KAREN SELICK

Parliamentarians would prefer to follow the path of least resistance and vote for the myths that the public opinion polls show their constituents believe in, instead of taking the trouble to educate themselves and their constituents.

When property is owned communally, everyone has an incentive to use it up quickly, before someone else does. No-one bothers to maintain or improve it, because their efforts will simply benefit others

Every new law enforcement measure in recent years has been met with increasingly sophisticated evasive techniques on the part of organized crime.

No-one wants polluted air, water or land, denuded forests or extinct animal species. But the error most people make is to trust the legislature to prevent these tragedies. What they don’t realize is how big a role the legislature has played historically in causing environmental destruction.

Once the state becomes the ultimate beneficiary of crime proceeds, how different is it, really, from being simply the most powerful gang in a battlefield of gangs?

John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." I have never understood why this utterance, which in essence urges everyone to volunteer themselves as unquestioning slaves, guinea pigs and cannon fodder to a grasping state, is quoted with such reverence. What Kennedy should have said is this: “Ask lots of very pointed questions about what your country promises to do for you, and don't forget to ask exactly what it proposes to do to you. Then pick the place that offers the best deal. You will be doing a favour not only to yourself, but potentially to all of mankind.”

I think cultures that emphasize individualism, entrepreneurship, realism, liberty and private property are superior to cultures that emphasize collectivism, adherence to ancient ritual, mysticism, subjugation to the group, and communal property.

Neither our present-day natives nor their ancestors ever surrendered their sovereignty…. Frankly, I don't recall ever surrendering my sovereignty either. I was never asked whether I accepted the rule of federal, provincial or municipal governments over me. I was simply born here, like a Mohawk or an Inuit, and successive groups of people calling themselves the government have taken it upon themselves to claim that they rule me.

From each according to his stability, caution and diligence, to each according to his instability, carelessness and lethargy

Why attempt to keep drugs out of the country, or prevent them from being sold? After all, police can't be everywhere at once. Since choices have to be made, it will be tempting to let the drug trade proceed unmolested, then just go after the cash.

No-one wants polluted air, water or land, denuded forests or extinct animal species. But the error most people make is to trust the legislature to prevent these tragedies. What they don’t realize is how big a role the legislature has played historically in causing environmental destruction.

John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." I have never understood why this utterance, which in essence urges everyone to volunteer themselves as unquestioning slaves, guinea pigs and cannon fodder to a grasping state, is quoted with such reverence. What Kennedy should have said is this: “Ask lots of very pointed questions about what your country promises to do for you, and don't forget to ask exactly what it proposes to do to you. Then pick the place that offers the best deal. You will be doing a favour not only to yourself, but potentially to all of mankind.”

In many cases, if the custodial parent decides to move across the country, or decides to make it difficult for the access parent to obtain access, the non-custodial parent has suffered a loss that, while not as severe as the death of a child, is certainly a severe loss. That parent gets no compensation whatsoever for the loss of that child through divorce. In fact, what we actually do is we turn around and kick him in the teeth one more time by saying that not only do you lose your child, but you now have the privilege of paying money every month to the person who did this to you. That is why, in my brief, I recommended changing the custody laws.

If I work 60 hours a week, for example, and I make much more money than someone who works 40 hours a week, is my standard of living higher? I suppose it depends on your values. If I do not have time, because I work 60 hours a week, to spend time with my children, I may not consider myself to have a high standard of living.

Parliamentarians would prefer to follow the path of least resistance and vote for the myths that the public opinion polls show their constituents believe in, instead of taking the trouble to educate themselves and their constituents.

From each according to his stability, caution and diligence, to each according to his instability, carelessness and lethargy

When property is owned communally, everyone has an incentive to use it up quickly, before someone else does. No-one bothers to maintain or improve it, because their efforts will simply benefit others

I think cultures that emphasize individualism, entrepreneurship, realism, liberty and private property are superior to cultures that emphasize collectivism, adherence to ancient ritual, mysticism, subjugation to the group, and communal property.

What is the basic unit of "self" in the expression "self-government?" How large does your group have to be before it can be a government unto itself? In fact, do you have to be part of a group at all?

About 36 percent of all homicides in Canada involve guns. By coincidence, about 34 percent of all homicides in Canada involve family members. One might conclude that families are just slightly less dangerous than guns.

Why attempt to keep drugs out of the country, or prevent them from being sold? After all, police can't be everywhere at once. Since choices have to be made, it will be tempting to let the drug trade proceed unmolested, then just go after the cash.

Once the state becomes the ultimate beneficiary of crime proceeds, how different is it, really, from being simply the most powerful gang in a battlefield of gangs?

Neither our present-day natives nor their ancestors ever surrendered their sovereignty…. Frankly, I don't recall ever surrendering my sovereignty either. I was never asked whether I accepted the rule of federal, provincial or municipal governments over me. I was simply born here, like a Mohawk or an Inuit, and successive groups of people calling themselves the government have taken it upon themselves to claim that they rule me.

When men and women were running around in a state of nature (by which is meant an absence of government, not an absence of clothing), …

Every new law enforcement measure in recent years has been met with increasingly sophisticated evasive techniques on the part of organized crime.