lessons from the past, directions for the future" and will look back on the last six years and look ahead for next six.

He's got four high profile Canadian conservatives lined up as panel speakers: Gerry Nicholls, John Robson, Joseph C. Ben-Ami and Don Lenihan. Moderating will be Dr. Walter Newell.

It will take place on December 7 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Parliament Pub at 101 Sparks Street (also an entrance on Wellington Street). Tickets are $10 (with appetizers) or $8.50 for students (with appetizers).

For more information and RSVP please contact Immanuel Giulea, Executive Director of Société Macdonald-Cartier Society at macdonaldcartier@gmail.com or 514-577-2669

Poster available here.

People, we may have a Conservative government in power but that doesn't mean that we as a movement can just sit back and enjoy the ride. Participating in the intellectual process to define our movement is something we all have to do. I have a magazine...do you have three hours?

We remember

We here at the ESR family just want to take this opportunity to mark Remembrance Day in Canada and other Commonwealth nations and Veterans Day in the United States.

We’d like to thank all the soldiers and their families who have sacrificed so much in the cause of liberty. Your service to your nations and freedom will always be remembered and honoured.

For information about Canada’s Remembrance Day feel free to visit here.

Not that anyone is listening

Good article over at Canada Free Press by Dr. Tim Ball arguing that climate change is...well...normal. He makes some very good points that the climate change orthodoxy will doubtless ignore.

Uhhh....thanks

If the name of New London sounds familiar it's because you probably heard of it in connection with the U.S. Supreme Court case Kelo v New London, whereupon the town took it upon itself to take through eminent domain a charming neighbourhood and raze it so that Pfizer could build a facility there.

And?

Well, the facility is no more.

New at Enter Stage Right

This week at Enter Stage Right we take a look at American energy policy, offer some support to the average American, worry about the economy, talk Afghanistan, speak of the importance of hope and give some advice to the Republican Party.

All that and more here.

ObamaCare and you

Robert Bidinotto has a good essay up looking at the similarities between the House and Senate health care bills. Short answer? Neither is good for you or America.

New at Enter Stage Right

This week in ESR we say don't worry about the kids, talk about the Middle East, offer a plan to save America, figure out the real cost of climate change plans, link H1N1 to government-run health care and argue that American conservatism is coming back.

All that and more here.

One year later

W. James Antle III has an essay up at The Guardian arguing that Republican fortunes are beginning to turn one year after Barack Obama's victory.

Pity that conservative fortunes weren't improving as well...

Can't see any potential problems with this one...

Given that almost everyone has received some stimulus money from the Obama administration it shouldn't be a surprise that those who haven't want in on the action. The latest to cry for some cake? Journalists.

In an editorial which ran in yesterday's Washington Post, Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols argue that journalism is so important that public money should be used to subsidize it.

A cynic would argue that any media organization taking money from the federal government would eventually be beholden to it but given how the majority of the press already treats the Obama administration it might not be that much of a threat.

That said, what the two editorialists failed to address was what happens after media outlets begin to rely on the money merely to survive, as eventually happens to any entity that gets access to that "free", sexy money from the Beltway? The decline in public consumption of newspapers and many mainstream media outlets is a fact confirmed by the media itself. That means their budget would gradually see a greater and greater share coming from the feds. Journalists have been bitching for years about how the Chinese Wall between the ad department and the newsroom has been slowly eroded, would they bitch too when a Democratic administration made it quietly known how they wanted a story to be treated?

We know, after all, that a Republican administration could never dictate terms to the unbiased corps of brave journalists who work in the Beltway...

Visit and visit often

In the annals of ESR there are few people who go back further than our friend Isabel Lyman. I hadn't heard from her in some time so it was nice to hear from her recently that she's started a new blog called The Castillo Chronicles.

Isabel is a huge talent and it would do you well to add her blog to your favourites.

The man behind the speechifying

John Hawkins has an eye-opening interview with former George W. Bush speech writer Matt Latimer that you really must read.

New at Enter Stage Right

This week in ESR we blame the war on drugs for the failures in Afghanistan, take aim at CF light bulbs, (kind of) defend Keynsianism, praise Bill Gates, talk climate change and worry about the food supply.

All that and more here.

Quel dommage...

A few weeks back I told you about a conference in Montreal on the future of Canadian conservatism to take place on October 29. Well, Canadian conservatism has spoken and only 40 or so people had signed up for the event.

The organizer states that he may attempt to organize a similar conference in Ottawa. Hope that one works out better.

They want you to insure your insurance

Back in ye olden tymes -- no really, the olden days of the early 20th century -- the argument was made that since the working man wasn't capable of saving for his own retirement, that employers should be encouraged to set up such systems. Thus, pensions became insurance for old age.

Sounds good?

Well, NDP Leader Jack Layton is never afraid to lard tax hikes and social spending on top of other tax hikes and social spending. The NDP announced today some "reforms" which would see all Canadians forced to buy pension insurance because of the "epidemic" of failed pension plans.

Sounds expensive? Sure is! And wait, there's more. The party wants to double your CPP contributions, toss in a another $700 million to seniors and create a new government entity to takeover "orphaned" pension funds.

New at Enter Stage Right

This week we assure our fellow Canadians that the Americans aren't trying to take us over, talk about health care, global warming and golf, fear for America's constitution and explore Freemasonry.

All that and more here.

Sigh

I must hand it to Barack Obama for knowing what his priorities should be. Before the man has decided on a policy for Afghanistan, that little thing he said he would concentrate on over Iraq, he addressed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

Well, he's finally made a decision on Afghanistan: No surge in Afghanistan before the election is decided. And they have the cojones to slam the Bush administration on the issue.

Hey, you elected him.

Different standards

It's Sunday so something tangentially involving football is appropriate. Mark Steyn has a good column about Rush Limbaugh, Anita Dunn and the different standards of speech. Very different standards, it turns out.

Do it already

Something you might not know about me: I'm a boxing fan. Apparently Barack Obama isn't because he still hasn't pardoned Jack Johnson for the "crime" of being romantically involved with a white woman.

New at Enter Stage Right

This week we discuss Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize, Arthur Laffer, journalists and lying, why China needs to look in the mirror, the role of camels in health care and the changes in Cuba.

All that and more here.

I'm sure some debate will be provoked

No, no, not about the joke from Oslo earlier today. Arkady Kamenetsky over at Right Condition has made a new political spectrum which you can check out here.

I'm not sure I quite agree with it. Libertarianism, after all, is composed of elements from the fiscally conservative right and the socially liberal left -- though for their own reasons. I'm not sure Arkady's spectrum reflects that. Still, better than what I come up with.

Here's a shock

When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the Kelo vs. City of New London decision a few years back more than a few of us predicted that cities across the U.S. would take advantage to grab homes from their owners for whatever idiotic project they managed to dream up.

According to Leonard Gilroy, New York state is eminent domain happy.