Peckford: Where Are We?

I have been writing this blog since 2015. I have been covering many of the major issues facing our country and the wider world. It seems that humankind has hit […]
Published on January 31, 2024

I have been writing this blog since 2015.

I have been covering many of the major issues facing our country and the wider world.

It seems that humankind has hit the wall.

I remember reading the thoughts of the late evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould about baseball and the 400 hitter—-coming up against a sort of maxed out human achievement or some such description. It sort of aptly describes the larger human condition.

And our ability to govern ourselves reasonably. It’s even difficult now to find the words that won’t immediately evoke some automatic negative response.

But we are having great difficulty finding modes of governance that are sensible and reasonable.

Many of us love history and look to the various civilizational circumstances of the past ——the modes of development of the orient and the occident.

In the west we study intently the Greece and Roman periods for example and how the great thinkers of these civilizations have helped mold our thinking ——in science and in political governance.

Here we are with some great scientific achievements spurred on by The Enlightenment and as Will and Ariel Durant put it —-“The Age of Reason. “Yet, we find ourselves in a bit of a mess in many parts of the world.   And while there are many diagnostic analyses there are few viable treatments it seems.  We seem to have lost our ability to appreciate what works and why. To see freedom as a cornerstone of any successful society.

This was brought home to me while watching and listening to the latest conference from Bath, England hosted by the World Council For Health and featuring many of today’s critical thinkers who also see the mess around us.

But I could not ascertain any real solutions, answers.

From education, political governance, to climate, to vaccines, to Israel, to the UN, we have lost all perspective.—our ability to use common sense , rather to become slaves to so called ‘experts ‘ , bankers , internationalists, to doctors and lawyers ; cluttered with words and phrases which the ordinary person cannot understand . Hence, the charge that this is deliberate by the ruling class.

It seems we have hoisted ourselves on our own petard. Our own prosperity and ‘fairness’ has led us to do things which are superficially fair but end up being very unfair, authoritarian.

Yet , we say we are smart?

Education

It has been hijacked by dogma that has been proven wrong historically —-free speech is being attacked, evidence and the scientific method maligned and even in primary school without the people deciding, gender is —————- and parents matter hardly at all.  Those who helped provide the prosperity and stability we have enjoyed are being condemned and their statues desecrated and demolished.

Climate is another good example.

Why does the world ignore Bjorn Lomborg’s example? Many in the ‘press’ carry his well-researched thoughts but few follow his recommendations. The west is cutting back on coal generation as China, India and Indonesia build more coal plants. The economics of wind and solar mean great expense and more desecration of the environment and more mining, not less. And are not consistent stable sources of power. Environmental hypocrisy stalks the earth as taxpayer subsidized electric cars and bikes and solar panels inundate our urban environment while concrete and steel wind turbines turn our rural environment into a wasteland.

The UN

Its human rights council is dominated by human rights abusers.  Does this make sense? Their climate actions are anti science and anti common sense. Their employees in Gaza are under investigation for allegedly being involved in last October ‘s attack on Israel. It needs to be drastically reformed or eliminated.

Gaza

Land for peace. The land given and 500 to 800 miles of terror tunnels constructed to kill the people who gave back the land for peace. And many world powers want to do it again. This is a colossal breakdown of world order and massive deceit.

Vaccines

Medical science and its political, high tech and press partners have pushed vaccines that do not have proper study and clinical research on a trusting public. As infectious diseases incidence goes down through cleaner water and better sanitation, chronic disease incidence goes up. How can that be in our ‘advanced ‘economy? And why won’t medical science do a study on the difference between the rate of autism among the vaccinated vs the rate among the unvaccinated?

Why do they ignore the book “Turtles All The Way Down”, the Science and Myth Of Vaccines?

Political Governance

Most successful societies have been ones where democracy is/was practiced and based upon the Judaeo Christian Tradition. As public intellectual Ayaan Hirst Ali said in her essay Why I Am Now A Christian:

“To me, this freedom of conscience and speech is perhaps the greatest benefit of Western civilization. It does not come naturally to man. It is the product of centuries of debate within Jewish and Christian communities. It was these debates that advanced science and reason, diminished cruelty, suppressed superstitions, and built institutions to order and protect life, while guaranteeing freedom to as many people as possible. “

In the last decades critical elements of this governance have deteriorated throughout the western world. Executive government and unelected bureaucrats are now dominating the governance of these nations ——elected Parliaments rather than continuing to play the dominant role have allowed their legitimate power to be lost: replaced by the Administrative State.  Why have so many ignored Frederick Hayek’s ideas? Even our Judiciary have become infected.

Rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water perhaps we should be looking at reforming our present system, amending, eliminating those elements that have been allowed to be abused? I have proposed solutions through my Magna Carta but why is no one listening?

Globalism

A peaceful, successful world does not mean a world government world. It means democratic, successful sovereign nation states co-operating. History, culture, local language are important for cohesive, happy societies to exist. The WEF and the WHO are anti democratic and  counter productive to a peaceful, prosperous world.

Our best hope is a revolution of reform to our democracies ——and nation states.,

We have not cared for our democratic garden, many weeds exists —better ongoing vigilance is required—-

And it must start with the people and continue to be the people in charge —-this last idea of continuous people involvement and its absence in recent times is perhaps humankind ‘s biggest failure.

 

 

The Honourable A. Brian Peckford P.C. is the last living First Minister who helped craft the Canadian Charter of Rights

Watch –  Leaders on the Frontier: Brian Peckford on Saving Canada’s Democracy | Frontier Centre For Public Policy (fcpp.org)  January 20, 2022.

Featured News

MORE NEWS

What Does Canada Day Mean Today?

What Does Canada Day Mean Today?

It’s Canada Day. A day that used to be a celebration of cherished values like kindness and compassion, acceptance and tolerance, quiet strength and dignity, and a work hard/play hard ethic. Today, I am celebrating the very fine Canadian men and women I have met since...

It Seems We Are Far Too Canadian; Yet Not Canadian Enough

It Seems We Are Far Too Canadian; Yet Not Canadian Enough

Oh, Canada. You have been too nice.  Too kind.  Too silent. For too long. And now a noisy minority is undermining our country’s values, laws and institutions. Protestors have taken over many university campuses and they are fomenting hatred toward Jews and Israel. Few...

In Powell River, What’s In A Name?

In Powell River, What’s In A Name?

Powell River is flowing toward a name change. Juliet in Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo and Juliet says “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” – just not to the good people of Powell River where the prospect of a new name is stirring up a hornet’s nest. The...