This was the speech I made at the Scydlings event in Toronto, on December 7th to the raucous applause of a full venue close to 100 people, and handshakes all around.
This is excellent, I appreciate reading a strong, positive stance on maintaining a Canadian identity instead of trying to act like a watered-down USA. Thank you for your great work.
My congratulations to you - and the group - for assembling in the "belly of the beast" as it were. I can assure you that even the most progressive, landed-gentry in - for now - mostly traditional Canadian neighbourhoods in Toronto *are* beginning to reach the same conclusions you've already articulated here and elsewhere. What's holding this country back from breaking through this self-imposed, false consensus the regime forces upon us - look at what the mayor of that town refusing to fly the pride flag is being put through - is cowardice, plain and simple. That, and far too many people are still too comfortable, but time is running out. I think we have to hit rock bottom before we gather the strength to throw off this ruinous complacency and undertake a course correction.
I've said elsewhere that I'm of Argentine background, and people always ask me how a formerly prosperous country declined so rapidly and precipitously. My answer is that Argentina - in its own way - made many of the same mistakes Canada is now making. Our decline will be different, but it *will* happen unless we learn and get over our wretched smugness and laziness. Some eggs are going to have to be broken for that omelet, and when asked where a Milei-type figure comes from, I tell people it's from the same sense of desperation that we'll be facing very soon.
I have been trying for a few years now, to promote a particular statement by Simcoe, to the British Parliament, on the founding of upper Canada, as a useful way to distinguish American culture from our own. Their "life liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is indeed a free-for-all and come-what-may (which in best expression leads to maximum freedom, and at worst, degenerates into no society at all, just a cloud of alienated atoms, all at cross purposes - very now).
We can credit it with great optimism about the qualities of the underlying humans involved, spontaneously solving all of the crucial goods which go unaddressed - but we might also say the same of communism! (it would work great, if only people really were the crazy paragon-things their axioms assume).
By contrast we have Simcoe - who was already an old hand at governorship by then (did a tour in Australia, before here - and to this day I am looking for clues about how what he learned there, influenced his ideas about how to start and proceed - here). At any rate, this statement reflects not just an aspiration toward greater than previous justice (it arguably, began the practical deconstruction of slavery in the British empire) but beyond the very conscious morality, it reflects a simple and very practical restraint. WE DON'T BELIEVE IN TAKING UNFAIR ADVANTAGE WHEREVER POSSIBLE (like the Americans still do) BUT RATHER MUTUAL ADVANTAGE AND FAIR DEALING (as befits our generally harsher climate, and as you say, more steady and stalwart stock). The quote is this:
"The principles of the British Constitution do not admit of that slavery which Christianity condemns. The moment I assume the Government of Upper Canada under no modification will I assent to a law that discriminates by dishonest policy between natives of Africa, America, or Europe."
Fair dealing built right into the foundation (could be read by moderns as multicultural or even cuckish, in eschewing self-preference - but really it is about declaring hostility to what they already understood was CORRUPTION (of the souls of citizens, no less than of our institutions)).
Anyhow - I figured you might find that a useful arrow in your quiver, one day.
Also think there is a big clue there, about the sharp difference in relations with our first nations people. I still see Riel Mk ! as a huge missed opportunity for mutual statehood - that is, a hybrid of assimilation, working both ways and fully harnessing their energy also for the national project - even if Riel really was a bit mad, by the time he returned for his second try at the brass ring.
Your observation about the rebel character of the prairies owing a lot to American farmer-migrants is really important (and not well understood). I have come to think it a useful part of the mix, but one so rarely understood by Ontarians in particular, that both sides now inflame each other pointlessly by eternally addressing caricatures, and thus talking right past each other.
Can't help feeling the upper Canada rebellion should have taught Ontarians how obnoxious remote rule felt (Quebecers didn't need to be told, and felt much sympathy for Riel's movement, and generally Catholic social ideals). But the Orangemen who by then dominated Toronto power especially, hated the idea of any such compromise. I almost think Riel might have made it, if only he'd been a protestant! (Impossible, I know, just how weird and tangled-up all this stuff is).
If you should find yourself with a few bored minutes sometime, you might dig this piece. Not only my take on Riel, but also a few notes on how Papa-doc Trudeau deliberately hobbled the Canadian military (because he didn't trust Pearson's genius diplomacy to last) and thus lastingly damaged our sovereignty, while trying to pull a fast one on our eternally warring neighbours down south "So sorry, dude, we'd love to help, but we really and truly can't."
Apologies if that's all a bit confused - I'm that anomaly - a lifelong pacifist who never stopped studying military history, and has always had military friends, Which is to say, I'm still playing around with all these puzzle pieces and trying to make sense of them, a half century after paperboy-me, first realized the stuff on the front page was the same stuff as history, and promptly became a junkie for it.
Cheers man!
I was going to say "Keep swinging for the fences" but then felt a bit sick, when I suddenly realized I couldn't think of even one single common lacrosse cliche, to use instead - shameful! (Something we should all work on).
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Here's the (admittedly eccentric) history piece on Canadian Rebellions.
Thanks for posting!
Thank you for attending! "FBS" was incredible.
This is excellent, I appreciate reading a strong, positive stance on maintaining a Canadian identity instead of trying to act like a watered-down USA. Thank you for your great work.
Wish I could have been there
Fantastic speech.
