Welcome to my site, my thoughts. Aristotle described human beings as Zoon Politikon, the Political Animal. The description is apt for me. Political ideas have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My name is Michael and I am a professor of political science and history at a small college. I hold Honours Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in political science. My specialization within the discipline is political theory/philosophy with sub-specialties in International Relations (particularly the security side) and Canadian politics. So now that the bona fides are out of the way, let me give you some idea of whay you might expect reading through the posts on this site.
The tag line should give the sense that I am a devotee of the political Left. True. But the Left is not a monolith and I am not an indoctrinated dogmatic. I was raised by a father who was a conservative before that term was distorted to mean mean-spirited business/classical liberals like Stephen Harper or George Bush. Concepts of honour, duty, responsibility, integrity and obligation were drilled into me from the crib and I am proud to say that they are still a mark of my character. I respect and admire those political thinkers who have gone before and the thoughts of my contemporaries but I judge each event, each problem and each issue based on a few basic truths that I have come to accept. First, I believe firmly that we are a social animal and that cooperation is not only natural but essential for our survival as a species. The basis of cooperation is respect and respect requires a society that recognizes the dignity of each individual and the dignity of our environment. We are just one species on this planet and we need to live in harmony with the rest. My hope is that by making human society better and more responsible we will be in a position to address our relationship with the planet. I call that being a socialist and I wear the title proudly.
More specifically let me say:
I believe that every person should have access to a healthy balanced diet and clean water for sustenance. Therefore, I am a socialist.
I believe that every person deserves decent shelter from the elements. Therefore, I am a socialist.
I believe that human rights are non-negotiable. Therefore, I am a socialist.
I believe that health is a fundamental human right and every person has a right to the best care our world can offer. Therefore, I am a socialist.
I believe that war is an evil that needs to be eradicated through the creation of a JUST global order based on my stated basic truths. Therefore, I am a socialist.
I know that anything human beings create; human beings can change. Therefore, I am a socialist.
So there you have it. Me in a nutshell. If you choose to return from time to time to view my thoughts I am honoured. You may not always agree with what I say here but at least you will always know it is from my heart.
