Mark Steyn in London

I saw Mark Steyn in London last night with a crowd that filled the main floor of Centennial Hall - there were probably 1000 people there. The controversy created by the University of Western Ontario's lack of cooperation and the London Convention Centre's decision to cancel his original booking certainly helped pack the hall.

I didn't really know what to expect from the event, the singing and comedy meant that instead of just hearing a run of the mill political speech, it was actually quality entertainment.

I've been a fan of Mark's for years and I'm very familiar with his thoughts on the decline of the West economically, demographically, and intellectually. But he expanded on a new idea last night. Part of the reason for the economic and social decline of the West is our refusal to work. When university students stay in school until their late twenties or early thirties studying impractical topics women's and multicultural studies and then expect to retire in their 50s, people simply aren't working long enough to drive economic and social development. Combining that with the empty intellectual philosophies like moral relativism and ever declining birth rates our society has already begun to decline and it will be very difficult for most countries to stop.

He made one argument that the pace and significance of technological change over the last 60 years is nothing like the transformational technologies over the previous 60 years despite (and perhaps because of) the fact that people are spending about twice the time in school. I'm not totally convinced, but I'm willing to hear him out on that.

On a purely personal note standing in line to get my first edition copy of America Alone signed, I couldn't help but feel like my inner geek had completely taken over. I was so excited to talk to him, I forgot to mention my name.

My wife was quick to lean over and let Mark know about a conversation we had years ago. She had asked what some of my goals were in life, the first was to have a beer with Mark Steyn. Later in the list came a veiled reference to wanting to spend the rest of my life with her. I didn't get the beer, but a hand shake, a picture, and his autograph will do quite nicely.

Steyn Makes a Good Point

I'll admit, I find it hard to care too much about the great debate on Obamacare. I will say that the level of service I received when I went to an emergency room in the US blew my mind when I'm used to waiting in line just to be ignored here in Canada. Americans are rightly concerned that under a nationalized system the level of care they can expect will steadily decrease.

What I find most interesting about the debate though is the fundamental, philosophical arguments that are being brought forward. One of the most interesting points was how becoming dependant on governments to meet all our basic needs hurts society. I read it first in a Macleans article by Mark Steyn:

A few weeks ago, Charles Murray gave a speech in Washington on “the European
model.” Please, no Carla Bruni gags. Mr. Murray is a very sober political scientist, and he eschewed such time-honoured jests.

Nonetheless, it was an arresting address, beginning with this diagnosis of “the European model’s” principal defect: “It drains too much of the life from life,” said Murray. “And that statement applies as much to the lives of janitors—even more to the lives of janitors—as it does to the lives of CEOs”—or novelists or musicians. As Murray sees it, government social policy is intended to take “some of the trouble out of things”—getting sick, having a kid, holding down a job, taking care of elderly parents. But, when government takes too much of the trouble out of things, it makes it impossible to lead a satisfying life.

“Trouble”—responsibility, choices, consequences—is intimately tied to human dignity. And thus the human dignity in working hard, raising a family and withstanding the vicissitudes of life has been devalued. And society is just a matter of passing the time.

It's true, it's in overcoming our 'troubles' that we gain both valuable experience and satisfaction.

Mark Steyn is Back at Macleans

Mark Steyn is writing for Macleans again! This is exciting news because my favourite columnist is now going to be writing specifically for a Canadian audience. In his first article back he starts with a humorous broadside at Barack Obama and then attacks left wingers who want people to stop having kids but still keep our lavish social programs. The first paragraph bears repeating:

Anything happen while I was gone? Oh, yeah. The collapse of the global economy. Armageddon outta here. The ecopalypse is upon us. Down south, President Obama has abandoned the gaseous uplift of “the audacity of hope” and warns we’re on the brink of the abyss. In the old New Deal, FDR warned that “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” For the new New Deal, President Hopeychangey says we have nothing but fear itself. Get used to it.

Yep it's classic Steyn, he'll skewer the lefties at the first sign of hypocrisy. He often talks about population decline and this article has two great one-liners to summarize the extreme environmentalists' prescription:

The best way to save the planet for the next generation is not to have a next
generation.

It’s necessary to throw out the babies to save the bathwater.

I just love it. Welcome back Mark.

Rick Mercer Skewers Human Rights Commissions

Rick Mercer has some fun blasting Ezra Levant while standing up for our right to free speech. It's 2 minutes and 19 seconds well spent. Go to the Mercer Report Website, select Season 5, Episode 18, and hit Rick's Rant. (Be warned there's a lot of good material on the site, so you'll want to come back later for more. I honestly just discovered the website, I'll likely check it out every week!)

In his Rant, Mercer explains how the publisher of the Western Standard has spent 2 years and $100,000 defending himself from a complaint brought against him for republishing cartoons of the prophet Mohammad. He called the Western Standard a 'nutty magazine,' but he drove to the heart of the matter saying: "Hey, it's a free country, or it used to be. Since then he's spent over a $100,000 defending his right to republish the cartoons. . . . If we're not careful, if we force the Ezra's of the world to shut up, our freedom of speech could be next."

Rick Mercer gets it. The Human Rights Commissions in Canada are the greatest threat to Human Rights in Canada. ~ More on this later.

h/t: www.freemarksteyn.com

America Alone Part A

I purchased America Alone, last week and I'm about half way through it now. It's a quick read, funny and serious at the same time. However, if it wasn't so enjoyable, I might need to point out that Mark Steyn could qualify for a right wing AdScam. Just like the Liberal ad agencies that sold the same reports to different government agencies multiple times, more than one paragraph was taken from an article that I had read already. Seriously, so far it's an enjoyable read that links the topics he's written about over the past five years into a coherent treatise.

The book is chock full of tough questions for Islamists and appeasers such as this observation about 'moderate Muslims':

But, aside from the few brave but marginalized men like M. Ghali, one can't help noticing that the most prominent "moderate Muslims" would seem to be more accurately designated as apostate or ex Muslims, like the feminist lesbian Canadian Irshad Manji and the California academic Wafa Sultan. It seems likely that the beliefs of Mohammed Atta are closer to the thinking of most Muslims than those of Ms. Maji are.

Fortunately, I know of at least one other brave but marginalized Muslim. Salim Mansur is a Toronto Sun Columnist and a former professor of mine. In order to create any hope for peace we need to encourage more moderate Muslims to speak out so that faithful Muslims do not need to choose to listen only to self-hating heretics or murderous terrorists.