In my latest Mercatornet article I say the extended version "making of" DVDs show that The Lord of the Rings film trilogy was an amazing logistical and creative achievement that unhappily missed much of the moral point of Tolkien's masterpiece.
"Do unto others as they would like to be done unto"
Attributed to "various U.S. management consultants” in Globe and Mail March 10, 2000 p. A18.
My latest crowd-funded documentary project "Israel for Canadians" is now live on Kickstarter.
Too many Canadians have somehow acquired a mistaken impression of Israel as a regional bully, a fortress under siege, an intolerant, chauvinistic or even theocratic culture, or a colourful museum. I want to dispel all such illusions, showcasing its technological achievements, its contemporary culture, its environmental movement, its vigorous debates on everything from religion to security, its very real security challenges and its inhabitants' abiding desire for peace.
If you value the only democracy in the Middle East, a dynamic, open society, an ally of the West, the home of one great world religion and the birthplace of another, please visit Kickstarter and make a pledge.
Because as the late George Jonas once put it, "Truth unasserted is a lie unopposed."
In my latest National Post column I say the emptiness of "a plan that puts people first" puts conceit first... and puts us all at risk.
If you're concerned about the direction government budgets are headed in this country at the federal, provincial and even municipal level, and you're in the Calgary area, please join us Friday and Saturday for the EEA's 5th annual Freedom School Conference, on "Stemming the Tide of Red Ink." You can see the list of speakers, get details and register here.
"Step 1. Get committed…. Step 2. Involve your spouse…. Step 3. Act as if the depression has already begun…. Step 4. Gather knowledge…. Step 5. Master compound interest…. Step 6. Stop shopping…. Step 7. Turn off the television…. Step 8. Connect more closely to family and neighbors…. Step 9. Do not be a victim…. Step 10. Watch the calendar, not the clock…. Step 11. Treasure your health…. Step 12. Don’t boast…. Step 13. Help others…. Step 14. Defend the open society…. Step 15. Tell your children."
Advice on being prepared for the long run and possible hard times, in James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg The Great Reckoning
In my latest National Post column I say the federal Liberals have literally no idea what they're getting themselves into when they promise to assess every policy initiative in the budget according to its impact on everything to do with gender including all their other policies.
"I remember that when I was a boy my teacher asked if anybody knew what laissez faire meant. I didn’t realize it was a French phrase. I thought it meant the government was 'lazy' and 'fair.' And it certainly worked well for Hong Kong under British rule."
Martin Lee in CATO Policy Report Vol. XXI, #6 (Nov./Dec. 1999)
"Le monde récompense plus souvent les apparences du mérite que le mérite même."
Réflexions morales #166 in François de La Rochefoucauld Maximes