My article in the Huffington Post: Recently, work took me to Istanbul to meet with the Syrian resistance. We discussed options for the international community to help bring an end to the Syrian war, by destroying the financial networks that enable the Assad regime to purchase weapons and finance assaults
Continue readingTag: liberalism
Akaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: Akaash Maharaj: Margaret Thatcher’s Verdict on the Liberal Party of Canada
My article in the Globe and Mail: My one conversation with Margaret Thatcher about the Liberal Party of Canada began with a chill in the air, and ended with our host mopping his brow. We were all polite, but there were daggers behind the smiles and venom coiled around the
Continue readingcalgaryliberal.com: The Simple Plan
There comes a point when what goes on has to stop, trends have to be rejected, and a vision set forth. In Alberta I want to put forward the three objectives below. (1) Unite the Divided. Honest engagement, openness to new people, and a drive for cooperation, is key if
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: Akaash Maharaj – Advisory: New Leadership for the GOPAC Global Secretariat
I am enormously grateful to the Board of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption for their confidence in naming me their Executive Director, and I will work tirelessly to justify their faith. I feel deeply privileged to have a chance to work with GOPAC’s global alliance of democratically elected
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: Akaash Maharaj – Advisory: New Leadership for the GOPAC Global Secretariat
I am enormously grateful to the Board of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption for their confidence in naming me their Executive Director, and I will work tirelessly to justify their faith. I feel deeply privileged to have a chance to work with GOPAC’s global alliance of democratically elected
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Why Liberalism? Part 2
In part 1, I outlined a view of what liberalism is, and an understanding of what “ideology” is. In part 2, let’s look at some evidence for the views I’m promoting, in summary, the thesis that: [Liberalism] does not start from a sacred writ that outlines all outcomes and presupposes
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Why Liberalism?
In early January, Paul Krugman wrote something that actually cuts to the heart of perhaps the most important distinction between liberalism and other ideologies, particularly right wing ideologies like conservativism and libertarianism. Discussing the idea of minting a platinum coin in order to circumvent the Republicans’ ability cause a US
Continue readingAutonomy For All: One Liberalism Through the Ages
This was originally published at Open Left, I am republishing it here as a starting point to further updates on these topics and themes. – D. Last weekend Paul wrote: Moreover, by the 1870s, British liberals had become quite aware that their previous understanding of economic freedom was a hollow joke,
Continue readingcalgaryliberal.com: Crybaby Liberals, Part 2
The previous blog post was seen as a might bit unfair by a couple of folks on twitter. Particularly in my thought that Ms. Murray and Coyne were so off base that their position was quite farcical. Let me explain in more depth the problems with their position. Firstly, they’ve
Continue readingCanada II: A Temporary Coalition?
I’ve been thinking about the state of affairs in Canadian politics. In case you haven’t noticed we have a single conservative party winning majorities while getting a minority of the vote. This isn’t a good thing for Canada and we need to do somethin…
Continue readingCanada II: A Temporary Coalition?
I’ve been thinking about the state of affairs in Canadian politics. In case you haven’t noticed we have a single conservative party winning majorities while getting a minority of the vote. This isn’t a good thing for Canada and we need to do something about it. Ideas that come to
Continue readingCanada II: A Temporary Coalition?
I’ve been thinking about the state of affairs in Canadian politics. In case you haven’t noticed we have a single conservative party winning majorities while getting a minority of the vote. This isn’t a good thing for Canada and we need to do something about it. Ideas that come to
Continue readingcalgaryliberal.com: UofC Liberals sign up 150 young liberals
Liberalism is alive and well in Calgary. As of September 21st the University of Calgary Liberal Association signed up 148 young Liberals from the annual week long clubs week held by the Students’ Union. The membership now counts more than 170 with renewed members, in addition to several new federal
Continue readingQuebec election: the faux choix of the first two days
As everyone knows by now, Quebec is headed into a summer election. The Liberal party is trying to define the election as a choice between democracy or protest. As someone who has studied and taught political science at the highest levels this strikes me as a bizarre if not ignorant
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: TVO’s The Agenda: The New McCarthyism
There is no worse cancer in a free society than the thuggish impulse to equate dissent as disloyalty… The greatest patriot is the person with the courage to be the lone voice in the crowd crying out that the Emperor has no clothes. The test of our society’s democratic nature
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: TVO’s The Agenda: The New McCarthyism
There is no worse cancer in a free society than the thuggish impulse to equate dissent as disloyalty… The greatest patriot is the person with the courage to be the lone voice in the crowd crying out that the Emperor has no clothes. The test of our society’s democratic nature
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: This Is What A Liberal Victory Looks Like
Union membership is dwindling nationally; the New Democratic Party is erasing socialist principles from its constitution; and that most left-leaning party elected its most right-leaning candidate for leader. The role of churches in society is weakening and their attendance is diminishing; there has been record spending and historic increases in
Continue readingCalgaryLiberal: PC candidate throws Allison under bus.
You know it’s bad in Tory town when their candidates start to throw the central campaign under a bus. Ms. Kennedy-Glans, running against Bruce Payne (Lib) in Calgary-Varsity, has called out her premier on the infamous “Do-Nothing” committee. A committee that Dr. Swann, when he was on it, used his
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: TVO’s The Agenda: A Meritocracy Worth Fighting For – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
Throughout our history, Canada has grown through the toil of generations of Canadians who were inspired by the belief that our country is free of the rigid class systems of the Old World, that Canadians’ success or failure depends on our own efforts and our own abilities…But in recent years,
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: TVO’s The Agenda: A Meritocracy Worth Fighting For – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
Throughout our history, Canada has grown through the toil of generations of Canadians who were inspired by the belief that our country is free of the rigid class systems of the Old World, that Canadians’ success or failure depends on our own efforts and our own abilities…But in recent years,
Continue reading