Time Preferences

The Woodvile Freedom Group (WFG) hosts a group of citizens concerned about government overreach during the recent pandemic and the authoritarian approaches they used.

Consider this a diary entry.

I have been re-evaluating my interest in WFG initiatives such as the Ontario Sovereignty Act plan. I also has interest in supporting the Libertarian federal and Ontario parties. My personal analysis goes something like this.

History and longevity.

The Libertarian parties have a long history (~50 years), an organizational structure with elected leaders who are governed by a party constitution and a clear vision/mandate, fundraising mechanisms and a small but committed following across Canada. I consider these assets to offer an advantage over freedom groups which are generally fragmented, self-absorbed and disorganized compared to the Ontario Libertarian Party (OLP) and Libertarian Party of Canada (LPoC).

Most importantly, Libertarians are focussed on the most important issue of our times - the excessive size, cost and scope of authority commanded by public sector institutions. This legislative and bureaucratic jail cell has become a political fortress from which no one can escape.

I have been a Less Government Advocate since 1979.

I always find myself returning to the Liberatian cause after exploring other venues of citizen action. The OLP has existed since 1975 and has stood the test of time. By comparison, the freedom groups across Ontario are new and invisible to the majority of the public. If the 40+ freedom groups across Ontario are anything like the WFG, they have no unified political message to take to the public, particularly during elections (they are not registered with Ekections Ontario). It is difficult to build and sustain a unified and coherent movement across Ontario (or Canada) when no core theme exists for citizens to get behind.

Since 2007, and as a former OLP Chairman, I have become known in Libertarian circles. At the (Woodville Freedom Group) WFG, I am viewed as somewhat of an outsider since I made it clear that I do not share its Christian beliefs nor desire to support the Canadian flag, the symbol of state oppression.  I accept this reputation because it is true. I will, however, continue to attend WFG meetings periodically when the focus of topics serves my interests.

Writing is my priority.

I have published one book and one “white paper” on Kindle in the last two months, and written over 100 essays on Substack since February 2022. I recently started another “white paper” to be called ‘What to do about Cronyism - A Libertarian Proposal’.

Ideas that can be introduced into the public area for consideration, discussion and adoption are what matter to me most. Sharing ideas that embrace the Four Principles for Civil Society are my purpose as a politically active Less Government Advocate. Individual Freedom of Informed Choice combined with more Personal Responsibility must replace the central planning and rigid controls imposed on our citizens by the state. Respect for the state by our citizens will only return when that state shows respect for us. Our elected representatives are the only citizens who can create a Fair framework of unbiased laws and regulations that will earn our Respect.

Reducing all government entities to a size, cost, and scope of authority that focused on the bare essentials is the only way that Civil Society can function. Over the past five decades, governments at every level surpassed the bare essentials long ago. The balance between the Four Principles of a Civil Society can be achieved. The balance of power between individual and state has been obligerated over decades as an increasing share of the public has become dependent on state services and largess. This transition occurred so slowly that few citizens have noticed, and if they have, even fewer seem to care about the slippery slope we’re on.

The Libertarian advantage.

Last week, I encouraged other Libertarians to start writing and publishing under an eBook series called ‘Libertarian Proposals’. Over time, we could amass a large number of online publications that could be referenced during elections by our candidates. The short ebook format (and audiobook) is ideal to provide long-form discussions of public policy proposals framed using the SWOT+ analysis method. Libertarians are the only politicians who have nothing to lose and everything to gain by identifying the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, Who Benefits and Who Pays for every proposal.

Most mainstream politicians, on the other hand, sell policies that appear good on the surface by the claims they profess, but are always very superficial and come with no evidence of critical and analytical thinking to support their policies. Those politicians rely on emotional appeals rather than thorough justifications for heaping more government involvement and cost into the lives of every Canadian.

If Liberations could release eBooks ( say 20 to 40 pages) that feature an honest and thoughtful SWOT+ analysis of policy proposals, Libertarian politicians will earn the Respect and Trust of serious voters who seek reliable and trustworthy information. Unfortunately, superficial voters will likely continue to vote superficially ( you can’t change the spots on a leopard). However, at least they will no longer be able to use the excuse that Libertarian principles, values and ideas are not clear or accessible.

Motivated by disappointment.

