Senior Fellow Philip Carl Salzman draws on years living among nomadic tribes to challenge the Western obsession with big government. Among the Baluch of Iran and pastoralists in India and Sardinia, he found decentralized, self-reliant societies thriving on kinship, tradition and mutual responsibility. These communities show that freedom doesn’t require bureaucracy—just strong bonds and the will to defend what matters.
Culture Wars
Pope Francis Got Canadian History Wrong
Senior Fellow Brian Giesbrecht argues Pope Francis’s off-the-cuff “genocide” comment on Canada’s residential schools handed activists a powerful narrative and Parliament a shortcut to condemnation. With no evidence of remains in Kamloops, MPs still passed a genocide motion in 47 seconds—spurred by papal words and media heat. When history hinges on hearsay, truth takes a back seat.
Canada’s Patriotism Is Fading As Civic Literacy Declines
Canadian patriotism is fading—not for lack of pride, but for lack of understanding. Political scientist John von Heyking argues that without civic literacy, national sentiment becomes hollow performance. Too few Canadians know how their democratic arrangement works, leaving them vulnerable to misinformation, manipulation and disengagement. As identity politics and superficial self-criticism gain prominence, a deeper “constitutional patriotism” rooted in civic education becomes necessary. If Canada is to remain a distinct, democratic community, its citizens must first learn what that truly means.
In A Cynical Age, The Beach Boys Delivered A Joyful, Alberta-Style Refusal To Conform
In a time of progressive scolding, anti-American boycotts and virtue-signalling, thousands of Albertans gathered in Calgary to celebrate something simple: joy. In his latest commentary, Marco Navarro-Genie explores how a Beach Boys concert became more than just music—it turned into a subtle act of defiance. Harmony, sunshine and unapologetic fun still matter—especially when they challenge the cultural gatekeepers.
Featured News
Canadian Property Rights Index 2023
A Snapshot of Property Rights Protection in Canada After 10 years
Alberta Politics and Empty Promises of Health-care Solutions
The writ has been dropped and Albertans are off to the polls on May 29. That leaves just four weeks for political leaders and voters to sort out what is arguably the most divisive, yet significant, issue for this election - health care. On Day 2, NDP leader Rachel...
Can Patriotism Survive The Crisis Of Civic Literacy?
As civic literacy collapses, Canadian patriotism is fading into hollow sentiment, warns John von Heyking. Too few Canadians understand their Constitution or political system, leaving national pride adrift in symbolism and outrage. Drawing on thinkers from Cicero to Tocqueville, von Heyking calls for a revival of “constitutional patriotism”—loyalty rooted in civic knowledge and democratic responsibility. If Canada is to survive as a distinct, self-governing country, it must first remember what made it one.
Europeans Ignore The Internal Enemy That Is Destroying Their Countries
Senior Fellow Philip Carl Salzman examines how mass immigration, low birthrates and weak integration policies are reshaping Europe’s identity. With rising Muslim populations and growing cultural tensions, is the continent heading toward irreversible change? Read Salzman’s provocative take on what critics call ‘immigration jihad’—and why Europe may be running out of time.
Is DEI Putting Lives At Risk? Trump Thinks So And Canada Should Heed The Warning
Trump’s claim that DEI endangers public safety has sparked outrage. But the real scandal? Canada’s silence Reporters at the press conference were apoplectic after President Donald Trump blamed DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies as a possible cause...
How Activists Rewrote Indigenous History
Contrary to popular belief, ‘Two-Spirit’ is a recent term, not an ancient Indigenous tradition. For decades, Indigenous transgender and homosexual people have been called “two-spirited.” It has also been alleged that such people were highly revered in...
Policy in Five Video – How Radical Leftists And Islamists United Against Western Civilization
This 5-minute video based on a commentary by Philip Carl Salzman explores the complex and often controversial alliance between radical leftist movements and Islamism. Together, they oppose Western civilization, yet their differing ideologies reveal an unstable...
It Is Time to Return to Reality-Based Knowledge
Cultural anthropologists venture out into the world beyond the university, to study and try to understand people and their cultures often distant geographically and different in ideas and practices from their own. To do this they employ some simple procedures, that they dignify with the label “methodology,” to ensure or at least increase the probability of reining in their own assumptions and expectations, in order to grasp the reality of the world that they have entered.
The Fentanyl Crisis Is A War, And Canada Is On The Wrong Side
Drug cartels, China, and Canada’s negligence are fueling the deadliest epidemic of our time It took the threat of U.S. tariffs for Canada to wake up to the horrors of the fentanyl epidemic that is destroying young lives and shattering families. Canadians, who...
How Radical Leftists And Islamists United Against Western Civilization
The radical left and Islamist movements share a common enemy: Western civilization. Their alliance is growing, but history shows it won’t last it’s an alliance between segments of the radical left and Islamist movements, united by their shared opposition to...
Why Schools Are Banning The Classics But Promoting Smut To Our Kids
Schools claim to protect students from ‘harmful’ literature – unless the content aligns with progressive ideology Some books are deemed too offensive for students—just not the ones you’d expect. In 2021, a Grade 6-7 teacher in Prince George, B.C., was...