Change
When I took on this monicker, it was actually appropriate. I was a reluctant Liberal with a libertarian bent. Mind you, I haven't turned into a flaming lefty, but nevertheless, my views have since changed; about the only major issues on which I'm to the right of other Liberals are foreign policy ones, ie: Iraq and Afghanistan. And while some clearly disagree, (labelling Ignatieff right-wing for such crimes) I personally don't think being for the Iraq war is enough to make you "right-wing" or in my case, "blue." It simply doesn't make very much sense for me to continue to hold on to a name that, at this point, doesn't mean anything to me.
Thus, over the next few days or so, I'll be switching over to a new blog: Clear Grit. (This is not to be mistaken with this blog, which has been idle for over two years, and has no contact information so I can't ask him/her if they'd delete it for me.) The name is a reference to the historical origins of the Liberal Party in Canada.
I'll be sure to leave a redirect at this blog, and I'll continue posting at it for a little while, but the plan is to eventually post exclusively at Clear Grit, and I'll probably delete this one.
posted by Ryan Ringer @ 6/25/2006 01:21:00 p.m.
2 comments
2 Comments:
I empathise with what Ryan is saying. As the months pass, it becomes more difficult to recall the time when we were conservatives, in the Progressive Conservative mould of Bill Davis or Robert Stanfield or Joe Clark (I know these leaders pre-date Ryan but they were the ones who attacted me to the PC party.)
My Canadian history text books have been packed away for years, so I checked The Canadian Encyclopedia on-line for information on the Clear Grits:
"The Clear Grits were a group of politicians in Canada West who broke away from the Reform Party around 1850. Seen as radicals, they looked to the United States, instead of to Britain, for their political ideas. For example, they thought that Canada should be a republic, like the United States. They wanted public officials such as judges to be elected rather than appointed. They believed that all signs of special privilege and aristocracy in Canada would then be destroyed and everyone would be equal. They also wanted free trade and representation by population."
OK - breaking away from the Reform Party - I like that part. I might even go along with republicanism (in a mild incrementalist Canadian manner; i.e. upon the death or abdication of Elizabeth II, we choose our own head of state). But I absolutely draw the line at electing judges and public officials. I hope we never sink to that in my lifetime. We've got free trade and distorted rep-by-pop (I'd like to see this addressed so a vote in PEI is not worth triple a vote in BC or Ontario) but I'll leave making everyone equal to Jack Layton and see how far it gets him.
The Clear Grits mellowed and eventually joined George Brown's Liberal Party. It's a choice I expect many former PC Party members have already made, or will make, as they recognise nothing with which they can identify in the Harper paty agenda.
I look forward to following Ryan's blog as he moves on.
I am truly flattered whenever I hear that someone reads me with any regularity, so thank you.
As to the Clear Grits, yeah, I know there is a lot about them that I would disagree with, however, I don't really expect to find much in common with Victorians, anyway, no matter their political stripe. It's more symbolic than anything.
Oh, and I'm old enough to remember Joe Clark, v.2.0. He's actually what drew me to the PC Party, as well, during the 2000 election I thought he was the best of the bunch, and I wished I was old enough to vote for the PCs in that election.
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