My congratulations to you - and the group - for assembling in the "belly of the beast" as it were. I can assure you that even the most progressive, landed-gentry in - for now - mostly traditional Canadian neighbourhoods in Toronto *are* beginning to reach the same conclusions you've already articulated here and elsewhere. What's holding this country back from breaking through this self-imposed, false consensus the regime forces upon us - look at what the mayor of that town refusing to fly the pride flag is being put through - is cowardice, plain and simple. That, and far too many people are still too comfortable, but time is running out. I think we have to hit rock bottom before we gather the strength to throw off this ruinous complacency and undertake a course correction.
I've said elsewhere that I'm of Argentine background, and people always ask me how a formerly prosperous country declined so rapidly and precipitously. My answer is that Argentina - in its own way - made many of the same mistakes Canada is now making. Our decline will be different, but it *will* happen unless we learn and get over our wretched smugness and laziness. Some eggs are going to have to be broken for that omelet, and when asked where a Milei-type figure comes from, I tell people it's from the same sense of desperation that we'll be facing very soon.
Thanks. I appreciate your historical perspective. How do you envision the fight against the enormous bureaucracies, federal and provincial?
Bravo
Your honesty is enlightening. But everything will change radically on Jan. 20, 2025 in the U.S.—forty-one days from now. Sanity will begin to return.
Cheers for this, Fortissax!
I have been trying for a few years now, to promote a particular statement by Simcoe, to the British Parliament, on the founding of upper Canada, as a useful way to distinguish American culture from our own. Their "life liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is indeed a free-for-all and come-what-may (which in best expression leads to maximum freedom, and at worst, degenerates into no society at all, just a cloud of alienated atoms, all at cross purposes - very now).
We can credit it with great optimism about the qualities of the underlying humans involved, spontaneously solving all of the crucial goods which go unaddressed - but we might also say the same of communism! (it would work great, if only people really were the crazy paragon-things their axioms assume).
By contrast we have Simcoe - who was already an old hand at governorship by then (did a tour in Australia, before here - and to this day I am looking for clues about how what he learned there, influenced his ideas about how to start and proceed - here). At any rate, this statement reflects not just an aspiration toward greater than previous justice (it arguably, began the practical deconstruction of slavery in the British empire) but beyond the very conscious morality, it reflects a simple and very practical restraint. WE DON'T BELIEVE IN TAKING UNFAIR ADVANTAGE WHEREVER POSSIBLE (like the Americans still do) BUT RATHER MUTUAL ADVANTAGE AND FAIR DEALING (as befits our generally harsher climate, and as you say, more steady and stalwart stock). The quote is this:
"The principles of the British Constitution do not admit of that slavery which Christianity condemns. The moment I assume the Government of Upper Canada under no modification will I assent to a law that discriminates by dishonest policy between natives of Africa, America, or Europe."
Fair dealing built right into the foundation (could be read by moderns as multicultural or even cuckish, in eschewing self-preference - but really it is about declaring hostility to what they already understood was CORRUPTION (of the souls of citizens, no less than of our institutions)).
Anyhow - I figured you might find that a useful arrow in your quiver, one day.
Also think there is a big clue there, about the sharp difference in relations with our first nations people. I still see Riel Mk ! as a huge missed opportunity for mutual statehood - that is, a hybrid of assimilation, working both ways and fully harnessing their energy also for the national project - even if Riel really was a bit mad, by the time he returned for his second try at the brass ring.
Your observation about the rebel character of the prairies owing a lot to American farmer-migrants is really important (and not well understood). I have come to think it a useful part of the mix, but one so rarely understood by Ontarians in particular, that both sides now inflame each other pointlessly by eternally addressing caricatures, and thus talking right past each other.
Can't help feeling the upper Canada rebellion should have taught Ontarians how obnoxious remote rule felt (Quebecers didn't need to be told, and felt much sympathy for Riel's movement, and generally Catholic social ideals). But the Orangemen who by then dominated Toronto power especially, hated the idea of any such compromise. I almost think Riel might have made it, if only he'd been a protestant! (Impossible, I know, just how weird and tangled-up all this stuff is).
If you should find yourself with a few bored minutes sometime, you might dig this piece. Not only my take on Riel, but also a few notes on how Papa-doc Trudeau deliberately hobbled the Canadian military (because he didn't trust Pearson's genius diplomacy to last) and thus lastingly damaged our sovereignty, while trying to pull a fast one on our eternally warring neighbours down south "So sorry, dude, we'd love to help, but we really and truly can't."
Apologies if that's all a bit confused - I'm that anomaly - a lifelong pacifist who never stopped studying military history, and has always had military friends, Which is to say, I'm still playing around with all these puzzle pieces and trying to make sense of them, a half century after paperboy-me, first realized the stuff on the front page was the same stuff as history, and promptly became a junkie for it.
Cheers man!
I was going to say "Keep swinging for the fences" but then felt a bit sick, when I suddenly realized I couldn't think of even one single common lacrosse cliche, to use instead - shameful! (Something we should all work on).
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Here's the (admittedly eccentric) history piece on Canadian Rebellions.
https://paulsnyders.substack.com/p/read-em-and-weep-rebellions-and-results
And here's something about Toronto (should you be really REALLY bored) ;o)
https://paulsnyders.substack.com/p/art-at-its-heart-right-from-the-start