Like Winston Churchill, I have been disappointed by most voters. They take very little interest in the details of public policies that affect all of our lives. Many treat elections no more seriously than a high school popularity contest and vote based on superficial and emotional claims without considering facts or reason. I recommended the Libertarian Proposals idea in an attempt to rectify this. When it comes to any claim made by government officials or any elected representarive, my rule of thumb is the opposite of Ronald Reagan’s who advised:

“Trust but verify.”

I prefer…

“Only trust after verification. Otherwise, remain skeptical”

The WFG could also produce a series of ebooks and audiobooks if members are willing to write. I believe that a series of ‘Woodville Freedom Proposals’ ebooks would produce better results than letter-writing campaigns to politicians. Better still, if every eBook could be converted into a short Audiobook, the message of members can reach many more citizens and voters over time and space.

I am focusing on writing ebooks with Libertarian proposals.

I also hope to begin producing audiobooks soon.

The world has gone digital. It will soon be dominated by AI tools like GPT 4.0. I want to produce as much Libertarian digital content as possible so that it will exist permanently on the Internet. This will insure that our Freedom Of Informed Choice ideas will be AI-accessible for all future discussions about Democracy in Canada.

The day is coming that the word ‘informed’ will means that ideas are sufficiently important to be included in all AGI (artificial general intelligence) queries by tools like Open AI’s GPT-4, Microsoft’s BINGchat, and Google’s BARD. Libertarians can’t afford to be left out of the public discourse by being invisible to GPT or BARD.

My advice is…

If one subject deserves attention in the upcoming In Person Ontario Leadership Event organized by Elevate for April 22 in Newmarket, it’s this AGI accessibility topic presented above. 

Leaders and influencers of several Ontario freedom groups will meet, discuss and participate at this event. Each group is unique and possesses different mandates and priorities. If they could be encouraged to produce eBooks and Audiobooks by their group members and do so under a common banner (say ‘Ontario Sovereignty Proposals’), this will leave an AGI-accessible and inter-linked digital footprint. A common vision must be clearly articulated and supported for the benefit every online citizen. #OntarioSovereigntyProposals could be the Twitter and GETTR hashtag.

While groups like WFG and Elevate are not political parties, they share the primary goal of political parties - to reach like-minded citizens and offer alternative ways to govern communities.

Politicians compete for the “inside job” - to be elected and paid well in order to influence change. Getting elected gives them direct access to “the honey pot” ( taxes and public debt + legislation and the institutions of enforcement).

Freedom groups perform the “outside job” of politics. Their focus on reaching members of the public who share common interests and concerns, but who are also voters.

Collectively, groups of voters exercise the power to determine who gets access to “the honey pot” and how they will use it in the public sphere.

Public sector labour unions are examples of organized and well-funded groups that exert enormous influence on public polices and enforcement institutions.

Imagine the influence that Ontario’s freedom groups could wield regarding public governance if they were to build an organizational/political capability comparable to all of Ontario’s public sector labour unions!

Political parties and freedom groups have the same goal but employ different strategies.

Freedom groups are currently at a significant disadvantage to political parties, but this can be overcome in time. These groups can learn from the successes and failures of the existing political “establishment” parties. If they come together under a common cause, they can provides a populist, decentralized and diverse framework of public influence to defeat the centralized and inflexible Modus Operandi of POOP (Political Oliglopoly of Ontario Power) commanded by the BORG (blue, orange, red and Green) parties. [ Note. I like the POOP anachronym because those major parties leave a mess wherever they go and freedom lovers are left with the task of cleanup].

With we stand unified, or fragmented?

By building such a pan-Ontario movement, its success will require a clear vision shared by all groups and their participants. When voters and non-voting citizens begin to recognise that a common vision is shared by many (anti-establishment) freedom groups and tens of thousands of their members, they will learn that there are many ways to protect Ontario’s 14 million residents from a form of Digital Communism or Digital Cronyism that is seeping into our lives. We no longer need to live under a high-tax and ‘one-size-fits-all’ regime that we all know is failing us.

Going forward.

I will send this essay to Travis McDonald of Elevate, the organizer of the April 22 event. Hopefully he will see merit in these ideas. In the meantime, I will continue to produce Libertarian Proposals as eBooks (and audiobooks) and use whatever limited influence a have within Libertarian communities to pursue our common goals.